9 vs 40? seems like a lot of 40s around and no 9s?

[BOBKATT]

I'll take an accurately placed 9mm over badly placed .40 or .45 any day.

I'd say this is a fair statement, and I agree with you. I'd also tend to hope that the first shot of any caliber would be just as accurate as any other given the same situation. This is obviously because the first shot has no recoil recovery to deal with before pulling the trigger.

That said, I like the idea that my first shot fired to defend my life would be a .45 ACP with the same accuracy as if it were the first shot of 9mm.

 

[drgrant]

Unfortunately I have the disease where I like:

.38, .38+P, .357 Mag, .357 Sig, 9mm, .40 S+W, 10mm Auto, .45 ACP......

I'm comfortable with any of them and don't really have a lot of disdain for
any of em, either.

Even the often-bashed .40 has it's place, even if it often seems like it's just
in between them all. It's a good defensive caliber, it's great on stubborn plates, , and also good for some other gun games. In a pinch
it will even take down fresh bowling pins.

The only cartridge I dislike is .25 ACP. I have no use for it at all. About the only time I would fathom buying one is if it was some kind of rare collectible.

-Mike

 

[Cuz]

IMO .40s get abandoned more often because newbs buy them (after their fudd buddies all tell them "9mm ain't good enough get a .40 son!" but aren't really prepared to deal with the added recoil and muzzle flip. A lot of people that bought them have done so without firing one beforehand or they buy it as a first gun and get frustrated with it faster. They say "I can't hit anything with this gun!" but they're just flinching and jerking like mad, most of the time, because they haven't become acclimated to the way the thing works.
-Mike

I think this is the prime reason so many Glock 23's wind up in the classifieds...
-Cuz.

 

[Cuz]

My first pistol buy was my Glock 22 40S&W. At first it was a little intimidating and I had someone comment something like, "That's a good amount of gun for your first." But now that I've shot it a decent amount I like it a lot. The only other pistol I have right now is my Glock 26 9mm. It's definitely a totally different animal for many reasons. Let's just say that it's not my 26 that I keep with a mag at the ready in case someone breaks in. I'd want the BG to go down the first time and not have a split second to do something that I wouldn't want him doing.

This is not a fair comparison. I'd be willing to bet the reason your G26 is not the gun you "keep at the ready" has nothing to do with the fact that it's a 9mm and everything to do with the fact that it's so small you can't get a good solid grip on it to shoot accurately and swiftly. I would bet that if you shot both a G22 and the similar G17 you would not care at all which one you had "at the ready" as both would feel identical when you shot them.
-Cuz.

 

[Cuz]

I prefer the .40 long.

Ha! Half of me wants to buy a Glock 20 in the worst way. The other half is scared to death of firing a full power round in such a light weight plastic gun...

Right now, only the cost of factory ".40 long" is keeping me from buying one.

-Cuz.

 

[DickWanner]

I prefer the .40 long.

Amen. My first handgun was a G29 and I still shoot that more accurately with light loads than my G22 or even my G24 with the extra sight radius. Some may not recommend a 10mm for a first handgun, but I've never had an issue with too much recoil or muzzle flip (I hold my guns). I just started shooting DT ammo after only shooting M&M reloads (more like .40short&weak in a 10) and I absolutely love the stuff. If only I had an area that I could set up reloading equipment [sad2]

 

[DickWanner]

Ha! Half of me wants to buy a Glock 20 in the worst way. The other half is scared to death of firing a full power round in such a light weight plastic gun...

Right now, only the cost of factory ".40 long" is keeping me from buying one.

-Cuz.

I think it's all hype. DT ammo made my hand a little tingly, but in a good way like you get tingly in other places.

I also heard from some people who own both a G20 and the G29 that the G29 has better recoil control which I believe is becuase of the super effective double recoil spring used in the subcompact Glocks. I'm holding out for a G20L slide from LWD. I would but a G20 just to take off the slide and make it a G20L. Then I'd have them fit my G20 slide to work on my G29 so I can have a G29L. Having a G29L and a G20L would be downright wicked. Okay I'm just rambling now

 

[drgrant]

Ha! Half of me wants to buy a Glock 20 in the worst way. The other half is scared to death of firing a full power round in such a light weight plastic gun...

It's not as bad as they make it out to be. Just make sure the gun fits
your hand before you buy it. That's the only reason I got rid of my G29, is
the way it recoiled it made an area near my thumb get sore after prolonged
firing, which I didn't like.

That aside, the recoil even with full power loads really is not that
bad. If you've fired a .40 cal glock with full power loads, think of that
recoil feel and then add 0-10% depending on load. Frankly a S+W
642 with .38 +P loads hurts way more than a G29 or G20 does.

-Mike

 

[Arioch]

Debatable.

One could also say that the 9mm has no purpose.

Sure it does. It's to put little holes in things behind your target!

 

[Joe R.]

I prefer the .40 long.

You're not the only 1!

Joe R.

 

[Mike-Mike]

My 2 cents----

.40 can be a great defense load but expensive to shoot.

9mm can be good at both.

I have an old 9mm and I love it.

I just got a .40 and there are plenty of days I wish it was a 9mm... Like when I am at the register.

Good luck

 

[Joe R.]

Ha! Half of me wants to buy a Glock 20 in the worst way. The other half is scared to death of firing a full power round in such a light weight plastic gun...

Right now, only the cost of factory ".40 long" is keeping me from buying one.

-Cuz.

The G20 I bought at the Springfield show isn't light. If I compare it to the Delta Elite, the Delta has a few more ounces on it but the G20 has enough mass on it to keep things controlable...if you can grip the gun properly. This seems to be the biggest complaint of the G20/G21 series of pistols - the size/width. Heck, my G29 weighs more than my G17 does or at least feels that way! It's a handful that does tingle with some rounds but it's a good tingle!

Joe R.

 

[dwarven1]

One could also say that the 9mm has no purpose.

Cheaper practice than a .45. And IDPA.

I bought my M&P9 specifically for the cheap ammo costs.

Yeah, that's why I dropped $300 on a CZ75B - something cheap to shoot with a little more bang than a .22.

 

[Ripach]

A more important question is once one decides on caliber, do you go with a 1911 style gun or a Glock?

 

[Scrivener]

A more important question is once one decides on caliber, do you go with a 1911 style gun or a Glock?

Depends.

Do you want a firearm, or an appliance?

 

[PaulD]

Depends.

Do you want a firearm, or an appliance?

So a Glock is an appliance and not a firearm? Thanks for clarifying that.

 

[Mikey]

9mm all the way. Those who claim it's ineffective obviously have never shot anyone with it. It'll do the trick, just get that "one-shot stop" mentality way out of your mind and you'll be fine. I choose 9mm because it's cheap, less recoil, higher capacity, plus with some good 124grian HP it'll put BG down for good.

Do you pee sitting down too?

No love for the .357 Magnum, eh?

Carry it everyday!

Cheaper practice than a .45. And IDPA.

Good point.


With all that being said I have the most fun with the 1911 and M&P45 sitting in my safe right now. Also just to rub it in a little more for you 9mm guys, the 1911 is my wife's.

 

[EddieCoyle]

A more important question is once one decides on caliber, do you go with a 1911 style gun or a Glock?

Both. A Glock for carry and a 1911 for the range.

 

[Fsorrent]

Mikey,

I only pee sitting down if I'm dropping a big duece Besides, I don't need to overcompensate for having smaller appendages by gettin a large, expensive caliber. all in good fun!

 

[Supermoto]

.38 super, can't go wrong with a round that has super in its name

 

[M1911]

A more important question is once one decides on caliber, do you go with a 1911 style gun or a Glock?

Clearly, the only answer for that is "yes!"

I've got 7 of the former and 3 of the later.

 

[Xak]

Big .357Sig fan here. Less kick than the .40, just more noise. I'm just as fast on target with my Sig P239 in .357 as I am with my P99AS 9mm. I just run out of ammo sooner. [sad2]

My P99AS is an extremely durable, accurate, reliable modern appliance. Much more reliable than any antique.

 

[Ripach]

Do you pee sitting down too?

Yes, better to be facing the door with a 9mm in my hand then to be facing the wall with my Johnson in it.

Not my line but I've heard it repeated often enough.

 

[Mr Weebles]

I love my XD-40. The recoil isn't bad.

If, God forbid, I ever have to shoot someone in an act of lawful self-defense, it will certainly do the job.

 

[ARguably]

I have one of each,,, but I like shooting the .40

 

[Jay G]

I love my WD-40. The recoil isn't bad.

If, God forbid, I ever have to shoot someone in an act of lawful self-defense, it will certainly do the job.

Do you often fantasize about shooting people with water dispersing agents?

(Oh, wait, that's how I read it...)

 

[Mr Weebles]

Do you often fantasize about shooting people with water dispersing agents?

(Oh, wait, that's how I read it...)

In that case, I'll type slower next time so you can keep up.

 

[x-frog-22]

i shoot a glock G20 10mm, in IDPA ,with a LoneWolf conversion brl in 40cal. But i carry a J frame 442 +p 24/7

 

[jhblaze1]

I don't get all the hostility towards the .40. Not as big as .45, true but i doubt anyone would be able to tell the difference if they were shot by one or the other.

 

[Fsorrent]

I don't get all the hostility towards the .40. Not as big as .45, true but i doubt anyone would be able to tell the difference if they were shot by one or the other.

I'm pretty sure the guy getting shot wouldn't know the difference between getting hit with any bullet for that matter. Seeing how gangbangers have been killing eachother with .380's and 9mm's I think the whole caliber war crap is a farce. It doesn't matter. hit what your aiming at a lot of times and it will go down, period! I know ammo prices are high, but I'm not going to limit the rounds I'm putting into a BG because of it