40 S&W vs. 45 ACP

U

umstud

New member
I am getting ready to order a custom carry pistol from a very well known pistolsmith and I am a bit uncertain about the caliber I should choose. At present I carry a Kimber in 45ACP but have been contemplating the 40S&W. Can you experts give the pros and cons of both calibers and make a case for the one you recommend. My loading press is already outfitted with dies for both calibers
 
Ah, the old Ford/Chevy question. Personally, I have both, and prefer the .40, here;s why. I feel the .40 is just as accurate, but I can get a second shot out faster due to less recoil. "Statistics" have the .40 being the better one shot stopper, but we all know what that is worth.

What it comes down to is what you shoot better with, and what you are more comfortable with. heck, I'm a revolver shooter, so I'll take a .44 or .357 over either!
 
You could get into a great bit of detail on both, but if you shoot and reload both you should know that they can achieve the same muzzle energies. They both are also excellent rounds. The 45 is more of a torquey pusher while the 40 is a little sharper and faster in recoil.

The bottom line after all the pros and cons is really quite simple- which one feels best to you and which do you handle best in quick defensive-type shooting? We cant answer for you. Go with your gut!

Dave
 
Why screw around with a 40 cal when you could have a 10mm? i read a post with Brian Bilby stated his ultimate 1911 carry gun would be in 10mm, nuff said!

But if your not a 10mm fan go with the 45acp for "heavens sake"
smile.gif
 
My main reason at the time was capacity. So don't forget that when you make the choice. Though 7 to 10, or 8 to 10 may not be a big deal to you. They didn't make a double stack 45 yet, and when they did come out with it, it was too expensive for me to even consider. If I had to do it over again, I would still pick the 40.
 
I have heard that the .40 (liberty!) performs better than the .45 out of a shorter barrel. I have nothing reliable to back this up, and am not, by any means, an expert. And I like a .45.

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Rob
From the Committee to Use Proffesional Politicians as Lab Animals
 
The stopping power debate has always been that is more smoke and mirrors than real substance...suffice it to say that I doubt you would notice a difference in a bad guy shot with a 40 or a 45. So that leaves us with other considerations...in this case, two of them: inherent accuracy and practical accuracy. Most 40s don't seem to be inherently as accurate as other calibers, with a few exceptions (SIG 229 being foremost among those exceptions). But more important is practical accuracy...in other words, which caliber you will shoot better with. For me, 45 wins hands down. 40 kicks like a Magnum round...sharp and sudden with lots of muzzle flip. 45 kicks as hard, but it is more of a push and for me it is easier to get the gun back in line with a 45.
I also find I shoot a 1911 style handgun better than any other, and I am gonna carry a 1911 it may as well be in 45.
 
The most effective round out of the 40 from what I have read is the 180 gr.That gr weight
in hand loading has a bad rep for KBs.You are getting into 45 bullet weight range with that round so why not go with 45 to start with?Larger dia,easy to handload and a very proven cal.The 185 out of a 45 is a easy round to shoot with low recoil and muzzle flip.Why try to make the 40 something it isn't,a 45.
Bob
 
I've got them both (229 and a Glock 30) and like them both. The .40 is the better performer with short barrels but with +P loads, the .45 is no slouch.

I agree, however, with the recommendation for a 10mm. That's, hopefully, my next item.
 
Had a Ruger P94 in .40 and it was never all that accurate. Traded it in and bought a Beretta Cougar in .45. Both guns had similar length barrels. Both guns were of similar weights. I put a Hogue grip on the Ruger so it would make for a firmer platform, and given the great feel of the Cougar the handling of the two guns was similar.

In my hands, the .45 pistol is easily, hands down, more accurate than the .40 cal pistol.

You can argue the comparative cost of the guns says that the Beretta should be the better shooter, however, as we all know, price is not necessarily the determinant of whether or not a gun shoots well. I believe it had a tremendous amount to do with the change of calibers.

Gimme the big, slow bullet over the .40 any day.
 
See my post under ".45 ACP Stopping Power Performance Test" I think my position is clear enough...go with a .45!
SM

[This message has been edited by Airborne (edited April 20, 2000).]
 
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