WHAT DO YOU PREFER 40CAL OR 9MM

[Brass Nuggets]

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

 

[Avery11]

This should be a poll.

 

[catcus-jack]

.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.

 

[AZ115]

9mm for me!

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.

 

[sniper47]

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.

 

[Quentin]

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 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.

 

[Kanewpadle]

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.

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

 

[350x]

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

 

[mbliss57]

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.

 

[Mule88]

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.

 

[johnsonl]

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.

Amen. Sidearms allow one to get to their rifle or shotgun.

 

[SixGunHunter]

This thread is simply an opinion.

Other members pointed out that it is more up to YOU than what round you choose. Heck, practice head/neck shots and then go get yourself a .22 or .380!

 

[Stu Honea]

I no longer own any 40 caliber pistols.When the .40S&W was first introduced it was a legitimate answer to some problems,especially as a police duty round.
With the development of better performing bullets in all the calibers,it doesn't have that great of an edge anymore.
It is certainly better through hard barriers than the 9mm and this is probably the reason most Police departments went to it and still use it.
That along with the fact that:1-very few police officers are ballisticians and don't keep abreast of newer developements in ammo.2-Police administrators are easily advertised to.
There's a fairly large shift back to the 9mm with many urban police departments for a number of reasons,including some problematical guns with the .40 round.

The city PD here never left the 9mm.A sensible call IMO. NOTHING wrong with the .40 IMO,and I would not disparage the round at all.It works real well,and has done so here in multiple OIS's with some county officers.As a civilian,the 9mm is more affordable in bulk,there are great performing rounds available for it,and I don't ever anticipate having to shoot into a vehicle,and I shoot it better.
I'd say define your needs in a defensive pistol,pay your money and take your choice.

 

[Lost Lake]

Well said Stu.

I caught that cactus-jack!!


My preference is perfect reliability in a gun I can shoot well.

 

[panamajack310]

Hey I carry a glock 22 .40 s&W all day long. I also know that several of our deputies have been in shoot outs with the .40S&W. The round is a good round. I personally prefer the .45 acp or a .357 magnum to carry as they are both proven man stoppers.

 

[Rufus]

I have both a 9mm and a 40 S&W. For most of my shooting use, I prefer the 9mm because the ammo is 60% to cost of 40 S&W. However, I carry the 40 (Kahr CW 40) in my car console with Gold Dot ammo loaded in it.

 

[enfield]

.40 is my preference - more thump.

 

[LIGHTNING-FAST]

Different views about balances out on 9mm & 40cal

The 40 s&w round my buddys 40 cal i was shooting a couple of weeks ago was hurting my fingers we were shooting 180GR that little automatic had some buck to it it is a very small automatic i think you know what brand i mean. I know there is a wide range of bullets for the 9MM But the 9MM does not kick as hard as the 40 cal. If i was to buy a 40cal it would have to be bigger where it wouldn't recoil as much Didn't they make a s&w in a chiefs special in 40 cal autmatic?? Thanks Tom

 

[Kanewpadle]

Realistically, it's not about caliber so much as it is whether we carry a full size gun or a compact.

If I carry a full size gun why in the world would I "settle" for a forty?! I don't. I carry a 45 ACP.

If I carry a compact, it's a 9MM.

I know VERY few people that can shoot a compact 40 well and get good quality hits in a timely manner.

And factor in that most people only shoot at non moving paper targets just makes matters worse.

I'll be 51 next month. I'm still strong but not like I used to be. I can't shoot a compact 40 and get quick accurate follow up shots like I can a compact 9MM.

So I figure 2 or 3 quick well placed shots with a 9MM beats 1 hit with a 40 or 45 any day.

 

[forresth]

I had a 9mm I picked up in the 90s. It was taken in a break-in. When I went shopping for a replacement I was considering 9, 40 and 45. I went with 40 back when it was fairly easy to find and 9mm and 45 weren't. The gun I also liked the best came in 9 and 40, but the 40 could be converted to 9 (and 357). The 9 couldn't be converted to anything. I also liked the idea that I was upgrading in power. I think 40sw is pretty comparable to 45.
I have to admit the harsher recoil of the 40 (compared to 9 or 45) came as a bit of a surprise(purchased the gun without shooting it first), but its certainly nothing I can't handle.
I recently picked up a real cheap Hi-Point 9mm carbine. I really wish that was a 40 since I want to use it as a back-up deer rifle. I still will, but now I feel compelled to buy some overpriced +p+ stuff that is still weaker than standard pressure 40sw that I have sitting around.