Probley bulletts are a bit cheap for 9mm than 40cal but overall 40cal would be a better defensive weapon than the 9mm. Some think 9mm is just as good a home defensive weapon as the 40cal. mostly likely lies with the type bulitts one is using. Tom

a shotgun is my first choice at home
second choice is whatever I'm carrying

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Science plus Art

As much as I want to find a reason to not carry a 9mm, I just can't find one. The only reason that I use is that I love carrying my 4506 too much. But to answer your question, I prefer the 9 over a 40. You've got more ammo capacity usually, the ammo is cheaper, the gun is tamer (though I don't have trouble with 40, either), and I find 9mm to be a more accurate round compared to the 40's I own (which could also be user error). Though 10mm seems to go right for the bulls eye every time as well.

I have no use for a 40 cal. There is nothing wrong with the round or it's performance but I have 9mm and I have 45acp, I just don't need a 40. A 9mm is just fine for home defense. I have a CZ-75 SP-01 with 18+1 mag capactiy and trituim night sights. I pity the fool who thinks I am under armed.
That being said a 40 caliber has better ballistics than the 9mm. It is a deadlier round. I just don't think the bad guy is going to know the difference.

The better caliber is the one you shoot the best. Either caliber will do the job, IF you do yours.

To follow up on OKFC...in a home defense scenario a long gun should be close at hand and your first choice. The pistol is to give you time to get to your long gun. Nod to Clint Smith.

I like them both, but I would choose the 9mm. Less recoil means faster second shots, and dollar for dollar you can shoot a box and a half or more 9mm for the cost of 1 box of the .40 . That means more fun for you, and you being more proficient a shooter.

Shot placement is far more important than the differences between a 9mm and a .40 S&W . The number of criminals put in their graves by the 9mm should clearly show that the cartridge is an excellent choice for home defense.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

For me it is 10mm...Nothing like rolling your own 10mm perfection for protection!

I like my 40. Stupid things like the sound over my buddies 9mm. Plus, the hole in the target is much bigger (don't know why) than the 9 while being closer to the bull. Go try'em and see what you like. In the end, its all good to be a 2 Amendment participant

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VE40 2010 22A 1110 MPc40 706

In my country,...
We are restricted to FMJ for self defense.
Factory .40 ammo is considerably more expensive than 9x19 of the same brand.
You can find 9x19 cartridges in almost every gun shop around the country. Can't say the same for .40SW.
There are far more pistol models available in 9x19 than in the bigger cartridge. That includes S&W autos, by the way.
No question I choose the old 9 for my serious shooting needs (when the Mossberg 500 is out of reach ).

Either 9mm or .45. Even though I carry a S&W M&P on duty about 12 hours a day..I dont care for the cartridge...in one old man's opinion the .40 is not as accurate as the nine or .45. YMMV

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The American dream is alive

In my opinion (worth what you paid for it), .40 cal is a solution in search of a problem. 9mm will do the job just fine.

Like OKFC05 my shotgun is my first choice for home defense with my second being my M&P 40FS.

Benelli M2 with 000 buck... 4006... or a 4013TSW... I've been a big .40 cal fan for over 10 years. I've expanded my collection significantly over the past year and a half and still don't own a 9mm. Then again, a year ago l didn't own a.45 ACP 3rd gen and now have three. Maybe a 9mm is in my future this year...

Hog

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13

If I want capacity (or for deep concealment) I go 9mm, if I want power I go .45acp. In my opinion the .40 is just a compromise round. It does not provide much more power than the 9mm or much more capacity than the .45acp. In my opinion the only thing it does provide is more muzzle flip and slower follow up shots.

I've owned several 40's and got rid of them. I simply shoot the 9MM or 45 better.

If I carry a full size gun then it's 45. If a compact then it's a 9. In either gun, follow up shots are quicker and more accurate.

For home defense, yes a long gun is best.

Couldn't have said it better. If you have a problem with the 9mm, go to the .45. Why mess around with a compromise caliber?

I like 40 S&W, I own several 40s, and it is my current HD round. With that said, I don't plan on buying anymore 40 pistols. A box of ammo used to be about $1.00-$1.50 a box more than 9mm, now its at least $4.00 more a box, that really cuts on down I the amount I shoot my 40s.

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5903TSW 5904 5906 6906 4006

For me it's .40 all the way. I actually prefer a .45 but my Glock 27 is my preferred hot weather concealment firearm. I've just got no use for a 9mm.

I AGREE, USE THE CORRECT 9MM AMMO AND IT WILL DO A LOT OF DAMAGE

I completely get it that by some standards of judgment the .40 is an unnecessary round, but the market says there is a demand for it. Maybe the controlling factor in answering the question is the frame of reference, as the round is either a bigger-than-necessary alternative to the 9mm or a smaller-than-necessary alternative to the .45. I actually like the idea of the .40 and have one (a 4006). I will soon be taking possession of a match-grade 9mm (a 952). I suspect that at competition distances the 9mm will perform better for me, but in a social situation in my small house with compact rooms, I don't imagine target reacquisition would be much of a problem with either gun. I would use either one.

If I had a 9mm already, I might not see the point in upgrading to a .40; and I think that for home defense (particularly in small-lot California), a .45 or 10mm might be overkill. (I'm not completely consistent in this, as one of my HD resources is a 1917 Army loaded up with a moon clip of standard 230 gr ball ammo.) If you like bigger holes and an energy edge, go with the .40; if you appreciate less expensive ammo and think that a little excess capacity makes no real difference, then the 9mm should be your choice. It has had nearly a century of use, and it's not like experience has demonstrated that it is an inadequate round.

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David Wilson

9mm is nicer in compact pistols if I had a choice I would go with 40sw when available
40sw can send 180gr slugs 1150fps though its quite deafening most 180gr loads are 950fps

ultimately go with what you can shoot well in pistol size of choice.

I have seen 45acp fail where 40sw and even 9mm excelled.

real good launching platform for 40sw is Steyr M40A1 built for 40sw, has 1911 like trigger and low bore axis and fits into most hands well minimizing recoil. M&P is another good platform for 40sw both have similar makeup.

dont listen to those trying to tell ya 40sw is a compromise round
40sw can launch 180gr slugs 1150fps out of 4" barrel though its quite deafening
smaller bullets even faster it wont match 10mm then again you dont get the overkill 10mm can be

9mm holds an advantage in terms of economics.Given that shooting proficiency is a function of practice , and that practice is a function of how much ammo the shooter can afford to sling downrange, the lower the price of ammunition=lower price to practice= greater realized shooting ability. A person who spends $500 on a gun and $500 on ammo will outperform the one who spends $1000 on pure hardware every time.

Many years ago, when i was fairly new with shooting I started out with a 9mm Browning long before the .40 was a glimmer in anyone's eyes. So over time I accumulated a ton of 9mm stuff, brass, loading equipment, data and guns, lots of guns.

I dinked around with the .40 slightly a few years ago, had a HK usp compact in .40. It was okay, did a little loading with it. In the end decided I wanted to try to simplify my life and reload fewer calibers so I dumped the .40 and tried to concentrate on my main calibers, .38/357, .45acp, .45 Colt, .44mag/spcl and 9mm. Anything else, like .380 I just buy factory loaded ammo for.\
Now if I were a fairly new shooter in todays world the choice would be a little harder. I still think I would go 9mm for the cheaper ammo and all but you could make a good case for the .40. The supposed lack of 9mm stopping power is not a factor to me.

Where did you SEE this? Do tell.

9mm by far. More ammo, lighter recoil, faster followup shots, and can be used in more platforms.

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

I own an M&P .40 S&W. I like it over a 9MM because it's the gun I own. I bought it used at a decent deal, and it's a blast to shoot.
I'll probably never own a 9MM or a .45 ACP. I don't rule it out completely, but I doubt it. I'm a revolver man, and I wasn't even going to buy a semi at all. A salesman put an M&P in my hand, and I just liked it. I wasn't going to buy one at all, until the dirty #%*@$ had the used one, then I just couldn't help myself. I didn't really care about the caliber too much, it just happened to be a .40.
That being said, I'm not a fan of 1911's at all. If somebody gave me a new one, I'd leave it in the box and sell it new. I've fired several, and they just aren't my cup of tea.
So, I ended up with a .40 S&W due to circumstance more than anything. I like the higher mag capacity than the .45, and I like the louder noise than the 9MM. Mostly, the .40 is a toy. The only "real" thing I may do would be to use it to put down a wounded deer. I have a shotgun for HD, so that's out.
I think it's a happy medium for a lot of people, as far as cost and power compared to .45's & 9MM's.
My true passion is my 586. That's my "real" gun.

ipsc,ipda matches to start. bowling matches, public ranges and hunting.
constant inability to knock down steel plates and bowling pins.
9mm 115gr 1150 factory ammo knocked the same plates down consistently vs 45acp 230gr factory ammo.

couple instances of 45acp's ricocheting and flying back overhead making a nice buzzing sound.

I like and own both. The Glock 27 in .40 makes a formidable pocket gun, but I have a 9mm Glock 17 in a bed holster. I like the capacity. Yes, I'm an S&W man, but only for revolvers and mainly the older ones.

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Loyalty Above All.. but Honor

+1 here. In fact, the ole lady got hit in the arm with a 40S&W ricochet off of a bowling pin, off of the soffit overhead, off her arm, landing in the little opening of the car door arm rest where the handle is located.

This!

I used to have a SiG P229 in .40S&W. I was 'ok' with it, but went back to what I know and can shoot effectively, which is 9mm, .38spcl and .45ACP.

So I guess my answer is I prefer 9mm over .40S&W and the 870 is within reach for HD!

YMMV.

9mm. The only reason I'd go with a 9mm in a full sized gun is fact that I am not rich and I like shooting. When I can get 500 rounds of 40 for the same price as 750 rounds of 9mm, I'd rather shoot and therefore practice more.

I'm sure there are ways of reducing the cost of shooting 40, (hunting for cheap ammo on line or in gun shows, or reloading) but I like just going to the store and buying a couple boxes.

I grew up in an era where the 9mm was considered barely adequate for dispatching sick rabbits with a double tap to the head. It has influenced my thinking, to be sure. Although I know that modern 9mm ammo is probably equal to the .40, I still lean toward heavy bullets. I like the .45ACP, but feel that the .40 is a good compromise, carrying more ammo in the same size package. Besides, all my .40s have conversion barrels to 9mm, for versatility.

Allow me to say that I have no personal experience influencing my views, and don't carry on a regular basis. Just my .02, and worth every penny.

Love them both and don't see any real negatives to the .40. It's just slightly more per box than 9's where I live, and a LOT less than .45's.

I like the full size 9mm's for range work (5906/5903) and compact .40's for CCW (4013/4014).

I'm a huge fan of 2 rounds that many say are "underpowered", the 9mm and the .38 Special.

9mm +P and +P+ is available in some fine defensive loadings, today's 9mm is a far cry from the anemic ball loads of the past 100 years. Keep in mind 9mm Parabellum is an old round, and was designed for the Luger which isn't nearly as strong as today's pistols. 9mm gets a bad rap as a military round due to the FMJ ball loadings required by NATO.

I carried a Glock 22 .40 for 3 years as an armed guard and wasn't overly impressed by them. I was good with that pistol, and was very accurate with it but I saw no huge advantage to the .40. I always saw it as an in between round for the 9mm and the .45, or a downloaded 10 mm.

Of all the handguns I own, and I own many, the vast majority of my auto-chuckers are 9mm and most of my revolvers are .38 Special, with a few .357's too. I own one Glock, a Model 17 that does nightstand duty next to a Scorpion Stream light. I live in a split house and have neighbors across the wall and anything bigger than standard 9mm is not an option. I also have several other 9mm handguns, including a CZ75, MAB P-15, a Hi-Power, and others. I only have 2 .45's and I don't have a .40. I have a 10mm, which is what the .40 evolved from, but don't have a .40.

Not to say I wouldn't buy a .40, but I just haven't found a reason yet to justify the purchase.

I also carry revolvers for CC and prefer .38 +P 158's as my carry load.

Many people consider the .40cal as a compromise round and for that reason is not their choice.....I'm just the opposite. I like the .40 S&W round because it is a great compromise between the 9mm and .45ACP. Best of both worlds IMO.

For the same compromise reasons, I hunt deer and elk with a 30.06......many say it's too big for deer and too small for elk...just a "good compromise" caliber.

Don

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Laus Deo! <><

I prefer 9mm over 40 S&W. It is cheaper to shoot, good for self-defense, and my the arthritis in my hands doesn't care for the snap of 40 S&W.

I've "downgraded" from a full size 4006 to a 3913TSW for carry and versitility. If you just want to shoot at the range, go with 9mm. Home defense, .40, carry, 9mm.... You need to look at the big picture. If you're like most folks, this is a big investment.

9x19 for me! I've owned lovely .40s, but I've reverted to the .36s. I've worked on a couple hundred handgun killings now, and I've yet to see the case where a 9mm failed and a .40 would have worked. Add more rounds, cheaper practice and easier to handload and control in rapid fire - I'm a 9mm guy.

9mm for me. Cheaper and I already have 2 pistols in the caliber. Don't need another caliber although I do have an LCP on layaway.

9mm baby.....

9mm or 40… the debate goes on.

A carry defense gun is one you carry, it needs to small and simple... 9mm HST rounds or similar.

A home defense gun is not a carry gun… 9mm HST rounds or similar…
IMHO, .40 caliber is pure defense carry, but 9mm is quite nasty with the correct rounds… so I come back to 9mm.

IMHO, .40 is good for law enforcement, penetrating barriers, car doors, windshields… but 9mm on a person, with proper rounds… so I come back to 9mm.

bn

This should be a poll.

.45 acp used to get to my AR-15.Also much prefer 9mm over the .40 but prefer .45 over both.I have seen the 9mm and 40 fail where the 45 excelled.

I prefer 9mm handguns. From a 5 shot Taurus 905(9mm revolver), Sigma 9mm and even a Rock Island 1911 in 9mm. One size fits all.

I recently have purchased my first .40 though. I went with a M&P 40C. Just to add a little something extra to the mix. +my brother-in laws really like the .40, So now I have my own. Ammo cost to me is not that much of an issue, but I can still shoot all my 9's more for less $$. I'll probaly find a 9mm conversion barrel for the .40 to shoot it with the rest of pack. Still, the 40C is a great pistol just the way it is. It has become my daily CCW.

Count me as a .40 fan first. My daily ccw is a SW99-40. Today I went with my 4013. I do carry nines. I like my 669 and my Beretta 92fs compact. I will carry my full-size 45's on the weekend either my 645 or my Sig 220, with an occasional nod to the SW99-45 and my 1991A1. Also been known to carry my PPK. Depends on the situation.

I also have the Glock 27 and 23, both in 40S&W which I prefer for carry and home defense. I love the 45ACP in my Colt Series 70 but like the extra capacity of the 40. I love the 9mm and have a 5906, a couple Hi Powers, a couple Lugers and a P38. Great caliber and very flexible, you can go very light to a real manstopper. Still, the 40 is such a great compromise between the 45 and 9mm.

All three of these rounds are excellent and along with the 38/357Mag should be in everyone's arsenal. The nice thing about the G23 and G27 above, I bought a Lone Wolf 9mm conversion barrel for the G23 which also fits the G27 and now either can fire 40 or 9mm! On the other hand it's pretty hard to upgrade a 9mm to fire the 40.

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US Army 1966-69, VFW Member

Competition is not a place where I would want to base my self defense preferences.

I've shot steel plates with a 9MM and a 45 and never had a problem with either.

But steel plates and cardboard are not human tissue and they don't shoot back. YMMV

9mm seems to be ok for what I need. Shot placement is key.

9mm and .45 for me. SW 59,39, 3913, 5906, Ruger SR9C
CZ75b all in 9mm. 4506-1 in .45. I just don't want to start another caliber. Both the 9 and .45 have good track records. I am currently looking to get another .45 when opportunity presents itself. Nothing wrong with the .40.

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

I prefer my calibers to start with a "4", so ill stick to my 40's and 45's, if someone is that recoil sensitive the "9" would be a ok choice.