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Asking this question is like asking what kind of car you should buy or what clothes to wear. Everyone has an opionin but the only one that really matters is yours, since your life may depend on it, someday.
Personally I would rate a 9mm as adequate for self defense, especially for carry purposes. I prefer bigger bullets, but that's my choice. No one should harass me for that either since they aren't buying my gun or my ammo.
Also if you have a wife/girlfriend who may need to use it since the recoil is not very unmanageable with a 9mm, it is a good choice, but I wouldn't go any smaller than that.
The "nine" has been around for years and like ANY OTHER caliber or cartridge, it has it's pros and cons. It also has it bandwagon followers as well as those who discredit the capability of the round. Just like any other round!
The "how good" part of your question would be, up to you.
Practice (safely) shooting and safe handling of the weapon, marksmanship, and defensive techiniques and tactics and you could even be deadly with a pellet gun (extreme example...but possible).
Like any other machine, a gun is useless or dangerous if it is not used correctly within its capabilities.
If your choice happens to be a 9mm, then so be it.
For home defense, realistically a 20 gauge shotgun is a good choice. There are many valid reasons for the 20 gauge in my opinon, but you did not ask about that.
Now go buy some ammo and practice.
You could have the biggest, most expensive, and accurate gun in the world, but if you don't know how to shoot it, it doesn't do you any good.
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Go with a 9mm for your first gun, and go to the range and learn to shoot it. Practice till you can clear a jam, drop the mag, and reload a fresh mag, and put a round on the bull at 30ft in less than 2 seconds. I have a Sig in 9mm a Sig .40 / .357 and a 1911 in .45. Each round is its own creature, but none are more "difficult" than the other. The 9mm or .357 stay near by bedside because I am more proficient with them than the .45. I would go so far as suggest that in a choice between a .22 you could run in the dark with no malfunctions or a .45 that jammed one in ever 100 rds, to pick the .22. In the event you are concerned about "stopping power" practice with 115 gr bullets (remmington UMC are good practice rounds) due to cost, but load up with 147 gr hollow-points (can be ordered online from midway usa). While its still not a 230 gr .45, a hot loaded 147 will better terminal ballistics than your standard hardball.
loatwall
9mm For Self Defense
david m
It may not be a .357 Magnum or .357 Auto, but it is a hell of a lot better than any .38 SPL. 9mm got a bad rap because of its ball performance.
If I had to shoot through a windshield I would rather have a 9mm than a 45acp. It all depends on the situation. If it were not for the success of the .40SW, then you might not be asking this question and gun writers would still be pushing the 9mm like they were in years past.
.357Mag 125gr=@1450 FPS
.357Auto 125gr =@1375FPS
9mm+p =@1250FPS
9mm+p+=@1350FPS
These are more than commonly known statistics from 4" service automatics. Velocity is not everything, but mass alone is overrated.