Wonder why the 9 Luger is so popular!

[KHornet]

I am beginning to believe that is because it is so cheap, and there are about a brazillion of them around, surplus and new. Cheap to shoot, and you can get a new Tarus 111 for under 250 on sale. (not real accurate in my experience, and odd trigger). A few of the mid size frames for 9's, are probably better CC than most revolvers for convenience. It is an easy ctg to load, easy on powder and lead (my favorite is 4.5 gr Unique, under a 120 NOE Tri), recoil in minimal etc. On the range I find about 20 to 1 brass in favor of all the other hand gun ctgs. Not real hard to accumulate a thousand cases. A good stiff loaded 38 S will outclass the 9 energy wise all day and will handle a larger variety of bullet weights. Anyhow those are my thoughts on the 9, and will be interested in the thoughts of others on the subject.

Paul

 

[KeithB]

To me the 9mm Para is like a .38+P with more shots available in most platforms w/o reloading. The .38 Special is about the limit for what most people with limited/no training can shoot accurately, and the stopping power is roughly equivalent. The 9 is a more compact cartridge, but the bullet weight range is more limited. As much as I like .45 and 9mm and the 1911/HiPower platforms, the older I get the more I hate picking up brass. The M10 and M625 wheelguns are now my friends.

Not down on the 9 at all, it is cheap to reload and fun to shoot. My 625 is a way to shoot .45 ACP in a revolver, I'd love to own a 9mm wheelgun.

 

[popper]

I agree, cheap ammo & guns, as well as larger capacity mags, lower recoil, smaller for CC, etc. Hardest to reload for (most problematic for cast). Did I mention I hate reloading them? I'll take 40SW anytime.

 

[fiver]

I'm sure we all remember the gun magazine racks from about 1985 through about 1998.
you couldn't even glance in their direction without seeing a new 9mm pistol.
or a 9mm versus the 458 win mag, the 9mm goes to Tanzania, and the most famous 'we shoot the 9mm for one month straight', or even 'the time I shot 9 bad guy's down on the border', or some other silly headline.

after all this time they done run the little round through everything imaginable but haven't figured out how to put a target model together or agree on a case length.

the 9's popularity is the price point on the ammo, reloading the little round is even less.
at one point I was buying bullets cheaper than the primers, that's flipped around some recently but you can still put a pretty decent round together for about 8 cents and probably find it in the stores for around 8-9$ a box.
those of us that cast for it are probably putting rounds together cheaper than we can buy 22lr ammo.

 

[uncle jimbo]

It seems that when the military adopts a firearm/ammo combination, and in this case, the UN, the platform becomes accessible to everyone for very low prices and it becomes the cheapest to shoot because of availability. Been this way for as long as I can remember. 30-06, 45ACP, 308, and the 5.56 or 223 are just examples.

 

[gman]

Softer shooting makes it easier for a lot of people to handle and shoot more accurate.

 

[Ian]

Uncle Jimbo nailed it: NATO and UN adoption drives production way up, making guns, ammunition, and components plentiful in certain calibers.

I've resisted the smaller NATO cartridges for years, only acquiring a 5.56 in the last two years. Probably won't ever get a 9mm, or at least not until I've worn out the several buckets full of .45 ACP brass in the garage, which should be sometime in the next 300 years.

 

[Rick]

And then there are those that fully believe the 9 is every bit as powerful and with all the stopping power as the 45 ACP.

 

[KHornet]

Agree with Kieth B! I also hate picking up brass!
I particularly hate 380 brass which exits in a 360
degree circle.

Paul

 

[RKJ]

I had no use for the 9mm until I started noticing BHP's. I got a surplus FN from Gunbroker and I love it. I find I shoot and carry that BHP much more than my Officer's .45. I don't feel under gunned at all. Funny, how that happens.

 

[waco]

I don't even shoot my AR or 1911 that much because I too hate trying to find all my brass. However....I keep eyeballing that RIA 1911 in 9mm as well as 10mm

 

[gman]

I had no use for the 9mm until I started noticing BHP's. I got a surplus FN from Gunbroker and I love it. I find I shoot and carry that BHP much more than my Officer's .45. I don't feel under gunned at all. Funny, how that happens.

Oh I do want a Hi-Power to add to my arsenal!

 

[Ian]

If I ever get a 9mm it will be a Hi-Power, shortly followed by an AR-15 upper....

Ok, Waco, here is one of the best solutions to the AR brass slinging problem. I have four or five of them and they are worth the scratch. Wait until they're on sale for $25, which happens periodically.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...r-ar-15-picatinny-rail-mount-nylon-mesh-black

Regarding the 1911, nothing beats shooting from inside a floored dome tent, particularly if you have a Kimber. I threatened one time to make a brass catcher that attached to my shooting glasses, because that's where quite a few of them go.

 

[waco]

Ian. I've seen those things before. My S&W M&P15 Sport is actually pretty good about keeping all the brass in a nice little pile. It's my Kimber 1911, and Springfield XDS 9mm that give me fits....

 

[KeithB]

It's nice when your brass gets thrown in a little pile. It's even nicer when you eject it in your hand and don't have to bend over at all to get it...

 

[waco]

It's even nicer when you eject it in your hand and don't have to bend over at all to get it...

This is why Walter has had a love affair with all of his revolvers over the last few years....

 

[creosote]

The small ejection port in the slide of the high power makes it much quieter than all the rest also.
Kinda like the ar vs. the ranch rifle.

 

[freebullet]

those of us that cast for it are probably putting rounds together cheaper than we can buy 22lr ammo.

^^^This!!!! Can load for 5-6 cents per.

I do know a couple folks putting together Jax 9mm target rounds that will do sub moa @100 from a Sig carbine sub gun. Haven't gotten back to making any target loads for my ar9 yet, but do intend to. Good barrels are available. In my mind it' is capable of accuracy as good as most.

I have the cheaper strap on version of the doodad Ian linked to. With a little messing it works dandy.

particularly hate 380 brass which exits in a 360
degree circle.

As with all guns, sometimes a tune can help. I have some loads that drop 380 cases on your right foot. Others that toss them, but they all land close together. In my experience 3 things cause what you describe. Improper extractor tension or shape, improper ejector angle, & to hot of loads. I'd be happy to help with it if able.

The fact that I find 2-300 9mm free each range trip doesn't hurt my feelings one bit. I may have crossed over from brass rat to brass addict though.

 

[Winelover]

And then there are those that fully believe the 9 is every bit as powerful and with all the stopping power as the 45 ACP.

This is directed at me and has been proven with statistics. Which some 45 ACP diehards, will never believe.

In either the American Rifleman or G&A, someone asked the question comparing the advantages of 45 ACP versus 9 mm. In a nutshell, it said that there wasn't much difference between 9 mm, 40 S&W or 45 ACP in terms of stopping power with premium ammunition. The 9 mm had the advantages of more shots in a smaller platform and in some cases, better stopping power....depending on ammo choice.

I'm a firm believer in 9 mm chambering and currently own five semi- auto's.....don't want a 9 mm revolver. Most are only 5 shooters for concealed carry. In that case, I'll stick with a 5 shot 357 snubbie and not have to mess with moon clips.

The 9 mm is the second caliber I started loading and casting for, over 40 years ago. Never had a problem with loading cast in 9 mm. I cast with three different moulds for my 9's and all my loads function in any of the five.

The 9 isn't any cheaper to load for than the 38 Special. In fact, I use the exact same powder charge of Unique or Bullseye for both chamberings.

 

[Bret4207]

I don't care what the statistics say. Real world experience shows me the 9mm is about the same as a 38 Spec overall.