9mm or 40cal

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I have both a 40 cal and 9mm guns. I carry a 9mm and I use it for home protection. The 40 has a lot more recoil and a louder report, which is a detriment for home protection. I shoot the 9mm guns more than the 40 because of the cheaper cost of ammo for the 9mm.
 
I use 40 for carry, 45 for home, 9 for back-up for either, 380 emergency use only, 357SIG I have experimented with for years. I also have 10MM that I keep in my "Break glass in case of war " collection.
 
I personally like .45acp better than either but I really like .40 AND 10mm. .45 doesn't necessarily have more recoil. Than .40, remember .40 S&W is about 13K PSI max pressure over .45 and .40 usually has more energy. These things play a huge role in recoil, as well as gun weight and slide weight vs recoil spring weight. I shot yesterday and noticed much more recoil with fiocchi 180gr loads compared to Winchester 165gr. The box claimed 1020fps on the 180gr fiocchi and 1060 for the 165gr. The Winchester's were wimoy loads you could tell, and I don't think they shot as well as the heavier loads in my PPQ.
 
I have said it for over 50 years....9 is fine, and I trust my life with one...and I have many others to choose from....but I grab the 9 first.
 
I've kept my Sig P226 .40S&W in case the supply of 9mm ammo gets tight again. It's a good gun, but I still like 9mm and .45ACP better.
 
Both are equally the same. Has nothing to do with caliber. Both are duty class calibers including the 45. The secret is easy, it's where you put it and how many time you put it there, and has absolutely nothing to do with caliber. Pick the one you shoot best with and relax, it doesn't make any difference at all.
 
I have reloaded 220gr 40sw at 775 fps that feels like a 22lr. If you want to keep the larger diameter but lose the recoil, it's possible with reloading.
 
As you shoot better with 9mm, then that's the obvious choice. Something no one's mentioned is that 9mm is somewhat cheaper than 40. It's also one of the more common calibers on the planet and is more likely to be available.
 
Pick the one that fits you best and that you and any other member of your family that's qualified, can shoot well. Either round, with today's boutique self-defense ammunition, will do the trick if you can provide the necessary shot placement.

I like the bigger calibers: .40, .41, .44 & .45. But my wife just doesn't handle them well so her choice is a S&W .38 Special on her night stand and usually in her purse. My wife and DIL have both been in situations where their access to a hand gun would have saved the day. Neither had to resort to its use, but were VERY glad it was there, ready if needed.

Unlike bicycle riding, shooting effectively in an SD situation is very perishable skill. You owe it to your family to get out and practice and bring your wife along. Make it fun and she'll shoot too. Conversely, if the gun/caliber/recoil etc. is not to her liking, you'll have a devil of a time getting her the necessary range time.


Best Regards, Rod.
 
+1

I've converted to 9mm from the "I carry a .45 because they don't make a .46" fanboy club.

Only hits count, two hits are better than one, and 18 hits are better than 7 or 8. He who has to reload before making a hit usually doesn't survive the gunfight.

The recoil of a .45 isn't all that onerous. .40 to me is just too darn snappy and the only setting, in my opinion, that it gives an appreciable advantage over 9mm is law enforcement, where needing a round that will retain energy through auto glass is a highly likely scenario.

I will say that the dual recoil spring in the Gen 4 Glocks does wonders to tame the .40, still not on par with the felt recoil/flip of my CZ SP01.
 
9mm

1. Cheaper
2. No statistical difference in effectiveness with a .40
3. .40 is just nastier to shoot - louder, more recoil for basically no real life performance gain. All IMHO.
 
Rounds on target.

The odds I am going to face a target that will care what rounds I am slinging at it are negligible.
 
SHOT PLACEMENT IS EVERYTHING! I enjoy both calipers and only prefer a 9mm due to the fact that it is cheap to shoot, but all financial aspects aside, carry what you shoot best
 
Two years ago the FBI declared the 9 Luger to be the optimal sidearm caliber:

http://soldiersystems.net/2014/09/25/fbi-9mm-justification-fbi-training-division/.

In general, stay away from light bullets and +P loads if you want, as you must if you are wise, adequate penetration. In fact, you are best off carrying heavy-for-caliber bullets.

With 9 Luger (vs .40 S&W) less recoil translates into better accuracy and precision, and you get a get increased magazine capacity. Carry premium JHPs and you get great and reliable expansion on top of adequate penetration.
 
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Ok would you trust your life and your family's life with a 9mm hand gun or 40 cal .carry gun...
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Yes. I think either will do a fine job for the intended purpose. They are certainly different. The question should be "how much different". When it comes to damaging aggressive bodies with premium defense ammo in likely defense scenarios and their likelihood of stopping a threat, that difference is likely to end up more academic.

... of course I have both my 40 is starting to hurt my hand...
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In my opinion, .40 generates unpleasant felt recoil in a lot of guns. It isn't so much the amount of recoil as it is the delivery of that recoil. Obviously, this effect is amplified in smaller or lighter guns. I like it a lot more out of a full-sized service pistol, especially one made of steel or a polymer gun with good recoil mitigation.
 
The FBI declares a new 'optimal' service pistol cartridge every so often, so I wouldn't hitch my wagon to that mule. Pick whatever suits you and learn to shoot it.
 
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