testtest

THE RISE AND FALL AND RISE OF THE 9MM LUGER CARTRIDGE

Model 39 S&W was the first pistol I ever shot. I had been shooting revolvers up to that point. A friend I worked with owned the 39 and told me to buy a box of ammo and I could take it home for the night. When I asked him how to take it apart so I could clean it he just laughed and said not to worry about it. That was back in 1974.

We are still friends to this day.

Thanks for posting the article Anni.
 
Although I don’t shoot or own a 9mm
Anymore I learned a lot from that easy shooting platform, I find it interesting that my first handgun was also a S&W and although it was a 38 special I guess it’s kind of a right of passage.
There is nothing better then the shooting sports and those involved in it, we are a group with total respect for each other.
 
I personally, really like the 9mm, although I am now dipping my toe in 10mm waters. The 9mm fits everything I need, and with the constant improvement, it’s always exciting because there is always something new. Thanks for posting.
 
That was a very interesting read Annihilator. I still feel the 45 ACP is the best round to stop a threat. It makes a big hole going in and can track an even bigger hole if using a JHP that performs properly. My bedside pistol is an XD 45 Tactical with a 13 round magazine. Prior to that it was a Colt 1911.
Having said that, my EDC is a 9mm during the winter months and the much maligned .380 in summer or when small and discreet is required.
 
I started shooting with Smith&Wesson revolvers.
I bought into the wonder nines and got a Smith&Wesson model 59.
I like the 9mm platform and since I have all the 9mm firearms I need I am going back to my start and am looking into revolvers for my next purchase.
By the way I still have my Smith&Wesson Model 59,36 and 27 all bought new in the 70's.
 
I'm not a real big man physically ..... barely 5'7" and 160lbs with my boots on. So it would stand to reason I might also have rather small hands and wrists, which I do. Now while I can handle the bigger loads like 10mm and the venerable old 45cal and I'm reasonably competent with both, I don't particularly like or enjoy shooting either one. So my semi-auto of choice is and will likely always be the 9mm. And besides that, if I ever decide to become a 'gangsta', it just sounds better to say "here's my nine", rather than "here's my ten" or "here's my forty" or "here's my forty five" when I hold it up sideways to show 'em. Everybody knows what you mean when you say 'my nine', but not so many when you say 'my ten' or 'my forty' and I would have so many more rounds available over the 45cal.!!!!

My very first 9mm was a semi-auto S&W mod 659 somewhere back in the early 80's IIRC. I really liked it, not only because it was pretty to look at, fit me better, and it didn't beat me all up like the bigger semi-autos. Oh yeh, and it carried 13 rounds, much more than a revolver at the time.

Now obviously that was long before I even considered CCW and up till then most of my shooting had been either hunting or competitions of some sort. Most of the comps were handgun stuff where I typically used a Thompson Center Contender in either .22mag or .357mag, or on occasion a Colt Trooper MKIII depending on the game. Shot many, many thousands of rounds with both over many years. I would as often as possible slip in a few rounds on practice day with the 659 and a few 9's. Also shot many. many rounds of that over the same time period.

I learned to truly like it back then and so far have found no logical reason to switch. Neither have I found any reason to hold it up sideways and proclaim "this is my nine"!!! ;) :):):)
 
Like a lot of my generation and earlier I grew up the .45 acp as the pistol of choice and a variety of revolver calibers, especially the 38 special and. 357 magnum. The 9mm was mostly considered a foreign not popular cartridge. I know that by the 60s and 70s when I was starting out it was more known than that. But no one I knew of owned one. I was very familiar with the .380 acp, several adults I new had them and swore by them so I became comfortable with them also in preference to the 9x19. I think my familiarity with the 380 Walther helped me be attracted later on to the Makarov.

I never felt the need for one until I bought the P365xl. I did own a 9x18 Makarov but this is my first 9x19. It's a fine caliber from what I have seen, just one it took a while to get into.
 
Last edited:
1971, I acquire my first 9mm, a sweet shooting Browning Hi-Power.

IMG_0941_1.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top