Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Opinions on home defense 45ACP vs 9mm Para

In terms of one shot stops, consider this.

Lots of people are dropped with one shot. Or two.

What 99.9% of the inexperienced public don't realize is that just because you shoot someone, it does not mean that you are going to get an instantaneous reaction. It will likely take a bit. By the time you see the physiological reaction from the first shot, you may have put 5, 6 or 8 more into the guy, or guys. They may also have not stopped doing what they were doing that caused you to shoot them in the first place. You may take some hits in the mean time. Or get stabbed. Or hit by a hammer.

It takes a bit to see a reaction. Quite often you have to hammer people, unless you get lucky and get an CNS hit that flips a switch.

That is the reality.

This nonsense that you are going to calmly take your J Frame and place one round perfectly into the shirt button of a bad guy, , then calmly do the same to the next is just that. Nonsense.

It can be more like the all out knock down drag out event that happens when a football gets loose on the snap.

Thanks for the info. I did speak to BPS counter this morning and they indicated a large selection of Ruger, Kimber and Glocks in stock. I’ll be checking it out tomorrow. Also have local gun shop with some fine long guns and assorted pistols and revolvers. I inquired about a CZ 75 B. They’re expecting a shipment in a week said importing from COVID19 ridden Europe was a cause of lack of production and import as well as Biden Admin making it more difficult to import in a timely manner. The shop did have a few CZ Models in stock. Thanks again for the input.

For home defense, I rely mostly on my dog. ( bulldog) Have a 18 " 12 gauge pump Ithaca also for back -up.

Posing somewhat of a hypothetical and excuse the topic if it’s been discussed thoroughly before. Wanted opinions on a home defense situation regarding one shot stopping/disabling perp in home from 10 yards or so. Realize the situation would call for possibly multiple shots however trying to get a better understanding of which provides highest probability of 1 shot rendering the perp and the threat neutralized. Consider both being good hits square in the middle of the upper chest.

Firearms would be 1911 platform for both 45ACP and 9mm Para. Both would be a 4.2” commander based model with both shooting JHP. 45ACP with 230 grain JHP, 9mm being 125-130 grain JHP.

No body armor encounter just a perp in street cloths. Realizing this is subjective would like to hear opinions on one shot stopping power regarding both.

One thing I would strongly suggest is getting involved with IDPA, USPSA or similar action-shooting discipline. You don't need a lot of money or equipment to get started and you don't have to burn the stages like a pro. Shooting against the timer, engaging targets in tactical priority, not breaking any rules, people watching you.... all this gives you practice at handling your gun and shooting under a certain amount of stress, as well as shooting, moving and thinking all combined. Even the bottom tier of frequent tactical shooting competitors will be ahead, in a bad situation, of the guy who shoots tin cans and bullseyes once in a while and spends the rest of his time arguing stopping power, bullet performance, magazine capacity, operating systems, and on and on and on

To @UPHiker’s point,

When the police take my $500 Glock for evidence, I’ll be rearmed with a similar $500 Glock in minutes.

I have a guy who is a retired LEO who had some former “clients” break into his house and he shot them with his $3,200 Ed brown 1911.

They still have his gun in the evidence locker.

damn the cost, I am going with efficiency, efficacy, and results. I can buy another $3K pistol. Or whatever.

+P ammo would likely help for one shot stops. A 12ga with #4 buckshot will give better one shot stops on the average. Either way, be prepared to shoot more than once.