9mm VS .40 S&W

[Canis-Lupus]

I'll try that in as short a post as I can S&WM&P40.
If the round passes thru too fast I have found it does not do as much damage in those I have treated. Real fast rounds U could take a surgical rod and stick it right thru with the entry hole being almost the same size as the exit one, little explosive damage in the surrounding tissue whether it was a abdominal, chest or a head shot. It's the exit wound in a slightly slower moving HP round [that the ball round does not cause] which is normally the wound that kills. Hyper-velocity rounds in the 9mm ranges or .22 sames, that is a GSW that is survivable even in a head shot, although it may leave the pt. a veg if it hits higher brain functions gray matter. Too slow and U end up digging it out. For a HP that means maybe 200-500 frags in the <1mm size. Hours or days of work! Depending on your make/model of pistol and experience putting that round in an inner-eye/nose 'slot', or ear thru ear for side shots, snipers train for those areas for years, but with rifles @ long distances with a target normally stationary or moving slower. In pistols it's backwards, the target is much closer and mostly moving faster, so it's a very hard shot to make if you are freaking out. The 125/115g range or propellent power moving a spinning copper-coated lead filled HP at speeds around 1200-1500fps, that is designed (on purpose) to fragment upon entry, it just happens to have the right combo of kinetic force, dual-metallurgic design to keep maybe 50% of it's mass as it travels through tissue, the other 50% is what literally explodes inside the target as it passes thru with most of the metal frags found closer to the exit not the entry wound. That's the only purpose of the HP nose first flattening as it enters, then disintergrating into hundreds of very small metal bits that causes so much conal-shaped (<) damage typical with this type of GSW. It is IMHO perfect lethality from point of entry to a few milliseconds later a large spray of matter out the exit wound that is 90% of what causes the most damage/mortality. That round was designed to do the max amount of damage to a human by whomever did the math, or the autopsies! If the Army took the M9 and gave our troops those rounds then medics wouldn't be taking care of many WIA-ed muj, but we are a 'kinder and gentler' force and that is why so many muj fight us sustain 9mm ball rounds and live to fight again. I hope that makes sense, we have the right pistol firing the wrong ammo. I'm done, and really can't explain it more without turning this into a long mess of medical terms and SITREPS on GSW's I've treated.

Canis-Lupus

 

[boyzoi]

I do love my .45 and .357 Mag if only for the sheer fire-power feel. For CC they just arent praticle for me, so I carry the XD9 service, 15+ .
as Lupus has stated I also only use HP or FMJ(HP prefered) for personal defense and,the grain is 124 or 147, that depends on what is less expensive at the time..

 

[Glock Fan]

I'm sure there will be quite a bit of opinions on thins including other calibers. But I wanted to start a thread about this since I just got an email from a user with the following question:

I'll give my own opinion about them. Mainly, I think you need to shoot both and figure out what you like best. My favorite caliber is .40 S&W. At first all of my carry guns were .40. I think its a bigger round so I would hope it would stop the threat quicker than a 9mm. But you also may have less rounds when going with a .40.

Recently I decided to go with the 9mm Glock 27 as my carry gun. I haven't been getting to the range as much and I can just control the 9mm better in the subcompact. I also kind of just wanted a different caliber other than a .40. Now if I was practicing more like I should be I would probably have stuck with a .40 Glock 26.

Another thing is that it should be cheaper too shoot but I don't think the difference was that much so it was not really a deciding factor for me.

But, the gun I keep in my car and on my nightstand are .40. I am not concerned about concealing those so the larger guns.

looks like you have the two Glocks mixed up.
G26 = 9mm
G27 = .40s&w



gf

 

[festus]

all of these have their own merits

I prefer the .45ACP for pure knockdown power! (my preferred carry gun is a USP45 fullsize)
I prefer the .40 S&W for its ability blend speed and power (good compromise)
I really like how cheap 9mm is to shoot(more trigger time)

Grandad was a gunsmith...He always told me never to take a gun to a gunfight the caliber of which does not start with the number 4!

The 45ACP was designed to drop a horse at 10 paces. It was and still is the answer for dealing with drugged up knuckleheads that don't have the good common sense to die when shot by a .38 or 9mm on the first try.

Ask any Marine that carries the .45 what his best friend is and you'll get a straight answer. (nuff said)

 

[LVLouisCyphre]

My collection consists of .380 ACP, 9mm, .357 magnum .40 S&W, 10mm and .45 ACP. I might be adding a .44 magnum soon.

What caliber I carry is dependant upon the climate and how much I want to carry. Warmer months a single stack 9mm or perhaps one of my .40 S&W pistols. Cooler months .40 S&W, 10mm or .45 ACP. I carry .357 or .38 special in a .357 as a BUG.

 

[mrsandman224455]

I heard a quote one time by someone in the military. They were asked what they thought about the military switching to the 9mm round instead of the .45. The person who asked said it was stupid because the .45 was much more of a man stopper. The military person's response was "If I put two in your heart and one in your head...are you gonna know the difference?"

That's a discovery channel Doc they did on the US Navy Seals. The seal was talking about the weapons they use. He picked up the Sig226 and said it's 9mm. Then he said "people are going to say being 9mm will not do much" then he went on to say when he puts two in your heart and one in your head you will never be able to tell.

YES! I couldn't remember where I heard it exactly. I heard it a long time ago (not sure when). I love this quote. So good. Thanks for the information! now I know where I got it haha

 

[MP3Mogul]

.40 S&W any day. I've carried both and shoot both well, but the .40 S&W is more of a man stopper, and that's why I prefer it.

I have 9's and "never" carry them. I do carry my XD40SC most of the time.. as well, I've started carrying my .45's. I wouldn't carry a nine...

 

[Glock Fan]

I have 9's and "never" carry them. I do carry my XD40SC most of the time.. as well, I've started carrying my .45's. I wouldn't carry a nine...

"Never" is a strong word to ues. Let's suppose that all of your other guns are unavailable, maybe in the shop, etc. All you have available to you is your 9mm. Would you then walk around unarmed?

A 9mm wouldn't be my first choice of a personal defense firearm, however I would never say that I would "never" carry one. :wink: Loaded with the propper ammo, it can be quite an effective firearm. A fellow firearms instructor has a saying "A 9mm carried is better than a .45 left at home."



gf

 

[jbyun]

Personally, I'm in favor of the .45 ACP and not a fan of the .40 at all. However, between the 9mm and .40, I'd personally go with the .40 since it has better stopping power. Some might argue that a well placed shot with a 9mm would stop the BG but practically speaking, I think most self defense situations would call for a point and shoot rather than a carefully aimed shot.

 

[HK4U]

I subscribe to the Gabe Saurez school of thought that the higher capacity of most nines compared to a 40 or 45 trumps the bigger size of them.

 

[loudsixstring]

G19, 15+1 124gr JHP everyday, not worried. That's just me.

 

[toreskha]

I have a 92FS that I use as my "briefcase" gun...or in the car, on my desk, etc. It is extremely reliable and has lots of stopping power.

I'm waiting for the compact XD-M .45 ACP to come out and am strongly considering adopting it as my carry weapon. Even then, I'll continue to have the 9mm tag along.

It's not a case of one or the other - it's dependent on the circumstances. I'd want a .40 if walking down a dark street, where I might encounter trouble up close. Carrying at an office where you might get a suicidal active shooter bursting in the door (say, Fannie Mae or IRS) might call for a 9mm that you can accurately aim at a good distance without collateral. I'd want 15+1 in that situation. Pick the right tool for the job.

 

[bacagator]

I certainly would prefer to carry a .40 over the 9mm, however being that both are so popular and ammo is readily available, in my opinion it would come down to whichever one you feel the most comfortable with and can shoot accurately. I was a reserve deputy sheriff in the mid nineties, at the time regulars carried g17's, we weren't allowed semi's. I carried my S & W 686. I thought that I could shoot my G23 better, so just for the hell of it, I asked our range master to let me run the course with both. To my surprise, I shot much better with my 357. Comes down to which one you can shoot...I carry a Kimber Pro Tactical .45, which is my preferred caliber.

 

[bacagator]

:lazy2:

 

[Glockster20]

Glock 27 loaded with Cor-Bon .40 S&W 135 GR. JHP 1325 FPS/526 FTLBS. No worries at all.

 

[MP3Mogul]

"Never" is a strong word to ues. Let's suppose that all of your other guns are unavailable, maybe in the shop, etc. All you have available to you is your 9mm. Would you then walk around unarmed?

A 9mm wouldn't be my first choice of a personal defense firearm, however I would never say that I would "never" carry one. :wink: Loaded with the propper ammo, it can be quite an effective firearm. A fellow firearms instructor has a saying "A 9mm carried is better than a .45 left at home."



gf

Never is what I meant.... there is no need for me to carry a 9mm... I have too many other choices.... there is no way that all of my guns would be in the shop at the same time. Your philosophy could perhaps work with someone with 2 or 3 guns.... but I have many many more than listed in my signature...

And while I agree, many people carry the 9mm and it's a great choice for them... it's just not for me personally.

 

[whiskey]

40s&w.....

 

[shane34652]

I carry the Glock 32 which is .357 sig. But it dosen't matter as long there is only one side of the story to tell. Yours!

 

[Grayfox]

Of the two choices, I pick the 9mm. With good exspanding bullet loads, it'll get the job done. For that matter, I'm also a great fan of the .38 Special. I find it interesting that some people consider both inferior cartridges when both have a proven track record over a period of about 100 years.
There is no magic caliber that will bring the bad guy down every time. A .22 in the right spot will make 'em just as dead as a .500 S&W. Granted, bigger bullets do indeed make bigger holes. They also allow for a bigger margin of error. But no matter what you're using, its all for naught unless you do your part. Shot placement is far more important than caliber. Go with what you can shoot well.
When I carry a semi-auto, more often than not it'll be a .45acp. I like the round and I shoot it well. The fact that it makes big holes is just a bonus. For that matter, I sometimes carry a .380. and don't consider myself undergunned at all. Agian it all goes back to what you can shoot well and feel confident with.

Having said all that, I have to admit that I don't like the .40 S&W. In fact, I consider it an un-necessary cartridge. Oh yes, I have owned one. Back when it first came out I bought into all the hype hook, line and sinker. .45 POWER with 9mm CAPACITY! Yeah, right. However, I soon discovered that I couldn't shoot it nearly as well as I could a 9mm or a .45acp. Oh I tried. I spent about two years testing factory ammo and just about every listed reload I could find. Yet in the end, I shot better and more comfortably with either the 9 or the .45.
Consider this, the .40 S&W is, was and always will be a compromise. An in between round intended to fill a niche that didn't exist. It came into existance because the FBI found that many of its agents couldn't handle the 10mm. So they got Smith & Wesson to shorten and weaken the 10mm and the .40 S&W was born. This also gave birth to the .40s nickname as the ".40 Short & Weak".
Now I know alot of great cartridges were developed based on another existing round. But how many do you know of that came about by making the parent cartridge LESS than what it was? Makes no sense to me.
The other great lie about the .40 is that its so great because it'll fit into a 9mm platform. Ok, so it will fit into a smaller frame than a .45acp. But then you have to add weight and bulk to the slide to handle the .40s recoil. What you end up with is a slightly smaller gun that weighs just as much, if not more, than a .45.
Now take a look at all the various compact .45s out there today. So what advantage does the .40 offer over these? Answer: none.
Finally, lets look at shootability. The .40 recoils more than the 9mm but less than the .45acp. However, the .40s recoil is considerably sharper than the .45s which results in more muzzle flip. The .45s recoil is more of a push while the .40 is more of a snap. So if you find the recoil of the .40 uncomfortable, then by all means go with a 9mm. However, if you don't have a problem with the .40s recoil, then you shouldn't have any trouble shooting a .45. Agian I ask, what's the advantage of the .40 S&W? Agian the answer is none.
In summation, the .40 is an in between, compromise cartridge than offers no real advantage over either the 9mm or the .45acp. Therefore it has no real practical purpose.

Ok, I'll just sit back and let the flames begin. That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it.
But hey, what do I know? I'm usually carring a revolver loaded with .38 specials. :biggrin:

 

[pianomistro]

I carry the Glock 32 which is .357 sig. But it dosen't matter as long there is only one side of the story to tell. Yours!

I agree. I own a p226 in .357 sig, and it is plenty powerful enough to stop whatever I want. Problem is with that, .357 tends to keep on goin', even with JHP ammo, so I've been thinking about getting the .40 S&W conversion barrel for "safer stopping power". I wouldn't carry a 9 for the reason of the .40 just being that much stronger.