9mm Luger vs 40 S&W
- Thread starter bg226
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Personally I like .40's & I voted that way. I would suggest you go rent a platform that is available in both calibers (such as a Glock 19 & Glock 23) & shoot a box of ammo through each. Then go with what you shoot best. Some people really dislike the way .40 recoils.
BlindJustice
Member
Although I don't have a pistol chambered for .40 S&W I consider it
a better option for HD/SD than 9mm Parabellum LUber
I have a CZ 75B in 9mmx19 & I'd be confident in it's effectiveness
as a HD ? SD option but I bought it for a less expensive shooter for the range. I looked at the CZ USA website and they now list the 75B as available in .40 S&W 10 shot mag cap. Seems like a nice platform in that
cartridge as well.
My carry choice is a 1911 45 ACP - sorry old school, it's what I carried
in the uSN on Watch/Duty
Randall
a better option for HD/SD than 9mm Parabellum LUber
I have a CZ 75B in 9mmx19 & I'd be confident in it's effectiveness
as a HD ? SD option but I bought it for a less expensive shooter for the range. I looked at the CZ USA website and they now list the 75B as available in .40 S&W 10 shot mag cap. Seems like a nice platform in that
cartridge as well.
My carry choice is a 1911 45 ACP - sorry old school, it's what I carried
in the uSN on Watch/Duty
Randall
LightningMan
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I chose the 9mm, simply because I don't own a .40 S&W, although I do have both 9mm & .45 ACP. Another reason I pick 9mm over a .40 is at least for me, in a small 9mm concealment pistol, like a PM9 is easier on the recoil, so its easier to shoot. Another plus is that ammo & reloading componets are a bit cheaper, so I can afford to shoot more. Most times when I head to the range I take the 9's with me and the .45's get left at home more often. Just my opinion, yours may vary. LM
If you're not going to carry a 45 due to size issues or for whatever, I say go with the 9mm for the following reasons:
1. 9s normally carry 3-5 more rounds than 40
2. Most modern 9s handle +p ammo which is close to 40 ballistics
3. Most 40s have a snappier recoil than the gentle recoiling 9s
4. Glock 19s are amazing guns!
5. I carry an M&P9c
1. 9s normally carry 3-5 more rounds than 40
2. Most modern 9s handle +p ammo which is close to 40 ballistics
3. Most 40s have a snappier recoil than the gentle recoiling 9s
4. Glock 19s are amazing guns!
5. I carry an M&P9c
fastbolt
Member
I own 5 each pistols chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W.
I've fired many ten's of thousands of rounds of both calibers. (FWIW, I own 9 pistols chambered in .45 and plan to acquire a couple more of them in coming months. I'm a long time .45 ACP owner & shooter.)
That said, I generally tend to prefer 9mm over .40 S&W.
I've fired many ten's of thousands of rounds of both calibers. (FWIW, I own 9 pistols chambered in .45 and plan to acquire a couple more of them in coming months. I'm a long time .45 ACP owner & shooter.)
That said, I generally tend to prefer 9mm over .40 S&W.
Welding Rod
Member
Probably 9mm as it is cheaper to shoot, and I like to shoot. If I was to choose between the two for a defensive piece, I would go with the .40.
Full Metal Jacket
member
hmm good question. i had to think for a second, but if price were equal....i would prob go with 40cal. larger permanent wound cavities are always a plus.
the extra 2-3 rounds that 9mm's afford don't make any difference to me. i don't foresee being attacked by 30 terrorists like diehard.
the extra 2-3 rounds that 9mm's afford don't make any difference to me. i don't foresee being attacked by 30 terrorists like diehard.
Any handgun is a compromise, and the difference in effectiveness between 9mm and 40 (and indeed 45acp) is well within the performance range of each cartridge - i.e. a poor performing 40 is worse than a good performing 9mm and there noting save anecdotal evidence to suggest that one is significantly better than another - with modern ammunition.
I picked 40 because I have an extremely large supply of same. I routinely carry a 9mm (CZ-75) because I like the platform, so would have no problem with 9mm either I carried a 1911 for years, but the larger round requires a larger platform or fewer rounds and since very few people are restricted to shooting only ball ammo and handgun ammunition has made some improvements in the last 50 years, there is no demonstrable analytical and peer reviewed study that shows that 45 is any more effective in real world gunfights than 9mm and 40.
If you know anything about firearms and knew you were walking into a gunfight, your first choice wouldn't be a handgun. Any handgun is a compromised, trading a significant amount of lethality/stopping power for portability and concealability.
I picked 40 because I have an extremely large supply of same. I routinely carry a 9mm (CZ-75) because I like the platform, so would have no problem with 9mm either I carried a 1911 for years, but the larger round requires a larger platform or fewer rounds and since very few people are restricted to shooting only ball ammo and handgun ammunition has made some improvements in the last 50 years, there is no demonstrable analytical and peer reviewed study that shows that 45 is any more effective in real world gunfights than 9mm and 40.
If you know anything about firearms and knew you were walking into a gunfight, your first choice wouldn't be a handgun. Any handgun is a compromised, trading a significant amount of lethality/stopping power for portability and concealability.
I have both the XD9 and the XD40. the 40 is like an extention of my finger and it seems I can hardly miss what I point at with it. the 9 on the other hand, doesn't want to go where I want it to go at all...
so in my book, it's the 40 all the way
so in my book, it's the 40 all the way
I currently own handguns in 10 different calibers and have owned some others at times. I like big bores. I like the feel of them and I like the down range results........But if i could only have one centerfire pistol caliber it would be .380ACP since I find a tiny .380 to be the most suitable for daily carry. If could only have one full size pistol.....I'd cry and then probably choose the 10mm for its versatility. However, between 9mmx19 or .40 S&W I'd prefer the 9-The guns hold more rounds and I can carry more ammo. Neither round is "perfect" but both are adequate (Please note I'm one of those weird people that really likes a .44 or .45 but feels very sanguine about arming myself with a .22lr)
I voted 9mm. I think the .40 is worth the extra money, and I think it's the best pistol caliber. But until they invent a handgun I actually want in .40, that is built around the cartridge, and is a great gun that works- I will always buy 9, unless it's a glock 22 but I would never choose it as a primary weapon. The smith and wesson m&p .40's are probably the best .40's to choose from today though...
.40S&W is one of the best compromises of quality and quantity, IMO.
Pops a hole an itty bit smaller than .45, with nearly as much energy, at faster velocity, and can easily get as many as 13+1 in the weapon.
Recoil is bad in .40S&W?
Honestly, I don't mean to sound condescending, but I just can't wrap my head around that.
Pops a hole an itty bit smaller than .45, with nearly as much energy, at faster velocity, and can easily get as many as 13+1 in the weapon.
Recoil is bad in .40S&W?
Honestly, I don't mean to sound condescending, but I just can't wrap my head around that.
badbadtz560
Member
whatever question u ask that has to deal w/ choosing firearms... the answer's gonna end up being "one of each"
Float Pilot
Member
During my 20 plus years in Law Enforcement, I carried a 45 auto for 13 years. The other years were divided between a 375 mag or 45 Colt revolver for 5 years... I did carry a Glock 22 in 40 cal for two years before going back to a Sig P-220.
I only ever carried a 9mm as an off duty gun. In an old Browning Hi-Power and for a short time in a HK-P7M8.
I had already served in Grenada & Lebanon before transferring to the reserves so I could go into L.E. So I had seen bullets work or not work.
Plus my first couple L.E. duty post were in Bush Villages where we had to shoot stray and rabid dogs on a weekly basis. When you shoot a 110 pound rabid malamute a bunch of times with a 9mm or 38 special, and nothing much happens,,, you suddenly become a believer in more whammy.
If cost of the weapon and ammo are not a consideration, (and if your are in the US where 40 S&W ammo is easy to find) I cannot see any reason to opt for the 9mm, UNLESS, the recoil impulse is too much for the shooter.
We had several undersized female officers who had a hard time shooting 1,200 rounds of 40 S&W ammo during the week long auto-transition and initial qual course. Particularly when they were plain clothes types trying to shoot all those rounds through compact Glocks.
In those cases it always seemed that they could qualify just fine with a 9mm version.
So a hit with a 9mm is better than a miss with a 40 (10mm Kurtz).
Oddly enough a lot of those gals could shoot a single stack 45 just as well.
My lovely bride of these many years (whom I met on a military pistol range) carries a little KAHR 9mm since she is of fairly small stature, with small hands.
I only ever carried a 9mm as an off duty gun. In an old Browning Hi-Power and for a short time in a HK-P7M8.
I had already served in Grenada & Lebanon before transferring to the reserves so I could go into L.E. So I had seen bullets work or not work.
Plus my first couple L.E. duty post were in Bush Villages where we had to shoot stray and rabid dogs on a weekly basis. When you shoot a 110 pound rabid malamute a bunch of times with a 9mm or 38 special, and nothing much happens,,, you suddenly become a believer in more whammy.
If cost of the weapon and ammo are not a consideration, (and if your are in the US where 40 S&W ammo is easy to find) I cannot see any reason to opt for the 9mm, UNLESS, the recoil impulse is too much for the shooter.
We had several undersized female officers who had a hard time shooting 1,200 rounds of 40 S&W ammo during the week long auto-transition and initial qual course. Particularly when they were plain clothes types trying to shoot all those rounds through compact Glocks.
In those cases it always seemed that they could qualify just fine with a 9mm version.
So a hit with a 9mm is better than a miss with a 40 (10mm Kurtz).
Oddly enough a lot of those gals could shoot a single stack 45 just as well.
My lovely bride of these many years (whom I met on a military pistol range) carries a little KAHR 9mm since she is of fairly small stature, with small hands.
JohnBiltz
Member
I just don't shoot a .40 well. I owned one for a year and kept trying to make it work but I finally gave up and went back to a nine. I can shoot a .45 just fine. There is just something about a .40 that makes it difficult for fast follow up shots for me. I'm not little either.
Carter
Member
It would depend on the intended purpose. For small concealed carry a 9mm, for a full size handgun it would be a .40 caliber. One thing I like about .40 is there isn't a huge assortment of regular, +p, +p+ loads that all have a different point of impact and extremely different ballistics. Yes, .40 varies between weight and brand, but not as much as 9mm.
Caliper_Mi
Member
Of just those two, I picked 9mm. Plenty good 9mm defensive rounds and greater ammo capacity. Plus the cartridge will probably be around out forever, being used by military forces the world over.
I cant pick the .40 because if I was going to have a .40 caliber cartridge, I would go for the real 10mm, not .40 S&W...
I cant pick the .40 because if I was going to have a .40 caliber cartridge, I would go for the real 10mm, not .40 S&W...
I went looking at pistol yesterday. I'm just going to take my time and go with cash in hand. Went to a pawn shop had a Glock 19 9mm new and used new OTD w/ carry case $535. The used looked almost as good as the new one for almost a $100 less. When I'm serious, I'll have my bore flashhlight w/me. Nothing like a wad of $100 dollar bills to do your talking and dealing. There are just some other pistol in 9mm, I'd like to handle. The price on the new Glock wasn't outrageous. Sure wish I was a L.E. officer or others that Glock offers discounts to! I'd like to check out a Stoeger Cougar(really a Beretta made in Turkey with Beretta equipment) for about $150 less. Until then I keep my Tok loaded with HP ammo.
JT
JT
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