.40 or 9mm?

[DanMartin]

The 9 is fine. Sometimes I wonder if Gaston Glock hadn't come out with the Glock 22 whether the .40 S&W would be as popular as it is? I mean if the public had had to wait for S&W to come out with a suitable platform would it have caught on?

[pioneer]

I'm a major fan of the .40 S&W cartridge, and I know from reading much of the recent literature, 9mm ammo development has made major strides in performance. So has .40 and other calibers. My primary carry gun is a .40 XD sub compact, and I own two others. (I also own other caliber pistols and revolvers.) I began carrying a .40 in my police service as soon as they became commercially available, around 1990 or so.

The .40 was developed following extensive research and testing by the FBI, Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The 9mm fmj round was adopted by the US military for logistical and political reasons in order to be compaitble with our NATO allies.

With the .40, there will likely be a noticeable increase in felt recoil, especially in a lighter, shorter barrel pistol. Physics 101.

Forty caliber does cost more, even the relatively cheaper practice ammo.

Regardless of which you choose, for self defense purposes, get the best ammo you can find, regardless of price. Defending yourself and your family is no place to go cheap.

A major factor, if not arguably THE major factor in whatever caliber you choose is ammo performance, closely followed by shot placement. Some of the newer ammo will expand after going through some barriers, which of course causes more injury and trauma where the metal meets the meat. Quality self defense 9mm ammo will likely expand, but a .40 or .45 will not shrink.

If the pistol you choose is for self / home defense, I would advise against a cable lock. They can be cumbersome and time consuming, especially under intense pressure, such as; it is 0-dark-early, in the dark and when you hear glass breaking which wakes you from your sleep. Consider a biometric or quick access pistol safe instead. You get the benefit of better security, plus quick(er) access when needed.

Good luck.

My opinion and experience, your mileage may vary.

[john_bud]

Originally Posted by YoopermikeXDM

I like both cals, but if it were for home defense.. a .40 will over penetrate a wall or 3 alot easier than a 9 will.

Actually, the 9mm has a reputation of penetration that exceeds the .40.

[pioneer]

Originally Posted by DanMartin

The 9 is fine. Sometimes I wonder if Gaston Glock hadn't come out with the Glock 22 whether the .40 S&W would be as popular as it is? I mean if the public had had to wait for S&W to come out with a suitable platform would it have caught on?

The Glock 22 was released in 1990.
The Glock 22 is a .40 S&W version of the full-size Glock 17 introduced in 1990. The pistol uses a modified slide, frame, and barrel to account for the differences in size and power of the .40 S&W cartridge. The standard magazine capacity is 15 rounds.
Glock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

S&W who helped develop the load, also released theirs in 1990. What wait?
"The 3rd generation S&W semi-auto pistol S&W Model 4006 was introduced by Smith & Wesson on January 17, 1990 along with the new .40 S&W cartridge with a retail price of $758.00."
Smith & Wesson Model 4006 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[DanMartin]

Originally Posted by pioneer

The Glock 22 was released in 1990.
The Glock 22 is a .40 S&W version of the full-size Glock 17 introduced in 1990. The pistol uses a modified slide, frame, and barrel to account for the differences in size and power of the .40 S&W cartridge. The standard magazine capacity is 15 rounds.
Glock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

S&W who helped develop the load, also released theirs in 1990. What wait?
"The 3rd generation S&W semi-auto pistol S&W Model 4006 was introduced by Smith & Wesson on January 17, 1990 along with the new .40 S&W cartridge with a retail price of $758.00."
Smith & Wesson Model 4006 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I said suitable, that pistol was/is junk. (the 4006) The whole point of the .40 S&W is the FBI initially wanted the 10mm. They (the FBI) found the Smith version of the 10mm was just too much recoil for many of their agents. (That's why the Glock 20 was their second pistol developed. Glock wanted the FBI contract.)

[GhostDog70]

I'll take the .40 over the 9mm any day.

[windsearcher]

I currently have a "stable" of .40 s&w for carry and home defense. Reason being is the original gun I had gotten was in .40 and I just wanted to stay with the same round.

To do it over again, I would look at the 9mm. Reason being cost, recoil & accuracy. After shooting a 9, I find I can be a good deal more accurate with the 9 than the .40. With the lower price I'd also be able to shoot more.

Not going to sell my (3) .40 guns, so will just get better with what I have.... but I'd do it differently if it was possible.

[richeyo2]

Either way don't think you could go wrong, I have both and like to shoot alot. So my 9mm gets more range time because of course it's cheaper to shoot. Good luck with your choice.

[oldbrass]

(9 vs 40) Its all shooters ability,there`s no substitute for training, learn to employ your firearm without thinking about it and hit your target.
A well placed round with a .22 is better than a miss with a .44

[Nebraska12]

I have both, a Service .40 and a Sub-compact 9mm. When you do it like that, the recoil you feel is essentially the same, in part due to the added weight of the service model vs the SC. With that, the 9mm does see more range time due to cheaper ammo. But, it makes sense to me as that is my primary carry weapon. My suggestion is to get together with some of those "die hard XD fans" (they obviously have good taste) and shoot all the different calibers you can. Being your first handgun, go with what feels the best, and expand your proficiency with others from there.

Sent using America's nonexistent 4g network - Sprint.