Is 9mm really that WEAK?

Question

everybody says that 9mm is a weak round and ineffective, but how do you explain all of our brave american soldiers who were killed in WWII by german MP-40 (9mm Luger submachine gun)? what about all of those people at columbine shooting that were killed by the tec-9? virginia tech, glock 19 was a 9mm gun and that shooter killed a lot of people too...

so how can you say that 9mm is weak and cant kill, when so many ppl died from it? whats the deal? bullets are dangerous, i doubt that if you got shot by a 9mm bullet you would be saying "ohhh thats so weak i can take it!!!"

Answer 1

The 9mm can be a very effective and deadly round, however, there is so much more "testosterone kick" out of talking about .357's, .40 cals, .44 cals. .45 cals, .50 cals, etc. that even though those larger calibers are typically more sought after (and with good reason) for personal defense, the 9mm gets knocked around a bit by many who believe it is not a potent round, which is very unfortunate!

The 9mm standard NATO round nose (ball) ammo used in wartime and the military for decades, historically did not create large wound channels, or many "one shot stops" for that matter.  They were kind of overpenetrators, and not considdered safe for urban police use.  That all changed with the JHP rounds and greater velocities developed, that caused better expansion of the 9mm.  The Illinois State Police was one of the first law enforcement organizations in the US to adopt the 9mm for its officers for everyday use.  The 115 & 125 grain JHP +P(+) round was developed and used by the Illinois State Police to be a better "one shot stopper".  And the velocity is pretty amazing for a 9mm at 1200 and 1250 feet per second respectively.  That is approaching magnum velocities and in an experienced shooters hand, it is definately anything but "weak"!    

  

Answer 2

Q:  is 9mm really that WEAK?

A:  No, it is not weak.  The 9mm is a medium-bore defensive caliber.  What gave it a bad rap was poor ammo choice.  The 9mm comes into its own using light hollow-point ammo.  The best choices for defense are quality defensive rounds from any of the major manufacturers in the 115 to 127 grain jacketed hollow point configuration.  The FBI didn't help things when it proclaimed that the 147 grain 9mm subsonic was the best thing since sliced bread.  Unfortunately the subsonic ammo didn't live up to the FBI's claim.  Stay away from anything FMJ and anything subsonic for defensive purposes in the 9mm and don't worry about anyone calling it... Weak.

H

Answer 3

It's not that it's weak, in fact it has a very high muzzle velocity. Look, if you make a headshot with a 9mm, the person is probably going to die. And the whole lack of power thing just means that it won't kill a person immediately in one hit to the torso. With an automatic submachine gun, it would be pretty quick to kill a an un-armored GI(not to degrade the brave men of WWII). Today, however, in a combat situation, a light kevlar vest could stop a 9mm, and even if the guys not armored, people seem to have evolved somewhat, and when determination and adrenaline kick in, a it could take a whole clip to take down someone. Remember, the other examples you gave were civilian casualties with no armor who were completely surprised to be shot, their bodies weren't ready for it. A guy on PCP or Hashish isn't going to register that he's supposed to be dead if you shoot him 10 times with a 9mm. A few shots with 10mm will have a force to knock him down, at least. Sometimes, 9mm don't kill people enough. Seriously, if you're wearing decent armor, a 9mm isn't going to do ****.

Answer 4

The 9MM is NOT weak....... I dont know why people rag on this 9MM cartridge so much.... I think its a perfect cartridge..... There seems to be this typical American psychosis where everybody thinks bigger is better..... Sure the .45 is more powerful but if your not knocking down doors in Baghdad or rousting crackheads in a Chicago housing project then whats the point of the superior firepower... The .45 is to loud, too much recoil, too expensive ammo so why bother..... Forget the .357, 40 S&W, 44mag or other elephant cartridges... The 9 is fine and its got plenty of stopping power for self defense......

Answer 5

It can make you quite dead if you get hit with one.  There just happen to be many more powerful rounds available.

Answer 6

The caliber of ammunition is only one factor in the overall effectiveness of a firearm.  The design of the gun can influence factors such as magazine capacity (the mp-40 came standard with a 32 round magazine), recoil (which can greatly effect accuracy, the mp-40 had a very manageable recoil), and ease of use, durability, rate of fire, etc.  The reason many organizations opt for a more powerful round is usually for increased stopping power. As most times a handgun is used at very close range this can be a lifesaving factor.

Answer 7

An old military man I work with states regularly: "9mm? Two in the chest, one is the head. They used to tell us with the .45 to target center of mass."

Any bullet has the potential to kill. Some more than others.  

Answer 8

With the new expanding hollow point rounds the 9mm is extremely effective particularly when pushed to velocities above 1250 ft/sec. The 9mm works and works quite well or else it would not have been in military use for around 100 years.

Answer 9

It is not weak. Anyoune who says it is has no idea what they talk about. It does not create the larger wound that a .45 creates, but it can easyly be configured to have as many as 18 rounds in one mag. It has more firepower potential than some of the other auto loading cals. It is a very battle proven caliber.

Answer 10

Even though there are so many variables for so many different things.  Even though people study internal, external, and terminal ballistics. In the end it is all about shot placement.  Practice with your firearm.

Answer 11

i dont think its weak...its just not as strong as its peers...

Answer 12

My answer is mostly regarding the part about the Columbine shooting.  Of the 13 people who were killed (not the shooters), about 9 were killed by one or more 9 mm bullets.  The others died by shotgun blasts.  Of those killed by 9 mm bullets, only two victims had been shot a single time.  The other seven had multiple gunshot wounds.  Additionally, there were at least 15 who were shot by at least one 9 mm bullet, and they all survived.

Also, Harris and Klebold were not very experienced in firearms.  They'd only had three of their weapons for about six months prior to the shooting, and one of them only three months prior.  In one of their videos, they're target practicing and they couldn't have hit the broad side of a barn.

Anyway, I wouldn't use the Columbine shooting as a measurement of any kind when comparing firearms.  There are too many variables involved.

Answer 13

It is not weak by any means. However, compared to other popular handgun calibers like the .45ACP, 10mm, .40 S&W, .357 SIG etc. it lacks the velocity, power, and kinetic energy that some want.

When a 9mm bullet hits soft tissue, it does not generally have the speed or energy to expand and fragment, creating a very small wound channel, and often times, over-penetration. While this would of course still kill someone if you hit vitals, peripheral hits won't do nearly as much damage. The .45 on the other hand creates a massive wound channel and expands rapidly causing something known as hydrostatic shock. This results in extreme trauma even on non lethal hits. This is what equates to the .45s famed "knockdown" power.

With proper shot placement, 9mm is a very effective round. And you have to remember, it has a couple things going for it too... namely decreased recoil, cheaper ammo, increased capacity, and in a lot of cases more accuracy.

Answer 14

its not weak its just that most people move around after been hit by a 9mm and then go somewhere and die. That is why the double tap is encouraged with small calibers.

Answer 15

9mm, weak? h**l no

u have to find the right load/hornady TAP 124 gr.

the 9mm was invented to injure american soldiers to lure in more. pretty sick plan, that's a n**i for you.

however when it comes down to it a 9mm is capable of killing with a single shot, so is a 22.

the 40 and 45 are better choices when it comes to lethality, yet a couple of well aimed shots with a 9mm will stop any assailant.

if the shoe fits wear it.

it all just depends on many environmental factors also.

and you can really offend some folks with a description like that.

Answer 16

9mm isn't that weak.

E.R trauma medicine has gotten a whole lot better.

What they're talking about with the 9mm as a self defense round is

not killing power, but stopping power.

(A heart shot with a .22 LR will kill too, ... in about 10 Min.)

Answer 17

Wow! I can't believe their are people out there that claim a 9mm is weak. It might be weak compared to other calibers, but it can definitely kill someone. Something as small as a .22 is very deadly. When people tell you a 9mm can't kill, ask them if you can shoot them with one.  

Answer 18

Let's reframe the question.  You have your choice of using a 4" blade pocket knife, or a broadsword.  Which one is the more effective weapon?

Well, the knife is concealable, and depending on how effectively you can use it, can be quite lethal.  You really have to pick your target, though... it's easy to wound someone but not disable them.

The broadsword,on the other hand, will pretty much disable someone with any hit.  If they try to block it, they could lose an arm.  Even if they wore body armor, the energy from a direct swing to the torso would probably break ribs.

So, is the knife "weak"?  of course not.  It may lack the brute killing force of the broadsword, but it's seriously easier to carry around.

Answer 19

When somebody claims 9mm is "weak" or "ineffective", they are not claiming that it "can't kill."  Rather, they are stating that it is less effective than other calibers at reliably delivering incapacitating shots to an attacker.

In the justifiable use of deadly force, the intent is not to KILL the attacker.  It is to STOP the attack as quickly as possible.  The death of the attacker is an unfortunate consequence.  That being said, an attacker may die from blood loss or infection three days after you shoot him with a .22.  But if that shot didn't stop him from killing you first, then obviously the round was "weak" and "ineffective."

The truth is any caliber handgun can kill given the right placement and/or lack of treatment.  But the only true "one stop" shot is a direct hit to the brain or central nervous system.

We have no control over the psychology of an attacker.  The mere sight of a gun may be enough to make him flee.  On the other hand, a career criminal might not run because he has probably had a gun pointed at him many times and maybe he's even been shot before.  If you shoot an attacker, hey may continue fighting because he doesn't realize he's been shot or just sheer will: pain can be suppressed for a certain amount of time especially if somebody is on drugs.  There are many documented cases of mortally wounded people that have continued fighting.  On the other hand, a person may get shot and because he's watched so much TV, he instinctively falls down because he believes thats what you do when you get shot.  But in reality, he could easily keep fighting.

So we have no control over the psychology of the attacker.  The best we can do is work on the physiological side of things: what caliber is best at delivering incapacitating shots?  The simple answer is, the caliber that penetrates the furthest and leaves the biggest hole.  Does that mean the .45 is better than the 9mm?  Well, that depends...if you are a crack shot with your 9mm but can't hit the broad side of a barn with a .45, then the choice should be clear.