What defensive round do you prefer?

[boarder2280]

While shot placement is important, you still need to stop somebody.  The best stats I've ever seen on a .22 LR taken from real experiences was a 1 in 4 chance of a one shot stop in the core of the body.  Compare that at high 80% - Low 90% for the modern 9mm rounds and high 90 percentile range for the .40 and .45.  I'll try to come up with where I found those numbers, my memory is a bit vague on me.  I would be good with a round as small as the .380, some of the ballistics on the modern hollow-points seem to be outding anything I've ever seen out of a .38, including the +P rounds (assuming that the .38 is shot out of a 2" J-frame).  But, something is better than nothing.  Right now my wife is still intimidated by anything much larger than a .22, but we're working on that.

As a side note, the military is limited to the 9mm ball (full metal jacket) round by the Geneva conventions, and carry hollowpoints whenever we can (US soil, to include sate land overseas such as embassies).  The complaints you see from downrange are using the ball round, which I would never use for self defense unless I had nothing else to shoot.

Cheers!

[GunEnvy]

Does the Geneva convention limit the military to 9mm or to FMJ? I remember seeing a couple years ago the military was kicking around the idea of replacing the M9 with a large cap large caliber pistol but they decided to stay with the Beretta.

[boarder2280]

Geneva Convention limits us to FMJ ammo.  The 9mm was chosen because NATO adopted it as their official round.  It would be pretty tough to change the caliber now, just because it would be different from them.  That being said, some of our 'Unique' units are using the SOCOM Mk23, which is a.45 version of the HK USP, with some additional features.  I am sure there are some other calibers in use out there, but this is all I'm familiar with, and I don't want to blow smoke (unless of course, I'm having a good cigar).

A lot of the complaints with the 5.56 round are similar, due to the fact that it is both full metal jacket, and was designed for excessive penetration.  There is a steel penetrator rod in the SS109 round that wIas designed to defeat soviet issued body armor of the time.  I have not read any results from actual use of the 5.56 or the .223 in a hollowpoint and its effectiveness (doesn't stop me from having one at the house, I'd trust it with good ammo).

[GunEnvy]

I thought the ban was on hollow points but wasn't sure.

[g23]

I voted for .40 because thats what my gun shoots. However if I had the extra cash I would like to shoot 357 sig.. I feel that its a much more accurate round at longer distances and seems to have more power behind it. My groups seem to be much tighter with 357 compared to .40. It could be the gun though I have never shot 357 sig form a glock only from a sig sauer

[Spartacus]

I like 9mm because I'm not nearly as accurate with my follow up shots in .40

[Sigarms12]

I never cared for the 40 too much muzzle flip for me. I prefer the 357sig. I don't find nearly as much muzzle flip with it. The only problem I have is I take a high grip and find the slide rubs my hand if I'm not careful.

[g23]

well im thinking of getting 2 more barrels for my g23. a 9mm and a 357.  This way i can really find out which one I like best