Everything I'm about to say involves FMJ's. HP's are completely different and perform radically differently.

I do not believe that the .45 ACP does perform noticeably better when FMJRN's are used. Yes, I've read the material for years. Material that at best infers but rarely demonstrates true comparative performance of both on game or else. Yes, the Marshall/Sanow stuff shows 9x19 and .45 w/ FMJ's as 60% and 69%, respectively, for one-shot stops. I'll buy that. That 9% is, I'll submit, impossible to see in real life, and service pistol use with Beretta vs the 1911 means the Beretta gets a fellow twice the shots before reloading. And the 9x19 might get thru a door or a gunstock or a sandbag that would stop the .45.

But reading is fine. I've also used both on living critters for years, too.

There are ballistic advantages to both 9x19 and .45 ACP. Both are basically poor stoppers with FMJRN's. At least both have performed essentially identically for me in butcher stock and dogs over the years, with many dozens of butcher sheep shot. I have shot many sheep that took no notice of a hit with a .45 ACP till they died some time later. Ditto the others. All service pistol rounds are lethal, none with FMJ's are lightning bolts on non-CNS hits. I believe because I've seen that the .45 will break bones and stop, bones that the 9x19 will hole and go on and punch a hole in something else. For what that's worth. For marginal shots they both suck.

I was a complete Big Bore handgun aficionado and a Believer in the .45 ACP until years of using it on butcher critters demonstrated its generally poor performance. And that experience had a lot of bias to overturn because I hated the 9x19 before I owned one.

I will say that I shot my 1911 better than almost any other pistol I've ever owned, and that has to count for something, but the performance on stock was so poor I little by little gravitated to other pistols and finally just plain got rid of it. I haven't owned a .45 in years.

9x19 better? No, all service pistols with FMJ's suck for stopping. But it is as lethal. And for lethal, let's not forget that the most lethal ground force ever fielded, the German Army 1914-1918, 1939-1945 soldiered on w/ the 9x19, with no move ever to adopt a heavier caliber. The 9x19 does penetrate a bit better than the .45, tho, in some media. But both are light years LESS effective than even a light rifle caliber like the 7.62x39 or even .223 or 5.45x39 up close, and all those with FMJ's.

John, penetration of handgun bullets depends on the bullet so whoever did the test you report may indeed have found that the .357 penetrated deepest, that is, with those bullets. But that isn't to say it always will. Especially against a real sixgun round like the .44 Mag or heavy-loaded .45 Colt. The Smith .500 and the like, I personally don't consider handgun rounds, at least for me, as I want to be able to hit with my handgun using my weak hand, one-handed. I really cannot do that with the novelty rounds like the .500, .480 Ruger, etc. For the big armed guy that can carry one of those things, all the power to him.

The 9x19 does seem to "bite" bone a bit better than the .45, probably due to its higher velocity. Along those lines, I had a 230 grain FMJRN's skid off a sheep's head square on, that critter taking two more broadside as it ran by me with the flock. It disappeared into the midst, then I set off chasing it to keep it out of the gully, finally getting behind it where I shot it again behind the head, dropping it.

On another occaision I shot a stock-chasing dog with the .357 SIG, 140 S&B FMJ's, the dog taking seven fast shots as it ran away from me, my son counting the exited shots as they kicked up dust on the ground under the critter before it dropped.

And another mean dog took a cylinder full of .45 Colts, the bullet being the 260 grain cast Lyman semi-pointed old Army bullet {similar to that used at Little Big Horn}. Dog dropped after shot 5 and still took #6.

And another ram that took a .45 as it jogged by me, the bullet being the 230 grain FMJRN, the ram being unconcerned, sticking with his buddies till I got it pinned against a fence, then it ran again and after some more mayhem I got one into its head.

And the other day, the one wether took the body shot and after 3 minutes I shot it twice in the head with the 9x19 {thru and thru skull, no brain}, then it shook them off and ran by me with one other and I was able to get behind it and get one behind the head for a stop.

And a little 40 lb goat that took a 200 grain .38 side thru and then walked away as if nothing more than a cloud passed over, found a nice comfy spot under a fir tree and chewed its cud till it put its head down 2 and a half minutes later and went to sleep for good.

List goes on.

The only thing FMJ's and hard lead RN's have going for them is that they don't wreck meat.