1) Not really

2) Not really

 

Agree. Folks who understand the totality of the issues don't really need to debate it much.

 

a point that many seem to miss, do you have close neighbors. is there any chance that that 45acp or 9mm round might injure a neighbor? you could end up at worst in prison and at best bankrupt if this is a possibility.

if it's an issue, get a shot gun. jmo.

i

 

a point that many seem to miss, do you have close neighbors. is there any chance that that 45acp or 9mm round might injure a neighbor? you could end up at worst in prison and at best bankrupt if this is a possibility.

if it's an issue, get a shot gun. jmo.

Is that an opinion you impress upon LEAs? Most of their shootings are in locations with many people around. Are you advocating that their dropping of the shotgun is wrong and they should go back to shotguns?

 

I have read through many .45 acp vs 9mm arguments, and there are two questions that I have seen inconsistent answers to, so I thought I would check with the brain trust here. I am asking in the context of defense usage within our house, not for carry or outdoors purposes, as I am considering switching my bedside gun caliber.

In unsuppressed form, is .45 acp noticeably more quiet than 9mm?
Is there a significant difference in over-penetration between the two, assuming the use of HST hollow points in each?

Not trying to start yet another general caliber war; I can't test either of these specific questions at an indoor range, so I would appreciate any insight.

.45 is absolutely the superior round for home defense.

Low cartridge pressure. Sub-sonic so no sonic boom either. Hits harder.

If you shoot it out of a PCC you will absolutely notice a volume difference.

Not a good hard/intermediate barrier penetrator and broad frontal area, so will tend to stop in walls more than 9mm.

Home defense means don’t care about concealing it, so you can use a PCC or full sized pistol for easier hits, lower recoil, and more capacity.

Definitely go with .45.

 

.45 is absolutely the superior round for home defense.

Definitely go with .45.

I've seen ballistic gellatin on Lucky Gunner where 9mm did better than 45ACP. It's your opinion, you're entitled to it. Don

 

In unsuppressed form, is .45 acp noticeably more quiet than 9mm?
Is there a significant difference in over-penetration between the two, assuming the use of HST hollow points in each?

The rounds may be considered fundamentally interchangeable in those, and most other meaningful criteria. 45 is slightly quieter, but not much. Pick the one you shoot the best in the gun you like the most with the understanding you must be cognizant of what’s beyond the target. Both will accomplish the same tasks with the same level of efficiency.

 

Sensible advice - thanks!

 

The sound difference is actually significant (though it'd be ammo and barrel length dependent). Figures show typical 9mm about 3db louder than typical .45 ACP. Doesn't sound like much, but a 3db increase is double the sound energy (~ 23% increase in perceived volume).

Penetration is going to be very ammo dependent, but generally (in ballistics gel), the extra expansion of a .45 JHP will also reduce its penetration relative to 9mm.

 

I have read through many .45 acp vs 9mm arguments, and there are two questions that I have seen inconsistent answers to, so I thought I would check with the brain trust here. I am asking in the context of defense usage within our house, not for carry or outdoors purposes, as I am considering switching my bedside gun caliber.

In unsuppressed form, is .45 acp noticeably more quiet than 9mm?
Is there a significant difference in over-penetration between the two, assuming the use of HST hollow points in each?

Not trying to start yet another general caliber war; I can't test either of these specific questions at an indoor range, so I would appreciate any insight.

1) Both 9 and 45 are very loud, will hurt your ears and will cause ringing for awhile.
2) If it won’t penetrate wallboard, it won’t stop an attack.
3) Do not worry about over penetration. Instead, worry about tactics. Spending time analyzing the background while in a fight is not smart. It adds too many variables to the decision tree. Instead, set things up in advance.

If you are in your home, it is best to preplan this. For example, if there is an occupied bedroom directly in line with where you may shoot (such as down a stairs or at someone at the top), either take that room or turn it into a guest bedroom. Move that person to the side. If this is not possible, at least move the bed out of the way.

 

1) Both 9 and 45 are very loud, will hurt your ears and will cause ringing for awhile.
2) If it won’t penetrate wallboard, it won’t stop an attack.
3) Do not worry about over penetration. Instead, worry about tactics. Spending time analyzing the background while in a fight is not smart. It adds too many variables to the decision tree. Instead, set things up in advance.

If you are in your home, it is best to preplan this. For example, if there is an occupied bedroom directly in line with where you may shoot (such as down a stairs or at someone at the top), either take that room or turn it into a guest bedroom. Move that person to the side. If this is not possible, at least move the bed out of the way.

You could always ask the perp to move to an area of your home that would provide a safer shot too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Subsonic 9mm loads are available.

Volume controls on computers/phones usually go in 3-5db steps, it's not a big difference.

9mm is cheaper to practice with. More practice may mean less chance of missing, going through a wall and so on.

 

If someone happens to know, please weigh in (I haven't studied the topic in years), but I don't think that's how it works with decibels. They are exponential, so at volumes used on a cell phone it won't matter, but with volumes involved with gunfire, 3-5db stops would make a significant difference.

 

It seems like, even with a narrower focus, that we have a split decision here as well. I guess this is why the caliber debate has raged for years.

I do appreciate everyone's input.

 

9mm does the same job on bad guys. .45 might be quieter because it's subsonic.

If one was clearly superior, we wouldn't be having this endless debate in 2022.

 

Subsonic does not mean quiet (dB scales are logarithmic), and yes both (all) can damage your hearing permanently.

Best HD bed side is a tactical shotgun.

 

I can tell the difference in .45ACP and 9MM The 45 is a lower, differrent report. THere has been more development lately on 9MM than .45. The Houston Police Department went with 9MM across the board That said, you will be okay with either round.

 

The .45 pokes a bigger hole but the 9mm is usually in a smaller gun, has higher capacity and with 147gr it's subsonic so it will be quiet. I tend to prefer the .45 (and .40) but the 9mm is a solid option even if is a bit long in the tooth.

 

and with 147gr it's subsonic so it will be quiet.

Quiet huh.

 

A generalization more for choosing a carry - "get the most gun you can shoot and shoot well". Because you don't get to choose what type of encounter you may have

 

A 45 is notably quieter than a 9MM. As for shooting a bad guy, shoot him where it counts, it won't make much difference. A 45 does make a larger hole, more damage is good but bullet placement trumps all else.

 

I have read through many .45 acp vs 9mm arguments, and ...

Why .45ACP?
Because I See Inmates Everyday Walking Around with 9mm Holes in them...

 

If you look at the NYPD shooting database, the one shot stop rate is about the same for 9mm and 45 ACP. Low to mid 30's.

On that basis, I'll take the gun with the largest magazine. I don't really car about the noise, and terminal velocity or energy transfer is a theoretical, not real world, argument. Self defense shootings happen in the real world.

 

Just be safe and use a real man’s caliber instead of the small and puny or the fat and slow.

 

I have read through many .45 acp vs 9mm arguments, and there are two questions that I have seen inconsistent answers to, so I thought I would check with the brain trust here. I am asking in the context of defense usage within our house, not for carry or outdoors purposes, as I am considering switching my bedside gun caliber.

In unsuppressed form, is .45 acp noticeably more quiet than 9mm?
Is there a significant difference in over-penetration between the two, assuming the use of HST hollow points in each?

Not trying to start yet another general caliber war; I can't test either of these specific questions at an indoor range, so I would appreciate any insight.

The last thing I'm worrying about if someone is breaking in with ill intent will be noise.
I'll be grabbing either my G20 or my AR 15 and start making a lot of noise.
I'd rather be hard of hearing and alive than dead with no hearing

 

The last thing I'm worrying about if someone is breaking in with ill intent will be noise.
I'll be grabbing either my G20 or my AR 15 and start making a lot of noise.
I'd rather be hard of hearing and alive than dead with no hearing

I agree that noise level is not the highest priority; however, if two calibers have similar efficacies and one is less damaging to the ears, I would pick the less damaging one - particularly since I would not only be affecting my hearing, but that of my wife, who would likely be close by.

 

Which one do you shoot best?

 

Potato potatoe....

 

.357SIG 😎

 

None of them. Try .40 s&w, the best self defense caliber for a semi-auto. So underrated and hated (even called short&weak by some haters) yet with better ballistics than 9 and .45. Velocity, penetration, trajectory and ME. Perfect for one shot stops. Millions of LEO's can confirm that. They don't call .40 "a crackhead stopper" for nothing. 9mm is too whimpy and the .45 is too slow, has poor trajectory and poor penetration. 10mm for the woods, .40 for the hoods.

 

The % of one stop shots, based on various data, seems very close among the 3 main duty pistol cartridges. If one stop shots, ME and trajectory are the main concern it looks like .357 Magnum is the winner. I will say it seems .40 is least sensitive when it comes to the quality and design of defensive ammo. There's a lot of questionable JHP ammo out there, and 9mm (and to an extent, .45) seem to require the best ammo to get parity in performance.

 

No truce or treaty in the Caliber Wars.

 

That is true! And I'm the oddball out! I have full confidence in any of my 9mm, 40, and 45's with the SD ammunition I have chosen. My bedisde gun is most often a Glock 22 Gen3 that was formerly issued to me and I carried for a long time at work. 17 rounds of 9mm 124 HST, 15 rounds of 40 165 HST, or 13 rounds of 185 HST all works for me! I do not choose 10mm as I have 3 kinds in my home. Once they are out of the home I'd add 10mm to the mix, no qualms.

 

I just wanna know how many people talking about the acoustics of “bang bang” have actually discharged a weapon inside of an actual home or vehicle???

 

Both. If we were talking in person, I'd tell you my sex life is none of your business. Then after a quizzical look, I would realize I did not hear you.

I have suppressors on my main HD weapons now. Suppressed, then PCCs over all others is my choice. Granted the right ear hearing damage is worse due to a slam fire on a .50 Cal from a Marine working on the scope. after the range had been called cold.

 

I am on the .45 side for home defense .