9mm, 357Sig, .40?

T

twoblink

New member
Ok, it's about that time again, I've got enough money saved up that a gun is once again in my future.

I think I'm going to get a Steyr!!! They are more Glock than a Glock.

So I'm stuck on the .357Sig round, it rocks! But as I start thinking with my head more than with my heart, I'm coming to these conclusions:

9mm ~ Cheapest to shoot out of the 3 choices. Easy to control, great ammo availability, and from what people tell me, the Steyr M9 is like shooting a pellet gun, consequently, maybe my gf might even be able to handle it. Not really a defensive round though. Can't convert to .40 or .357Sig though.

.40 ~ Not as cheap as the 9mm but wide bullet availability, great stopping power. Can slap down a .357Sig barrel and get 2 guns in one.

.357Sig ~ Great defensive round. Magnum power in a 9mm size. It would replace what I would otherwise get a .45 for. Expensive though and availability is not as good as the 9mm and the .40. Also, my gf wouldn't be able to handle it.

So I consequently, I can get a 9mm, which would probably make me a better shooter at the range, and probably have my gf share in the experience. Or else I can get a .357Sig and be overly happy, and end up buying my gf a Ruger .22 for her to shoot. The 357Sig would double up as my defensive gun as well. This would mean that there is no need for a .40, because it's not as cheap as a 9mm (nor is it a NATO round, so the availability isn't as abundant either but I don't worry too much about that for the .40), and not as good of stopping power as the .357Sig.
So now that means if those arguements are valid, that would then mean I've narrowed my choices down to two: 9mm, or .357Sig.

Suggestions??? I would love to have a 1 gun that does it all, but is that the right thing? Is there such a caliber that is perfect? If so, is the .357Sig "The one" ?

Or is what I really want anyway a Steyr M357 + a Ruger MK II, so I have one for defense, and range, and the range one is something my gf can shoot with ease...

Help!
Albert
 
Go with the 9mm. If you doubt that the 9mm is an effective manstopper, let your girlfriend point a 9mm at you and you tell me if you feel your life is in danger, or if it would just hurt if she shot you. ;) Handgun stopping power is a myth used to sell books and gun magazines. If you doubt this, go to your busiest ER and see for yourself. (Remember, .22s kill more people than all other calibers.)

Besides, if your girlfriend will shoot the 9mm, she may not object to the purchase of a .357SIG later on down the road.

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Guns cause crime like spoons cause Rosie O'Donnell to be fat!

I hunt, therefore I am.
 
Buy a Glock 27. I had a chance to buy a Steyr or a FN49. I didn't care for the looks or the feel of the Steyr. I opted for the FN49 and I have been sorry ever since. If you missed my earlier posts on the FN49 it is terrible. If I were in your shoes I would buy a Glock 27 and add some goodies to it. It is a great pistol and a proven design. Regards, Richard.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by blades67: ... .22s kill more people than all other calibers ...[/quote]It isn't about "killing" but about "stopping". An interesting (and sad) thing happened to a deputy that I once knew. Actually, I didn't personally know the deputy but I knew who he was as we would sometimes nod "hello" to each other in the locker room.

He frequently worked the evening shift and because he knew first hand what the crime was like, he felt uncomfortable having his wife home alone and unarmed. So he bought her a Raven .25 pistol. His wife was a small woman, less than 5 feet tall and weighing under 100 pounds which is why I guess they went for such a small gun instead of something with more stopping power.

One night she heard someone breaking into her home. She grabbed her gun. Loaded the magazine, locked her bedroom door and called the police.

From what I understand, the police were at the house in under five minutes (especially since it involved the wife of a fellow deputy). When they got there, they found the intrudor dead a few feet from the front door and they also found the woman dead in her bedroom.

Nobody knows what really happened because the two people involved were dead but from the physical evidence, the investigators were able to put together the following ...

The intrudor kicked in the bedroom door and the woman starting firing. We don't know the order of bullet placement but one shot missed, two landed in the chest, one in the stomach, one in the shoulder and one in the leg. When the woman stopped shooting (because her gun was empty), the intrudor strangled her and tried to make his way out of the house.

Interesting enough, it was the shot in the leg that caused his death since it hit a vein or something causing him to pass out from the drop in blood pressure and caused his heart to stop. The .25 killed him and killed him quickly (in under 5 minutes or there about) but it was not able to stop him.

Of course, a 9mm is not in the same class as a .25 (or a .32 or even a .380 for that matter). Loaded with the proper round, the 9mm has achieved 90%+ one-shot stopping power -- a few points lower than a .357SIG or a .40S&W but good enough to trust your life with it.

Share what you know, learn what you don't -- FUD
fud-nra.gif
 
Many posts for equipment advice result in suggestions that reflect ownership. I suspect you will find many more 9mm folks, but if you want the greatest stopping power..well, I think that you have it figured out. Now, I have a 9mm Kahr K9, 40mm Sig 2340, .45 Glock 21 and a .357 Glock 33. I am a better shot with the 21 because the trigger works for me and the recoil is minor. The .357 Glock has a great trigger, but really kicks in such a small gun. It will take much more practice for me to feel comfortable with this gun. I suspect that a full size frame would make this a moot point. I bought the Kahr for my 4'9" girlfriend. It fits her hand and she can control the recoil. I don't like the 2340, or the Kahr's trigger. I suspect that any of these guns will stop someone, but I feel that I shoot the full size .45 the best. So, what do you shoot best? All of these guns will mess someone up when pointed in the right direction.
 
This is something I've suggested before. Although, no ammo companies have taken me up on it yet.

You don't have to shoot full power 357 SIG rounds. I've created downloaded 357 SIG rounds that are identical to standard pressure 9mm rounds. Therefore, I believe the 357 SIG is more flexible.
 
I think Pete's comment makes the most sense. There's only so much I can upgrade a 9mm (+P+) but it will never be a .357Sig. But I can always downgrade a .357Sig to act like a 9mm. Great arguement.

Best one I've heard.

.22's do kill the most people, they generally don't make it past the bones, so they bounce around internally within the ribcage...

Thanks for all the advise everybody.
I'll post what I get, when I get it.
Albert
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>9mm .... Not really a defensive round though.[/quote]

huh?
 
twoblink, it sounds like you got it figured pretty good. You sound confindent with the .357sig for stopping power. And I wish I had bought more .22's sooner in my shooting life. .22's are cheap, fun, and good practice. Get a .40 barrel or download the .357sig for you GF to shoot. And both of you have a blast with the .22. My $.02 anyway. I carry the MK40, I feel confident in it stopping an attacker and shoot accurately with the gun, but my prefers the .45 or the shotgun :)

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Know Yourself, Know Your Weapon, Know Your Enemy; then Know Victory! ---DaHaMac
 
9mm for fun to shoot and high capacity spray and pray. .357 SIG for fire breathing fun. .40SW is so so for fun, a lot of recoil out of a plastic gun. :D :D :D
 
I am going through the same situation. I think I'm going to settle with a .40 and get a .357sig barrel.
A friend of mine who is a former ATF swat member swears by the .357sig. He carries a P229 in 357. Sounds good to me.
 
I'm a much bigger fan of the .40 than I am of the .357SIG... it just makes more sense to start off with a bigger hole if you get the chance in the same-sized gun.

I'm also a fan of 9mm because of the availablility of cheap, quality ammo. There's no reason (in my book) to justify paying more for a super-fast 9mm. I'd buy a 40 first, then MAYBE get a .357SIG barrel.

report back,
Ben

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Almost Online IM: BenK911
ICQ # 53788523
"Gun Control Is Being Able To Hit Your Target"
 
QUOTE "I think I'm going to get a Steyr!!! They are more Glock than a Glock"

WTF are you talking about? In my little world there is not another gun that can beat a Glock in relibility.

QUOTE about the 9mm "Not really a defensive round though"

Then why is it the handgun caliber for NATO, and one of the best selling handgun catridges of all time?

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Trespassers Will Be Shot
Survivors Will Be Shot Again
 
Silver Bullet:

Glock goodies:

1) 3 passive safeties, when finger off trigger, safety on. Finger on, safety off.

2) Tenifer finish

3) Polymer frame

Glock Not-So-Goodies:

1) No external safeties if desired (unless you are in Tasmania I guess)

2) .40's don't have a fully supported chamber, higher chance of case failure/kb!

3) Shell casing expansion, and case fatigue.


Steyr:

1) 3 safeties like Glock. Trigger, drop, and firing pin. Safety #4, external safety that can be used. Safety #5, a lock and store mode.

2) Tenifer finish as well.

3) Polymer frame, with more ergonomic handles.

4) Fully supported chamber

5) Superior sights

So... more Glock than a Glock. more accurate, and I'd bank on them being just as reliable.

The old VW Bugs were the best selling things in the 70's. That didn't negate them from the fact that they were death traps if you got in a car accident. So best selling and "best" are two different things. I'm not saying the 9mm doesn't serve great purpose, and that it isn't a great round, but it doesn't compare with the .357Sig in terms of stopping power.

I won't even begin on how I feel about NATO...

Not ment as a flame, just clarifying what I meant when I said what I did...

Albert
 
Buy the 357 sig. The 9mm is for beginers and those who are extreemly recoil sensitive. It is an adiquate defensive round but it is far from optimal. It is a second class citizen to the 357 sig, 40 sw, 45 and 10mm.
PAT

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I intend to go into harms way.
 
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