WHAT DO YOU PREFER 40CAL OR 9MM

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
 
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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.
 
9mm by far. More ammo, lighter recoil, faster followup shots, and can be used in more platforms.
 
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.
 
Kanewpadle said:
Where did you SEE this? Do tell.
Click to expand...

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.
 
MrApathy said:
...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.
Click to expand...

+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. :eek:
 
StatesRightist said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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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. :D

Don
 
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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.
 
What are you going to do with it?

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.
 
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