Is a 9mm sufficient for...?

[ACRhinehart]

Hey Everyone!

I have been reading posts on THR for a few weeks now trying to gather some information. I finally decided to join and make some posts myself.

I've recently found a new blued Ruger P95 9mm for $319.00. From what I can tell, the price seems pretty fair to me. However, I am concerned that I will be underpowered. Maybe ya'll can help me out?

I am wanting a handgun for 3 main reasons: Home defense, carry in car, and a hiking companion (for both 4 legged and 2 legged predators. We live in Georgia so the most we will ever see will be the occasional black bear.)

Having said that, is a 9mm too limited? An officer-friend of mine said that she will never go back to the 9mm after having been issued her .40. My price range is around $350 and I haven't seen any quality .40s other than the Taurus models.

Sorry for all the details. Just figured I'd lay it all out there and see who bites.

Thanks!

 

[prolanman]

9mm is suffient for self defense. With a high quality load and you doing your part a 9mm will do the job. Do a search and you'll find multiple threads about calibers.

 

[Wedge]

No, the 9mm is fine.

 

[Javelin]

You could carry a .45 or a .40... or a .500 S&W Magnum. But the 9mm will do you just fine and serve you well for the rest of your life.

 

[Gun Slinger]

+1 to all above.

Just invest in some premium grade SD ammunition for that 9mm and you'll be all set.

On the small chance that you do happen see a bear while hiking with a buddy the 9mm will come in quite handy since you can use it to shoot your buddy in the leg so that he can run 'interfernce' with the bear for you. Of course, you realize that I am just kidding......
















You probably won't see a bear.


GS

 

[Hawaiian]

9mm is fine for the two legged criters with proper shot placement. Practice alot. For the four legged cirtters, I would prefer a larger cal. 44 mag at a minimum.

 

[Blue Brick]

$319 is high

 

[Blue Brick]

http://www.galleryofguns.com/GunLoc...r+Caliber+=+'9MM')+ORDER+BY+manuf,+unk2,+unk3

 

[Gideon]

If I could shoot a .45 as fast and as accurate as I could a 9mm I would but I can't so I don't. The .40 has more snap and I shoot it slower than I do a .45. The 9mm is more than a .38 and in the P+ range is approaching the .40 and .45's. So if you can put more rounds "WHERE" you want to and do so quickly, it's a much more effective SD round. And it's a LOT cheaper to shoot if you don't reload

All of the choices and compromises one MUST make in CCW have to work for them, not the guy next to them,...period. Most of us spend a lot of money and waste a lot of time chasing other peoples ideas of what ought to work, what should work, what must work until we realize we must find what works for us. And it does ALWAYS involve compromise. It's how you balance out those compromises to arrive at the optimum solution for YOU.

I LOVE .45 acp. I like the way it looks. I love the feel of the thump when you shoot it BUT, I can shoot a 9mm more effectively (translated accurately and quickly) than the .45 any day.

A 9mm is a good place to start but try a lot of guns and enjoy the journey! Just make sure it's your journey!

God Bless
Gideon

 

[Snarlingiron]

Self deleted for crappy tone.

 

[easyg]

Is the 9mm an adequate caliber for self-defense?

Yes, IF one chooses the the load carefully.
In other words....some 9mm loads are fine for self-defense while other 9mm loads are marginal at best.

Is the .40 an adequate caliber for self-defense?

Yes.
There really are no "bad" .40 loads.

 

[Joe the Redneck]

Ask the millions of people who rest in thier graves because of it. Grim but true.

Yeah it's fine. Shop the gun a bit. They are decent guns and quite common, you might find a deal.

 

[yhtomit]

That would be a pretty big gun if you wanted it for concealed carry, but your list of intended uses I think makes it a perfect one. (As anything but an expert, mind you!)

Those Rugers are hard to break -- chunky and solid. One of the above posts says that $319 is high, but it's not high in the places I've looked! You might find it a few tens of dollars cheaper, but if the shop is a decent one and you like having a contact point if anything goes wrong, it seems very reasonable,

Hmm. I should put one of these on my infinite wishlist ... like a "buy" order for stocks ... if I find a used one in decent shape for ... oh, $250, I suppose, I'd be very tempted.

timothy

 

[George Hill]

There are no bad .40 loads? Yes, there are. Federal's "Personal Defense" are completely fecal.

 

[nwilliams]

I love the 9mm for many reasons, its fine for self defense in my honest opinion and I carry a 9mm for ccw all the time.

$319 for a new P95 is pretty much average, they are great guns but a little too bulky for my taste, however they are built like tanks and some people really love 'em.

 

[johnle]

9mm is fine, in the dark I wouldn't hesitate to grab either my .45 or my 9mm since I know I'm can shoot either accurately and the ammunition I have loaded them with is quality (and tested!).

I used to have Speer Gold Dots in my 9mm but now I'm using these fancy Federal HST 9mm rounds in my CZ SP-01. I'd trust every last ounce of my being into these HST rounds.

 

[possum]

9mm will be just fine, and you shoudl be very confident that it will do the job if needed. it will work.

 

[ugaarguy]

$319 is high

Ruger's prices, like everyones else's, have gone up. Many distributors sell them to dealers for just a little under $300. $319 is a great price.

Is the 9mm an adequate caliber for self-defense?

Yes, IF one chooses the the load carefully.
In other words....some 9mm loads are fine for self-defense while other 9mm loads are marginal at best.

Is the .40 an adequate caliber for self-defense?

Yes.
There really are no "bad" .40 loads.

FMJ out of either and you're only looking at 1mm of bullet diameter difference. Using a premium JHP load out of either, with the few noted exception like the weak Federal Premium Personal Defense stuff already mentioned, and you step up the performance. Shot placement & penetration are both required to get CNS hits, which have the highest probability of stopping an attacker. Expansion just gives you a little more room for error if your shot placement is off. If you do a search and read all these caliber vs. caliber threads you'll see that people here who treats wounds for a living (Doctors, Nurses, EMTs, ER Techs, etc.) can't tell a difference in the wounds until the bullet is pulled and diameter measured at the unexpanded base. I don't feel under gunned with a 9mm. With the cheaper practice ammo you can get better at shot placement with a 9mm.

Other than the Ruger you mention you could pre-order a SIG-Sauer P6 from AIM Surplus. At $260 it still meets your budget even after shipping & FFL transfer fees are added in. The size and weight are both a little nicer than the Ruger for carry.

Last, stay away from Taurus. Their support is garbage. They won't even send dealers or gunsmiths a part as simple as a front sight blade. We had to return a customer's gun to Taurus in Miami because the front sight came off under recoil. He was without the pistol for 6 weeks over a front sight. With any other major brand we have many small parts on hand, or at worst we wait 2 to 3 business days for the manufacturer or Brownell's to send us the part.

Feel free to PM if you have any more questions.

 

[chrlefxtrt]

Just find some good hollow points for it and you will be alright. I love 9mm because I can afford to shoot more of it than .45acp or .357mag. If you are going to have one pistol, I think 9mm is the best choice because you cann more easily afford to practice with it. Happy shooting.

 

[Firepower!]

I would say its quite sufficient. There are lots of guns which are more powerful than 9mm but you must draw line and see what is suffcient for particular purpose. For self defesnse...9mm is great caliber.

 

[spiroxlii]

9mm is fine. Just pick reliable defensive ammo to carry. You don't have to go expensive, but you'll want to make sure the ammo you carry is reputable.

It will ruin any bad guy's day. Just don't hunt bear with it.

 

[berkbw]

+1 on don't hurt a bear with a 9mm. Also, load FMJs instead of HPs in the winter. HP penetration through winter clothing might be "iffy".

 

[spiroxlii]

Even in the winter, a good JHP design will not "plug up" with clothing and fail to expand. Federal's hollowpoints have that "post" in them that prevents the cavity from plugging, but there are several other JHPs that have been shown to reliably expand against clothed gelatin. Remington Golden Sabers and the cheap Winchester White Box JHPs seem to work well even in tests against clothing.

And even if the hollowpoint does plug up with fabric, the bullet will simply act like a FMJ then. I see no reason to switch to FMJs in the winter.

 

[texastony]

My dad shoots feral cats with his 9

Seriously. He has his Sig P226. One of the longest shots I ever say in my life. Standing on his front porch, in uniform (DPS Trooper). Pulled it out and shot a feral cat in the shoulders at about 70 yards.
Shot it with the 147 grain Rangers. Needless to say MASSIVE DAMAGE. Blood,lungs,bones everywhere.

 

[KBintheSLC]

I concur... the 9mm is plenty for SD. As for a black bear... that depends on how good your shot is. I would recommend using +P loads in a shorter barrel like that of the Ruger. This will ensure that the bullet has enough velocity to expand reliably. I would also stay away from 147gr... these are great in long barrel submachine guns, but they don't have the velocity to expand well out of a small pistol. I use Golden Saber 124gr +P, as well as Gold Dot 124gr +P. Both are excellent rounds for pistols.

Also, load FMJs instead of HPs in the winter. HP penetration through winter clothing might be "iffy".

This statement is false. Penetration is fine, it is expansion that can become compromised through heavy clothing. If the cavity of the bullet gets plugged, it will act like an FMJ. However, JHP's will have no problem slicing through winter clothing like a light saber through a stick of butter.