9mm And 45 Ap Hand Gun Compare And Contrast

Comparison - Contrast Essay
A war has been waging for law enforcement, gun owners, and military personnel against those who seek to hurt or kill innocent people. These individuals must make a choice for the best tool to protect their lives, and the lives of those around them. It has been heavily debated as to which is better for self-defense, the 9mm and .45 ACP hand gun. These two munition types are the most common found throughout America today, and for many, it is either one or the other. This decision is never taken lightly with lives often being at stake. Whether it’s an officer, a soldier, or just a man buying groceries for his family, knowing what is in the firearm is the most important thing. When engaging a target, a shooter needs
to remove the threat quickly and effectively to reduce the risk to innocent victims. Common arguments between which ammunition, 9mm Parabellum or .45 ACP, is better for self-defense include the carrying capacities for each, stopping power and damage, recoil, and ballistics of the bullet itself.
The carrying capacity of the 9mm is vastly different from .45 ACP.
For example, the Smith & Wesson M&P 9 has magazine capacity of 17 rounds, plus one in the chamber, while the Smith & Wesson M&P .45 can only hold 10 rounds, plus one in the chamber. The substantial difference is due to the smaller size of the 9mm round, allowing more ammunition in a magazine. Many 9mm magazines are even double-stacked, one round sitting adjacent from another, while the .45 ACP magazines are more often single-stacked, one round sitting directly on top of another. In order for the .45 ACP to carry the same number of rounds as the 9mm, manufacturers would have to create larger magazines and larger grips to accommodate them, which would affect the ergonomics of the firearm itself. In addition, the larger size of the .45 ACP causes the weapon, with a high capacity magazine, to weigh more. The increased weight results in balance issues. Balance is important when engaging a target with a weapon system, because if the platform were too front or rear heavy, the shooter is liable to miss. In a situation where every shot fired counts, there is no time to miss, let alone hit an innocent bystander by mistake. When it comes to carrying capacity, the 9mm will outperform the .45 ACP every
time.
What .45 ACP lacks in the ability to carry, it makes up for in stopping power. The momentum and force generated by the .45 is astonishingly higher than the 9mm, allowing its user to stagger the target. This amount of force can end engagements quickly and decisively. It is the difference between a small car hitting a brick wall, compared to a large truck at the same speed. Its mass generates over twice the force of the 9mm. When the bullet hits the body, the energy is then transferred to the target. The .45 ACP’s greater mass creates a larger entrance and exit wound than the 9mm. Even the untrained eye would be able to notice the difference in the damage this round can cause. This is highly effective when dealing with a life or death incident. Bullets also cause an affect called cavitation. Cavitation is a byproduct of the vacuum of air that the bullet creates. This vacuum forces air away from the bullet, then violently implodes. When entering a person, the .45 ACP creates a larger cavitation, forcing internal organs to spread and tear, then pulling them back together to cause more damage. The shooter wants to incapacitate the threat, with the fewest amount of rounds fired, by the largest force available. The .45 ACP will always overpower the 9mm.
Recoil plays a major factor in deciding a personal protection ammunition. Firing a weapon, no matter the type, causes force to push back against the shooter. This force gets stronger as the caliber of the firearm increases, and can change the performance of the person shooting. Every time the trigger is pulled, the recoil forces the barrel up. This means that higher recoil will cause more time to re-engage the target by firing again. Smaller people often feel more comfortable shooting the 9mm because of its low recoil, compared to the .45 ACP. The 9mm offers less force, while still being effective, making it easier to re-acquire the target after firing. If the same user were to shoot each round side by side, the rate of fire would be faster using the 9mm because of the quicker target acquisition and reduced recoil as well. This is yet another strength of the 9mm that allows you quickly get as many rounds, accurately, needed to neutralize the subject or subjects. The .45 ACP “kicks” harder, therefore, in order to get the same rate of fire as the 9mm, the shooter would lose accuracy. The 9mm recoil is much more manageable than the .45 ACP.
If it were all about the numbers, the .45 ACP is a better round on a ballistic report. Thanks to advances in science, every munition has been tested, measured, and recorded. Different ammunition brands and types perform differently, and are designed for the shooter’s specific needs. The 9mm Parabellum leaves the barrel at 1,200 feet per second, making it a supersonic round. It moves incredibly fast, but only generates 351 foot pounds of energy. The .45 ACP only travels at 1,080, but can generate a staggering 616 foot pounds of energy. However, numbers are not everything. A shooter’s effectiveness with each munition can drastically change. It does not matter if one round out performs another if the person behind the trigger cannot hit the target repeatedly. The recoil, ergonomics, and feeling from one person to the next cannot be quantified.
There are millions of factors that come into play when choosing a firearm, not just the ammunition it fires.
Ammunition takes a major role in all firearm purchases, but a person should take into account how the weapon feels, how easy it is to handle, whether it is for recreation or self-defense, and much more. There is no one answer when it comes to shooting, and it can be overwhelming to see all the choices there are. Whether it be the 9mm’s unrivaled carrying capacity and low recoil, the .45 ACP’s unparalleled stopping power and damage, or just going by the numbers, a shooter should always weigh the options before choosing a firearm to protect themselves. No matter the ammunition type, practice and experience is what conquers in firefights on every battlefield. That is why, no matter what they are shooting, those who defend the innocent from threats, both foreign and domestic, keep their skills
sharp.