9 or 40?

[LotsofGlocks]

I would let her pick out whatever one she is most comfortable with. Especially if its her EDC.

 

[OneBadV8]

usually 9mm's have more capacity and .40 has better ballistics.

BOTH will get the job done. And as others have stated with 9mm you'd only have caliber of ammo to stock up on.

 

[schafe]

Even at the worst times, I could always find both practice and SD ammo in 9mm.,with prices varying, so don't give up the idea of sticking with one caliber,if that appeals to you. Go ahead, give her the Taurus (you know you want to)

 

[cosermann]

Virtually every handgun available in 9mm is also available in .40 S&W, so what feels comfortable in her (your) hand shouldn't be a factor.

Frankly, both calibers will do the job with good loads. 9mm will be a bit less expensive to shoot if that's a factor.

As has been pointed out, if you get a 9mm you'll have ammo compatability between the to guns and no additional calibers to stock.

OTOH, if you "diversify" and get a .40, then potentially, you increase your chances of being able to obtain ammunition for at least one of the guns through supply disturbances.

If she likes the Taurus and shoots it well, you could simply get another Taurus. Then you'd have no additional calibers to stock, magazine compatability, holster compatability, some spare parts (if things really got bad, between the 2 guns you ought to be able to keep 1 functioning for some time), and you'd both be familiar with the same system (operation, field stripping, etc.).

Just depends what your priorities are. Have fun with it.

 

[Lanser]

"You must do what you feel is right, of course..." [Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ep. IV]

Personally, though, I say 9mm. Reasons:

a. It's cheaper, which means you can
b. afford to practice more, which allows you to learn to
c. shoot better, especially with its
d. more manageable recoil.
e. Modern ammo designs are closing the power gap between calibers, making 9 a little less puny than it used to be.
f. Need only buy 1 caliber to shoot.
g. You're already used to 9, so no adjustment needed.

That's my anyway. But see the Kenobi quote for my ultimate opinion.

 

[tv1217]

As a .40 owner, I say go with 9mm because I like having ammo readily available.

 

[steve666]

It's hers, let her pick!!!

That said, I have one 9 and three 40's and will probably be getting more of each.

 

[Ineverfollow]

.40

 

[Indianajeff]

I prefer 9mm.

My reasons are that 9mm ammo is cheaper, recoil is less which helps in rapid follow up shots, and with todays defensive ammo technology, the 9mm is plenty for the job.

 

[jmiller676]

Been posted before.

YouTube - 9mm - You Won't Know the Difference

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

Never mind guise. I'm buying an engagement ring.

 

[Lilsoup]

WOW, a lot of respones, I honestly thought I would only get a few. I have thought about the ammo campatibility, and I will probably go that way for now, I am going to take her out soon and let her feel a few pistols, and see what she thinks, got a few friends with some 9mm guns, see if she likes any of them. (XD, glock, ruger)

 

[dschantz]

If you really look into this, and not in a forum where everyones opinion gets in the way, you will find that there is really not much difference in the ballistics. Look around for a ballistics gel penetration test. The one I found showed the 9mm penetrated farther than the .40. Also, a "mushroomed" bullet from a 9mm and a .40 will only be a couple thousands of an inch different. That is not much gain for the added recoil of a .40. The most important thing is to buy something that you and/or your wife can shoot well. No matter what the ballistics are, bullets in the wall do no one any good.

 

[youngda9]

Re-load....issue solved.

 

[luvall]

The Kahr CW9 allows him to stay in the same cal. At 1" wide, the CW9 is one of the most comfortable carry guns available.

 

[mk2ja]

No overriding reason to switch calibers. 9mm is cheap and works well.

As for your wife, she should be picking her own gun regardless of caliber

Well, perhaps not "overriding", but the OP did say he has had an interest in them. That sounds like a good reason to me.

+1 but there is a ton of 40 cal ammo to be had at any walmart these days. 9mm and 45 are like unicorns still.

I have a different spin on this idea. I have pistols in 9mm and .45ACP, and I'm looking at .40S&W for the sole reason of ammo availability. The 3 Wally Marts that I "regularly" visit RARELY have 9 or 45, but always seem to have .40S&W.

That said, the 1st two pistols that my wife and I bought were both 9mm for compatibility reasons.

Unfortunately, this has been my experience as well. Every time I'm in Walmart, I check the ammo cabinet for some .45ACP, but they're always sold out... and there is always a good supply of .40SW on the shelf. My dad uses 9mm, so I usually take a peek on his behalf, but that's usually sold-out, too.

As a related note... the fact that I have guns that use both .40 and .45 means that I have more options available. While the argument for having a common caliber is valid for folks who would share ammo (such as the OP with his wife), I don't have that concern because I don't have to share ammo. Instead, I can perpetually stock up ammo in whatever caliber is available at the time because I have a model that can use it.


@OP - If your wife really likes using your Taurus, give it to her. But it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to try out a few other models, too. It is important she is both comfortable and proficient with her carry piece. If money is tight, your best option may be to stay with 9mm for now and get that .40 you've been eying later on when it wouldn't make for quite the empty wallet.

Of course, if you've got a good-sized budget available for this now, you could get 2 new guns! Get another 9mm so that you two can share ammo for home defense, and get yourself something in .40 for your EDC or just to see how you like it. (Gotta love that advice, right? "Can't decide? Buy both!")


Caleb

 

[GoBoilers!]

Hmmm.... simplify or diversify???

I'd have to say I'm in agreement with mk2ja on this. Give your wife the Taurus and get another 9 mm for yourself. If you have two gun carriers in the same home, and only two guns, make them the same caliber to simplify things.

I started off with 9mm for carry, and now that I've acquired several pistols in that caliber, I'm looking to diversify. I'll probably go to .40 next as the nearest store that sells ammo regularly carries .40 and seldomn do I see 9mm (and never .45) on the shelf. Once I start reloading (I'm slowly building up supplies...) I may get a .45 to add to my collection. But if I were in your shoes, I'd add another 9.

There! That's my two cents....
---------------------
GoBoilers!

 

[derrickgoins]

9mm will get the job done and ammo is a little cheaper (as long as you can find it). If you already have 9mm, stick with it. Good Luck.

 

[Trpanther]

I agree with what others are saying about having two different calibers, I have a glock23 my wife has a Glock19. I will tell you when it comes to buying ammo I always buy 40 caliber ammo and my wife goes with out. lol Hers is of course 9mm, she has defense ammo just no range ammo. I do agree that she needs to pick her own gun, if she likes yours and can shoot it well then by all means let her have it and buy yourself a new one. I would go with a bigger caliber just remember keeping two calibers of ammo in my case is challenging and that is just pistil ammo. I also have to feed my AR.

 

[sparks408]

Well me and my wife both carrie .40 i have the ruger p 91 and she has the glock 23c. so when i get ammo i buy in bulk and were both happy.