Side arms have always been secondary arms. They are less powerful and less easy to shoot well and less practical range than a carbine or rifle. However, the side arm still needs to function properly in all sorts of environments and be light enough to carry all day and carry enough ammunition to cover yourself in a desperate need. With modern ammunition, the 9mm is as practically effective as a 45ACP or 40 S&W. I know that will anger some, but all of these have been tested again and again, and real world shooting analyzed over and over. The conclusions are always the same. The new 9mm ammunition is not the same as the old ammunition; it is much better.Evil D wrote:Doc Dan wrote:Another thing about Glocks is that the G19 is now the official pistol of the Navy SEALS, replacing the previous Sig 226. That says a lot when both the SEALs and Special Forces have taken to issuing Glock 19's and so have the Marine Raiders.
I wonder what the real motivation of that was. I know a lot of guys who carry 9mm are loving this choice because it makes them feel better equipped, since if it's good enough for the Seals then it should be good enough for a civilian. I'm a little guilty of that myself since I also carry 9mm. But, I also think it may be a sign that our assault rifles are far more reliable than in the past and the days of a side arm being used as a weapon are becoming a thing of the past, so I wonder if the choice wasn't based more on cost/weight than what the 19 is capable of. What I'm saying is, maybe pistols are basically an afterthought and the switch wasn't based on the 19 being better than anything else, but more based on cheaper guns and cheaper ammo. I hope I'm wrong with that but you have to wonder.
I knew a guy many years ago who was involved in fighting in the Philippines. I asked him what he preferred as he had access to all the usual military rounds. He preferred the 9mm to the 45ACP because it was just as real world effective and had better penetration through most things. I was reminded of the training done by Fairbairn where they placed a police officer behind a hand held metal shield and fired at him with a variety of handgun ammunition to get him used to being under fire. The 9mm hit harder than the slower 45ACP because it had more energy. This was true of the 30 Mauser and other rounds, as well. What I am saying is that there is a reason why the 9mm is the top choice for a side arm among those whose lives depend on the results (with the right ammunition).
