is the 9mm dependable for self defence?

The nine is just fine for self defense I split my time carrying a S&W 6906 and a model 60 so I am completely comfortable carrying a 9mm or .38special. That being said I really like the .40 and have a few but all mine are full size so I don't have any carry experience with it. Also for the 9mm another thing to consider is I been carrying one for years on deployments and watches in the military so it's clearly capable. As for a self defense 9mm I would check out the new XDm's I have a full size in .40 and love it. For ammo go with HST's, RangerT's, Gold dot's or Golden Saber.

http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ...

The 9mm is a very unique cartridge. With the wrong bullet it absolutely sucks. But if you pick a good bullet then it's a pretty good cartridge. I hate people that refer to the 9mm and/or .40 S&W as compromise rounds. ALL handguns, and handgun cartridges, by design are compromises. Handguns are meant to be simply backup weapons, or to allow you to have a gun when you're not expecting trouble but want to be prepared just in case. The old military pointed FMJ 9mm bullet is a pitiful manstopper. But if you get a quality +P or +P+ hollowpoint in the 115-124 grain range and put it where it's supposed to go it will definitely get the job done. A lot of people act like the .45 ACP is some sort of wonder cartridge. It's not. I've seen quite a few people shot, including at least 2 or 3 I can think of off hand with the .45. Of all the shootings I've seen or been a part of I've found the .45 to be the least reliable manstopper as far as handguns go. I've even seen a quality .380 ACP load outperform the .45. Of the several I've seen involving the 9mm I've found it to be pretty reliable. The mythical reports of the .45's stopping power I think come from the military where FMJ bullets are required. In that case yes, the .45 FMJ is a much better load than a 9mm FMJ. But if you're not restricted to FMJ's then the 9mm is just as good, if not better, than the .45. I carry a .40 usually. Best of both worlds. Heavier bullet than a 9mm, faster than a .45, way more magazine capacity than a .45 and almost as much as a 9mm. Unless you're going for one of the super compact pistols or have a serious recoil allergy I see no reason to choose the 9 over the .40.

It depends on the bullit you use; it's shape and construction, and the velocity it's traveling which depends on the type of gun powder the manufacturer uses with this particular load and the length of the barrel. Some years ago Evans Marshall did a statistical study using thousands of rounds of ammo in police and civilian shootings. His purpose was to find out the percentages of times a bad guy was stopped with 1 shot if hit in the torso.

Everyone didn't agree with his findings (and you will not find a consensus of any gun writers of whether a 9mm or 40 S&W is better). Marshall found that the top 9mm round, a Corbon 115gr SJHP with a velocity of 1350 fps from a 5 inch barrel stopped bad guys with 1 shot in the torso 97% of the time. A Corbon 40 S&W 135 gr SJHP at 1300 FPS was 97% . There doesn't seem to be much difference in effectiveness there.

Police have special needs such as the ability to shoot through car doors and auto window glass so use different cartridges. I read that most civilian self defense shootings occur face to face at 15 ft or less so we don't need what the police need. They make some very nice 9 mm for self defense carry now and also many companies make a 40 S&W in the same size as their carry 9mm and they are almost the same size and weight.

Most gun writers I've read have said that shot placement is a vital part of staying alive. There used to be a claim when 357 Magnums first came out (dates me doesn't it :-) ) that if you shot someone in the arm with a 357 it would tear the arm off of the body and instantly incapacitate the villain; not so. So how well you can handle the particular gun with the type of ammo in it is very important.

Which 9mm? There are several different chamberings. 9x17mm (aka .380), 9x18mm (aka Makarov), 9x19mm (aka Luger or Parabellum), 9x23mm...

I am assuming you mean 9mm Luger. You always want to use hollow points for a carry weapon, but yes I would consider it a dependable self defense round. It's not so much knockdown power as it's knowing how to shoot your weapon accurately. You really want the most power you can get into a weapon that you can shoot well.

As for the .40 S&W, I find it snappy. The recoil duration is short and powerful.

I honestly prefer the .45 though. I carry a 1911 and the .45 is a proven stopper.

The 9mm HOLLOWPOINT has fine stopping power.

Check out this real life reports

http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_power_chart.htm

You will notice that the 9mm hollowpoint has had 89% to 94% 1 shot stopping power.. basically the same as the 40SW and the old school .45 ACP.

Anyway, shot placement is the most important.. practice so that you double-tap center of mass quickly and effectively

I bought my HK in 9mm as my first handgun. It's a great compact defensive gun with a decent capacity. It's pretty much double any 1911 45ACP but honestly I'm saving my money for a Kimber 1911 when I turn 21. In my mind I prefer a 45ACP for self defense I mean just compare the two bullets in your hand and you'll se what I mean. 9mm is great for rapid fire but most gun ranges don't allow it so I'd say get a compact 9mm for carry and a full size .45ACP for home defense and maybe locked up in your car. I like the idea of a backup gun so why not have a backup easy to carry 9mm that still fits your hand so you can fight your way to a larger gun hopefully nearby whatever that may be rifle, shotgun, or larger caliber pistol.

I have found that my 45 acp in a compact form is still like carrying a brick; the 9mm is much more compact and easier to carry, and it gets the job done. Never forget that a handgun is only a last ditch attempt and given a minute or two you should be able to get something more effective. Reminded of a story about a Texas sheriff who was carrying a pair of matched 45 autos; a person observed this and asked him if he was expecting trouble? He replied that "no" he wasn't; if he was expecting trouble he would have a BAR or SPAS 12.

yes, i would prefer a 9mm over a .40 and .45 for a couple reasons

1. better than the others when compact

2. NONE of these rounds will kill or seriously wound some1 without proper shot placement... none will kill if u shoot some1 in the arm

3. unless u r a speed shooter, then a 9mm will allow u to make very quick follow up

shots

Yes, every army in the world uses the 9mm as a personal defense round.

The 9mm isn't the ideal weapon for self defense but it would work. It doesn't have anywhere near the stopping power of a .357 or .44 but it would kill someone if you hit them in a vital area just like any gun will. I've always heard that the 9mm isn't designed to kill, it's designed to injury because then it takes 3 people out of the fight because two people have to drag the injured guy away. I'm not sure if that is true or just an old wives tale, but I own three 9mm's and they aren't what I carry with me for defense.