.40 or 9mm?

[zippy23]

Buy both, then buy other calibers, then buy a bunch of ammo for every gun you own, its only money, and they this gov't is spending it, it wont be worth much anyway in the future! having said that, get a 40, if you can ONLY handle the recoil of a 9mm and not a .40 S&W then there is prolly some other issue with that person. its not really that much of an issue as other people have said. .40, bigger bullet, great speed, very accurate, glock 23 is a great weapon. Some people argue about cost, the reality is that you are going to spend money on guns, so buy what you want, and are you shooting thousands of rounds a year? most arent. Dont worry though, if you are like most people, you will buy more than just one gun its fun to have lots of different toys.

 

[Skywired]

I went the 9MM route. For the reasons listed above. Doesn't make me right. Doesn't make me wrong. You'll just have to make your own decision. A decision that is comfortable for you and your situation.

PS If you decide on 9MM....I prefer the Walther PPQ and the Glock 26. I have them both. I like them both!

 

[tacdriver]

Consider what the others forum members have said… I' agree with their views and I often recommend choosing a 40S&W platform as a first gun as well.

Most firearms manufactures (not all) who offer a pistol in 40S&W and .357Sig typically have a following of aftermarket conversion barrels that are available, typical conversions are:
-9mm
-40S&W
-.357Sig

These conversion barrels add additional cost; however, they give you the option for multiple calibers from just one pistol platform. There are distinct advantages, economical, logistical & capabilities , here are a few;

-Not having to buy mutable pistols
-Cost of shooting: (you can use less expensive 9mm vs. 40S&W or even more expensive .357sig)
-Ammunition accessibility (you can switch to whatever caliber is more abundant or in stock at your local watering hole)
-Ballistics (some folks prefer a certain round due to its capabilities as well as stopping power)

Bottom line…it’s down to you and your preferences as well as your wallet, if purchasing the 40S&W / 357sig platform is for you, then great… just remember if you do purchase a platform in 9mm you won’t be able to convert up to the other calibers. Good luck and let us know how you made out.

-Mike

 

[Skywired]

Consider what the others forum members have said… I' agree with their views and I often recommend choosing a 40S&W platform as a first gun as well.

Most firearms manufactures (not all) who offer a pistol in 40S&W and .357Sig typically have a following of aftermarket conversion barrels that are available, typical conversions are:
-9mm
-40S&W
-.357Sig

These conversion barrels add additional cost; however, they give you the option for multiple calibers from just one pistol platform. There are distinct advantages, economical, logistical & capabilities , here are a few;

-Not having to buy mutable pistols
-Cost of shooting: (you can use less expensive 9mm vs. 40S&W or even more expensive .357sig)
-Ammunition accessibility (you can switch to whatever caliber is more abundant or in stock at your local watering hole)
-Ballistics (some folks prefer a certain round due to its capabilities as well as stopping power)

Bottom line…it’s down to you and your preferences as well as your wallet, if purchasing the 40S&W / 357sig platform is for you, then great… just remember if you do purchase a platform in 9mm you won’t be able to convert up to the other calibers. Good luck and let us know how you made out.

-Mike

^^^THIS^^^
Very good point for those who "want it all." Gives you the ultimate in flexibility and options.

 

[jballs]

The .40 sort of fills the gap between 9 and .45. It has a larger bullet, yet operates at roughly the same high pressures of 9mm. The .45 sends a larger bullet, but at much lower pressure and velocity.
I don't currently own a .40, but it's next on my list. And as far as ammo goes, I recall seeing it for just a couple dollars more than 9mm before the madness happened recently.

 

[drysdaleg]

s

OK, I'm having trouble pulling the trigger on my first gun purchase (yeah, I meant the pun). Originally, I was sold on the Ruger P95 because from everything I've read, you can't beat the durability and reliability for the price.

Now, I'm starting to lean more toward a .40, like the XD4 and I'm having trouble finding a P95.

As I understand it, there's not a lot of difference, but it seems like the ammo availability for the .40 is better right now. I don't want a gun I can't find ammo for.

Any advice would be appreciated.

My buddy has the p95 and i have an xd40. Both are great guns, i wanted something with more knock down power. Its mainly what your most comfortable with, dont mind other peoples opinions. Just go shoot a bunch of different guns and pick one you like.

 

[Grunt]

I had owned a P95 for 15 years before selling it and going with a .40. I really enjoyed the P95, but wanted a bigger round in a smaller frame. I didn't carry the P95 frequently because of its size.

I now have a Ruger SR40c and M&P Shield .40 that I'll carry frequently. I do not find the recoil of either of these to be bad at all, but when friends fire them they all mention the snappy recoil, so it is present. The P95 recoil definitely wasn't as harsh.

Originally I wanted a .40 because of the increased damaged the round would do to a bad guy. To help you with your decision, read this excellent post by Aaron1776 on caliber effects on humans: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ries_caliber_effectiveness_on_the_street.html

I was considering getting a Ruger LCR .38 caliber revolver and even test-fired it at Highsmith Guns http://highsmithguns.com/ in Greenfield. I liked the gun a lot, but I definitely felt the difference in energy firing the .38 vs. .40, so I'll pass on the .38. If possible, do as other posters have suggested and try to do a test fire of the difference in calibers.

Regarding ammunition prices, last month during the silliness I purchased boxes of .40 caliber from Gander Mountain for $22.99 for 50 in a box; 9 mm was selling for $19.99 for a box of 50 on the same day.

Ultimately I'm glad I got the .40 as I have a drug dealer in the neighborhood that we've been trying to collect evidence on. If I ever get attacked by him or his homeys, I'm confident that the .40 will cause more damage to him than the 9, but I'm also confident the P95 would put a hurting on him too.

 

[digitalphoenix]

I carry an SR40C and I love it. It's all on preference, man. You pay attention to what gun your hand fits perfectly. Doesn't matter what caliber it is. A 9 IS BETTER THAN NOTHING.

 

[NumberCruncher]

Thanks for all the advice. As always, very complete and well thought out. In doing research I found the gun that seemed to fit what I was looking for most was the Ruger P95. In doing more research and talking with people (both here and in person) I found many reasons to buy many different guns. Frankly, it all seemed pretty overwhelming, but my gut told me to stick to my original research and seek out a P95.

So I called around yesterday and when I called KS&E they said it was my lucky day. They just received 4 P95's, but they would be gone within 2 hours. So I jumped on my horse and made it in time to buy the second to last one, and while there a guy came in and bought the last one.

So I am now the proud owner of a stainless P95! And the guy was kind enough to sell me 100 rounds of 9mm to go with it. I'll try to post a pic later.

One thing I like about it immediately is the slide action is by far the easiest for me to manage. Being a novice, this is nice. I had some trouble engaging the slide lock on both the Glock and the XD, but I'm sure that just comes with practice.

Also, I don't have a history of bad guys in the neighborhood and don't plan to carry any time soon. Eventually yes, but not until I'm completely comfortable with the gun. So for the most part, this will be a range gun and a "get to know ya" kind of weapon. I thought for the price and for those purposes, this was the best match. And I'm really pleased with my decision!!

Now to find places to shoot! I think I may check out the Elwood Conservation Club.

 

[Skywired]

Now to find places to shoot! I think I may check out the Elwood Conservation Club.

Come on down! It's a great place to shoot. I have an album about it listed under my profile, if you're interested.

 

[seedubs1]

Sorry,I got my wires crossed with .40/.45. But that does not change any of my points one bit, only the math behind them. If a box of 50 9mm costs $10 at best, and a box of .40 cal costs $15 at best, then that is a 50% difference. So if a cheap box of brass .40 can be found for less than $15, then I stand corrected on that math too. Here are my points on the .40 as compared to the 9mm without involving mathematical information that could be scrutinized as "misinformation":

[in my best caveman voice]

1) COST MORE
2) RECOIL MORE
3) HOLD LESS BULLETS!

So why not carry only 22lr? Cheap, no recoil, and holds LOTS of bullets.

 

[wastamer]

I got a .40 glock n bought the 9mm conversion barrel

 

[gopurdue02]

buy the .40

 

[Mark-DuCo]

Ive had both a 9mm and a .40. I sold the 9mm to buy my XDm 40. I didn't really notice any more recoil. Price doesn't really bother me, the gap isn't that big unless you shoot thousands of rounds a year. The 9mm is a good round, but I personally like the .40 better.

 

[ashby koss]

IMHO, I had a friend ask this EXACT question about 4 weeks ago. (This is what I did and he agreed with my logic)

I bought a 40S&W, I then immediately spend an extra 125 to purchase a 9mm conversion barrel and parts. I now have the ability to swap to 9mm or .40S&W depending on range, and ammo availability. If you swap to 9mm for ccw you have all the benefits in ammo quantity and "usually" the beefier parts from the .40S&W, but it depends on the firearm. I really like have the option. If you go with 9mm you simply cannot up-convert to .40S&W.

 

[TheGlockinator]

I traded my .40cal Glock 22 for a Glock 19, which is chambered for 9mm. Although the .40 s&w is touted as being a good in-betweener of the 9mm and .45acp, i would try to avoid it. if you want a bigger caliber, get a .45. if you want something smaller and cheaper, get a 9mm. it is a better choice, in my opinion, than a .40cal