sig 226

I have two P226's, one in 9mm, the other in 357 Sig. I also have a P229 in 40 S&W. It is a toss-up on which one I like best. If you are not a reloader, I would suggest a 9mm.

Gene Pool
 
9mm is really the best way to go now... before, 40 did have an advantage in certain key areas, and they made up for its downsides... Now modern 9mm HP loads make them just as good as 40 without the drawbacks...
 
9mm is cheaper to shoot, easier to find, cheaper to shoot, has less recoil, cheaper to shoot,......well you get the picture.
 
9mm.

The MK25, specifically.

More specifically, the MK25 with SRT kit, Gray Guns P-SPIT trigger, Hogue G10 grips, and Mec-Gar 18rd flush fit mags.

Kind of like this one, actually. ;)

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I would get the 9mm but it's always amusing to hear about the " drawbacks " of the .40. Sigs are robust. They handle the .40 just fine or 9mm suped up to .40 pressures to make it effective. As much as the Internet hates the .40, it's a hard hitting round. Go out and compare it with other loads. There are too many in service for this to be a fluke and lest ye bring up the FBI, the last time I checked with my chum who works for the FBI, he is still carrying his Glock 27.
 
With modern loads... 9mm is effective in standard pressures... +p and +p+ are not required.


The 226 handles the 40 well, but you still have other drawbacks, like lower round count.


The 40 isn't a bad round... but it has lost it's edge on recent years. There is just no denying the tests, and real world results... 9mm no longer loses anything to the 40, and has advantages over it.
 
With modern loads... 9mm is effective in standard pressures... +p and +p+ are not required.
Click to expand...

Everybody laments on how underpowered handguns are. Only to be used to fight your way back to your rifle and all. Then when someone mentions +P ammo.....Oh you don't need that. I just don't get it.:confused: I want the fastest heaviest bullet my handgun can throw. If a bad guy needs stopping I don't mind a big hole in the opposite side I shoot. Preferably spewing chunks of tissue and blood.
 
But that's not how handgun rounds work...

Handgun rounds have neither the energy or velocity, to make secondary wounding due to energy tranfer, a significant effect on target.

It's not about energy transfer, it's about retaining energy enough to reliably penetrate.

+p adds about 50fps, +p+ MAY give another 50fps... and while they have a little more expansion (think 0.1-0.2 inch more), they have less penetration as a result. Most tests I see put the higher pressure stuff around 12-13in and the standard pressure at 15-16in deep.

Heavier rounds offer more consistent performance in varying conditions. As I said... it's not about energy transfer, it's about retaining energy enough to reliably penetrate. The added momentum and inertia (not energy) of heavier rounds helps the projectile retain energy and velocity while penetrating and therefore penetrate deeply with more consistency.

"But even the lighter 40 weighs more than the heaviest 9mm"...

Yes, and it has a greater frontal surface area, and that adds resistance to the bullet as it penetrates, so you need more mass to compensate.


124gr and 147gr 9mm are very close in performance with most modern bullet designs, while the 115gr stuff tends to be less consistent. (The barnes all copper round is one exception to the rule) The 147gr looses enough velocity to make the difference less noticeable. Though the 147gr will have a bit of an edge. (I personally like the recoil characteristics of the 124gr better)
 
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I don't. I watch where I shoot. Over penetration is BS. Missed shots are the only real threat to anyone behind the BG. If you're in a crowd you don't shoot unless it's life or death. Same as if you're alone with the BG.
 
40 was and is a good round, and back when it was developed, I think it was the superior option. Just not for the reasons most assumed, like higher energy.

It's just that 9mm still remained popular and that drove ammo makers to improve their designs... and even though 40 also improved, it did not gain as much as the 9mm and that allowed the 9mm to catch up.
 
While I agree that misses are more an issue than over penetration... I don't think it's nonexistent. Just maybe not as big of a problem as some think... but one should be mindful.


It was more of taking your quote literally kind of thing.
 
If you buy the .40, when you get tired of it, you can get a 9mm conversion barrel.
Of course I will hooraw you for buying big and shooting small.
 
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