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Whch caliber and please post why...

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New from IL with XD9 ?'s

2K views 31 replies 22 participants last post by  sewerman 
#1 · (Edited)
So I am new to firearms and looking at the xd. here is my question. I have shot many diff. calibers of the glock but rented the XD9 afew weeks ago and it just felt amazing in my hand. Accuracy was great, hell even better than with the glock 9mm's but here is my problem. The giuys at the firehouse keep pushinbg me to a .40 or .45. They say for home protection the 9mm is actually more dangerous living in a multi unit apartment building because it will penetrate and exit the body more frequently thus posing a potentially dangerous situation. Is this true? Do I need the extra heft of the .40 or .45 for punch as well as the ability to stay contained in the body cavity? I thought with more velocity the .40 and .45 would exit easier but I guess it comes down to the surface area of the bullet then huh? Any insight is greatly appreaciated.

I guess I really like the ease of shooting the 9mm and the lwck of kick it had IMHO. I am concerned with stopping power and intrusion into the apartment next to me or when I buy a home my next door neighbors home. I figure I like the added capacity aso and if I cant knock the person down with 9mm, I damn well better throw the gun at him and run my chubby little a$$ off. Not to mention I can get 9mm for free or very cheap from my LEO GF.
Ryan
 
#2 ·
I like my xd9 plenty of stopping power and expansion. It is also very economical to shoot at the range. This is the classic caliber debate that goes on and on and never ends.
 
#3 ·
Go 9mm. It's cheaper, and recoil is mild at worst. Easy to shoot, cheap to shoot, which means you'll shoot more. And that's the key here.

Whatever anyone said about over penetrating and all that, disregard it. Just don't worry about it, because it doesn't matter. You need to pick a cartridge that YOU feel comfortable shooting, and that YOU can afford. The only "requirement" in picking ammo/caliber is to use high quality jacketed hollow point bullets. Don't use ball, don't use mall ninja rounds, just go with the name brand JHP that you can afford, and that works in your gun.

Whatever you do, range time is a must. Don't just let it sit in your nightstand, collecting dust...at least once a month go to the range and PRACTICE. Don't just throw lead downrange, make sure you are actually improving your knowledge of the gun.

Remember...getting shots on target is your number one goal. Caliber and bullet selection come next. The biggest cartridge on the market is no good if you can't hit anything with it ;)
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
I love my 9mm. If its your only gun its a great all around choice. Welcome from Minnesota!
 
#8 ·
Or CCW

I prefer the stopping power of the .40, but the choice for you is personal. For HD, try using a shotgun.... A pistol is only to help you get to a real gun anyways;)
 
#9 ·
I love my xd9. For a first pistol you can't beat the 9mm. Ammo is "relatively" cheap, and recoil is not punishing at all so you can practice all day long. Also, I believe the stopping power is under-rated. Its a great all around caliber, especially for a novice.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Welcome to the forum Bike Medic.
Sorry you live in Obama's state and you can't CCW a pistol.


Ryan if your buddies at the firehouse are concerned with your choice of caliber,
Tell 'em to mind their business.:rolleyes:
If penetration is a concern to you avoid the +P and stick with a heavy 147 gr JHP bullet.

All my carry guns are now 9mm, except the Ruger LCP.
9mm is plenty a SD round with modern HP ammo.
I never cared for the muzzle flip and snap of the 40cal round.
I did own an XD45 compact for awhile but it cost too much to feed it.
9mm is cheap for target ammo, WWB at Walmart under $20 per 100.
Speer Gold Dot 124 gr HP +P, $24.95 per 50 at ammunition to go.
Welcome to Ammunition To Go!
I did own an XD9 service, but sold it and bought an XD9sc.
I was my main carry gun, until I bought my Sig p239 SAS, in 9mm.
I very happy with my 9s.............;)
 
#11 ·
Voted .45 because it's what I have, but it sounds like you like and are comfortable with 9mm. I say get that. As for overpenetration vs. knock down power, get some heavy Gold Dots or the like for it. SD bullets' expansion helps to prevent over-penetration as well as create a larger wound cavity in your BG. You've asked the magic question here, so be prepared for EVERYONE's opinions on it (it'll never end!) but I say get what's most comfortable for you to shoot and learn to shoot it well.
 
#12 ·
I hear you on the Obama topic. CCW is a must IMHO around the city. If you ever watch the news and hear about the stuff going down you would know why. Firemen geting shot? Cops dying? Innocent bystanders killed because of a home invasion. Granted this is ever major city's sob story but it seems to have gotten worse here. Anyways I am pretty sure I have made my mind up on the XD9. I looked at the XDM and truthfully was talked out of it by the owner at my local gun store. He told me that for what I needed I would be more than happy with the XD. Match barrell wouldnt make much difference at the range with a novice skill anyways and anything more than that was just aesthetics. True or not he sold me on the XD. With that being said I can always move up once I am comfortable with the 9mm. The huge bonus is having a girlfriend thats a a cop where I am a Firefighter/Medic is that I get to shoot for free besides lane rentals. She has a plethora of guns/calibers and the dept. gives her free blazer ammo. I know its not the best but hey for a range day I figure it isint that bad. I def. want a high quality HD round chambered when at home though. I can get what she uses for duty very easily also. Not realy sure what brand they are though. Thanks for all the info guys...Some great views presented also on this board about the caliber controversy.
 
#19 ·
i just sold my XD-9 service, and now i am looking at .45's...we had 3 9mm's in my house, so i could afford to get rid of mine and get the .45.

i am currently lookin at 1911's, but now i may be leaning towards the xd .45 service w/night sight's, and save myself $400-$500 by not buying a 1911.

i voted for 9mm because low recoil, fast follow up shot's, high capacity, and they are cheap to shoot...i cant say anything about stopping power because i have never had to shoot anyone...but i know that if someone was shooting at me with a 9mm, .40, or a .45 i would not want to get hit at all...it does not matter what caliber it is.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Pricing xd9 compacts in bitone with 2 16rd mags and the coupon and am coming up in the 540-560 range in IL. Is that normal? I can get them oline for 450-460 butafter FFL, 3% Charge card and shipping I am at 418.00. I guess my question is this...what will they nail me on besides sales tax? The pne for 560 has tritium night sights, 2 mags in 16rd and you can get the coupon for 2 more mags. I think this is a decent enough deal. Is there a better deal to be had online? I def. want what I listed in my gun above but the night sights dont make a big. diff to me one way or another.
 
#22 ·
well ended up with a XD9 Bitone compact with 4 16rd mags shipped with ffl fees for 514.....not bad I think.
 
#23 ·
I chose the 9mm for one simple reason: ammo is cheaper. I figured if I'm going to get a gun, I should be able to afford the ammo for it and be able to practice with it more often. And a 9mm is better than nothing in a self-defense situation.

Why buy a gun if you can't afford to practice with it?


Sounds like a good deal to me!
 
#25 ·
XD .45 a lot of knock down power in a compressed space. With 13 round magazines and one in the pipe, that makes for an awesome weapon system.
 
#26 ·
XD9 for a few reasons.

I own one and love it.
Ammo's cheap (relatively) and easy to find.
The XD was originally designed to use the 9mm cartridge, so I tend to think it works best with 9mm.
9mm is plenty effective for defense if you use current reliable JHP bullets.

Save money on ammo = more money for accessories or to shoot more!
 
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