XD 40 vs XD 45??

[jcabin]

what difference am i looking at between the two? which shoots further before it drops off? whats the big difference between ammo costs? how effective is each in self defense? i mean i know theres an obvious difference between getting railed with a 9mm and a 40 or 45 but once you get up that high what are you looking at? i know a guy who said he opted for the 40 over the 45 caliber because it has better accuracy at a further distance? any thoughts?

[XD9Sub]

Whichever one YOU shoot best, is the one to buy. Both are excellent for SD.
Cost really isn't an issue, the .45 rounds only cost a few cents more per round.

[Tally XD]

This very question has been brought up as recently as yesterday. Try a search and some reading and you will probably be surprised at the answers.


Here is one clue:
Shot placement is the key to stopping an attacker. Higher velocity and fancy hollow points dont always do the trick if the shot isnt well placed. The ONLY way to guarantee stopping attacker instantly is to severely damage the central nervous system. That means a shot to the spinal cord (through the neck or base of skull) or severe brain damage to a key area of the brain (shot directly between the eyes at the upper bridge of the nose).

These soft tissue areas can be penetrated effectively by any handgun or rifle bullet if the shot is placed accurately.

[jcabin]

Originally Posted by Tally XD

This very question has been brought up as recently as yesterday. Try a search and some reading and you will probably be surprised at the answers.

i appreciate your input. however on the subject of using the search here in the forums you type one thing and every thread ever posted pops up unless youre looking for something extremely rare such as, "shooting stain glass windows"

[Edubya]

Originally Posted by XD9Sub

Whichever one YOU shoot best, is the one to buy. Both are excellent for SD.
Cost really isn't an issue, the .45 rounds only cost a few cents more per round.

I think that long range accuracy is the last thing that you should be concerned with. And, as far as caliber goes, the local police captain just told me of a guy that was hit with a .22 and died before EMS got to him. On the other hand, many good guys and bad guys have been hit multiple times with .45s and not gone down for the final count. Training is one of the most important aspects. Go to this site and scan down to any and all of the videos of "D.R. Middlebrooks": DOWN RANGE TELEVISION with Michael Bane - DOWN RANGE TV - DRTV

They have a lot of very good videos, but I think that you will agree that his are the best.

[XDPete]

One more thing for your to consider:

if you get a .40 you can get a new barrall and convert it to a 9mm as well. (sombody correct me if im wrong)

[mcb]

The XD-40 has the problem of using magazines with the same internal dimension as the XD-9. This limits capacity. If the magazine was the proper width then it should get 14-15rd in it but since it is a bit to narrow you only get 12rds. The XD-45 gets 13rd with magazine that are only fractionally longer.

That said the XD-40 has the same grip dimension as the XD-9 which is one of the smallest of all double stack 9mm handguns so it fits in the hand very nice. I know a lot of people say the XD-45 grip diameter is not much bigger and if you look at the dimension it doesn't seem a lot bigger but it the hand it is noticeable. If you have good size hands it's likely a non issue but you can feel the difference if you hold both guns It is also longer if concealed carry is a thought although there is the compact XD-45.

As for range. Both are plenty accurate out to the typical ranges you would reasonably shoot a pistol cartridge. Neither cartridge is inherently more accurate than the other. The particular bullet quality and gun will have more influence on accuracy than the cartridge.

mcb

[Tally XD]

Originally Posted by jcabin

i appreciate your input. however on the subject of using the search here in the forums you type one thing and every thread ever posted pops up unless youre looking for something extremely rare such as, "shooting stain glass windows"

I understand this and am not flaming you. However, this very post you made just adds more posts to the search results for those that do use the search feature.

It just takes a little time reading posts. Thats what this forum is for. . . . information. Its all here. It just takes a little patience and you will be well rewarded.

Also, you never know what other good to know tidbits you will find while looking through the results. They are scattered about like hidden treasures waiting to be found.

[husker_t]

To respond to your questions:

* The .40 S&W caliber is going to have a flatter trajectory at longer distances compared to .45 acp.

* As to performance differences between the .40 and .45, at typical self-defense engagement distances, when comparing similar types of modern ammo (say, .40 and .45 HP ammo in the same brand and line of ammunition), there will be NO significant difference in effectiveness between these two, assuming good shot placement.

* Prices are pretty close; .45 is often a little higher. Check a site like MidwayUsa.com, in the ammo section, and compare.


Bottom line: How do you choose? Sorry, cannot help you much other than to say test fire a few, and get the one you feel more comfortable with, and that you can shoot well. It's much easier if there's a certain type of pistol you like, that will almost decide the issue for you (as with 1911's: you can get them in .40 S&W, but .45 is the standard and most common caliber).

[samman23]

Husker and mcb, it's nice that you are willing to answer the questions unlike all the other guys. I think we should help people understand the XD and this should be a nice informative forum to promote the XD.


JCabin,

9mm with a high performance bullet will work well just like a .40 or .45.

The 9mm and .40 are on the same frame and fits my hand a little more comfortably then the .45. The .45 fits great considering that it is a double stack .45.

The .40 probably has the snappiest recoil of the 3.

The .45 has a slowest but also a large recoil. It has the heaviest and slowest moving bullet. It is available with a 4" or 5" barrel.

The 9mm has the lightest but also the fastest moving bullet.

The 9mm and .40 are available in 3", 4" or 5" barrels.

When it comes down to it, you really can't go wrong with any of these.

If you are near a range that rents these out, that might be your best way to be comfortable with your decision, but no matter what, after you get your XD, you'll want it in other calibers.