Let's say something big happened like another country invaded, zombie apocalypse, etc. You have two pistols but can only bring one and they are both the same brand and style. One is 9mm and the other .45 ACP. Which one would you take and why? Stopping power, weight, ammo resources, recoil, etc. Reason why I'm asking is I'm trying to choose which firearm holster I should buy for my battle belt.

Buy two holster 

I don't want to carry two pistols and magazines.

2 is 1, 1 is none.

That's why I have 2 of each caliber I own. ( Not counting hunting bolt rifles )

I went with 9mm because of weight and common-ness of caliber for scooping up ammo. ( plus it's cheap to stock up on )

Another question would be what does your wife like to shoot ?  ( She can carry the second gun. So be sure you're packing the same caliber. )

9 for sure.  Its just cheaper and easier to stock up on. 

9mm, less recoil, ammo easier to attain!   

Ah, never thought about what my wife uses. She uses a 1911 9mm so I'll go with my Glock 17 holster. Thanks.

Ideally you and the wife might consider shooting the same weapon system so magazines can be shared between both firearms.

9mm. It's a common round and it's a round that I know I can get from my relatives in case I ran out.

.45, bc this is America! 

.45, bc this is America! 

I thought about that too when I seen this thread...45 being an American thing!

9mm would be my primary caliber because its smaller and weighs less so you can carry more. its more common making it easier to find.  less recoil means sight on follow up shot can be brought to target quicker.  in addition, despite the weight disadvantage i would choose an all metal frame vs. a polymer frame for reliability and better ability to bop BGs in the head if needed.
i like the idea of having a husband wife team where guns, mags, and ammo can be interchanged, like a pair of 9mm 1911s with a bunch of mags. ready to boogie   

.45 acp I bet most of the 2a members have at least one 1911.  I don't want to shoot 2 times with 9mm vs 1 time with 45acp.

at the height of the ammo shortage, 9mm could not find
but i could still find .45 acp.

In addition to lower recoil, 9mm will have less over penetration, which is important especially if you live in an urban area.

In addition to lower recoil, 9mm will have less over penetration, which is important especially if you live in an urban area.

If the SHTF, over penetration is going to be the least of my worries. .45ACP, because big bullets kill stuff faster.

"Stopping Power"- There is no denying the .45 is bigger, but all in all, most pistol calibers perform near the same when using high quality ammo in regards to terminal performance.  A hit to the vitals with either will stop someone. A non vital hit with either wont.

Weight- 9mm is lighter, you can carry more

Capacity- In Hawaii we are capped off at 10 rounds either way. But the 9mm wins in capacity if you are somewhere with no mag limits

Recoil- I find the .45acp to be fairly soft shooting.  But 9mm still wins this round.

Ammo resources- In any SHTF, emergency scenario etc.. there will be no such thing as ammo resources.  Only expect to have what you have already stocked up on.  At some point, people began thinking that you would just run into common calibers during an emergency.   This just won't be true.  You wont be bartering for ammo, finding caches or anything of the sort.  You will only have access to what you, and your immediate group of friends and family (if they are part of your shtf group) have already stored.  So its a moot point either way.

Price-  9mm ammo is almost half the price of .45acp.  That means you can stack it deeper, and train with it more.

Lastly, I think that in the event of true SHTF, a rifle is going to be a much more capable weapon either way.

i vote 9mm.   simply because of availability and weight difference. theres more out there and you can carry nearly double the amount on you. 10rd magazine limits negate the fact that 9mm mags can hold more but it will still be lighter overall. lighter slide and frame plus lighter loaded magazines.
plus if the shit really does hit the fan i would remove my limiters with a chisel and a hammer. thats why i prefer to buy standard capacity mags and pay to have em blocked off. or order some as parts kits and leave them be until an emergency arises.


when i couldnt decide between carry pistols what i did was buy a safariland QLS kit. blackhawk has a similar kit you can add on.

it makes quick changing holsters fast and easy. i even bought a couple extra female clips so i can clip my holster under my computer desk or under my bedside table.

i also recommend going with hsgi taco's to hold mags. theyre basically universal so i leave those on my battle belt and clip on whatever holstered pistol i choose.

9mm as most have stated- cheaper to purchase then .45, can carry more, less recoil,  and a bit more common than .45.

If your just starting your journey I vote 9mm. Plus you got the glock already now get a sub2k. Takes glock mags too. Got your pistol and carbine covered. This is all with cost in mind. Hey if money is no object. 2 is 1, 1 is none but 3 is fun! The more the merrier but cover all your bases first. Carbine, long rifle, pistol, ammo etc before you cover your redundancies. Just make sure you buy a big safe first