PPQ caliber opinions?

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P71pilot

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I will be getting another Walther PPQ M2 in a couple months to replace the one i had but had to sell. The one i had before was a .40 M2 with cut rifling. I hear the newer models are polygonal rifling, which is a little dissapointing.

Anyways, after a couple months of weekly practice, a started to shoot the .40 PPQ really well, but this time around i am considering getting the 9x19 version

The pistol will be mostly carried concealed, but will also spend time in the woods if i dont feel lile lugging the 1911 around. So here are some pro's and cons i have came up with for 9x19 and .40

9x19mm

Pros
-more capacity per magazine
-lower recoil (easier to shoot accurately)
-cheaper to shoot
-easier to find ammo in a survival situation

Cons
-less Power, smaller diameter bullet, lighter weight


.40 S&W

Pros
-more power (heavier, larger projectile)

Cons
-less capacity per mag
-harsher recoil
-more expensive ammo
-ammo harder to find in survival situation


So clearly 9x19 has more advantages, there is a reason almost the entire world of police forces and militaries use it, it is extremely efficient, and easy to shoot well. However this pistol may indeed be used for deer hunting in extreme but unlikely survival situations. Also will have the task or animal defense, like rabid or wild dogs, or mt
Lion or black bear. I know that you carry the appropriate load for what you are doing (147gr fmj flat nose or hardcast flat nose for woods use, or 124gr federal hst for city carry for 9mm, or 200gr Hardcast flat nose in the woods, and 165gr HST for city work in the .40)

I would like to get some opinions on what you would pick, or what you think which caliber is better for general purpose use.

Personally i love the .40, and i have never owned a pistol in 9x19, i always figured why not get an increase in power, no matter how marginal it is?

Another point to consider is that the pistol was designed for 9x19, and re-engineered for .40, luke the 1911 was with .45acp. Perhaps a 9x19 ppq will be more reliable or less susceptable to parts failures than the more violent .40

This is not a caliber battle, just asking what you think would be better for me and my intended uses for such pistol
 
IMO maybe the 9mm, quite the variety of ammo in 9mm at an affordable rate. I like to shoot a wide variety of grains and +p from time to time it keeps me on my toes weather im at the range or in the woods. Depending how much you shoot the savings in ammo cost could go towards a .40 down the road.
 
Because you can shoot and handle the 40S&W just fine, I don't think that you can go wrong either way. Really its just preference. Your best bet might be to call around and see if a local range has a PPQ in 9mm to rent.
 
I have shot and owned ALOT of guns in my time. IMO certain platforms shine in certain calibers. Walthers in general shine in 9mm. As do Glocks.

SIG and HK make awesome .40 and .45 platforms for example.

So for me personally in a PPQ I am buying a 9mm.
 
I used to shoot a lot of 40 before ammo started getting more expensive. I'm pretty equal with a 40 or 9, but after the 1st and 2nd Banic, I started shooting more 9mm. Lemme tell ya, for range use - it is pretty boring. I got used to it after a while but I prefer 40 for the range and CCW. I carry a G27 nowadays for CC but stick to 9 for the range due to expense.

Are there conversion barrels for the PPQ?
 
In lighter guns like the PPQ I much prefer the 9MM. I can shoot my Son's P99 .40 very accurately but my wrists tire out after about a box of ammo and I don't have that problem with my 9MM PPQ or any of my .45s including my HK45. For .40 I much prefer my SIG P229, which shoots .40 very nicely.

For a woods gun I personally would go for .40 however. Also from what I have experienced .40 ammo is much more plentiful during ammo panics and shortages.
 
In my local area, there is much higher demand for 9mm pistols, which has resulted in many dealers running more aggressive sales on .40 S&W pistols.

FWIW if you buy the Classic rather than the M2, I believe you can use standard-style P99 mags, including Smith & Wesson SW99 mags. (WALTHER FANS: Please correct me if I'm wrong.) The SW99 was a license-built mildly restyled near-clone of the P99. It was adopted by a fair number of LE agencies that have pretty much all dropped it by now, so there are a lot of cheap surplus mags knocking around, although I've read online that you should avoid SW99 .40 mags without blue followers due to some design problem with the other ones.
I hear the newer models are polygonal rifling, which is a little dissapointing.
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Why?
 
^There are also Magnum Research magazines from their clone of the P99 that are available (typically for notably less than the Walther mags) and work in the classic or M1 PPQ. If I was getting a PPQ I'd go with the classic personally.
 
One look at the used gun rack in most of the local gun stores I'm familiar with tells the story, the .40S&W used version almost always sells at a big discount compared to the 9mm used version. You have to face the fact that 9mm defensive ammo has gotten a lot better, .40S&W defensive has not, as an example;

Hornady American Gunner 9mm 124grain +P JHP: Muzzle Velocity(fps) 1175 /Energy(ft-lbs) 380

Hornady American Gunner 40S&W 180 grain JHP: Muzzle Velocity(fps) 950 /Energy(ft-lbs) 361

IMHO, this at least partially disproves the "more powerful" notion of .40S&W compared to 9mm
 
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If you aren't issued .40 S&W and/or heavily invested in the caliber already (ie multiple firearms, and are set up to reload .40 S&W brass), get the 9mm. More training reps = better.
 
I have a PPQ M1/Classic in 9mm that has exceptional accuracy. I know a few other who own 9mm PPQ's that can say the same thing.

I prefer the 9mm but, that's me and either would be suitable. You already know how the PPQ in .40 shoots/recoils, so you are ahead of the game in that aspect. Pick the one you like the best.
 
I don't shoot .40, but I have Q's in both 9mm and 45. I'd imagine that a lot of what you could say about shooting a PPQ in .40 would hold true for the .45 as well. The Q in 9mm is fantastic, but the .45 blows my mind. If you've already proven to yourself that you enjoy the heavier caliber and you shoot it well, I'd say stick with .40.
 
My PPQM2 in 9mm is a buzz saw. It's fast, accurate as hell, light and a joy to carry all day, light recoil, quick recovery times and 9mm ammo is cheap. What not to like!
 
Nowadays I think 9mm is simply an easy choice. The .40 is pretty much on track to go the way of .357 SIG in popularity soon. Just my opinion.
 
The .40 is pretty much on track to go the way of .357 SIG in popularity soon.
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(Note: please insert your own clever word play on the posters name.) :D

Respectfully disagree with you on this point. I think the .40 S&W has established itself due to all the law enforcement agencies that flocked to it and many still (and will) continue to use it...the ones that moved away from it have put a lot of .40 S&W guns on the market and these are not going away, they are being bought up and will continue to create a demand for the cartridge.
 
More rounds in the magazine are your best bet. Besides regular practice at the range, your accuracy begins to waver when you are under attack, and your tunnel-vision will miss most of your shots from 6'-12' closing attack! The 9mm is replacing the service .40 weapons on many police forces. Your ammo in self-defense is also critical to do more damage on a single deadly hit.

My recommendation is not just a "hollow point", but a round that will stop the advance of an attacker. Hornady has some convincing rounds for self protection through glass and bone before they open.

Practice with a full jacket and keep your expensive self-defense rounds for the moment of need! 9mm does this job...more rounds in the weapon finishes the attack!
 
I keep going back and forth in my head about this, but i think i will just get the .40 again

Although a 147gr +p 9x19 Will penetrate plenty on the highly unlikely chance of facing a black bear or rabid rottweiler/pit bull, i would feel more comfortable with the added weight and momentum of a 200gr Hardcast at 1000fps.

My father reloads precision rifle rounds, and i plan to get my own setup and start reloading pistol cartridges in the next year or two. I have a ton of brass saved.

Some prefer more capacity and quicker follow up shots, but ita just how i am, i like more power, as small as the increase may be.

I have a Springfield 1911 .45acp that is carried whenever i feel like carrying, but the weight savings will probably turn the PPQ into primary defense pistol even in the woods, the 1911 most likely will just remain a target gun.
 
Interesting how subjective things can be. I find that I handle the recoil of the PPQ in .45 better than in the 9 mm (though if 9 mm were all I had, it would be fine). I am as accurate with the PPQ45 as I am with my Essex framed, Remington Rand slide 1911. Unfortunately for the thread, I have no experience with the .40.
 
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