Scott, there is a reason police officers do not carry the 9mm any longer for the most part.
Yes it will and can stop a person if hit just right but any shots "around the edges" it does not have the hydrostatic shock necessary to create the tissue damage needed to stop the perpetrator from returning fire.
By the way, my brother-in-law is a veteran police officer for Hayward.
I believe that 39 shots dude was probably a rare exception. I get what you're saying, and I've read similar things - I guess my point was that for burglary / home defense just about any caliber is suficient as these are likely to be nonviolent offenders.
For the kinds of criminals cops deal with - gang bangers, people high on meth or worse, I think you're spot on - .40 cal, .45, .357 is necessary.
Hayward PD - rough gig. I'm in unincorporated Hayward so we get sheriffs & highway patrol. But there are some rough parts of this town. I wouldn't want to Be PD here. Last week at the farmer's
Mkt I tried to give some HPD foot patrol free hot sauce to support the cause & they said dept regs prevented them from accepting it. Bummer! They can be a little over zealous, at times but for the most part HPD's ok by me.
Maybe I'm under-armed with the .38 hydroshocks (though i think they're rated pretty highly for stopping power) but I don't expect burglar to be the type to keep coming at me after they've been shot. I could be wrong...just seems like a different type of criminal in a burglary as compared to a home invasion.
I completely agree with Armac that if you carry you must be prepared to use it - I don't have a carry license (almost impossible to get in CA) and I'm not sure I'd get one if I could - just not much need for me. But Armac is correct - it takes more than a gun...it takes the will to apply deadly force, which one hopes is steadfast if such a circumstance arises. I can shoot at the range every week, but that doesn't prepare you for the reality of shooting a human being.
That said, I believe the best gun is one you never have to use against another person, so I pray to never have to shoot anyone. It would be a horrible experience.
45s are good for the first shot, followup shots not so much, too much recoil. In law enforcement you may be engaging more than one person, followup shots are imporant.
Interesting point - my buddy's 1911 in .45 doesn't jump much, but I do notice my shots creep upwards along the target and I have to re-aim every shot. I guess in a real-world application that makes a huge difference. I never thought of that before.
Sorry if you said it already, but what was your gun of choice when you were in LE? Glock .40 cal?
Ps - I love my S&W model 19. The 6" barrel is great as it balances it - not much recoil regardless of ammo. Probably not a practical carry gun - it's heavy, big & with 6 shots only. There's speed loaders, but that still takes time.
You would think they would opt for the .45 ACP for the same reasons.
It's big, heavy and slow. Of course it does produce more recoil because of the heavier projectile but it's still managable.
I used to shoot a Thompson/Center Super 14 Contender in .35 Rem with a max loaded 200 gr. round nose Sierra in it.
More muzzle energy at 100 yds than the .44 Mag has at the muzzle.
It was painful to shoot after a few rounds.
Funny you mention that - my buddy (ex MP, FFL) has a Thompson contender and after 4 shots I handed it back to him as it was painful to shoot. He called me a puss, so glad to know I'm not the only one!
Better late then never! I'm not stopping at this either! haha.
Oh yeah same with the 500 magnum lol. But I wouldnt want to wake up the whole neighborhood! 
