Larger Caliber pistol

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kmw1954

New member
Not sure I know how to ask this so I'm understood but I'll try. As of now I own a 380 acp and a couple 9mm. I have been thinking of adding another pistol in a larger caliber but I'm unsure which one. This will most likely be used as a range gun and not as a SD gun.

What I've been thinking is either a 40cal or a 45acp. Thing is I know very little about either as I have never shot a 40 and it's been many years since I've fired a 45. I do reload all my own so that will also play a part in my decision.

From what I seem to be reading this past year is that the 40 has sort of fallen out of favor and folks are migrating back to the 9mm or the 45. Again I don't really understand why.

One of the things I keep seeing come up is that the 40 is much more snappy and some think it has heavier recoil then the 45acp. Is that true or fiction?

Seeing as I reload is there a big cost difference between 40 and 45. I would think that 45 brass is easier to obtain. Which holds up to multiple reloads better before it starts splitting?

Basically what I'm looking for is which one will be easier or more over-all pleasant to shoot. When I go to the range I generally like to shoot about 50 rounds in each gun per session. Not really looking for the ballistics but just the general impression or general feel of the 2.

As to the gun itself. That is still up in the air but I am leaning towards either a 1911 style or a metal framed EAA Witness. But honestly I haven't gotten to that point so lets leave this one or that one out for now. What I really want to do is decide on a caliber as I can only afford 1.
 
I own a Glock .40 and a 9mm barrel that I swap in on occasion for fun and cheap shooting and I can say that the .40 does have more recoil, but it's like maybe 10% more felt recoil and it's not snappy at all.

A little bouncy is how i'd describe it. It's not bad once you get use to it.

I think what a lot of people have said about .40 and the snappy part of it is from when they probably shot it in a pistol 25 years ago in a Glock with that awful grip texture. The Gen 4 Glock's have great texture and the interchangeable backstraps make it a comfortable experience and I'm sure other pistols with the changeable backstraps are similar.

Reloading wise, .45 ACP brass is easier to find at the range; everybody seems to shoot it because "a big slow moving bullet is better than a fast one" and "you don't get much bigger than a forty-five."

All that aside, you want a big bore pistol and my suggestion is if you want something big bore, get a revolver. Ruger makes two revolvers that shoot both .45 Colt and .45 ACP and you can crank up the power in both the .45 Colt and ACP in those Ruger's and have a nice, powerful piece if you so desire. If you want to stick with standard pressure, no probs, they'll last forever.

Want to go even bigger than a .44 or a .45? A revolver can do that! .480 Ruger and .500 S&W are easy to get. You can even get a BFR that shoots rifle cartridges.

And you'll never have to buy magazines for a revolver.
 
A full size 1911 in .45 acp is a classic handgun. For fun at the range I don't think you can do any better.
 
Haha, you posted many varied questions there.

To reload... I would say .40cal is cheaper as brass is cheaper if you need to buy it and the bullets are lighter, cost less. .45 brass will last longer as it is lower pressure.

Most folks would agree that .45 is more pleasant to shoot. .40cal is snappy and spicy.

Why is .40cal seemingly falling out of favor? I'd say that one solid reason is the sunset of the AWB and 10-rd limit on magazines. From 94-04 it made less sense to choose a 9mm if you were limited to 10-rds, basically about what a similar sized .40cal would hold.

I also believe that the 9mm has gained a lot of momentum in perception of ability, and it's gains in market share have taken away from the .40cal.

Where the original argument in favor of the .40 was "best qualities of both the 9mm and .45!" it kind of seems like over time... the knock on the .40 is that it gives all the recoil and flip of the .45 but without the super-high capacity of the 9mm.

I definitely prefer .45 over .40... but also choose 9mm over both.
 
I own a variety of .40's and .45acp's / 1911's, Sigs, etc......and load for both.../ the cost of the bullet makes up about 65% - 80% of the cost to reload...and the heavier a bullet is, material cost is higher, the more the caliber costs to reload....( 9mm 115gr bullets are roughly half of a typical 230gr bullet in .45acp)...so a box of 9mm is about half the cost of a box of .45acp.

.45 acp is easy to reload...cases are very strong...very safe to reload...slow, heavy bullet. Recoil more like a "thump "...easy to control, especially in a full sized steel 1911.

.40 S&W is a high pressure round ( 165 - 180 gr are popular), fast bullet, cases are stressed -- you need to inspect spent cases carefully, case cracks are not uncommon, don't push your rounds too hot.../ ...its a caliber that requires precision to reload safely.

.40 S&W is "snappy" ...the same gun, side by side in .40 or .45acp.../ most shooters enjoy shooting the .45 more...

Split cases...( I reload & shoot about 30,000 rds a yr..)...and every time I reload .40's I reject 3 or 4% for dents, cracks, etc..../ rejects for 9mm or .45acp are way under 1%...

Why is .40 s&w dying off in popularity...because its snappy, balistics are not much better than 9mm, its more expensive to shoot than 9mm....and today there have been so many improvements in 9mm Defensive Ammo...the discussion on what you need for defense is more about "shot placement" than caliber. While I got sucked into the .40 S&W bandwagon a few yrs ago...I stepped off it a couple of yrs ago ( kept 4 of 5 guns I bought in .40, but I don't shoot them much today...over the 9mm or .45 acp...

There isn't anything inherently wrong with a .40 S&W ....but remember it was developed as a downsized & less powerful 10mm...because the 10mm proved so difficult to master, especially in rapid fire.../ ...and now its more of an " in between" caliber.../ which is why people laugh at it a little and call it " .40 Slow & Weak...."...over its big brother 10mm...

If you don't want to get into revolver calibers ( .357 mag, etc )...then my suggestion is to go with .45acp....or just stay with 9mm.

( my primary range gun & my carry gun ....is a full sized, all stainless, 5" 1911 in 9mm ( 10 + 1 )....and I don't feel " under-gunned"....).
 
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Thank you for the responses so far.

As for a revolver, not in the equation. I've shot a friends S&W Model 29 44 mag many times and it was not that enjoyable. About one cylinder at a time was enough. Don't need a TC Contender either.

Sevens, yes I do have a lot of questions. Many which I don't think can be answered by just going and shooting a couple, though some can and I will do that also. I know asking people about feel is like asking what's having a tooth pulled feel like. Nobody comes up with the same definition. But if enough people can explain what they feel then a general gist of things can be found.

I don't need a larger gun, it's just a desire to have one. To be able to experience it. Also there is a local club that holds Bowling Pin shoots and that might be something I would want to try.

One advantage to the 40 would be that it uses the same Lee shell plate as the 9mm so I wouldn't have to add another for the 45.
 
I went with the .45ACP. I must add I have been using one for all my adult life. I even have the equipment to cast my own bullets. If you can find the old wheel lead wheel weights casting can really lower the cost. I don't know if the 40 can use cast bullets. With a 1911 you can start with a cheaper model and use drop in mods to your hearts content. People have been doing it forever.
 
An all steel 1911, using normal loads should last you about as long as a medium to large framed .38 special using normal .38 spl loads.

Which is pretty much forever.

The really nice thing about the 1911 is - if you ever desire to "build it up and out", you can easily do that.

Or - you can just buy one at nearly any stage from strict GI issue to full race.

Others have mentioned the reloading aspect so I won't go over that again, other than to mention, a stock 1911 (16# springs) can operate 100% at pressures as low as ~ 11,000 psi.

Those low "poof" loads are really good for a beginner. I find them much softer shooting than any .22.
 
I have a FNS and a FNX 40 each also with a 357 sig barrel when needed. I also have a Glock 27 that also has a Sig 357 barrel and I have a Shield 40 that also has a 9mm barrel.

I like the 40 cal S&W and do not find the recoil on any of my pistols to be severe.

A 9mm in some pistols can be seen as having a severe recoil.

40 is my carry round. An FNX 45 acp is my bedside gun along with a S&W 627.
 
There are excellent deals to be had these days in used/ police trade in pistols in .40 S&W. My personal preference is the Sig P226.
 
I know it wasn’t part of the original question, but have you thought about the 10mm?

I have a full size Witness in 10mm and it’s a joy to shoot. It gives a nice push but it hasn’t felt snappy. With reloading, you can tailor the round to your want from mild to hot.

As a pure range toy I enjoy the 10mm Witness more than 1911 Commander in .45 that I traded for the Witness. The lighter Commander was snapper and more unpleasant to shoot, comparatively.
 
40 isn't really much larger than 9mm. It's a downsized 10mm. So, if going for a larger caliber is what you are after, 45 is the way to go. If you really want to try something different in a larger caliber, look into the 44cal black powder guns. You could cast your own bullets and have a whole different kind of fun shooting the way it was done way back in the way back.
 
Well I know the 1911 comes in more flavors than Ben and Jerry's and long ago I'd shoot my friends Colt Combat Commander, which was enjoyable even with factory loads.
I also have a Witness Pavona in 380 and I love shooting it. It feels very comfortable in my hand and the sights are very clear and easy to pick up. The gun is also very accurate.

I have seen a number of 10mm Witness on the auctions and that isn't out of the question either. A lot to think about and sort out.
 
While I own both 40s&w and 45acp semi-auto pistols, I also own and shoot both10mm and 45 Super semi-autos as well. As I handload for all of my firearms, I can load them from light plinking to full power as I desire. With full power SD loads, I've found that my 40s&w handloads produce much less snappy recoil when shooting 180grn loads than the 155grn or 165grn versions. Therefore, I carry 13+1 rds of 180grn loads exclusively for my CCW loads in my SD G23.

For range shooting, my Springfield 1911 in 45acp is a great shooter and with my 200grn loads, as a lower pressure, 21,000psi caliber, the 45 acp is a pussycat to shoot. However, as the rds are large diameter and the pistol is single stack, 7-8 rds is all my 1911 holds vs 13+1 in my G23, 15+1 in my G22 or higher in my 10mm. Further, as has been noted above, the heavier the bullet, the more expensive it costs to handload it.

As to my recommendation for the OP. Because he handloads, considering a platform that shoots both 40s&w / 10mm or 45acp / 45 Super is reasonable as the cost of handloading the magnum calibers (once the brass is purchased) is the same as the standard so a 10mm or 45 Super could be loaded at 40s&w or 45acp levels for general shooting with the added flexibility to raise the power when desired.

For hikes in the Rockies, nothing beats my 10mm loaded with either 165grn HPs or 180grn hardcast, not even my 45 Super. The 10mm's significant velocity advantage over the 45 Super gives it the ability to produce muzzle energies of over 900ft/lbs in a 6” barreled pistol. And, with my custom Glock 20/21L I developed, I can carry 17+1rds of 165grn 10mm loads that produce slightly higher velocities in a 6" semi-auto pistol than a 6" 357mag S&W 686 revolver only carrying 6rd of my full power 158grn loads. Further, my custom Glock is actually more compact, thinner, and slightly lighter even with 3 times the ammo on board. Great to have on my hip to defend against either 2 or 4 legged threats.

My vote would be for the OP to consider a 10mm capable platform so that he has the flexibility to shoot either level, 40s&w or full 10mm as he chooses. My second choice would be a platform capable of shooting 45 Super and 45acp.
 
I own 40's and 45's. I enjoy them both. My guess is that in the same gun a 40 would be a little snappier, but not by much. Neither is hard for me to shoot.

My FiL reloads for us. He has more problems with 40 caliber cases. The 45acp seems more sturdy.

That being said, there are some ridiculous deals out there on 40 caliber police turn-ins right now. I have bought a couple of used Beretta 40 calibers in the past six months that were so cheap it was like stealing.
 
In your case I would have to go with the 45, there are a lot of good choices in firearms in 45 and a lot of brass and bullets to choose from. In my opinion the 40 is just a little snappy but is still controllable for the most part and the guns will be about the same size as guns in 9mm. I would suggest going and shooting both so you can make a decision that will work for you.
 
I guess I am a rare 40 fan. There are great deals on 40 cal guns out there.
Straightwall, easy to reload. You can make it anything you want it to be.
 
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