E-Shock 9mm vs. .40 Hollow Point

J

JustThisGuy

New member
I've always carried a Sig 226 .40 which I feel quite comfortable with as a defensive round. Recently however, I've been considering a smaller pistol for carry. But I'm concerned about the lower stopping power of 9mm Hollow Point.

What are the opinions out there on the E-Shock 9mm Air Freedom Round (AFR) vs. the .40 Hollow Point? It seems like the the AFR might do the job but I can't find any definitive data on the comparison. The AFR also looks safer as it fragments when it hits virtually any hard surface (even drywall), limiting its potential for unintended penetration through chairs, drywall, etc.

I welcome your thoughts.
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Somebody once said that when we're young, we seek justice, but as we get older, we seek mercy.
 
Why "downgrade" to a 9x19mm, if all you want is "a smaller pistol?" As you know, essentially every 9mm autoloader has a .40 S&W sibling; your Sig P-226 is a good example, being chambered in 9x19mm, .357 Sig, and .40 S&W. I am not disparaging the 9x19 round per se; rather, I only suggest that almost any 9mm semiautomatic -- and there are many excellent options -- will have a slightlty reduced capacity .40 S&W brother that may better meet your requirements.
 
We put a couple hogs down with them two years ago. Both the shots were effective but the internal damage was nowhere near as extensive as the advertising would lead you to believe.

It may have had to do with the fact that we were shooting through the pigs thick skull and not into softer tissue.

The hogs went down as fast as anything else we have fired but it rather shattered any though of using these for anything other than a specialty round.

DPX and Gold Dots left a much larger, deeper path.
 
If it were me, I'd simply load my 9mm with modern quality JHP's from a reputable manufacturer (Remington, Winchester, Hornady, Federal, or Speer) and not worry about it. 9mm is a fine defensive cartridge that is no longer plagued by the lackluster performance of some of the older JHP designs and will serve most people quite well. Honestly, the terminal performance of all the popular service cartridges (.38 Spl +P, 9mm, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP) is more similar than it is different. The main advantage to a .40 over a 9mm, IMHO, is enhanced penetration against sloped auto glass, but that's really a much larger concern for LEO than an armed private citizen.

As to Extreme Shock ammo, I'm rather suspect of exotic frangible ammo. Such ammo usually displays lackluster penetration as compared to a quality JHP. If memory serves, Extreme Shock tests their ammo in some sort of clay rather than 10% ballistic gelatin which is the standard of the industry. This leads me to suspect that they are attempting to slant the testing in their favor. Also, exotic frangible ammo like Glaser, Magsafe, and Extreme Shock is usually much more expensive and less widely available than more popular JHP's. This makes firing an adequate number of rounds to ensure reliability in an individual firearm prohibitively expensive and difficult for most people.
 
Go with a Walther PPS in .40, if you're concerned about stopping power. Mine just disappears in my waistband, even under a compression shirt!

For pocket carry (when possible) I use a Kel-Tec PF-9 loaded with 115-gr Cor-Bon DPXs for deep penetration and excellent expansion. Recoil is just slightly lighter than 165-gr Federal HSTs out of the PPS. :cool:

Gimmick rounds, such as Extreme Shock or DRT are just that -- gimmicks. :barf:
 
Sig 226

The Sig 226 has barrel conversion kits that let you swap out slides for 9x19mm, .357 sig, and , .40 S&W. You might look into purchasing one as aside from getting another gun.
 
I've been considering a smaller pistol for carry. But I'm concerned about the lower stopping power of 9mm Hollow Point.
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Nothing wrong with wanting to carry a smaller pistol. I do at times, but my "smaller pistol" is a .38 special snub.

It's also understandable to want a smaller cartridge to go with it, since smaller guns tend to recoil more when compared to the same cartridge in a larger gun.

But don't spend too much time trying to turn that smaller cartridge into a bigger one. If that's the goal, go with the larger cartridge. The 9mm is a capable self defense cartridge, and it's been proven over many years of use. Is it a .40 S&W or .45 ACP? Nope. Are there more powerful options? Yep, but if you want a smaller gun that's still easy to shoot, then there are compromises. It is what it is.

Daryl
 
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