I would have to agree 1 billion percent with this. If I have to carry, and I most likely will, PRACTICE is the word of the day.

Very good point you made.

 

If you don't hit what you're shooting at, there isn't much point in shooting. Likewise, if you do hit what you're shooting at with negligible effect, the same is true. So, while, yes, you can put someone's lights out with a .22 quite easily, you can also find yourself in a dark alley with some nutjob high on half a pharmacy who's going to keep coming until you put his lights out.

Physics must take a hand, and energy does, most certainly, matter. If you can't hit a damn thing with a .45, use a caliber you can manage in a frame that's easy to carry. However, if you can shoot competently with a larger caliber, more is better. Always.

The Mark Donahue rule applies. If you can spin the tires in top gear from corner exit to the next entry, you have enough horsepower. Likewise, if you can kill the bad guy while he's hiding behind a brick wall wearing kevlar, you have a big enough gun. The only "big enough" metrics that should come into play are: Do I have enough ammo in a given pistol, is said pistol light/comfortable enough for me to carry it a lot, and can I put three or four rounds into something a few yards away in the worst possible shooting circumstances I can hypothesize with reasonable accuracy in a timely manner. If the answer is yes, you've found your noise maker.

Most all people have a different recoil threshold. Some shy away from a .40 S&W, whereas some will run through box after box of .500 S&W and be wanting more. Personally, I don't find (very) compact .45s difficult to handle. 10mms sting a bit after a few boxes in a small gun, but not enough to put me off that entirely wonderful round. Others can barely handle a mag out of a G29. Your mileage may vary.

 

I like guns.

 

Clearly I have been misinformed. I thought that the slower speed and heaved load would cause much more cavitation and tissue damage. I thought that a 9mm would over penetrate and not transfer that much kinetic energy to the target.

I think I am going to look at the USP compact in 9mm later this week.

Thanks for all of the advice.

 

You haven't. Heavier bullet = more energy and surface area = more energy transferred to target (generally speaking).

There isn't much of a concern with over penetration with 9mm, however even with wiz-bang magic bullets, it is lacking in the energy department.

 

I carry either an Ed Brown Executive Elite (1911 commander size) or an HK P2000sk in 357sig. Carried them for years and they are very comfortable.

 

I shouldn't browse the ed brown forum while posting, I carry an Executive Carry not an Elite.

 

For a while my carry was a CZ52. It's a wonderful reliable piece. Especially with the Tokarev round pushing through it. But it was just too much to carry.

That's when I picked up a HK USP .40 for a daily carry. I'm a very large man, so concealing it isn't too big of a problem for me. I chose the .40 because, in my opinion, it has the size of a 9mm, but it has the impact of a .45. Working where I do, I'm not allowed to carry on property or leave it in my vehicle. But when I'm not at work, it's on me or within arm's reach 24/7.

 

As everybody has said, don't get hung up on caliber. Go to the range, rent as many different guns/trigger types as you can, find what works best for you.

I am another one who just doesn't prefer Glocks so don’t feel bad. I know there are a lot of Glock fans out there and they are great and reliable pistols. But I just don't shoot them as well and I do not like their "safe action" trigger. It is a pretty light 5.5 pound pull that can easily be snagged accidentally while holstering. They call it "Glock leg" for a reason. Having the same pull every time does have its advantages, but for me I prefer a heavier first pull and a trigger with a cleaner break. I also just don't like the grip angle and overall ergonomics, it just doesn't point as well for me as other some other pistols do.

At the same time I didn't like the SAO 1911 trigger for a defensive pistol (although it’s a very accurate shooter). Remembering to disengage the safety before shooting while under stress, and then having to manipulate the very light and short trigger with the loss of fine motor control that also happens during stress, means I would have to train a lot more to be comfortable with it and that still may not be enough. My best bud carries a 1911 every day, it works for lots of people, I just went a different route.

So I prefer the traditional DA/SA trigger most often found on Sig and HK pistols (which have other variants as well). The first pull is 10 pounds and is long and deliberate. There is no safety to worry about before shooting, just aim and work the trigger. It's not so heavy that you cannot make an accurate shot, but it's not so light that I am worrying about my shirt tail when holstering. Every pull after the first one is around 4.5 pounds and is short and crisp for improved accuracy and speed during follow up shots. You do have to remember to de-cock if you have rounds left after shooting, but I would rather deal with a decocking lever after the fact than a safety before the fact when stressed. Both Sig and HK also have an external hammer that you can keep your thumb on while holstering if that makes you feel more comfortable.

Fortunately there are many different pistol and trigger types out there for us to choose what we like best. Don't let people lead you to believe that Glock is the only answer, because the DA/SA Sig also happens to be used by plenty of serious dudes in bad places. The DA/SA P226 in 9mm is the issued sidearm for the SEALS for example. Not that who uses is should be the reason to buy it, but knowing it’s trusted by those who really put it to use is good to know.

Additionally in the DHS pistol reliability trials a few years ago (the most rigorous pistol trials of modern times), Sig and HK made the cut, but Glock and several others did not.

DHS: Department Of Homeland Security Awards Handgun Contracts
: FEATURES: Homeland Security Special Section: Gun Battle (6/15/04) -- GovExec.com

As I said before, I know that Glocks are great, reliable, and well proven pistols. Just don't feel that any other choice is an inferior one because there are a lot of great pistols out there. If after shooting one you like the Glock then that’s great, because it certainly is much cheaper than the other options. But if it just doesn’t feel right to you then look at the offerings from Sig and HK as they are great choices too. What matters is what you shoot the best, I just happen to shoot Sigs better so that is what I own.

 

So would everyone's theory of caliber hold water if in a limited magazine state? I cant carry anything over 10 rounds so? Much of the arguments have been capacity vs caliber.

In Commiefornia, 10 is all you get. Hence my thought might as well carry the biggest ten I can comfortably shoot and carry correct?