9mm vs .40

[Justin727]

I have a S & W Shield in .40 caliber. I do enjoy the caliber size, but am thinking of going back to a 9 mil just to have more rounds in the magazine. Currently I only have a 6 round and 7 round magazine, and its not a lot when getting overran by a horde of Obama voters.

I liked the video of the Springfield XDM with 19 rounds in the magazine. I would trust the 9 mm round to be a show stopper for bad guys; just ask Trayvon Martin in Florida. He took a 9 through the heart and it stopped him from killing a citizen.

During combat in Iraq, an American soldier was moving through a battlefield with heavy smoke, with his 9 mm Beretta at the ready. All of a sudden 3 Iraqi bad guys accidentally ran right into him and they were one behind the other. He fired one shot into the lead bad guy and it went through all 3 of them. I can't remember if they were all killed or not.

A friend of mine has a Shield in .40 he offered to sell me for $450. Has one clip fired thru it.

 

[rkwhyte2]

A friend of mine has a Shield in .40 he offered to sell me for $450. Has one clip fired thru it.

In today's market that is not a bad price.

 

[bluegrassrules]

I went from a 40 to a 9mm.

 

[katfishinking]

hey, why not get both? at todays market, they will only go up in value. im looking to get a .40 of some kind, just don't know which one yet. just one mans opinion.

 

[WebSnyper]

I am shopping / researching my next firearm purchase currently. I am primarily looking at Glock 26/19 or 27, S&W Shield 9mm or .40.

A little background:

I bought a Walther PK380 shortly after turning 18. (at the time caliber wasnt a major concern) I made this choice at the time because I loved the way it felt in my hand and everything is ambidextrous on it. (I write left handed but do many other things right handed) with minimal handgun expirience I wasnt sure which would be my primary hand when firing a handgun. I picked up the Walther so I could try both left and right handed. I recently traded off the Walther for a Smith and Wesson Airweight .38 spl. I am now looking to purchase a new firearm for daily carry.

What I am looking for here is advice / opinions on 9mm vs .40. What do you choose and why?
Also, If you care to add a comment on one of the above mentioned guns feel free (or something similar). Any advice is welcomed

Which is your dominant eye? If I were ambidextrous I would look to shoot with the same hand as my dominant eye side.

In my opinion the Shield is too big for pocket carry and if I'm going to carry it on my belt, then I'd rather have a gun with more capacity.

I currently carry either a Glock 23 or 27. I bought the 27 when I was looking for a different carry combo than my Glock 21/30, and picked up the 23 a few months later. I also have an M&P9c (size is between the 27 and 23).

When I'm carrying the 27, I keep a flush fitting mag in it, but the spare mag in my pocket is a Glock 23 mag.

That said, if I had to do it over, I would probably pick up the 26/19 combination and have went 9mm. Mainly to allow quicker accurate follow up shots, with minimal muzzle flip, etc.

Before this most recent panic I was picking up .40 ammo very reasonably, so for me the recommendation of 9mm is more about the shooting than the cost. Especially since I have a couple of 22 conversion kits.

Love my shield. I iwb carry it in the cooler months when I can wear a long sleeve shirt. It doesn't work for me in the summer with shorts and a t shirt though. I pocket carry a .38 when it's hot out.

The shield is a very nicely put together handgun.

I have no problem carrying IWB with a good belt/holster in cargo shorts and a Tshirt. I can carry the 23 or 27 without an issue.

So for me, someone that's carried a .40 everyday for over 2 years now, I'd say go with the 9mm.

Same recommendation from me as well.

I was thinking a glock 26 or 27 because I am pretty think so concealing a 19/22/23 would be difficult. Although now I am considering something else because the 26/27 does not have a rail underneath it.

The 19 or 23 are not difficult to conceal. I notice it a bit more than my 27, but not a lot.

 

[Justin727]

I went from a 40 to a 9mm.

What made you decide to move from .40 to 9mm?

 

[weenpeen]

I agree that you should buy what you shoot best, but my personal thought is that if you shoot well enough with a .40 I would go with that. The way I see it, if the time comes you need to use it, as long as you can shoot center mass you are fine. I carry a .40 everywhere because I like the idea that if I am forced to use it, it will likely stop the threat in their tracks. Just one man's opinion.

 

[Justin727]

The 19 or 23 are not difficult to conceal. I notice it a bit more than my 27, but not a lot.

If you dont mind me asking, what is your body type? I am 6ft tall and 155 lbs (thin). I feel like a 19 would stick out quite a bit. I would love to walk into a store and be able to try different firearms in different holsters before making a final decision but what I've found is that any of the shops I go into are not interested in that. They all seem to want you to just pick something out and make a purchase. Sure, some guys will BS with you a bit and give you their opinion on different firearms but I've yet to find a shop willing to go much further than that.

 

[VERT]

I am 5' 10" and 190 lbs (and gaining again ). I don't have any problem concealing a Glock 23. Trick is a good holster/belt. Also don't worry about a little printing. If that is your concern then carry the J-frame. My biggest problem is the width of the gun. You will need to buy your pants a size bigger for IWB carry.

My suggestion is for you find somebody to let you shoot a 9mm and a 40. I have a G35 with 9mm and 40 barrels. Trick would be finding a time to get together.

In the smaller guns I would stick with 9mm. I carry a Glock 23 and that is as small as I care to go with the .40.

 

[Mad Macs]

One should consider the availability of ammo as well. Getting 9mm now is a bit hard, whereas .40 is readily available everywhere. I've got 3 9MM CZ's and am considering a .40 "just in case"

 

[led4thehed2]

I recommend most first-time pistol owners to get a 9mm autoloader. There are so many sizes, choices, and a variety of features from all sorts of reputable manufacturers that it would be hard to find a 9mm you don't like. Plastic guns are very affordable, ammo is very reasonable, and even new shooters are, generally, not intimidated by a 9mms recoil.

In your case, if you've owned a few handguns, and shoot often, and just want one autoloader, a 9mm might make more sense. If you add more guns later, bigger bores would be an easy addition. My first handgun was a 9mm GLOCK, bought an XD 45 recently.

For folks who are looking to just own one gun, aren't regular shooters, but are primarily interested in a defense pistol, I might lean more toward 40. The additional cost for target ammo isn't as big a factor if they only shoot a 2 or 3 times a year, and the pistol will be smaller than a 45 platform weapon, in general.

 

[theboilermaker]

I have a LCR .38 and a M&P9. I have never carried the M&P because the .38 is so much smaller and lighter, but the M&P is a blast at the range and is also always ready in my nightstand. If you have the option of a lighter and easier to conceal gun how often will you be carrying the 9mm? If it is mainly for the range I would weigh that above ease and effectiveness of carry.

 

[blckevo]

i like 9mm just bc it holds more but thats just me

 

[Rip007]

9mm ammo is cheaper but not so easily found lately. 40 ammo is widely available, or at least it was yesterday. I bought 500 rounds. No 9mm available.

 

[WebSnyper]

If you dont mind me asking, what is your body type? I am 6ft tall and 155 lbs (thin). I feel like a 19 would stick out quite a bit. I would love to walk into a store and be able to try different firearms in different holsters before making a final decision but what I've found is that any of the shops I go into are not interested in that. They all seem to want you to just pick something out and make a purchase. Sure, some guys will BS with you a bit and give you their opinion on different firearms but I've yet to find a shop willing to go much further than that.

I am 5' 10" and 190 lbs (and gaining again ). I don't have any problem concealing a Glock 23. Trick is a good holster/belt. Also don't worry about a little printing. If that is your concern then carry the J-frame. My biggest problem is the width of the gun. You will need to buy your pants a size bigger for IWB carry.

My suggestion is for you find somebody to let you shoot a 9mm and a 40. I have a G35 with 9mm and 40 barrels. Trick would be finding a time to get together.

In the smaller guns I would stick with 9mm. I carry a Glock 23 and that is as small as I care to go with the .40.

I'm probably just a few pounds lighter than Vert (I too am on the upswing there as well unfortunately ), about 5'10" 180 - 185 or so. I routinely carry the Glock 27, and sometimes the 23.

Like all things in life there are tradeoffs. The 23 is a bit bigger, but is easier to shoot in my opinion. The 27 is a bit easier to carry, but a bit harder to shoot.

Many will say that the 27 is not any harder to shoot than the 26, but in my case, I say the 27 can be a bit harder to hold onto due to recoil, and that is why I'd recommend a 9mm, especially if you are going to go for a 26/27 sized gun.

 

[Small's]

Im cheap so i like the 9mm. Im more than comfortable carry a 9mm. If you choose some hot +p or +p+ ammo they put out about the same ft lb of energy of most 40 rounds. They are to close for me for the price difference and they both penetrate more than enough. From my experience with smaller caliber rifles the lighter faster bullet seems to do more damage on small critters.

 

[tackdriver47371]

I cant say, I have both and struggle which to carry.

 

[96projectz24]

I like the 9mm for a few reasons, but cost of ammo is a huge one!! I like to shoot a ton...

 

[cosermann]

Back in 1990 there was a significant difference between these two calibers in terms of terminal effectiveness. Fast forward 22 years to today, with all the intervening bullet/load development - now not so much (see pic below for an illustration). So, I wouldn't make the choice based on that factor.

Others have pointed up the lower cost of 9mm. That's a factor.

Availability can vary. Worldwide - 9mm is more available by far. Can be a different story locally.

9mm pistols of the same size as 40s carry more rounds. So capacity is a factor.

Recoil of the larger caliber can be an issue for some people in handguns smaller than compact/midsize. So there's another factor.

Weigh all those and pick what suits your needs. Both will work.

 

[CB45]

Same old debate, different people saying the same old thing. Nothing productive comes from these debates.

Pick one.

Load. Shoot. Reload. Shoot more. Repeat.

Its way more productive.