Why do Americans love guns so much?

[Slateman]

that's cool, 9mm is very reliable.  Shot the M9 in the Air Force, and got quite a few marksman ribbons with it

 

 but I'm a .40 guy.  My Springfield XD has never jammed, and fingers crossed it'll stay that way if crap ever hits the fan.

 

as i've said before in multiple gun posts on ES, i do not want to be a hero.  I'm in a gas station and somebody up front robs the place?!  I will hide in the corner and hope he doesn't come my way.  i will not go looking for him to put 2 in his chest.  but if it comes to the point where he's looking for witnesses to get rid of, I'd rather be able to defend myself...instead of holding my hands up saying "please, I have a wife."

Ewww ... the M9 ....

 

They make XD's in 9mm too.

 

So after the 1986 Miami shootout, the FBI did a lot of research as to why they were so outgunned. Several things came out of it, and ultimately they blamed the guns. To some extent, they were right. However, what came out of it was also this fantastic study of terminal ballistics in bodies. The summary is that pistols are rather poor for killing. Energy hitting the target does not matter and there is no force wave with pistol rounds (generally speaking, there is no wave of impact for anything under 2000fps)

 

The most important thing when it comes to pistols is where you hit the target. In order to incapacitate someone, you have to hit something vital in the body. The FBI determined that 12" of penetration in a 10% ballistics gel with 4 layers of denim was the minimum requirement for sufficient penetration. They also determined that the more rounds you could get on target, the greater the chance you had at causing rapid incapacitation.

 

With the kinetic energy argument invalidated, the emphasis on marksmanship shown, there are only two other things to  consider:

1. Width and depth of permanent wound channel.

2. Ability to  put multiple rounds on target

 

With the advent of expanding ammunition, the difference between 9mm and even .45 has been greatly reduced. 9mm can be pushed at a higher velocity, enabling better expansion, creating a wider wound channel than ball ammo will give. With both achieving sufficient penetration, the determining factor should be what the shooter is most comfortable with.

 

The latest FBI test took this even further, examining the difference between many common rounds. In particular, they found that the difference between 9mm and .40 was insignificant, and that the advantages of cheaper ammunition and reduced recoil more than made up for the slightly smaller wound channel.