Why Mine Is A Nine according to Bob Owens.
It wasn’t until 2004 that I finally traded in the 77-year-old Argentine Colt for my first “modern” pistol, a Springfield Armory XD in 9mm. The last decade with the “euro-pellet” (as some have called it) has been an informative one, and unless something radically changes in the decades ahead, I suspect I’ll be shooting and carrying 9mm pistols for many years to come, despite the “advantages” of other pistols.
Here’s why.
via Why Mine Is A Nine – Bearing Arms.
It is a great article and I agree with a lot of what he says, specially on this:
Once upon a time, I was sold upon the “bigger is better” theory of handgun bullets. I even—for a very short time—bought the line of gun store commandos and Internet warriors of “one-shot stoppers,” the claimed vast superiority of one caliber over another, etc. But the reality of that argument was and is complete and utter crap.
It always has been. In the real world, where physics, psychology, and biology matter, “handgun stopping power” has always been a myth.
He goes on to explain the one-shot stops and I want to add something else. The “easiest” way to stop somebody (without a direct shot to the brain) is to restrict or eliminate the flow of oxygenated blood to the bran. That is accomplished by stopping the heart (cessation of flow) or making him bleed a lot (reduction of flow) being the last one the most common outcome in a shooting. Obviously the more effective holes, the better and the 9 mm will accomplish that. And remember that any pistol caliber will be inefficient so even in the mythological .45 ACP, you will need several shots to accomplish so having plenty of BB’s will always beat “size.”