Originally Posted By: 1WildPig
Yep, I'm comfortable with the 9mm...wasn't always like that...when I first got into law enforcement I was issued a model 10 .38 S&W wheel gun (an excellent handgun with a proven cartridge, I just didn't realize how good it was at the time!) and I had my own 9mm Taurus model 92..so I asked the Chief if I could carry it and he said yeah...so, now I'm packing a +P+ 9mm (handload, of all things) and feeling pretty good..until one night there was a brawl at a weekend "party house" and there was this real big fella that wasn't wanting to obey verbal commands and I remember thinking, man, I was I had a bigger bullet! Didn't have to shoot, but I did go and get me a S&W .45 auto because with this bigger bullet I could stop a bigger perp..yeah, right, well, that's what I was thinking.....anyway, over the years of studying calibers and their effectiveness and getting sideroaded along the way by what was printed in magazines and then back to the right road of actual physical data from Doctors and pathologists, I come to realize that any handgun bullet will do if it will do one thing and that is to have enough penetration to hit something vital...yep, that's it..if your handgun bullet meets that criteria, then it's up to the shooter to put them in the spots that will do the most good.
Now, don't get me wrong, bigger is always better, but if you put a .38, 9mm, .40, or ,45 in someones spine or cranial cavity or thru their heart they won't be able to tell the difference...yep, it's all about shot placement with adequate penetration and a 9mm will do. I have went from the +P+ 115 grain bullets to the heavier 147 grain and wouldn't feel bad using the 124 or 127 grainers either but for an up close and personal defense load I think the 147 will do it's part if I do mine. I also moved on to the Glock pistols as well (although a nice Browning HiPower still has it's place too). Concerning the baby Glock, using a 147 standard pressure load just makes it very controlable while still being effective. It's never been said that a 158 grain +P LSWC in .38 special just won't do and that's about what you got with a 147 grain 9mm except with a little more oomph - when you think of it that way, it ain't so bad now is it! ... and a little G26 with ten of those cartridges makes for an awful easy to conceal carry pistol with plenty of power on tap to handle whatever is likely to come along...and the little thing is surprisingly accurate too.
The reason I don't care for the .40 is due to it's snappy recoil along with the fact that it had a shaky start with some ammo blowing case heads off. If the bullet gets just a little setback in it's brass watch out, the pressure will really go up and it's got to get out some how. This isn't as much of a concern as it use to be but still something to watch out for..I recommend testing the ammo by rechambering the same round a few times to see if it sets back in it's case so you'd know up front if when you cleared your weapon that it would be ok to rechamber the same round without it getting setback or to move on to the next round and leave that one out. Remember, .40 caliber pistols are the same size as 9mm pistols only they are shooting a larger bullet with high pressure which means less gun to handle more bullet whereas the 9mm has plenty of extra gun to contain it's pressures.
I do like the .45 ACP (a big bullet but with low pressure) and it is my preferred choice when I open carry using my full size Kimber. But, when carrying my .45 I don't really think of it's caliber as being the only benefit as much as I do it's accuracy...and if I was gonna carry in inclement weather where my pistol was gonna get a lot of exposure to some bad elements, then I'd most likely strap on my Glock 17 and be content. I let the environment dictate which weapon gets the job..not that my Kimber won't work in a bad environment, it's just that it's a whole lot easier to break down a glock than it is a 1911 when it's time for a thorough cleaning.
Those stories that you've heard about the 9mm failing in it's job would have probably been the same story with any caliber handgun...or it could have just been the wrong choice in ammunition for that situation...there ain't no magic bullets that will work the best in every situation but, generally speaking, the middle to the heavier weight bullets in each caliber will provide for the best all around results for that caliber...choice should be whichever one hits point of aim and works 100% in your pistol...reliability first followed closely by accuracy.
Yep, for a reliable, durable, easy to carry and shoot pistol with plenty of bullets on tap, the Glock 26 is hard to beat.
As always, YMMV
GREAT info!
Thanks for your time. I may have to relook into the 9mm round.
The 26/27 is a great CCW. Its tough to beat.
1WildPig, your makeing my choice HARDER!!!!
LOL
