Why 9mm Defends Me

I know your caliber is better than mine and we may never agree about which gun, caliber, or ammo is best. But we can usually agree on one thing, having a gun, any gun, any caliber, any make, is better that having just hope. I know that with faith anything can be done, but it always helps to have the tools needed. Here are some of my reasons.

More
Plain and simple, a 9 is easier to conceal than higher caliber guns. But a 9 will also give me more bang for my buck. By virtue of size, weight, and even price, I can usually carry more than most. I'll admit .380, .25, and .22 lovers, you can probably carry more than my 9. But I am sure my ballistics are better than yours. I like the idea of carrying more ammo than I might with a higher caliber.

Cost
Look, at times I have been broke. I mean, really strapped for cash. Right now I have no kids in college but I do have a missionary in the field. Soon I'll have another so I don't really have extra money hanging around. I do reload but even then my 9mm bullets are cheaper than say, .40 or .45. So I know that I can reload cheaper but even without that, 9mm is cheaper and easier to find than other calibers.
The fact that I’m broke doesn’t stop me from training on a weekly basis, though. After all, my main goal whenever I carry (which is every single day of the week) is to be able to protect my family from an attacker.

9mm ammo is definitely cheaper than just about anything else out there. So, even if it doesn’t have the exact ballistics that its bigger brothers and sisters have, its similar enough to be effective while affordable enough to allow me the opportunity to practice with 100+ shots per week.

This is key, because if you don’t practice enough with your concealed carry gun, you’re not going to be as effective with it. And you might as well give the clarinet to a kid who will practice.

Follow up shots:



My full-size handguns chambered in 9mm allow me to get back on target much quicker than even some of the heavier guns in bigger calibers. A lot of the time, a bigger gun helps with recoil management which is why you never really ever see .45 pocket pistols.
The 9s usually have less recoil because it’s pushing a smaller projectile through the barrel. In other words, less force is required to get it going. Obviously, quicker follow up shots mean more holes, even thought they’re smaller than .45 ACP and .40 S&W.

Not so under-powered, depends on ammo:

While some folks will have you believe that it is under-powered I like to tell them that it isn’t under-powered, but under-rated.


One of my concealed carry rigs—which is a holster and mag pouches allows me to have a total of four 16 round magazines with a round in the pipe. I’m horrible at math, but I believe that if I multiply some digits and carry the one, that gives me 65 rounds of ammo. That ain’t bad!

Trusted by military and police:

The 9mm has been the go-to handgun round for the United States military since they adopted the M9 in the 80s. I know you’ve likely heard some grumblings about it, but keep in mind that military personnel aren’t allowed to use JHP ammo in combat, like the rest of civilized society is. In battle, if ball ammo must be used, the .45 is a better way to go. But, I’m no longer in the military and can carry whatever I want. Unless, of course, New Jersey is my destination.
Also, if it was incapable as a self-defense cartridge, I’m not sure why the FBI would be moving back to it, and away from the .40 S&W.

Ammo types:

Finally, there are tons of different kinds of ammo available in 9mm today that are capable of inflicting some serious damage. If you don’t have one it’s almost a shame. They range from small to big, and everywhere in between. Plus, bullet and powder technology have come a long way to inflict some serious damage on your attacker.


Conclusion:

We may not all agree on what’s the best to carry. Much in the same way that Marines poke fun at the Air Force (and they try to poke fun back, though, it never usually works as well for them), .45 ACPers will poke fun at us who are confident enough to carry a smaller cartridge. All that matters at the end of the day is that the Air Force comes to pick ground pounders up, and that you and I have each other’s backs when things go bad.
I'm confident that my 9 defends as well as any other handgun caliber. But wait, isn't a handgun just something to fight your way to your rifle with anyway?

Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn

PS Happy New Year!