9mm VS .40 S&W

[loudsixstring]

G19, 15+1 124gr JHP everyday, not worried. That's just me.

[toreskha]

I have a 92FS that I use as my "briefcase" gun...or in the car, on my desk, etc. It is extremely reliable and has lots of stopping power.

I'm waiting for the compact XD-M .45 ACP to come out and am strongly considering adopting it as my carry weapon. Even then, I'll continue to have the 9mm tag along.

It's not a case of one or the other - it's dependent on the circumstances. I'd want a .40 if walking down a dark street, where I might encounter trouble up close. Carrying at an office where you might get a suicidal active shooter bursting in the door (say, Fannie Mae or IRS) might call for a 9mm that you can accurately aim at a good distance without collateral. I'd want 15+1 in that situation. Pick the right tool for the job.

[bacagator]

I certainly would prefer to carry a .40 over the 9mm, however being that both are so popular and ammo is readily available, in my opinion it would come down to whichever one you feel the most comfortable with and can shoot accurately. I was a reserve deputy sheriff in the mid nineties, at the time regulars carried g17's, we weren't allowed semi's. I carried my S & W 686. I thought that I could shoot my G23 better, so just for the hell of it, I asked our range master to let me run the course with both. To my surprise, I shot much better with my 357. Comes down to which one you can shoot...I carry a Kimber Pro Tactical .45, which is my preferred caliber.

[bacagator]

[Glockster20]

Glock 27 loaded with Cor-Bon .40 S&W 135 GR. JHP 1325 FPS/526 FTLBS. No worries at all.

[MP3Mogul]

Originally Posted by Glock Fan

"Never" is a strong word to ues. Let's suppose that all of your other guns are unavailable, maybe in the shop, etc. All you have available to you is your 9mm. Would you then walk around unarmed?

A 9mm wouldn't be my first choice of a personal defense firearm, however I would never say that I would "never" carry one. Loaded with the propper ammo, it can be quite an effective firearm. A fellow firearms instructor has a saying "A 9mm carried is better than a .45 left at home."



gf

Never is what I meant.... there is no need for me to carry a 9mm... I have too many other choices.... there is no way that all of my guns would be in the shop at the same time. Your philosophy could perhaps work with someone with 2 or 3 guns.... but I have many many more than listed in my signature...

And while I agree, many people carry the 9mm and it's a great choice for them... it's just not for me personally.

[whiskey]

40s&w.....

[shane34652]

I carry the Glock 32 which is .357 sig. But it dosen't matter as long there is only one side of the story to tell. Yours!

[Grayfox]

Of the two choices, I pick the 9mm. With good exspanding bullet loads, it'll get the job done. For that matter, I'm also a great fan of the .38 Special. I find it interesting that some people consider both inferior cartridges when both have a proven track record over a period of about 100 years.
There is no magic caliber that will bring the bad guy down every time. A .22 in the right spot will make 'em just as dead as a .500 S&W. Granted, bigger bullets do indeed make bigger holes. They also allow for a bigger margin of error. But no matter what you're using, its all for naught unless you do your part. Shot placement is far more important than caliber. Go with what you can shoot well.
When I carry a semi-auto, more often than not it'll be a .45acp. I like the round and I shoot it well. The fact that it makes big holes is just a bonus. For that matter, I sometimes carry a .380. and don't consider myself undergunned at all. Agian it all goes back to what you can shoot well and feel confident with.

Having said all that, I have to admit that I don't like the .40 S&W. In fact, I consider it an un-necessary cartridge. Oh yes, I have owned one. Back when it first came out I bought into all the hype hook, line and sinker. .45 POWER with 9mm CAPACITY! Yeah, right. However, I soon discovered that I couldn't shoot it nearly as well as I could a 9mm or a .45acp. Oh I tried. I spent about two years testing factory ammo and just about every listed reload I could find. Yet in the end, I shot better and more comfortably with either the 9 or the .45.
Consider this, the .40 S&W is, was and always will be a compromise. An in between round intended to fill a niche that didn't exist. It came into existance because the FBI found that many of its agents couldn't handle the 10mm. So they got Smith & Wesson to shorten and weaken the 10mm and the .40 S&W was born. This also gave birth to the .40s nickname as the ".40 Short & Weak".
Now I know alot of great cartridges were developed based on another existing round. But how many do you know of that came about by making the parent cartridge LESS than what it was? Makes no sense to me.
The other great lie about the .40 is that its so great because it'll fit into a 9mm platform. Ok, so it will fit into a smaller frame than a .45acp. But then you have to add weight and bulk to the slide to handle the .40s recoil. What you end up with is a slightly smaller gun that weighs just as much, if not more, than a .45.
Now take a look at all the various compact .45s out there today. So what advantage does the .40 offer over these? Answer: none.
Finally, lets look at shootability. The .40 recoils more than the 9mm but less than the .45acp. However, the .40s recoil is considerably sharper than the .45s which results in more muzzle flip. The .45s recoil is more of a push while the .40 is more of a snap. So if you find the recoil of the .40 uncomfortable, then by all means go with a 9mm. However, if you don't have a problem with the .40s recoil, then you shouldn't have any trouble shooting a .45. Agian I ask, what's the advantage of the .40 S&W? Agian the answer is none.
In summation, the .40 is an in between, compromise cartridge than offers no real advantage over either the 9mm or the .45acp. Therefore it has no real practical purpose.

Ok, I'll just sit back and let the flames begin. That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it.
But hey, what do I know? I'm usually carring a revolver loaded with .38 specials.

[pianomistro]

Originally Posted by shane34652

I carry the Glock 32 which is .357 sig. But it dosen't matter as long there is only one side of the story to tell. Yours!

I agree. I own a p226 in .357 sig, and it is plenty powerful enough to stop whatever I want. Problem is with that, .357 tends to keep on goin', even with JHP ammo, so I've been thinking about getting the .40 S&W conversion barrel for "safer stopping power". I wouldn't carry a 9 for the reason of the .40 just being that much stronger.