ECHOONE
I don't see the rational of the question myself?
Where I asked the question, perhaps I can shed some light on your comment above.
The advantage of the 9mm is that a weapon platform in the form of a personal defense sidearm [ pistol ] is one of more ammo being able to be carried in a similar sized platform over say a govt model 45 1911 platform with only 7-8 rounds before having to make a reload.
As Shoot_First mentioned in his post, a single stack 9mm like the SA EMP may fit a person better who has small hands/short fingers due to it's reduced length of pull [ the distance between the front strap and back strap ]. As well, the 9mm is considered easier to control [ recoil ] than a more potent cartridge like the 40S+W, the 357SIG, 357 magnum, lightweight 38 5 shot revos, etc.
Understanding that recoil is a subjective subject, we also know from experience that many people who carry a handgun just don't have enough training/experience, let alone practice often enough with their firearm to become comfortable with the larger calibers which tend to produce/generate more recoil impulse into the shooters hand/s.
I think that should answer your question for the most part, but I'd also like to respond to some of the other statements you made---------
A CW should not only be easily concealed but light weight not heavily laden down by ammo
My glock 17's 18 rounds on board adds 9 ounces to the weight of the gun. The weight empty is 22 ounces and loaded is 31 ounces. A govt model 45 1911 in steel weights 38 ounces unloaded with perhaps 9 rounds on board which brings the weight to about 43 ounces. That's 3/4 of a pound more than my glock 17 with 18 rds loaded and ready to go.
The overall weight based on ammo capacity is a very small issue when you consider the initial weight of the various weapons platforms based on the above facts presented.
I suppose "heavily laden" is a relative term and subjective as well so your comment on this particular subject would be individualistic, and not necessarily a generalization.
If your doing your job and practicing you should be able to put your shots were there suppose to go!
We know that the national average for police in the last 30 years has been about 27% hit rates on the streets for rounds send downrange in gun fights. As their static range training requires at least a 70% hit rate to qualify, this suggests that on the streets where the pucker factor is extremely high, the dynamics of moving while trying to shoot and not be hit themselves comes into play, the hit rates suffer at about a 50% degradation for most officers over their static range skills.
So, we have to ask ourselves if the dynamics of the streets suggest you'll be moving to avoid getting hit while trying to fire, can we expect the same accuracy we see in our static range training on a line? The answer is no, we can't expect to hit with every round we send downrange just because we can on a target range.
Lets look at that again now-- we have 8 rounds in the gun to start, or less if we are going to carry a J frame 5 shot revo in 38 special. We can hit the X or COM all day long on the range, but if our own skills mirror the average of police officers our skills may allow us to get either 2-3 rounds out of an 8 shot auto or 1-2 rounds on threat with a 5 shot revo.
Couple the above with two or three BG's presenting an immediate threat [ which is becoming more prevalent based on reports of violent crimes, and you've quickly run out of ammo with either. Now we have to rely on the shots that do connect to be one shot stops even more. Again, based on known data from shootings pistol calibers aren't that potent at stopping BG's immediately even if we get good hit/s on them, they can still be viable threats for minutes putting rounds back at us before they succumb to their wounds inflicted on them by our own pistol ammo.
That puts us in a lot of danger statistically while they are bleeding out and that's if we have been able to punch enough holes in them to begin with, which is never guaranteed nor should be relied on. If we are relying on how we shoot on a static range [ target shooting for the most part ] our street fighting skills are not honed and that's been proven time and again on the streets in real gunfights by civilians and the LE community.
Another area that few recognize is that most will be shooting one handed while moving on the streets and yet they are want to practice two handed shooting primarily while standing still. In my own courses, at least 85% of the dozen skills are one handed shooting and include a considerable movement while doing so, just like we'll be shooting on the streets if we are smart. So with all that stated and out of the way--------
I'd ask you to rethink this statement If your doing your job and practicing you should be able to put your shots were there suppose to go! and tell us if you have really been doing your job and practicing "correctly" or just going through some form of target practice which has been getting people killed on the streets for a long time now.
The more RDS a person who doesn't practice has the more apt he is going to be to just pray and spray
See above---- As well as not practicing enough to begin with, are they practicing the correct skills sets that they'll employ on the streets and shooting one handed as they are likely going to be doing under duress and the dynamics of taking incoming or the potential of incoming? Practice in and of itself is no guarantee of successfully surviving the street encounter. That mindset will also get you killed PDQ, as too many have found out over the last 4 decades as well.
We also know that with very few exceptions, most people will be threat focused and instinctively understand they don't have the time to find their sights or bring the gun to eye level like they've done on the square range. Are you practiced in not looking at the gun and is your eye/hand coordination with your own sidearm good enough to shoot where you are looking?
If you aren't practicing these types of skills, your two handed front sight press at eye level practice might be left wanting for making hits in the streets also.
Gunfighting is a thinking mans game, not strictly how well you can punch paper on a square range and there are a lot of variables that will come into play for you to be as well prepared as you can be on the streets when you have to use your firearm to defend yourself.
There's more, but I think I've given you enough information to digest here for the time being. Ask any one of the students who just took the Howie in the Hills Threat Focused Training class if they think their old square range training would have been wanting in a gun battle.
Ask them if they think less rounds available without a reload is better or more rounds on tap before having to make a reload is better as well. My glock 17 doesn't weigh me down at all and I carry it in 118+ degree heat all summer out here.
Brownie