9mm dead?

American Handgunner, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Massad Ayoob

INS/Border Patrol reports great performance with the issue Beretta .40, which replaced .357 revolvers and 9mm auras. They issue a 155 grain JHP .40 at 1,150-1,200 fps. DEA has long since authorized .45s in lieu of the issue 9mm with subsonic ammo. and now issues the Glock .40. Ditto FBI, which started the whole 147 grain subsonic 9mm trend and has issued .40 Glocks for years. Many FBI agents still carry optional .45s. though some also carry the still-optional 9mm. and a few still pack the S&W 10mm. Only a few Federal law enforcement agencies (US Customs, with the Glock 17, and Park Service Police, with the HK P7M13, to name two) still mandate 9mm pistols on duty. Park Police issue a 115 grain JHP 9mm round.

The 9mm is tar from dead in law enforcement. Its light recoil makes it a sensible choice for agencies like NYPD, which must regularly qualify nearly 40,000 cops with widely disparate hand sizes and shooting skills. But, it's clear after more than 20 years experience with the 9mm in general and 15 years with the 147 grain subsonic JHP in many shootings, American police have moved on to more powerful rounds than those they used to protect themselves and the public a decade ago.

Editor's Note: The San Diego Police Dept. has a king track record of successes with the 147 Gr. Subsonic 9mm, with more than 100 effective on-duty uses since issuing it.