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  #1  
Old 02-03-2011, 12:03 AM
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Default 9mm or 40 S&W?

9mm ammo is universally available, used by LEO's, military and commonly used outside the US but is not the hottest self defense round. 40 S&W ammo is only common with LEO's, could see less availability in a breakdown of law and order, but packs a bigger punch. I've chosen the S&W M&P compact semi-auto... but still not sure which caliber. Give me some thoughts, please. I'm sure this may have been discussed before... somewhere... but had to ask.
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Old 02-03-2011, 12:20 AM
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Go with the 40.I have an SD 40 for the stopping power.I am retired police officer used to carry a glock 9mm believe me the 40 is the better caliber.
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Old 02-03-2011, 01:55 AM
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You need to/should evaluate which pistol you will eventually select by using a slightly more analytical approach other than the potential (un)availability of ammo. Start with prioritization, such as:

- Which pistol/caliber (9mm or .40) do you shoot the best with?, i.e. consitency, groups, etc.

- What is your primary use for the pistol? Target, home defense, self defense, ccw, all of the above?

- Are you on a limited budget? Generally speaking, 9mm is less expensive than .40 S&W ammo.

- If you are on a limited budget, how often will you be going to the range and how many rounds will you expend per range visit?

Although, .40 S&W packs more "energy" than a 9 mm round, that will be of little-to-no consequence if you can't/don't hit what you're shooting at. Otherwise, they're just glorified noise makers.
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Old 02-03-2011, 02:12 AM
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I chose the full-size m&p .40 for home defense and the compact 9mm m&p for carry. I get more rounds (12) in the compact version in 9mm and the recoil is more modest so subsequent shots remain on target more easily.
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Old 02-03-2011, 02:21 AM
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I have carried the 40 as a duty weapon for a number of years and find no advantage to it over the 9MM. There is no way I would waste my own money on a 40. The 9 is fine.
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Old 02-03-2011, 06:54 AM
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I like the .40. It is more than manageable and I prefer the more powerful round in a platform designed for it, rather than retrofitted to a 9mm platform.
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Old 02-03-2011, 09:34 AM
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I believe the 9mm round will do it's job if you do yours. All my semi autos are 9mm.
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Old 02-03-2011, 10:04 AM
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More depends on you than on the caliber itself.Have you shot 9mm and .40 pistols?

More importantly, have you rented/borrowed a compact lightweight .40 and shot it? Are you as accurate with it as with a 9mm?
How much training/experience do you have with pistol shooting?

A well-trained shooter can control a .40 and shoot it as well as a 9mm, so often will choose and recommend a .40. Great!

However, I get some students with no training, not really sure how to hold the gun, and they come to me with a lightweight .40 and a flinch THIS BIG. Sometimes they blame the gun for shooting "low and left" and want new sights or another gun.

The training should come before the choice of a carry gun.
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Old 02-03-2011, 10:58 AM
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What he said. However I know many skilled shooters who still prefer the 9mm over the .40S&W.

By default I would recommend 9mm. If you really want more power than that there are other caliber choices I would recommend.
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Old 02-03-2011, 11:30 AM
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In the .40v9mm race, I would prefer the capacity of the 9mm (not to mention I shoot them better). If you can get the 124 RWS, you've got a real good load. Both the 9mm and .40n lose out to a 10mm or .45 though.
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Old 02-03-2011, 11:33 AM
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Everything stated so far makes sense... however, let me try to clarify and restate my question.

Last month most folks would not have expected the crisis in Egypt. Oil may become much more expensive impacting the US economy. World and natural events precipitate negative changes that create breakdowns in security, supplies and freedoms we take for granted. So this is really a question about weapons commonality and ammo/caliber availability when there might be a need for a common civil defense. In this light... 9mm or 40 s&w?
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Old 02-03-2011, 12:02 PM
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I think far to many choose a caliber thinking "when" they have to use it rather than "if" they have to use it. They imagine going through life with something bad happening every other trip to the store and therefore want the baddest rounds around.

Better or worse caliber is such a subjective opinion. If you can't put the bullets where you need to, caliber doesn't matter a whole lot. In general, you'll be able to afford to shoot the 9mm more often (affordability) and probably more accurately (more control).
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Old 02-03-2011, 12:31 PM
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Get Both! .40 for winter (cold more clothes) and 9MM for summer (warm less clothes). All your bases will be covered. That said I really like 9MM.
With the right ammo, 124 gr +p bonded like Gold Dot or Win PDX1,SXT, Ranger T, for carry you would be well armed IMHO.
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Old 02-03-2011, 12:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dfhawkins View Post
9mm ammo is universally available, used by LEO's, military and commonly used outside the US but is not the hottest self defense round. 40 S&W ammo is only common with LEO's, could see less availability in a breakdown of law and order, but packs a bigger punch. I've chosen the S&W M&P compact semi-auto... but still not sure which caliber. Give me some thoughts, please. I'm sure this may have been discussed before... somewhere... but had to ask.
The .40 S&W is currently the most popular round on the market. Every time a company releases a new pistol the usual order of things go like this. .40 S&W is first, followed by 9mm, and then .45 ACP.

GLOCK did that with the RTF2 series and then with the Gen4 series. Smith & Wesson did the same with their M&P line. Springfield Armory did that with their XDm Line also.

I can walk into any Walmart, Bass Pro Shop, Gun Store, etc and find .40 S&W.

In the USA alone, .40 S&W is 60% of the LEO market, and because of that the civilian market is the same. Because the majority of the civilian market follows the LEO market. Just as the civilian market follows the Mil/Gov market for rifles.

.40 S&W is not some obscure cartridge. It's "THE" cartridge of the 21st Century, just as .38 S&W Special was for the majority of the 20th Century. When the majority of law enforcement adopts a caliber, so does the civilian market.
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Old 02-03-2011, 12:47 PM
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Originally Posted by dfhawkins View Post
Everything stated so far makes sense... however, let me try to clarify and restate my question.

Last month most folks would not have expected the crisis in Egypt. Oil may become much more expensive impacting the US economy. World and natural events precipitate negative changes that create breakdowns in security, supplies and freedoms we take for granted. So this is really a question about weapons commonality and ammo/caliber availability when there might be a need for a common civil defense. In this light... 9mm or 40 s&w?
Based on this clarification, 9mm wins hands down.

As a reloader I can find 9mm components easily, so much abundant free range brass that the small difference in .40 "power" just isn't worth it for me.

If I need more power I'll be looking at something much bigger.
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Old 02-03-2011, 01:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Miami_JBT View Post
The .40 S&W is currently the most popular round on the market. Every time a company releases a new pistol the usual order of things go like this. .40 S&W is first, followed by 9mm, and then .45 ACP.

GLOCK did that with the RTF2 series and then with the Gen4 series. Smith & Wesson did the same with their M&P line. Springfield Armory did that with their XDm Line also.

I can walk into any Walmart, Bass Pro Shop, Gun Store, etc and find .40 S&W.

In the USA alone, .40 S&W is 60% of the LEO market, and because of that the civilian market is the same. Because the majority of the civilian market follows the LEO market. Just as the civilian market follows the Mil/Gov market for rifles.

.40 S&W is not some obscure cartridge. It's "THE" cartridge of the 21st Century, just as .38 S&W Special was for the majority of the 20th Century. When the majority of law enforcement adopts a caliber, so does the civilian market.
According to Winchester their #1 selling handgun cartridge is 9mm, then .40 (because of LEO's) then surprisingly .38 special, then .45ACP and 380ACP...in that order.

Maybe you have other data...all I could find was Win.
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Old 02-03-2011, 01:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dfhawkins View Post
Everything stated so far makes sense... however, let me try to clarify and restate my question.

Last month most folks would not have expected the crisis in Egypt. Oil may become much more expensive impacting the US economy. World and natural events precipitate negative changes that create breakdowns in security, supplies and freedoms we take for granted. So this is really a question about weapons commonality and ammo/caliber availability when there might be a need for a common civil defense. In this light... 9mm or 40 s&w?
This is really easy.....

You buy the .40 and then buy the 9mm barrel for $65. Now you have one gun that shoots whatever ammo you can pick up from all the dead zombies you find while searching for a few gallons of fuel to run your generator for power to send out your daily radio broadcast asking 'Is anyone out there?'

And while you're at it, pick up a .357 barrel too. You don't even need new magazines!

But you must buy the .40 to convert. You can't put a .40 barrel on a 9mm, but you can put a 9mm barrel on a .40!
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Old 02-03-2011, 02:00 PM
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9mm all day long.
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Old 02-03-2011, 02:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lost Lake View Post
This is really easy.....

You buy the .40 and then buy the 9mm barrel for $65. Now you have one gun that shoots whatever ammo you can pick up from all the dead zombies you find while searching for a few gallons of fuel to run your generator for power to send out your daily radio broadcast asking 'Is anyone out there?'

And while you're at it, pick up a .357 barrel too. You don't even need new magazines!

But you must buy the .40 to convert. You can't put a .40 barrel on a 9mm, but you can put a 9mm barrel on a .40!
You get my vote for the best response, besides mine, that is.
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Old 02-03-2011, 03:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lost Lake View Post
This is really easy.....

You buy the .40 and then buy the 9mm barrel for $65. Now you have one gun that shoots whatever ammo you can pick up from all the dead zombies you find while searching for a few gallons of fuel to run your generator for power to send out your daily radio broadcast asking 'Is anyone out there?'

And while you're at it, pick up a .357 barrel too. You don't even need new magazines!

But you must buy the .40 to convert. You can't put a .40 barrel on a 9mm, but you can put a 9mm barrel on a .40!
Thanks! This is useful information. Now... I must ask. Have you actually tried this? No feeding or barrel fit issues? I've not seen this information before and consider it important survival knowledge. May be useless... until necessary. What was it L. Pasteur said? "Chance favors the prepared mind."
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Old 02-03-2011, 07:53 PM
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Never liked the feel of .40. Too much snap and "twist" with the recoil. Given modern 9mm SD rounds, they will do the job fine as long as you practice and become skilled with hitting your target.
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Old 02-03-2011, 07:56 PM
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Go with the 40. I have an SD 40 for the stopping power.I
Please, I'm laughing too hard. Stopping power?! You gotta be kidding!

There will never even be a truce in the Caliber Wars. Suffice to say I've never seen a need nor justification for .40S&W (forty short and weak).

.40S&W is a "compromise" caliber between 9mm and .45ACP. If you think 9mm is good enough there's no need for anything bigger. If you think, as I do, of .45ACP as the ideal pistol caliber a "compromise" caliber ain't gonna cut it most of the time. .40S&W is also a more politically correct caliber so city councils and police administrators afflict it upon their policemen because everyone knows a .45ACP round will just knock folks down if they're hit in the hand, and carrying 17+1 rounds of 9mm is just too many bullets to put in anyone's hands.

It's all about the size of the holes. Bigger holes trump small holes.

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Old 02-04-2011, 12:01 AM
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According to handloads.com the best 40 S&W has 11% more stopping power than the best 9mm, and has 2% less than the best 45 acp round.

Hmmmmmm. 9mm., 45 acp fans argue with them not me.

I am biased though, I own an MP 40 Pro Series.
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Old 02-04-2011, 11:01 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dfhawkins View Post
Thanks! This is useful information. Now... I must ask. Have you actually tried this? No feeding or barrel fit issues? I've not seen this information before and consider it important survival knowledge. May be useless... until necessary. What was it L. Pasteur said? "Chance favors the prepared mind."
I have not personally tried this, mainly because the barrels are backordered because so many are getting them. You can get the more expensive barrel from Midway and Brownells or order the S&W barrel from Midway for $65.

There are several threads on this site reporting the swap and how the gun functions including pictures and field trials. The .40 mag is the same mag as the .357. They are stamped .357 / .40 in fact. The 9mm uses a smaller mag that fits in the .40 gun, but the reports on this site are that the 9mm works fine in the .40 mag down to the last round where the slide will lock back.

In an armegedon / end of the world scenario, I think having the slide lock open with the last round is not a big deal, just slap in the next mag and continue on. However for range shooting having new 9mm magazines would be better to get that last round out.

If you buy a compact model you can even use full size magazines and enjoy that flexibility also. The M&P is pretty well thought out, and will take just about anything you want to throw at it.
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Old 02-04-2011, 01:32 PM
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Get the caliber you feel comfortable with. At the end of the day that is all that matters.

Each caliber is going to protect you and your loved ones when it matters, provided you know how to shoot. The trigger gets pulled, gun goes band and the bad guy falls down....repeat as necessary

I personally have a full size M&P40. I feel comfortable with it and I don't have any problems finding ammo, unless I end up buying it all, then I just have to wait a few days.

Best of luck.
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Old 02-04-2011, 01:52 PM
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This is a silly thread.

9mm will stop a BG.
40 s&w will stop a BG.
45 will stop a BG.
See the trend here...

But generally ppl get shot and keep coming...
its not black and white...

Personally, I own 9's and 45's...
both have their benefits, and draw backs.
neither is better... given those +'s & -'s.

Obviously, if you can hit your target with a larger caliber
you have answered your own question.
or maybe not....

YOU MAKE THE CALL..................
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Old 02-04-2011, 01:53 PM
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Lightbulb 9mm or 40 S&W?

In my book, just flip a coin. Either will serve well if needed. If you have a slight preference for one over the other, then that's the way to go. Otherwise, you'll be playing "what if" mind games with yourself for as long as you own it.
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Old 02-04-2011, 02:50 PM
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I have an M&P 40c. I have the .40 because I got the best deal on the .40 vs the 9mm. I have several 9mm pistols and a couple of .40's. There are three .45 acp's in the safe too. I don't find that much difference in handling between the three cartridges. I tend to carry the .40 or .45 in the overcoat period of the year. I agree that gaining good skills with the weapon and understanding the capabilities of any handgun(not based on TV and movies) is far more important than the caliber. If you are like the vast majority of the people on this forum, you will wind up with more than one pistol anyway.
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Old 02-04-2011, 04:52 PM
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I'll echo the responses suggesting to pick the caliber you shoot best with.

I have been carrying 9mm for more than 15 years because I've found in training that I hit more consistently with it than I do with .45ACP or .40S&W under stress.
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Old 02-04-2011, 05:57 PM
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I had much better results shooting .40 S&W in my SIG 229 than I did in my S&W M&P .40 Compact. I finally got rid of the M&P, as I found it uncomfortable to shoot in that caliber. Currently I have five 3rd GEN 9MM S&Ws and a SIG 225 in 9MM. My only .40 cal is the SIG 229. I have no problems with shooting 45ACP in my Kimbers. I just found the M&P compact a bit too "Snappy". If I was going to continue to pursue a 40 cal in S&W, I'd look for a 4006. I think the added weight and barrel length would be make it a nice gun to shoot in that cal.
All in all, I'll likely move out of the 40 cal arena and stick with just 9MM and 45ACP. (Got a lot of 40 cal ammo to burn through in the mean time....)
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  #31  
Old 02-04-2011, 09:18 PM
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.40 is the most common law enforcement caliber in the U.S.A. for a reason.
The only advantage the 9MM has over the .40 or .45 is cost of ammunition. After that, everything the little 9 does the larger 40 and 45 do better. Simple physics.
My intent is not to sway people who already have an opinion on caliber, but to help the OP in the descission making process.
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