Which is better for self defense? 9mm, .45 cal or .40 cal?

Question

Which is better for self defense? 9mm, .45 cal or .40 cal?

Answer 1

The 125gr. soft point or hollow point (not sure) .357 Magnum is a very famous man stopper, and so is the 230gr. .45 ACP

But in the end, what matters is your shot placement, so 9mm is also OK.

They say that the smallest cartridge you should "pack" is the 9x17mm A.K.A. the .380 ACP

Answer 2

The 45, but it all comes down to what ever is rite for you.

Answer 3

which ever one you shoot more accurately.

Answer 4

The .45 acp is the best manstopper and proven under all battle conditions. The .45 acp, I would say is the best one for a handgun in most self defense situations. One shot in the torso of your attacker and it's over for him.

Answer 5

The 45acp is the absolute best - but - only if you have the correct sized hand and ability to control it.  There isn't a square inch on a person's body where a single 45 strike will not disable the intruder.  

For people who cannot handle a 45 - both the 9mm and 40cal are an excellent next choice.  These are both good self defense calibers - they just do not pack the whallop a 45 does - something to consider with so many high quality vests and body armor showing up on ebay for anyone to buy.  A really big guy can shake off a 9mm hit - not so much with a 45.

Hope this helps.

Answer 6

if i had to use one of those calibers i would use the .45 ACP but if i had a choice it would be without a doubt a pump action 12 gauge! racking that slide will make whoevers there run!

Answer 7

What ever you have at hand when the ----hits the fan.

I prefer a 45 ACP and second choice is the 40 S&W.

Answer 8

This question gets asked so often. Do a search on this site and you will see 100's of answers.

Anyway, I like the 9. Faster follow up shots, higher capacity, cheaper to practice with and the difference between the three when looking at high quality ammo is marginal.

Higher capacity is important because, in spite of people's bluster on websites, most shots are misses in self defense. Up close cops have ~ a 50% hit rate at something like 10 yards it goes to ~20% . Next time you hear about a police shooting notice the rounds to hits ratio. You may have some great plan about how when you defend yourself you will be at spot A and the target will be at point B. It doesn't work that way. You may be on the ground shooting up you may have one hand on his gun etc... So you are not likely to be shooting under an ideal situation. More and more deadly force encounters are at night with multiple targets. Give me ammo. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting often. Capacity is a good thing.

9mm's are easy to conceal. If the gun is heavy, uncomfortable or big you are less likely to have it.

On small guns recoil is a big issue. You may be punching the guy with one hand while trying to shoot him with the other (weapons retention is very important). Think how slow that second shot is going to be with a very light 357 snubby. Now imagine how fast it will be with a 9mm.

The most important determination to survivining a gun battle is the will to win (will to kill?) the next is practice. Price 45 357 9 ammo and tell me which one is easier to practice with.  Furthermore go to the range and look at how bad of shots people are. The reason most people can't shoot is because they are afraid of their guns.

Get practice and get training. Otherwise you are going to end up dead in an ally with your gun shoved up your behind.

An afterthought: people talk about how their round is the most effective. I assure you the 500 mag is more effective than the 45 or the 357. So if that is the only thing that matters to you get the 500 mag.

Answer 9

for YOUR personal self defense, unless you are willing to kill someone that is attacking you, no gun would be acceptable.

other than that, the .45, has the most stopping power

Answer 10

Any caliber, even a .22 is lethal.  the MOST important thing is to hit your target quickly and accurately to eliminate the threat.  You must practice, practice, practice to be confident and ACCURATE.

Answer 11

I have always preferred the 9mm.

Answer 12

Yes

All are very adequate for HD

The differences are minimal, cultural and semantical

Answer 13

IMNSHO, when it comes to effective defensive semi-automatic pistol cartridges, the list is very short.  In fact, it has only one entry, .45 ACP.

Truth is, the .45 ACP is almost as good as the .45 Fanatics say it is.  Only the .44 S&W SPL, and .45 Long Colt equal the .45 ACP, and only the .357 Magnum is actually better.

Doc

Answer 14

Leaving out personal feelings for a minute, use simple physics:

a large slow moving projectile will impart(transfer) more energy into an object than will a smaller faster moving one.

using that as a simple theory (although it's not theory, it's proven science) the .45acp with 230 grain HP will do far more damage than a 115 grain 9mm HP. even the 147 grain 9mm will not compare.

So, my first choice is, and remains, the .45acp for self defense.

Second choice is the .40 S&W (although it is really just an anemic .45acp LOL)

last choice is the 9mm.

Others will argue that hitting someone with multiple shots from a 9mm is ideal. I say that doing the job with 1 shot, 2 at the most, allows the badguy less time to hurt you.

This is why most Police departments that went to the wonder nine's (like LAPD) are going back to the .45acp. As are all special forces in all branches of the military, as are the FBI etc. etc.

Would I use a 9mm if it was what I had? darn straight I would.

I have seen the results of hits from many calibers on humans, and have experienced it myself on 3 occassions. When it comes to defending my life, or that of loved ones, I stack the odds in my favor and continue to carry a pistol chambered in .45acp.

Shoot safe

Answer 15

NONE of those.* The tried, true, tested, and proven 357 Magnum is the BEST no-nonsense man stopper, using 125 grain jacketed hollow point bullets.* You can also shoot 38 caliber ammo in a 357 Magnum.* You get two (2*) handguns for the price of one.* Forget the others, and get the best defense in a 357 Magnum.*

Answer 16

All three are good self defense rounds.  It comes down to personal choice.  My order of preference is the .40 or .45 first, and then the 9 mm.

Answer 17

The best is the one you feel most comfortable with, and that doesn't depend on size.  I am a petite woman, and my favorite defense arm is my Colt 1911 in 45 acp.  My live-in girlfriend is taller and stronger than me, but prefers her Walther PPK in 9mm Kurz.

Answer 18

All three are good but with the 9mm ammo choice is critical when used for defensive purposes.  Stay away from FMJ and anything that is sub-sonic.  Best loads for the 9mm are the 115 to 127 grain jacketed hollow-points.  In this caliber I like the 124 grain Federal Hydra Shok Personal Defense round, but any quality defensive round will suffice.  

H

Answer 19

I prefer either 9mm or .45acp. I do not like the snap like recoil of the .40.

My favorite round is the 9mm because it is the cheaper of the three and still a decent defense round. Many of my local police and sheriff dept. still use 9mm.

Added: they are all good for self defense...personal preference.

Gee Wizzz...what is with all the thumbs down....lol