Need advice

T

TCW

New member
Need some advice...I bought my first semi-auto: Sig P226 in .40. I like it, but the problem is I keep seeing the .40/.357sig getting somewhat bashed online(.40 for accuracy and .357 for noise and flash). The .45 and the 9mm seem to be favored. Now I'm thinking that I should have done a little more research before my purchase. I have only shot .40 and 9mm, but might be able to shoot a .45 USP next week. The USP .45 and the P220 .45 seem to fit me the best. I can't afford to have two! The gun is for home/personal protection and range...not for carry. Any word of encouragement or discouragement would be appreciated!Thanks.
 
If you like it and are comfortable with it, don't worry about what others say. Different strokes for different folks! That's why they make Pepsi and Coke.

Just my $.02

David

------------------
"There are people who do not mind the fact that O.J. Simpson walks free. There are people who do not mind the fact that Lon Horiuchi is not only not punished for his atrocity at Ruby Ridge, but he continues on the public payroll. There are those who know who killed Vince Foster, but are not bothered by the fact that the subject has been dropped officially. I mind those things. Do you?" - Jeff Cooper
 
ya done good. dont look back. some people favor this that and the other. its all about what u like. and if you like your .40 be happy. Im happy with my 40.


Tim :D
 
You have made an excellent choice. The 9mm ammo may be cheaper, but it sure is not a better round. I like 45s, but don't dump your 40 on other people's opinions. I've also owned a P226 in 9mm ever since they came out. It is a great gun. The P220 is too.

------------------
Get your 1911s and AR15s while you still can!
 
TWC,

Please don't worry about this. I own a P-226 (as well as many other semiautomatics and revolvers), and I assure you it is an outstanding weapon: accurate, beautifully designed and manufactured, reliable, and durable. One can legitimately argue that the P-226 is among the very finest handguns available.

As you know from reading TFL Posts, there is a perpetual 9mm, versus .40 S&W, versus .357 Sig, versus .45 ACP, versus .357 magnum, and so forth debate. It will never be resolved because -- in a top-quality handgun like the P-226 -- these are all fine calibers.

Enjoy your Sig and ignore the "Ford versus Chevy" distractions.
 
duplicate post -- for reasons I don't understand

[This message has been edited by RWK (edited June 09, 2000).]
 
From everything I've read, the inherent difference in accuracy between a .40 and other calibers is small; your skill with the weapon will make a lot more difference. Take the SIG to the range every chance you get and train until you can be confident of whacking the bad guy in the vitals at 25 feet or less, a standard any decent handgun can maintain -- certainly a quality piece like a SIG.

Of course, if you're into home defense and are worried about getting a hit, think 12-gauge.
 
Your Sig 226 is excellent! If you want cheaper practice ammo check out wholesale distributers of Seller & Belloit (I think thats right) out of the Czech Republic or the Denel or PMP out of South Africa and the CCI Blazer is only slightly more. For the house look into Winchester's 165gr Supreme .40
 
Look: you have a magnificent weapon. I like the .40S&W and will probably have another, God willing. I try not to use trashy language but I must tell you that I have never heard as much pure crap as I have heard here about the 9mm. It is just above the safety threshold for a defense round and for someone to compare it to the .357 Magnum is ludicrous. I can't tell you how many LEO's I have talked to who hate the 9mm. I know of one detective who shot a perp 4 times in the chest with a Glock 17 at less than ten yards and the BG kept coming. Shortly thereafter, his force went to the Glock 22. I know one Female Officer who could not get her 9mm to penetrate a windshield at close range and she gave it up for a .357 Magnum. I know of a Deputy Sherriff who picks up people who skip bail who refuses to use a 9mm because it lacks the power to stop someone on narcotics and overpenetrates the sheetrock in the section 8 housing where he does most of his business. New Orleans gave up on the 9mm. Little Rock gave up on the 9mm. Even the LAPD is authorized some to get away from the 9mm. Furthermore, the Sig P239 .40 I had was a tack driver by anyone's standards.

Yes, I do like the .45ACP but I gotta tell you that the .40S&W is proving itself day after day in the field. You are in great shape with that P226 and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

------------------
"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."

[This message has been edited by Will Beararms (edited June 09, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Will Beararms (edited June 09, 2000).]
 
Cool. So if I get a .40 I can shoot through auto safety glass but the bullet won't penetrate sheetrock in section 8 housing. That's some amazing versatility. Like they asked about the Thermos, "How do it know?"

Anecdotes are great but they don't necessarily mean anything. Jim Cirillo once saw a man get shot eleven times in the head with .38 Specials at close range. The man was able to walk to the ambulance. Try repeating THAT experiment and see what the results are. Others have been banging the drum and now it looks like I will. Shot placement and control. If you can put your shots where you want them and control the gun it doesn't matter what caliber you use. Boosting for your favorite ammo is fine but the software is a lot more important than the hardware.

At the LFI class I attended in February the semiautos were either 9mm, .45, or .38 Super. Not one .40 in the bunch. So based on MY experience I can say that no serious professional uses a .40. Except we all know that such a statement would be meaningless.
 
I am a 9mm fan. Don't feel that I NEED a .40, already have .45's. Don't let anybody tell you that your choice is wrong. Have you heard that A good little man will most likely be beaten by an equally skilled big man in a fight? If you start off with a bigger platform(.40) naturally it will have more potential compared to a 9mm. I just like the 9mm and 45. Don't have to buy all sort of different ammo. Now the arguement abut .40 or .357 is another story.
 
I own a 229 in .40 caliber (my first gun), and waded throught all of the posts about which is better, faster, more accurate, etc. I finally figured out that there is not, and never will be, agreement on what is 'best'; because there are a whole bunch of 'best' guns out there. Practice determines shot placement and effect, if those are issues with you. If you're happy with the feel of the 226 (which I almost purchased, btw), you have a gun that will meet and exceed your expectations. If you haven't already, check out sigforum.com and you'll find more SIG specific info.

------------------
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is power. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearsome master." George Washington
 
I hate to be the one to break this to ya but safety glass is a tad bit harder on the surface than cheap sheet rock. My Deputy has fund that the .40 S&W with a good hollowpoint round does not penetrate softer mediums like the 9mm with a similar bullet.

That Deputy Sheriff I'm sure is a pathological liar. In fact, he works at a range I frequent and after dinner tonight, I think I'm gonna go up there and set him straight once and for all. ;)

------------------
"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."
 
Insofar as the debates about small and fast vs fat and slow, they will probably never be solved. Both work. I would feel good armed with a good quality 9mm or a good quality .45. It is all in the skill of the shooter. There is, of course, a bottom limit on what is TYPICALLY effective. The better the bullet design (whether small/fast or fat/slow), the bigger margin of error the shooter gets. A PERFECTLY places .22 is deadly, but you have to be less perfect as you get more power.

Back to the original question: If you are into match shooting, then there are more accurate rounds than .40, but for the average shooter, the .40 is PLENTY accurate. this includes recreational target shooting and home defense. Most pistol battles are within the length of a room or hallway anyhow.

I chose the .40 as my home defense (my wife has adopted my .357 mag as her own) because it throws a reasonably large bullet at reasonably high velocity, which I think is probably a good compromise between both sides of the debate.

Enjoy your gun. .40 is a fine choice for a handgun.

just my .02
 
I agree with those who say that your gun skills are more important than the caliber of the gun you carry. Back when I was tottin' a gun for a living the .38 was my dept's weapon of choice. By todays standards it is a weak sister compared to some. But I practiced diligently and became proficient with the weapon I carried. And in those days we weren't allowed to carry hollow points so I used super vel +p 125 grain jsp in my S&W model 13, 4" stovepipe. On 2 occasions I was involved in gunfights. One was against multiple assailants. Because I took the time to learn how to shoot in different situations I was able to dispatch those perps. And that was with a lowly .38 special load. I was very lucky to have been tutored by a guy named Chick Gaylord who back then was a holster maker par excellent and also a gun affectionado. He taught me instinctive shooting. So I definitely agree that the size of the bullet is inconsequential. What matters is that you can put that bullet where it will do the most damage. So practice, practice, practice. Enjoy that new gun.

------------------
Torpedo ( Life is great if you can survive it!)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top