Would it be wise to switch from 40 to 9?

[Birds Away]

Capacity is not a moot point. It is one of the compromises of going to a larger caliber. Everyone has to decide for themselves if the trade-offs are worth it.

 

[VERT]

But...but... Don't you see?!?? It's bigger-er.

Why the purple? 40 is in fact bigger then 9mm. Increased frontal area and heavier bullet. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the 40 cartridge (or 9mm for that matter). Regardless of the Internet hype they both operate at similar pressures. But in the end 40 is bigger, heavier and of similar velocity. That is why 40 can make "major" power factor in the gun games. It is also why 40 has slightly more recoil. I notice this recoil in subcompact guns and have stated many times that I do not care for 40 in pistols smaller then say a Glock 23. In the end they are all handgun rounds though and recoil when chambered in service sized pistols is negligible.

I don't own many 40s anymore myself for the same reason as US Patriot. I am gearing up to reload 9mm and 45 acp. My Glock 23 usually sports an aftermarket 9mm conversion barrel on the range so other then a first gen Walther P99 that was gifted to me 15 years ago by my beautiful wife I am completely out of the 40 game. That does not mean 40 is bad in anyway. In fact I think of competitive shooting sports and as a service cartridge it has a lot to offer.

Simple answer is no I would not take a beating selling a Glock or M&P in 40 right now. I would just buy the conversion barrel for the range. Or find a deal on a 40 in the classifieds and for the savings buy the conversion barrel. For carry just use 40S&W.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I forgot, .40 will stop an elephant at 100 yards.

 

[VERT]

I forgot, .40 will stop an elephant at 100 yards.

News to me. But judging by all the comments about how hard .40 is to shoot a person might be led to believe that is possible.

edit: There was a time not long ago that I completely standardized around .40. I was not reloading at the time and .40 was easier to find and priced only slightly more then 9mm. So Glocks, HiPower, Sig P226, Walther were all chambered in .40. Then along came a 1911 I had to have post Sandy Hook and I punched out. It was at that time I started reloading to feed my .45 addiction. Then I added guns in 9mm because that was the fashionable round and it is currently the better choice for new gun owners.

 

[88E30M50]

Vert sums it up pretty well. The advantage to .40 is in size and weight. The disadvantage is capacity and recoil. The advantage to 9 is capacity and recoil and the disadvantage is in size and weight. Everybody chooses what works best for themselves. I avoided .40 for a long time based on internet folklore alone. I bought a couple and like them for what they are, but my carry guns are all .45s now days. All of my .40s now have 9mm barrels in case I'm in a plinking mood. I'm slowly giving up my dedicated 9mms and focusing on .45s. I'm down to two, but since they're CZs, see those as keepers.

 

[mdmayo]

Simple solution to solve Your dilemma.
9mm conversion-barrels, 9mm magazines.

I too was all .40 after a massive purge/consolidation a couple of years ago, flipped a coin and dumped all my 9mm, .38 special AND .357. I have repented and bought the conversion mags/barrels for my G27, G23 and G22. Strangely enough, I shoot the conversions better than I shoot the G26/19/22, weird right? My working hypothesis is that there is added mass in the thicker-walled conversion barrels, thus less perceived recoil...

Now the .357... I just wanted a wheel gun and walked into a good deal on a S&W 686+ after (extremely stupidly) selling my 1989 3" SP101 in .357 during the consolidation/purge. Talk about sellers remorse! My only consolation is I know the young man that now owns her. He is a combat disabled Army vet who loves that gun as much as I ever did, and will contact me first if he ever decides to sell.... I digress.

9mm conversion-barrels, 9mm magazines.

 

[HamYankee]

I stick with .45 and 9mm. I had 40 cal for a short time, but when I was staring at ammo on the shelves, I never wanted to buy 40. I would just buy .45 or 9mm. So, I sold my Glock 23 and have not missed it.

 

[keithhernadez]

Go with the 9mm not only is ammo more abundant in the long run plus cheaper

 

[phylodog]

My opinion is the opposite of many on here having just completed several months of testing the 9mm vs .40. I will add that the preconceived notions I had were proven incorrect (to my satisfaction). My testing was not done to determine what works best for me but for a wide variety of people of differing size, weight and skill level so considerations were different than someone making an individual choice for themselves.

The difference in expanded bullet diameter is of little consequence between the 9mm, .40 & .45ACP. If bullets capable of penetrating through to the vitals are used combined with proper shot placement, one does not provide significant performance over the others. Dead is dead and they are all sufficient.

Obtaining that accurate shot placement is the biggest challenge we are faced with in a defensive shooting situation. A study of shootings will reveal that a significant majority require more than one round to accomplish the goal. Each person must make the determination on how many rounds they feel they need to be comfortable, with the understanding that their performance will be dramatically different in a life and death situation than in practice, training classes or competition shooting.

I would not feel under gunned with a 9mm, .40 or a .45ACP. Given the platforms I am restricted to, I don't care for the thickness of the .45 so it is not a consideration for me. Between the 9mm and the .40, I prefer the added capacity of the 9mm.

 

[Trigger Time]

Also consider the lesser recoil of the 9mm. This is a big factor as well Especialy the smaller the gun.

 

[ART338WM]

I recently sold all my 40s and went to 9mm, but kept my two 45ACPs. I went to 9mm in both my sub compact EDCC HG and my FS for IDPA for two reasons above all else shootability and affordability both in reloading and OTC ammo. I had an opportunity to shoot a 9mm Shield S/byS with my 40 Shield. I was impressed enough at how much faster and accurately I could shoot the 9mm VS my 40, that I decided to sell my 40 to fund a 9mm. And I could easily maintain 3" or smaller groups at 10 yards with my 40 Shield.And the 9mm Shield was noticeably more enjoyable to shoot a lot, and I like to shot a lot.

I have read countless studies performed by well respected testing bodies evaluating 9mm VS 40 VS 45acp all these studies had one common thread in their results that the bottom line if all are using equally effective expanding ammunition, using hand guns for protection its all about shot placement, shot placement, and last but not least shot placement. The last I read was published in Gun tests magazine it was extremely technical and lengthy but the data collected clearly showed that there was no appreciable measurable difference between 9mm and 45 acp based on the data collected in the test.

I have seen dozens of you tube videos showing the top performing 9mm JHP ammo performing on par in all respects with similar quality 45 acp ammo. Now I have no way of knowing how either will perform in actual real life shootings involving humans, but their performance on three layers of denim and ballistic gel their performances was nearly the same.

 

[Mgderf]

What's wrong with .40 Short & Weak?

 

[Route 45]

What's wrong with .40 Short & Weak?

That joke is so old that it will be the quest in the next Indiana Jones movie.
Indiana Jones and the Lost Gun Forum Scrolls.

 

[LEADHEAD]

I think you should have at least one of each.

 

[TCLe]

I shoot both rounds regularly, and IMO they're both very capable rounds and you can't go wrong with choosing either. Although James touts the 9mm as the end-all for pistol calibers, I think he's full of it on that.
The .40 has better barrier penetration than 9mm which makes it a good choice for LE, though not necessary for civies.

Honestly I hate the whole "Everything you can do I can do better" argument between 9mm and .40, both are about equally as sucky compared to a rifle round or even .357 mag.

 

[7.62asprin]

I'd say its more personal preference. I have had both and stuck with 9mm because it was more comfortable to shoot. I feel .40 is a bit snappy for me even in full sized handguns. While manageable, it is easier for me to get back on target with 9mm and have tighter groupings.