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40s&w vs 9mm which do you carry

22K views 110 replies 91 participants last post by  Rock and Glock 
#1 ·
Hi everyone. I was just wondering what your thoughts are on the 40s&w vs the 9mm. Which one you prefer to carry and why. I carry a 40 because I like the extra knock down power vs the 9mm and just like the way that a 40 feels when fired. I love the 9mm and have a T series Browning Hi Power and have always loved it, but I think that with the extra knock down power with only having to give up a couple rounds if any make the 40 a better choice for me.
 
#45 ·
The reason that 9mm didn't work was because of their shot placement. .40 S&W or 10mm would not have done any better.
 
#34 ·
I own and carry both. Mostly Glocks and a couple of HKs. The gun I carry the most is the Glock 26, although I shoot the Glock 27 very well. I find the capacity issue compelling. I throw a Glock +2 magazine on my 26 and it's a 13-shot 9mm with a 3.62 inch polygonal barrel. That's a powerful little package, nearly rivaling a service-type pistol. I can carry a 17 or 19 round Glock 17 magazine in a coat pocket or glove box. It comes down to personal preference. Both calibers work if you can hit with them.
Firearm Gun Trigger Starting pistol Airsoft gun
 
#40 ·
I carry a 9mm. The chances of me needing it for self-defense are pretty slim. The chance of me needing to actually shoot someone with it in self-defense are even more slim. I shoot it at the range a ton though, so the cost of ammo plays a huge role. This was also one of my first pistols. If I had bought a 40, I wouldn't have had nearly as much practice and wouldn't be nearly as good of a shot as I am with my 9mm.
 
#41 ·
9mm vs .40 S&W

This sums it up for me.

124 gr. Gold Dots in 9mm and 165 gr. Gold Dots in .40 S&W.

Regards,

OS
One of the guys in my camp, Rick Simes of Memphis P.D., did some extensive testing a few years back based around the FBI protocol. He concluded that the 9mm 124 Gold Dot Standard Load’s performance rivaled that of the .40 S&W.

As I recall, they both penetrated 13” in ballistic gelatin. The .40 mushroomed out to around .67” to .68” in expansion. The 9mm opened up to around .65” to .66” on average. You’d need a digital caliper to tell the difference.

We find it’s accurate, soft shooting and my students have much better hit rates with it over the .40 S&W.

Is bigger better? Hell, yeah. But when it comes to qualification scores, many people struggle with the bigger calibers. :frown:
 
#43 ·
VBVAGUY no body armor worn that I am aware of.

Just two guys with the will to fight.
 
#48 ·
9mm! I own 5 of them. I don't own any .40. Why? Because the .40 has too much recoil, and it cost more to shoot. The 9mm is cheaper to shoot, easier to shoot, and can do the job just as well as the .40 can. Remember, shot placement is king.
 
#53 ·
it took about 10 seconds for this to become another ridiculous thread filled with the same old "facts" and "data" people find, misunderstand, mis-interpret, or fabricate to make themselves feel better about a decision they've already made.

just carry something you shoot well and be happy with it.

[huge terminal ballistics yawn]
 
#54 ·
Does anyone have any info/data on 9mm vs .40 when it comes to penetration of hard objects like car doors, wall studs, etc...

I can think of many scenarios when I would want greater penetration of hard objects, for instance a car jacking. Then again, many scenarios when I would not want to penetrate them... like shooting a home invader with other loved ones inside the house.
 
#60 ·
9mm Luger: European popgun round that’s only popular because the ammo is cheap for a center fire cartridge. Cheap ammo is a good thing for 9mm aficionados, because anything bigger and more dangerous than a cranky raccoon will likely require multiple well-placed hits. Wildly popular all over the world, mostly in countries where people don’t carry guns and cops don’t have to actually shoot people with theirs.

.40S&W: Neutered compromise version of a compromise cartridge (10mm). Even more setback-happy than the .45ACP, and setbacks are much more dangerous because of higher pressure and smaller case volume. Manages to sacrifice both the capacity of the 9mm and the bullet diameter of the .45. Twice the recoil of the 9mm for 10% more muzzle energy.

Unless you mean the 9mm Kurtz, then:
9mm Kurz: Designed by people who thought the 9mm Luger was a bit too brisk and snappy, which is pretty much all that needs to be said here. Great round if you expect to only ever be attacked by people less than seven inches thick from front to back.

:wink: It's all good, I carry the .40S&W, but have nothing against a 9mm, I even own one in case a cranky raccoon comes around :image035:. It really comes down to personal preference, to each his own, every post here is a IMHO type post, whether they state it or not. Either caliber will do the job if you do yours, it is as simple as that, so it truly does come down to what feels good in your hand and which do you shoot well.
 
#61 ·
What do you shoot better?

There is so much press about knock-down and one-shot stopping power but the reality is, if the SHTF I certainly do not plan on shooting just one round! 2-9mm beat 1-.40 or 1-.45 any day!

With that said, I carry both (and a .45 or .380 depending on the conditions) and never feel under gunned.

Carry what you can shoot well and ignore what all the "armchair experts" tell you is best.

Dave
 
#64 ·
Me, I carry 9mm right now, but when I get a chance to get to the range to test out my new M&P 45, and if it passes muster, and I get a holster for it, I will be carrying that one most of the time and my PF9 will become my alternate for situations when the full size .45 is just too big to conceal. But then again, if I can hit things better with my 9mm over my .45 then I will likely stay with my 9mm. Better to be able to hit what you are firing at than to have a bigger caliber and not be able to hit the broad side of a barn.
 
#65 ·
FWIW: I used to shoot with Evan Marshall back when he was a Sgt. on the Detroit Police Department. That was back in the mid 1970's when Detroit was the "Murder Capital of the World"... :blink:

He is a very kind, gentle, unassuming man who knows far more about actual shootings from first hand experience than most of the experts around today. I was disappointed when the FBI dissed his findings. :frown:

IMHO, what is missing from much of the data collected today is the actual shot placement of the round or rounds fired.

BOTTOM LINE: It all comes down to shot placement, shot placement and shot placement...Did I mention shot placement? :confused:
 
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