Why the cop switched from a .45 to a 9mm.

[HeroHog]

Why the cop switched from a .45 to a 9mm. Had MULTIPLE "fatal" shots with a .45 on a perp and until he put 3 in his face/skull, he was STILL a threat!
 
https://youtu.be/pdjcYjSsIok
http://proarmspodcast.com/090-officer-tim-gramins-skokie-police-dept/

[lee n. field]

I've seen this story now and again, since it was new.  Usually as an argument for the "hail of 9mm lead" school.

He's a cop, with different rules and a different mission than I have.  His reasons and practice aren't necessarily applicable to me.  If he's involved in a shooting, different things are probably going to happen with him, than with me.

Why one cop carries 145 rounds of ammo on the job – Police One

So, he's carrying 3 50 round boxes worth of ammo, loaded in magazines, on his person?   How would that play in court in the aftermath, if I did it?  Not to mention the load, and the bother.

[WLJ]

9, 40, 45, hit someone in the exact same spot(s) with either and 99% of the time you'll get the exact same result.
Most handgun rounds 9x19 and above are so close to each other in actual real world effectiveness on the human body it mostly boils down shot placement.
Carry what you practice with.

That said.
The largest ever recorded grizzly was killed with a 22 rifle but that doesn't mean I'm switching to carrying a 22.  Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement.

[Hawkmoon]

If someone isn't going down with SIX .45 ACP rounds in lethal places on the body, he isn't going down with six, nine, or twelve rounds of 9mm in potentially lethal places on the body. Basically, this incident just proves that there's no such thing as a one-shot stop, because as long as the subject has blood and oxygen in his brain, he can keep on truckin'.

[Firethorn]

If someone isn't going down with SIX .45 ACP rounds in lethal places on the body, he isn't going down with six, nine, or twelve rounds of 9mm in potentially lethal places on the body. Basically, this incident just proves that there's no such thing as a one-shot stop, because as long as the subject has blood and oxygen in his brain, he can keep on truckin'.

I disagree.
First, as other say, shot placement.  The effect differences between 9mm and .45ACP is actually minimal despite the difference in size.  Part of this is that .45ACP isn't actually really any higher power than 9mm, despite the larger size.  The bullets are relatively slow until you start playing with +P+ type stuff.

Therefore, what 9mm does is give you better opportunity to get 9-12 shots in there where you only get 6 with the .45.  Each additional shot is more vascular damage at the least, and one more chance at that critical instant stop CNS shot at best.  

Also, in many cases people tend to be a touch more accurate with 9mm.  So that is also a factor.

[HeroHog]

The takeaway is, all shots to the CNS for the win! ;-) He switched because he had something like 14 rounds in the perp, several of them in areas thought to be sure stoppers, and he only had 4 rounds left when it was all done. He simply didn't want to come up short on ammo again.

Personly, this brings the Mozambique drill to mind. If COM shots aren't doing it, aim for the brain! I carry 9mm because it is SUPER common and ammo can be had EVERYWHERE, followup shots are pretty easy, capacity is good in most modern guns, and VERY effective rounds are readily available for carry use.

My personal sidearm is the Glock 19. One in the pipe and 14 in the mag with a second mag at the ready. If I can't do the job with 29 rounds, then I have gotten myself in some DEEP Kimchi!

[MechAg94]

Do you carry with an empty chamber?

For duty guns, most will end up with something like a Glock 21 if they are using 45.  At least I would assume that.  1911's are great and would be advised if that is what you need to make quick accurate shots.  I tend to carry 9mm because I am carrying concealed and my Glock 20 or FNX-45 are a tad big to conceal.

I gotta wonder if he would be better off buying more ammo, training more, and maybe upgrading his sights/trigger/grip to give him a better chance a good hit in the first 10 shots. 

[HeroHog]

All things considered, his shot placement wasn't THAT bad. As far as carrying with a round in the chamber, YES! My guns in the safe are full and ready to rock as well.