.40 or 9mm

[Deezul]

Buying first gun m&p in either 9mm or .40. For range use and home defense. Any reason not to go .40?

 

[koydog]

why not go 40, well lets see because you could go 45

 

[Mike_]

Aside from all of the 40 haters, the only advantage to 9mm is having a few extra shots, but with and M&P (no pre-ban mags) - its not going to happen if you live in MA.

 

[Mike_]

why not go 40, well lets see because you could go 45

That's what I did

 

[bbarer]

Buy the M&P .40 it can easily be converted to 9mm by changing the barrel and magazines. Google it there are numerous articles online showing it is easily done. You cannot however convert the 9 to a .40...

 

[Madball13]

Start Here:

http://www.vintagepistols.com/40isbad.html

 

[Keystone]

9mm ammo is cheaper, for the moment, and is also (slightly) easier to shoot.

If you want the .40, get the .40. I got the 9mm, because I wanted a 9mm.

 

[MichaelJR]

 

[Boston_Shooter]

Compact? Either way, get the trigger done ASAP. I let a fellow NESr shoot my M&P 40c with no trigger job, and after 2 shots he laughed at me, lol.

 

[Diskothek]

Buy whichever caliber you feel more comfortable shooting with. 9mm is a little cheaper for the range, but its not a big difference. Consider getting a .22 for range use as well, lots of fun for cheap.

 

[jefftk]

Buying first gun m&p in either 9mm or .40. For range use and home defense. Any reason not to go .40?

If you are getting the full size M&P then why not go .45? If you will not carry it then full size is probably the way to go. A box (of 50) of .45 is usually about $5 more than a box of .40 from what I"ve seen.
If you are getting the M&P compact, then .40 would probably be better for home defense.
I can tell you that .40 compact has more recoil than the .45 full size since it is a smaller/lighter gun.

I got an M&P compact .40 as my first handgun. I went and tried a few out at S&W shooting sports center in Springfield first. I decided I wanted the compact for concealed carry, and then .40 because if I am going to be limited to 10 rounds (in MA) I might as well have the biggest rounds I can for defensive purposes. If I was able to get >10 rounds with 9mm I probably would have gone with that.

Many people will say that you should get 9mm for a first gun since it is easier to handle than a .40. Whatever. I took the position that if that is true then maybe I won't be as good of a shot starting out, but I should be able to get over it with enough practice. Whenever I tell someone I got the .40 compact they almost always feel compelled to tell me they like the 9mm better cause its easier to handle. I honestly haven't tried a 9mm M&P so I'm not sure how much truth there is to that. Unless you are limp-wristed with tiny hands I am skeptical that it will be a big issue for you.

 

[jefftk]

Buy the M&P .40 it can easily be converted to 9mm by changing the barrel and magazines. Google it there are numerous articles online showing it is easily done. You cannot however convert the 9 to a .40...

Hmm I will have to look in to this. Has anyone here successfully tried this?

ETA: A quick search revealed this: http://www.storm-lake.com/products/barrel/builder/SW#top
a 9mm conversion barrel is $160. I saw some people on a different forum claiming that the .40 may not function reliably running 9mm because of different extractor and head spacing. Any truth to this?

 

[Dradian]

Go to a range and shoot them both. Decide for yourself what you like more. Both will kill with good aim and good ammo.

Asking a forum decide will always turn into "Chevy vs. Ford" type of debate.

sent from tapatalk mobile app

 

[M1911]

Aside from all of the 40 haters, the only advantage to 9mm is having a few extra shots

9mm is cheaper and has less felt recoil. Go with 9mm.

 

[drumenigma]

I think both calibers are perfectly fine. You'll probably spend less on practice ammo for the 9mm though as it tends to be a little cheaper.

 

[BradM]

That is the most illogical contribution to an argument I have ever seen in my life.

QFT

 

[Deezul]

45 isn't out of the realm of possibility but 40 seemed in between. Not going compact for the first pistol. That will happen eventually. It will get an Apex trigger asap

 

[Dench]

I'd rather no gun then an M&P in 9 or 40.

 

[william_munny]

With those choices, I'd go with 9mm. It's your first gun, so 9mm will be cheaper to shoot and it'll be less snappy.

 

[MJM]

I'd rather no gun then an M&P in 9 or 40.

hunh?

 

[admcd]

With those choices, I'd go with 9mm. It's your first gun, so 9mm will be cheaper to shoot and it'll be less snappy.

Please forgive my ignorance, and partial hijacking of this thread, but what do people mean when they say .40 is "snappy?" Is it something that can be described? Or do I need to put on my big boy pants and rent something from AFS larger than a 9mm?

Thanks.

AM

 

[Keystone]

That is the most illogical contribution to an argument I have ever seen in my life.

Well, in my experience, EC seems to know what he's talking about, and that's his site...so..it must be true. I read it on the interwebs.

I don't own a .40 because I have no use for one. If I want cheap ammo, I'll run my .22 or 9mm. If I want to put bigger holes in something, I'll use my .45s. Maybe someday I'll find a need, and get one. It really comes down to personal preference. .40 is a bit snappier, and more expensive, but will put a larger hole in your target. 9mm is cheaper and more plentiful, but some feel that isn't as good a defensive round (which is very debatable, especially with modern ammo). I take sugar in my tea, some people like honey. Which is right?

Whatever you do - shoot the one you pick before you buy it, just in case you decide you don't like it.

 

[Keystone]

Please forgive my ignorance, and partial hijacking of this thread, but what do people mean when they say .40 is "snappy?" Is it something that can be described? Or do I need to put on my big boy pants and rent something from AFS larger than a 9mm?

Thanks.

AM

Sorry for the double post -
.40 cal has a sharper recoil impulse than 9mm. Compare it to a slap vs a hard push. Both are controllable, it's just something to keep in mind if you are recoil sensitive.

 

[eisenhow]

I'd rather no gun then an M&P in 9 or 40.

Perhaps you should learn the difference between then and than. After that we can move up to move advanced topics like the difference between two, to, and too. Once those are mastered you can tackle the[STRIKE]y[/STRIKE] real brainteaser: there, their, and they're.

 

[M1911]

Please forgive my ignorance, and partial hijacking of this thread, but what do people mean when they say .40 is "snappy?" Is it something that can be described?

To me it has significantly more felt recoil than a 9mm in the same size gun. A Glock 19 is a pussy cat to shoot. I find my Glock 23 to be unpleasant.

Or do I need to put on my big boy pants and rent something from AFS larger than a 9mm?

Different people feel recoil differently, so I do recommend trying one yourself.

 

[admcd]

Thanks for the clarification!

AM

 

[Madball13]

All kidding aside, i would go with 9mm.
40 is only slightly more powerful than a 9mm.
Since i carry as many bullets as possible with me in 2 mags i go with 9mm, 35 rounds.

 

[Madball13]

Perhaps you should learn the difference between then and than. After that we can move up to move advanced topics like the difference between two, to, and too. Once those are mastered you can tackle they real brainteaser: there, their, and they're.

If your going to bash grammar and spelling, you might want to be proficient yourself first.

 

[Boston_Shooter]

Perhaps you should learn the difference between then and than. After that we can move up to move advanced topics like the difference between two, to, and too. Once those are mastered you can tackle they real brainteaser: there, their, and they're.

As annoying as Grammar Nazis are, this was pretty funny.

 

[Boston_Shooter]

If your going to bash grammar and spelling, you might want to be proficient yourself first.

To be fair, he didn't mention spelling, lol.