The best handgun caliber : 9mm - 40cal - 45acp?

In my opinion "ALL" handgun calibers are under powered in the grand scheme of things. The best caliber is the one you have in your hand at the time. Who says you will always be using your own gun to defend yourself. You may find yourself with the bad guys gun if you find yourself in a struggle? Or what some call a "battlefield pickup" where maybe you are witness to 2 guys fighting? (maybe a cop on the side of the road who needs help and a gun falls to the ground in the fight) Even trained police officers have difficulty when they are pumped up full of adrenaline and fear and forced to hit a moving target that is shooting back at them. There is no perfect caliber for every situation. Carry the largest caliber you are the most accurate with and that you can afford to train a lot with. If size was all that mattered then police and military would be issued Desert Eagles or 500 magnum revolvers. And if capacity and low recoil was all that mattered then they would carry 22lr pistols with 25 or 50 round drum mags. I say, just pick your favorite caliber...shoot it a lot...shoot and move....and if possible reach for a shoulder fired weapon first if you can...or fight your way to a rifle. Visit my channel for more entertaining videos like this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmZ7zMPbCQo&feature=plcp

Comments

1. Five minutes into this video and I am sleeping. All talk no action.
2. If you want knock down power.. use your fist.
3. 45 ACP the only round that was designed for the Army by the Army for the Army to stop large island boys when they were island hopping
4. 10mm ftw
5. yea my 40cal knocked a real big dude down 1shot 7-10 feet he flew away lol
6. ugh. I know it's old, but bear with me. Educate yourself about a subject before you try to educate other people. Your on the right track about the snappy nature of the .40, but it's not really the amount gunpowder. It's different powder altogether than both other calibers and it is pressure that makes it snappy. The pressure in the .40 and 357 Sig rivals some rifles!
   
   when you talk about knockdown power, the best metric is foot pounds of pressure. What's the average for each caliber? Weight? Speed? What's better for penetration? What's a decent SD round? PS: If you or anyone else thinks you can get to me from 21 feet before I draw and fire, you are out of your mind. 21 ft rule isn't real.
7. Very good point simple science "mass" is the whole point equal more kenetic energy.
8. is that a new weapon " Berretta M 9 " ..., I thought it was a 92 F/ FS , Ya'll let me know with a reply , I thought I saw verse with the names of guns ?
9. the best caliber is just like the best gun, which ever you shoot best with!!!!
10. A handgun is what you use to get to a proper rifle.
11. 9mm of course :)
12. Sir,
    Not only could you not knock me down with a 9mm shot, you couldn't knock me down with a .40, .45, .44 Magnum, or 12 gauge shotgun. I know this because for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction: basic physics. So you'd have to fire a weapon with enough recoil to knock yourself down. Yes, you admit saying knockdown power is an old habit, but I would try harder to break that habit so as not to mislead your listeners.
13. Old Post, see how things change in teh gun world. The 9 is the most popular now, including Seals, SpeOps, and Police. I have carried 45 years and carry  a gun depending on the mission,  around town either is fine.
14. the best caliber is the one that an individual can handle accurately.
15. I enjoyed your opinions and the process you took to make your choices. I would suggest that choosing either a .40 or a .45 would lessen the need for high capacity.
    In real world observations by a former LEO who now works in a morgue in a large city, one or two shot stops are more the rule than exception with the larger calibers. 9mm one shot stops also occur, but by and large as observed by this gentleman after several years and thousands of autopsies in the morgue, 9mm requires multiple shots, and more often than not doesn't immediately incapacitate the offender. He's often seen multiple shot victims who were able to sustain aggression and violent behavior until they bled out several minutes later, and others who were actually able to walk or drive in to an emergency room. And, many were shot in center mass!
    His observations conclude the 9mm Parabellum, regardless of bullet construction/design is far more easily misdirected from vital organs by clothing, jewelry, fat, muscle tissue, and bone, whereas the .40 and .45 are more likely to plow right on through. He's seen 9mm bullets penetrate less than an inch in muscle tissue.
    Over his years of experience in the morgue, and observing wound channels and bullet paths, he's found bullet performance doesn't mimic ballistic gel testing. The human body provides varying conditions due to the layer density of fat and muscle tissue in each individual as well as voids, clothing, jewelry, etc. This includes multiple shots to center mass. He also mentioned the path of a bullet or fragments misdirected for no reason. Perhaps muscle spasms? He's also seen a fatality from a single .22LR shot, and a suicide with a 9mm through the mouth into the brain and the bullet didn't exit!  By and large his observations have concluded the 9mm to be far less effective in real world shootings than larger calibers as demonstrated in thousands of autopsies performed.  He also references the .357 Magnum as the best stopper of all, but no one seems to use them to kill people anymore.
    He also states he is not a Ballistics or firearm expert! He's only stating his observations and findings from many years experience in a Morgue. He now carries a .40 or .45 rather than a 9mm as he had for years as a LEO.
    There are many alternatives to the self defense selection with some superb offerings from Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Walther, Glock, Sig Sauer, SCCY, Ruger, CZ, Bersa, Kahr and others, but since reading about the real world performance of caliber selection and not rhetoric from Internet forums and "scientific ballistic gel testing", I suggest that personal protection weapons should be of larger caliber or higher velocity than 9mm Parabellum.  Of course, there are those who tell you shot placement is paramount, but again proper shot placement and bullet performance as demonstrated in real world shootings can have poor results.  Certainly being armed is far better than not, regardless of the weapon and caliber of choice, but stacking the odds in your favor as much as possible is the least you can do for yourself, your family and friends.
16. decent video but its sooooo boring
17. New high grain 9mm +P ammunition has made the .40 cal obsolete. I prefer the .45 ACP for home defense because it is high momentum / low velocity and is less likely to punch through walls than the others and it is a true man stopper.
18. I got shot with 45 5 time I'm still here
19. Knock down power is a myth.
20. I'm in the market for a Beretta px4 storm. The gun salesman tried talking me into the 45 but I always liked the 40. Any suggestions or advice? I'm def getting the Beretta so I don't need advice on that but a 40 or 45? Just for home defense /target practice/ sidearm while hunting...thanks!