I’ve been pouring over this subject for years now (particularly DocGKR’s work), but keep coming back to the same conundrum at one point or another. It’s obvious that 9mm has taken the world by storm once more in LE, military, and self-defense use. However, looking back over the past several decades, the pendulum seems to swing back and forth between larger/heavier calibers like the .40, .45, and 10mm (for a brief time), and 9mm. There was a time when 9mm was thought to be king, but then it was determined not to be enough and a larger caliber was needed.
Who’s to say that there won’t be another tragic event of brave LEOs getting killed while using 9mm pistols that fail to end the threat, and precipitate a move back to larger calibers like .40 and .45 (or some new caliber entirely)? That’s not to say that I think such a tragedy would actually be the fault of 9mm; more than likely it would be the fault of something else entirely or the inadequacies of service pistol calibers in general. But that wouldn’t necessarily stop a large exodus from 9mm to a larger caliber, as has happened before.
As well, to this day it seems like larger calibers such as .40 are preferred by LE for dispatching injured animals, such as deer. If 9mm is less effective at putting down injured deer, how can it be as effective as the larger calibers to take down a 200+ pound determined human attacker?
This is coming from someone who has been carrying a 9mm Glock 19 for years and shoots in competition, but every once in a while I have my doubts about 9mm having negligible differences in effectiveness compared to .40 or .45.
I realize that the 9mm loads of today are scores more effective than 9mm loads of yesteryear, but it seems that only in the past decade has 9mm started to have loads determined to be excellent. Is it really, truly proven to be close enough in incapacitation potential to .40 or .45 to make no difference in regards to ending a posed threat quickly and effectively?
I don’t mean to start a caliber debate or focus on the wrong things, but it’s something that’s been gnawing at me for a while. It’s really the main reason I haven’t sold off my .45’s. Meanwhile I will continue my 9mm shooting schedule as normal, I will not let this compromise my effectiveness.
Thanks to all who help a OCD soul.