The Science of Ballistics is Wonderful Stuff:

Stick to The Facts eh .. 

The U S Colt M1911 .45" pistol served well through many major conflicts from 1911 until replaced by the Beretta in 1985 .. I make that a successful service life of 74 years.

The Beretta M9 officially took over in 1990 but was in it's turn supplanted by the SIG Sauer M17 / M18 in 2017 ..

- so the great warhorse M1911 was loved for 74 years while it's superior replacement held sway for only 27-32 years .. before the current SIG Sauer took over.

That's a weird success story when you consider that The Thompson-LeGarde tests that are the underpinning of the Hatcher Relative Stopping Power Formula - and the key to recommending the forty-five's selection - were total distortions of fact and really only proved that no handgun was effective at slaughtering cattle beasts .. other than a Mauser .30 Caliber that did kill it's bovine target but was discounted because the testers wanted a "big bore" so badly that they believed the British .455 was bigger and better than the .45 .. despite it really being some 20% weaker.

So .. BELIEFS 1 - SCIENCE 0.

- or perceptions and aspirations win eh.

I'm not too sure that I can handle that story without counselling & a personal apology to me for being offended by the Pentagon's (successful) disregard for fact.

- Back on-topic .. It may be true that the choice of military handguns is determined by factors other than effectiveness - but how does that worry us as civilians? - If you wish to own the classic military handgun & you are so permitted - Go for it but don't expect it to be the best choice for Law Enforcement or for self defense of a civilian family unit. (or for sport target shooting).

The military handgun is meant to be able to perform at range when full of burger meat & gravel - to destroy targets partially hidden and protected by cover and ballistic armor .. whereas L.E. sidearms will need to consider overpenetration while often dealing with moving vehicles and innocent by-standers.

The truth of the matter is that NO HANDGUN IS A DEATH-RAY - and they are not easy to use well - so if you need to reach-out and touch something - get a long arm .. but they are so bulky & heavy eh.

You really can no longer even choose your handgun effectiveness by caliber .. as there will be a wide range of differing performance rounds offered that will vary in velocity, materials, design detail, construction method, hardness, nose shape - ogive, meplat - hollow-point etc. - Life gets complicated eh.

Of the Billion handguns littering our home planet - most will be exclusively shot at tin cans and paper targets but when needed for urgent social interplay the best equipped of us will need to have at hand a familiar, simple - easy to point "stopper" loaded with controlled penetration and limited energy ammo.

Nothing CONTROVERSIAL there then ..

Jeez Mate Don't Spill Me Beer .. Where'd I leave that forty-five?

No prudent old mum loiters in Crocodile infested ditches, - Tiger country - or in where the woods pile high with bear scat .. even if she has got a Glock in her purse.

Marty K.

P.S. Me? - I like the simple controls of a Glock .. currently mine's a G19X (plus a G44 in .22" rimfire - they both are for fun) and I love my revolvers .. stainless steel Rugers and old Webleys .. Whenever I have my security check visits - the licensing officer just fondles my pieces lovingly while cooing and Ahhing

PPS. Shooting well is simple .. It's just not easy ..

Marty K.