HarvDog Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I'm currently shopping for a semi-auto for personal protection and concealment. I will likely go with either a 9mm or 40 s&w. I know the ammo will be a bit more expensive in the 40. What other pros and cons do I need to consider? Someone just told me that I should consider pentration as well since it will take more velocity to spread a 40. Other thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooBear Posted January 6, 2006 Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w Why have you forsaken the 45? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarvDog Posted January 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w [ QUOTE ] Why have you forsaken the 45? [/ QUOTE ] I haven't "forsaken" it...I'm just looking for something a bit smaller that can easily be concealed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricfirefighter Posted January 6, 2006 Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w i would choose the 40 better stopping power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoDice Posted January 6, 2006 Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w Now understand; this is my "personal" opinion.... and I'm sure someone will have comments! Both are very fine rounds! Pros and cons to each. But; I would lean toward the .40s&w for personal protection and stopping power. Now of course this is being that your talking about a "concealed carry" weapon. I feel that the .40 has a better selection of rounds and bullet weights to choose from. Yes; the ammo is a bit more expensive. Actually; just about double in price. If you are looking for a gun that you can have fun shooting on the weekends then buy the 9 mm for the convenience of buying budget ammo. But; if your talking about a carry weapon....you want the gun to "perform" as designed for. That being "stopping a threat". I feel that the capability of a 165 gr. or 180 gr. .40 s&w bullet to "stop the threat" is a little better than the 115 gr. 9mm. Like I said; just my opinion....so let's hear the chants..... "Oh; your crazy" ...or "The 9mm is better"....I'm expecting something like that. "Bo" ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted January 6, 2006 Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w [ QUOTE ] Someone just told me that I should consider pentration as well since it will take more velocity to spread a 40. [/ QUOTE ] That someone is on drugs. Bullet design will influence what velocity is needed to expand, not the diameter. When the FBI carried the 10mm guns they started reducing the load looking for the ideal cartridge with penetration, recoil, and expansion. When they came up with their ideal load, Smith and Wesson took that info and created the .40 S&W. When either 9mm or .40 S&W are loaded with proven ammo with performance bullets, both will work fine. Personally, I like bigger bullets. You can conceal a .45 ACP gun. I know as I can. There are other models besides the 5" Govt model. The Officers model or Commander model are not hard at all to conceal. And yes, I would take the .45 ACP over the .40 S&W. My carry guns are Colt Commander in .45 ACP or S&W 640 in .357 Mag. I have a Browning Hi-Power in .40 S&W but have never carried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoDice Posted January 6, 2006 Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w Oh yes...... All things aside.... My first choice of weapons would be the .45 auto! Can't get much better than that! "Bo" .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted January 6, 2006 Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w My $.02 Get the most reliable gun you can find/afford in the largest (most powerful) caliber that you can shoot accurately and comfortably with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WNY_Whitetailer Posted January 6, 2006 Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w To add to the previous post...Springfield just released it's new XD-45...A 45ACP that is being manufactured in a manageable size. The new model comes with a 4" barrel but I am sure that they will produce a smaller model at a later date. Check out the link: Springfield XD 45ACP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w I have a 9mm, and I want a 40 S&W! I like the nine I just want more power. Plus the range I go to all the police departments are using 40 S&W. Lets just say I have a ton of brass waiting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ronin Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w The .40 has good ballistics with good ammo. The key is good ammo. However, it has a much sharper muzzle flip than the 9. The .45 tops them both. A compromise with recoil is the .45 GAP without sacraficing much else. Bigger holes make bigger bigger wound channels with more chances of destroying vitals...which, in time, stops the threat. This is accomplished with larger diameter, velocity and/ or quality self defense ammo designed for that purpose. A self defense gun is an important decision and not to be made lightly. Any pistol can kill a man but it really isn't the pistol afterall, but the shooter holding it. I've seen the results of firefights all within several meters where box loads of ammo were sprayed and nobody got hit. The reason is stress couple with lack of good training. "Aim small, miss small". That being said, I would go to the range with a few of the guns mentioned and see how they all feel. If your recoil sensitive, go with the nine. Easy to manage and shoot all day. Just buy some really good defense rounds to go with it. Winchester Ranger SXT's formally the Black Talon seem to like this caliber, but there are others. It is also OK to be recoil sensitive. The majority of people are and it takes a lot of muscle memory training to get over it. If your not into lots of sessions shooting lots of bullets, smaller caliber is the better part of valor. I have been carrying and shooting a .45 for 24 years. It took about a year to get practical with it. 5 to get good. Depending upon clothing, I also carry a .32. The .32 took no time at all to become very proficient with. Both of these guns use a double to single action trigger which also has to be accounted for and trained with. My decisiion making factors would be: recoil/ caliber, action, pistol MFR, concealability, and bullet selection. Most quality guns are going to work for you. What you have to decide is what FEELS good for you: Small hands don't do well with double stack magazines, all steel 1911 clones are heavy and bulky, small plastic guns with big bores are cannons and can feel like it. Lastly, if I remember correctly, you just got into wheel guns? If you do well with them for hunting and just plain shooting, this might be a wise choice for a defense gun. A little 7 round .38 snub nose with a bobbed hammer is easy to conceal, easy to shoot, and quite comfortable. FWIW, a .357 snub has nothing on the .38 other than muzzle blast and recoil. The barrel length nullifies the velocity so it's not worth the the time or investment. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ronin Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 Re: 9mm vs 40s&w Many departments are now opting to have the officer choose the caliber. Good range masters are beginning to understand that officer body size, training, and sensitivity determine shooting ability. Ulitmately, good shooters win out over bigger bullets. Don't get me wrong, I love the .40...the .45 even more. It's just that others don't seem to always get along with them and need something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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