40s&w or 45acp

[astute]

Originally Posted by reflex26

Thanks for the advice.I've been leaning towards a 45 because of past experience[Marines] but you can always learn and I wasn't sure about the 40S&W.I'm thinking of a Springfield xd.Thanks for the info.

You will not be unhappy with XD, but I would suggest as others have, to go to a store and feel as many different guns as possible and if you have a range that rents guns or friends who would let you try shoot their's, Go For It!!!

[LiveBlues]

I love my XD45 service model. The only .40 I have is a cheap S&W Sigma, and I can't hit the broad side of a barn with it. Both of my .45's are sweetness though.

[capo2186]

My vote is to get what you are comfortable with. I love the .45ACP and have not shot a .40sw however I will tell you that either of these two will be plenty in a self defense situation. Although with the .40 you will be able to carry more rounds (as stated before). I think it comes down to preference here. Let us know what you go with! By the way, you can't go wrong with any of the firearms mentioned here. Also SIG makes amazing firearms, check some out!

[joesmo]

I like my G30sf.

[{TEX}Hawaii((]

Astute Wrote:

Law enforcement don't shoot reloads and if they did I doubt it was reloaded from previously shot from Glock cases. There has been to many warnings about this, The problem comes from the weakening of a section of the brass at the point where the chamber does not fully support the case. This makes the gun more reliable with a variety of ammo, but not good for reloaded ammo, Glocks are great guns. They are just not the best to shoot reloads from, especially in 40 S&W. To shoot reloads it is recommended to use an aftermarket barrel. These have standard rifling and a fully supported chambers.

Didn't say anything about reloads, but thanks for the warning. I think most already know that. It doesn't mean that Glock makes a "weak .40". Hardly the case.

[Boomboy007]

Hey, Tex, I wasn't trying to step on your toes, there. I am also not trying to denigrate the Glock. All I am saying, and Astute said it better than I did, was that the Glock chambered in .40 has an issue. Truth be told, all Glock flavors have chambers that don't fully support the case heads. While this does make it more tolerant of different ammunition, it is definitely something to consider with a .40 caliber firearm. In low pressure cartridges like 9mm and .45 caliber, the consideration is a lot lower. For a high pressure cartridge like .40, I do believe it is a valid consideration.

The Gun Zone -- Catastrophic Failures

[BearTaylor]

Gee, I'd hate to get hit by a .40 SW or a .45 ACP. I do like .45 ACP handguns (I own two of them-P90 and XD-45) but I've seen what the .40SW can do in good hands. Either caliber will work just fine.

[Glock Fan]

Originally Posted by astute

Law enforcement don't shoot reloads and if they did I doubt it was reloaded from previously shot from Glock cases. There has been to many warnings about this, The problem comes from the weakening of a section of the brass at the point where the chamber does not fully support the case. This makes the gun more reliable with a variety of ammo, but not good for reloaded ammo, Glocks are great guns. They are just not the best to shoot reloads from, especially in 40 S&W. To shoot reloads it is recommended to use an aftermarket barrel. These have standard rifling and a fully supported chambers.

I shoot and train with a bunch of LEO that shoot the Glock 22. We reload brass a max of 3X to minimize the possibility of case ruptures. Our group has fired approx. 10,000 rounds of reloads. So far, so good.

On a side note, most LE agencies supply both "practice" and "duty" ammo for their officers. This is due to department restrictions on using reloaded ammo in department owned firearms. The LEO I train with use the reloads in their personally owned supplimental firearms.



gf

[kbirgans]

Originally Posted by Boomboy007

I have to cast my vote for .40 S&W. I believe that it is the perfect balance between the magazine capacity of a 9mm and the power of a .45.

I totally agree

[OldOwl]

I suppose this could go on forever. Good thread. I carry a S&W 40 but never fired a .45. Most just seem so... BIG.