The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Does an M-4, AR15 9mm have a place in defense?

JohnH1963 · January 11, 2009, 09:16 PM

The 9mm is a very controllable caliber. Other calibers are not so controllable.

Try firing bursts from a 5.62 vs. a 9mm. You will notice that the 5.62 will have a tendancy to climb and you have to re-zero after each burst. The 9mm wont climb so much. A small burst of 9mm on a target is more effective then a 5.62. The 9mm coming from a longer barrel will have a little more speed and thus be more effective.

The 9mm SMG is one of the best weapons out there. I found that I could put 4-5 round bursts on-target reliably from a 9mm MP5. You cant do that with any other caliber. I would put my money on 4-5 9mm bullets stopping a man on the first try then anything else. How could that many bullets not stop or cause severe bleeding on the first burst into the chest especially when its traveling at a higher rate out of the carbine then the pistol.

In reference to body armor, a 4-5 round burst would probably penetrate it. 1 or 2 rounds may not, but 4-5 in the same area probably would...

January 11, 2009, 09:16 PM	#3
JohnH1963 Junior member Join Date: October 22, 2008 Posts: 416	The 9mm is a very controllable caliber. Other calibers are not so controllable. Try firing bursts from a 5.62 vs. a 9mm. You will notice that the 5.62 will have a tendancy to climb and you have to re-zero after each burst. The 9mm wont climb so much. A small burst of 9mm on a target is more effective then a 5.62. The 9mm coming from a longer barrel will have a little more speed and thus be more effective. The 9mm SMG is one of the best weapons out there. I found that I could put 4-5 round bursts on-target reliably from a 9mm MP5. You cant do that with any other caliber. I would put my money on 4-5 9mm bullets stopping a man on the first try then anything else. How could that many bullets not stop or cause severe bleeding on the first burst into the chest especially when its traveling at a higher rate out of the carbine then the pistol. In reference to body armor, a 4-5 round burst would probably penetrate it. 1 or 2 rounds may not, but 4-5 in the same area probably would...