9mm vs. .40 caliber recoil

[Cygnus]

No offense taken! I am still learning and I should have know better than to throw out an acronymn I was not certain I know. I know now.

Thank you!

There's also .380 acp

 

[ajb]

I had a Sigma in .40 S&W. It was the hardest recoiling pistol I ever shot, hurt the palm of your hand right away. The trigger was terrible also.

I have a 9mm and a few .45 ACPs, they are more comfortable to shoot in my opinion.

 

[Agent 007]

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[haldir]

My wife finds the .40 to be a bit much for her, nothing she can't handle just more than she likes for prolonged range time. She has only tried the Glock 22 and the SA-XD40SC though and not a Sigma. She has liked any 9 mm she has shot so far. She also likes the feel of a 1911a1 in .45 though.

 

[Bisley Man]

I've only owned 2 40S&W pistols the Glock 27(hard kicking) and the Bereta 96(dream to shoot) I think the 40 needs a medium to large size pistol to be shot comfortably(IMO). Like the 38 Special, easy in bigger guns, harsh in an airweight.

 

[LEaSH]

Witness steel imported by EAA is a versitlie option. Give them your info and for less than $250 you can change your caliber back and forth.

Other sites are rabidly against buying from them due to poor customer service, but I've never experienced that. I've only ordered a .45 conversion kit and extra mags. It was an uneventful transaction - not bad nor great.

It's a very crisp, tight, and accurate italian pistol. A bit overbuilt and it shows in the weight.

 

[Michiana]

For PP I'd go with the .40

I presently own four .40S&W pistols, two standard size and two compact. I have moved to them from other calibers because everything I read tells me they are next to the 45 is stopping power and are a lot cheaper to shoot. I own a 1911 45acp, and have owned 45LC, 44mag, 9mm, .380acp, .38 special, .357mag, .32, .25 down to .22 and probably left one or two out. The .40S&W ammo seems to be easy to find and very reasonable in price.

The smaller the gun the harder they will kick in any caliber. The heavier the gun the less recoil. I have a Stainless Steel Kahr Arms MK40, which is a compact but does not seem to have any more kick than my larger guns. I figure I will shoot .22's for most of my target shooting to save $$ so the recoil on my carry gun is a moot issue with me. Just find some people on INGO who have the model you are thinking of buying and ask them if you can try it; my guess is most would say no problem. If you were in the Indy area you would be more than welcome to try mine at Pops.

 

[alfahornet]

Good post Michiana +1

I am not a big fan of the 40SW caliber. Tried it a couple times in different handguns but it never convinced me. That is not too say it's a bad caliber just my personal opinion. It either felt about the same as 9mm in recoil or it felt it had way more recoil. So, in the end it is in my opinion quite firearm dependent.

I shoot 45ACP, 5.7 and 9mm in handgun calibers. My wife (who is petite and half my weight) has tried all three, she could handle the full size 1911 in 45ACP but definetely had a strong preference to the G17 and Walther PPS in 9mm. She tried the latter in 40SW as did I, and we both found it for that small of a handgun to be a little too much kick.

So, my advice would also be if you're worried about whether you can handle it see if you can may be try it out or try out a similar handgun.

 

[gmviso]

I've shot both the SW9VE and the SW40VE. If you are getting the Sigma, get the 9mm. I found the recoil to be fairly sharp in the .40 model. The 9mm was a breeze to shoot, but the trigger takes some getting used to if you are not an experienced pistol shooter.

If I were you, I'd save until you have enough to purchase an M&P .40. They are very soft shooting for a polymer .40 caliber.

Thanks for the direct comparison of the Sigma 9 and .40. That is the data point I was seeking.

My wife's new handgun is the M&P 9. She loves shooting it and does so very well. The rack release is however difficult for her to use.

 

[Fergy35]

I have a S&W M&P in .40, if you would like to do a direct comparison with your's in 9mm, I will make the same offer as drgnrobo. I am North of town a little bit, but H&H is not hard to get to at all.

 

[gmviso]

I have a S&W M&P in .40, if you would like to do a direct comparison with your's in 9mm, I will make the same offer as drgnrobo. I am North of town a little bit, but H&H is not hard to get to at all.

Very nice of you to offer. I will let them know.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

First of all there is no guarantee of a one shot stop, with a handgun cartridge. Second shot placement is more important, then caliber. You can have the biggest caliber, but if you do not hit a vital area it's useless. Third practice, practice, and yes practice. The .40 typically has more muzzle flip. But it depends on bullet weight, barrel length, and weight of the firearm. I personaly prefer the .40 caliber cartridge. I do however own a 9mm also, and feel comfortable with carrying it. I would save money, and look at getting an Xd, m&p, glock, or FN. Those guns typicaly are in the same price range.

 

[drgnrobo]

Isnt this a great site The big draw to this site is the quality of individuals that are willing to make a effort to help other ingo members (not referring to myself guys ) I personally like both of these calibers but since Ive been looking around at my usual ammo hunts(wally world) found that 40 cal. seems to be more plentiful.9mm can be found at local shops & specialty stores but at a premium.Thats my's

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

I'd say 45acp. I know that's not an original choice, but it's a time tested cartridge. 9mm is just too small imho and 40s&w really hasn't lived up what it's suppose to be. I'm a firm believer in the bigger hole in a badguy the better. Yes shot placement in actually hitting the guy is important but a hole from a 45 acp is going to need immediate medical attention.
I've seen a person on pcp get shot with multiple rounds of 9mm and still keep going, now he may have been able to go for a little bit if he was hit by 45 acp but I'm sure with as many holes he had in him he would have simply bled to death in a matter of moments.

 

[fg12351]

Isnt this a great site The big draw to this site is the quality of individuals that are willing to make a effort to help other ingo members (not referring to myself guys ) I personally like both of these calibers but since Ive been looking around at my usual ammo hunts(wally world) found that 40 cal. seems to be more plentiful.9mm can be found at local shops & specialty stores but at a premium.Thats my's

I would agree. I saw/see more .40 than 9mm. At least that was the case over the past year. The panic may be leveling off now.

 

[drgnrobo]

Dont get me wrong ,Im a big advocate for the 45 acp (1911's my favorite ) but as far as what I can afford to shoot ,the 9mm & 40 are cheaper .I do reload though & for recreational shooting its the only way i can afford to shoot .The primer mongers are finally dropping primers to realistic pricing & components are getting easier to find now

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I'd say 45acp. I know that's not an original choice, but it's a time tested cartridge. 9mm is just too small imho and 40s&w really hasn't lived up what it's suppose to be. I'm a firm believer in the bigger hole in a badguy the better. Yes shot placement in actually hitting the guy is important but a hole from a 45 acp is going to need immediate medical attention.
I've seen a person on pcp get shot with multiple rounds of 9mm and still keep going, now he may have been able to go for a little bit if he was hit by 45 acp but I'm sure with as many holes he had in him he would have simply bled to death in a matter of moments.

Then why does practicaly every police agency use the .40 caliber? Also you may want to do some reading. The difference in diameter size is not that much between the 9mm, and 45. Also with the 9mm being a higher velocity round, it will have more ft lbs. Back in Vietnam troops did have problems against doped up Vietnamese, even with the .45 cailber round. The whole one shot drop with the .45 is a myth, and has never been proven.

 

[elaw555]

The recoil of rounds is highly tied to the gun used to shoot them. Firearm weight has much to do with the amount of recoil absorbed by the gun and amount you feel.

 

[kcw12]

Recoil is a factor of a few things

Bullet Weight, Speed out the barrel, and the weight of said firearm.

For test purposes I've went to allaints website and stole two similar loads for testing purposes. a 9mm load moving 1001 FPS with a 147 bullet and a 40sw load moving 1023 with a weight of 155 grains. The pistol weights 2.2 pounds

the 9mm produced a recoil impluse of .76 pouds a second with the gun having a volicy of 11.06 fps in a reward motion. It also has the free recoil energy of 4.18 ft/lbs
the 40 produced a recoil impluse of .81 pouds a second with the gun having a volicy of 11.85 fps in a reward motion. It also has the free recoil energy of 4.80 ft/lbs

which .62 ft lbs is much energy but it would seem a lil more "snappier"

Now lets talk about felt recoil. This is where gun configuration comes in. A gun is a level the farther the barrel is away from the center of the gun, and the close to the hand to the center of the gun, the more felt recoil you will have, due to the fact that the gun is a lever now and it has more room to multiply the force on your hand.

And these have no scientific facts, these are just my ramblings on how i think recoil works.

 

[buzzard pickins]

The recoil of rounds is highly tied to the gun used to shoot them. Firearm weight has much to do with the amount of recoil absorbed by the gun and amount you feel.

A big factor in felt recoil, people start shooting and forget about hand placement. the firearm starts to slip a little then the jolt begins. As a rule most shooters start with the hand to low on the grip. The higher you can get your hand ,your wrist and arm will be in line with the barrel thus transfer of energy is straight back.