Then why do so many law men carry them?

I wouldnt want to be shot by a 9mm. Its a fine defense round, low recoil, high mag capacity. If you wanna make two holes, use a heavy bullet, if you wanna make one (my preference in that type of situation), use a lighter bullet. Less blood on the carpet makes cleanup easier and you dont have to worry as much about collateral damages.

By the way, I have a Sig P238.  Its nice to carry, but I think it might be a little weak as far as knock down ability.  It is a .380

Doesn't a lighter bullet penetrate more (further) than a heavier grained bullet?

A 9 is fine.  If you absolutely must use it, just keep pulling the trigger until the perp stops moving.  XDm 3.8 compact is sweet and has high mag capacity.

Walleyemaster,
I did alot of research on this exact same topic the past few months. Based on my findings i have no problem going into a situation with a 9mm. I also second the question about LE carrying them more now. There are reasons more and more of them are going from .45's and .40's to the 9mm. As far as the gun itself, I just purchased an XD Sub Compact 9mm from Centerfire Systems. It was about $450.00 figuring in the FFL transaction. I thought it was a pretty good deal. I love the gun! I also just ordered a Crossbreed concealed holster for it as well..Should be a nice setup when I am done.....

dont think i would go any smaller than 9mm; i'm looking for something to carry other than my .45 SW (a little heavy/bulky) but it's what i've got right now. 
most importantly, of course, is that you can hit what you're shooting at, no matter the calibre. i'm not concerned at all about the high-capacity 'benefit' of most 9's, if you need 18 rounds you're probably beyond what the concealed permit is for imho, should've dialed 911, so i'm looking for slimmer, lighter options.

Good topic, as I am now in the market for a new hand gun. I was told to go with a 40 S&W as the nine wasnt big enough. So having never owned either, and never having shot a 9mm, I was going to go with the 40, the bullets cost more and its a heavier gun. So I am still undecided.

Get a Kahr 9mm they are very compact. Use Hornady Critical Defense in it and you will be fine. With the proper ammo a 9 is pretty good defense round, alot better than a 380 but that is my opinion. Anything is better than nothing.

IMO – hand guns should be fun. The more you shoot them the more comfortable you get with them…the nice thing about the 9mm is the 115 FMJ rounds are fairly inexpensive and you can put a lot of rounds through your weapon “getting to know it” … load a clip with the 147 grain JHP’s for home defense and you’re good to go.

Much too often do I see or hear of people that purchase a handgun for self defense and either have never shot it or put maybe on clip a year through it…I’d be more worried about these people come time for actual self defense….probably end up putting  hole in the ceiling or their foot…maybe both

murdock1978 Said:

If you look at Murdock's photo I believe it accurately reflects that mv=P or mass times velocity is equal to the momentum. In essence a heavier projectile fired at a lower velocity will have an equal momentum to a lighter projectile fired at a higher velocity. You gain or lose nothing.

A lot of folks say bigger is better but honestly it doesnt matter. I read one good study that basically stated for as far as handguns go, there is no caliber that is statistically "better" for defense than any other. The study took into account rounds from .22 rimfire to .45 ACP and everything in between. Go with whatever you want. Remember that more cops have been killed by a .22 rimfire than by any other round.

You're suppose to use hollow points for self defense.  You want the bullet to stop inside the perp instead of going through.

You want a bullet that's going to deliver the most foot pounds of energy.

walleyemaster1 Said:
Doesn't a lighter bullet penetrate more (further) than a heavier grained bullet?

Lighter bullets tend to break up faster. Also, heavier objects, even at lesser velocities, have more momentum, ie more penetration.

Make sure to shoot a high quality self-defense hollow point and you'll be fine with a 9mm.

walleyemaster1 Said:
Hey guys. 

I am looking to purchase a smaller pistol for concealed carry.  I have been told to stay away from the 9mm in general because they are too fast, and that the .380 is better in a small gun.  When I look at some bullet speed ratings, my .40 s&w shoots a 165 grain about 1100 fps.  A 9mm with a 147 grain bullet shows speed ranges from 950-1100.  Is this going to just blow through the attacker too quickly and not damage enough?

Searching online, I have found that many people think 9mm is a great caliber for defense.  I have been told by a few people otherwise, but can't see the "too fast" claim if you shoot the heaviest 147 grain bullet.  Maybe if I shot 115 grain I could see speeds too fast and near the 1300 range.

Fill me in with some knowledge anyone!

Thanks

P.S. Any good reccommendations for a smaller concealed carry gun?

Shot placement is critical. It doesn't matter if you have a .32, .380, 9mm, .40 sw, .45 acp as long as you're comfortable shooting whichever particular round and handgun combo you have. 

The more you like the gun and the more comfortable you are with it, the more you will practice with the gun. The more you practice with the gun, the more muscle memory you will have with the gun. The more muscle memory you have, the better shooter you'll be in a situation when you don't necessarily have time to be  thinking about where your safety is and what your trigger pull is like.... You get the point.

I would venture to say that if you are ever in a situation where you need to brandish your concealed weapon you won't be looking at taking shots outside 20 yards or so. Inside that range most any round can put a pretty good grouping on a center of mass target with any of those rounds.

Law Enforcement piece.

Back in the day I worked down at a sporting goods store in Tampa Fl. Sherrifs, Troopers, local law enforcement cussed the 9mm up one side and down the other, they hated them and they all wanted 40's for the most part except for a few that wanted 45's. I dont remember the reasons they hated them but do remember there was a few. However, with the how the laws were written at that time, the biggest they could carry was a 9mm, they didn't appreciate that law much!

So to answer your question;

 

Greyhound Said:
Then why do so many law men carry them?

It might be that they dont have a choice.

 Where is jiffy on this issue? He usually pipes in on this kinda forum, he would be a guy that has some knowledge about this stuff.

Most police departments that I am familiar with are issuing the 40 cal.  A lot of different reasons.  The 45 is a great round, but not every person can handle the recoil.  The 357 mag used to be the standard, but same reason it went away was recoil.  A lot of officers that couldn't handle the 357 used 38 spcl rounds instead of the magnum rounds.
The statement that hitting the target is more important than the caliber is why LE went to the 40 in most cases.  That and the availability in a semi auto.  Most often the Glock since it is one of the easiest guns to operate.
NDHP issues the 357 Sig.  I'm glad I'm not buying their ammo.
If the ammo all cost the same I would go with the 45 GAP round.  Good stopping power, low recoil.  Never caught on.