This is a good article about 9 vs 45.
Interesting information. So, my take on this is that while the 9mm would be a better gun for CC, the 45acp would be a better home defense gun. Guess it’s time to save up for a 45!
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I think they are both good for either scenario. I liked that the article wasn’t biased, and just pointed out the potential positives, and potential negatives.
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I own and carry both, i will always prefer .45…not too familiar with velocity and penetration and all that…yet, but what i do know is, i feel way more locked in, solid, and in control when i’m shooting .45, and my targets are suffering way more damage.
I feel like running, sliding, climbing, rolling around, and all kinda video game-ish stuff when shooting 9mm 
…light and manageable
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I absolutely love firearm/ammunition articles analyzing and debating pros and cons for specific situations. They always prove me correct… the perfect firearm and caliber hasn’t been invented yet. There is no doubt, I need one of every sub species and generation of firearm and ammunition ever made.
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Is your .45 a bigger gun than you 9 mm, @Ben_Blanc?
My G30 is bigger than my p365 but pretty close to my browning hp
I’ve always thought that with the right ammo, and the right conditions, and the right situation, and the right firearm, and the right clothing, and the right practice, and the right target, and the right barrel length, and the right availability, and the right capacity, and the right barriers, and the right political climate, and the right shooter, and the right price, and the right luck, that the 9mm is just as good as the 45. 
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I prefer .45 caliber. I really do. It’s the price difference that makes me go with 9mm.
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Live in one of those 10 an under states
So a CC 45 is the deal
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One thing to offer as “putting a hand on the scale”, 75% or more of LE uses 9 mm. Before you scream its because of price control, just know we have so many more reasons. Not going to elaborate points that have been discussed a million times. Just asking YOU to pause and consider that the pro’s banking their lives on their weapons every day have settled on the 9, in aggregate.
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I would say capacity and penetration are the MAIN reasons for law enforcement for 9mm. Since the 9mm isn’t the same weak sauce round it was in the Miami shootout, it fills a completely different roll. Just like the discussion elsewhere about Critical Defense or Critical Duty ammo. We(civilians) are looking for self defense rounds. Officers are looking for duty rounds. Sometimes they are one in the same. I like both rounds, but, I’m a heavy metal slinger.
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Just out of curiosity, would you happen to know the % of LE that used 9mm before they decided to go with 40 years ago?
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Well 9mm and a 45 acp I use and carry both the 9 in a browning hi- power and round for carry is sig v-crown. The 45 in a Thomson Auto Auto Ordinance 1911 and the round for that is a 240 hollow point Bullet made by barns, as I said I carry both the 45 is prime the 9 is my backup.
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I didn’t know Barnes had a 240 grain. Handloads?
I’m starting to think I have goofy priorities. Please correct me, but I think a hollow point bullet needs speed to consistently expand. I want the bullet to expand so it dumps most of or all energy into target. Thus, a .45 that can barely push a bullet to minimum speed needed for expansion (I’m a 10mm snob 
) isnt top on my list. A 185 grain isnt that bad, but a heavy bullet just isnt something I want in .45 for self defense.
It depends on the construction of the bullet. A bullet designed to expand at low speed will do so. Add more speed, it just expands more, to a certain extent.
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Also, a 9mm start at just that, 9mm or .358 inches give or take. Expanded, it ends up around .55-.60(being generous). A .45 is only 1/10 to 15/100ths of an inch less, unexpanded. Since it is a big, slow moving slug, there is less chance of over penetration. And, you can get +p 45, which aids in the process. The +p Underwood I Carry is 1000 FPS at the muzzle. I believe the 185 grain is up around 1200. Supersonic flying ashtrays.
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The physical size, expanded 9mm vs unexpanded .45 is only part of the picture. Weight is another factor that has a huge impact. Its apples to oranges at that point. From everything I’ve put together, 1,000 fps is the minimum for reliable expansion under most circumstances. I agree bullet design matters, I run the hornoday foamy tip slugs in my .45.
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But, the bullet design plays more of a factor than the velocity. Also, the frontal area of the larger round gives more surface for the hydraulic effect that takes place. I’m not bashing the 9, or saying the .45 is the end all be all. Just saying there’s a whole lot more physics involved than just the speed. The speed helps, but, it isn’t the sole determining factor of expansion.
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