.40 or .45 that is the question

[whiteboycustom]

I own a Springfield XD 45. My reason at the time was my father-in-law reloaded 45 or 9mm, so I didnt want to get a 40s&w if I couldn't have reloads, but now I am reloading my own bullets..... I carry a 9mm at work and hate it with a passion I feel like I am shooting a bb gun. I love the 45cal bullet for the impact and scare factor. I had a person at a gun shop show me the differents in hollow point bullets from 357, 9mm, 40s&w, and 45cal. It was impressive the size a 45cal bullet after impact, it looks like the size of a quarter and the 40 look like a small nickle.... I feel if I have to shoot some one I want them to know they have been shot which everything points to that with a 45. However, this is all my opinion.....

xd45 can be converted to a .400 corbon with a barrel switch.....similar ballistics to a 10mm

[Chad C]

My good friend and hunting partner is a Sheriff and goes up against dirtbags every day. He is issued a .40 and his backup and personal weapons are all .40.

You'll find a million threads with the arguments pro and con on gun forums.

That's what makes it interesting. I have several DPS buddies that are in Fraud these days. Their duty weapon is .357 Sig, but they all carry LCP off duty.

[westguy76]

I won't carry it unless it is comfortable enough or easy enough to conceal. because if not then you will find yourself an excuse for not carrying.
I carry a kahr pm9 black diamond

[xman59]

It is historically informative in that the Miami FBI shootout led to the invention of the .40S&W.

The rest was just opinion and for the most part unproven or meaningless.

you are correct,,,
the first response by the fbi was to load the 9 mm with heavier bullets to increase its penetration capabilities,, problem there was velocity suffered so much that they found expansion was an iffy thing, so the choice of the 10mm, and it is true many of the agents were not capable of handling the recoil of the 10mm,, that lead to the fbi"whimp" load, which opened the door for ther 40 cal, which from day one many people and manufacturers have tried to get the velocity up on it so that expansion was better, the 180 gr loads in the beggining did not offer much more that the heavy 9mm loads, so the weight changes started taking place to balance out the penetration with more reliable expansion.
i have carried all three and found the 10mm to be the clear advantage with full power loads which now are very hard to find,, for the most part the 10mm has been lawyered down to not much more than the 40 cal.

the best answer is the pistol you like the best in the biggest caliber you can handle efficently and afford to practice with.........

[Txarrowhunter]

The 45ACP...........only because they don't make a 46 or 47. !

Very informative...theres always one in the crowd!

[KSHogman]

45

[Dallascowboys]

not trying to argue but i own a 40 and 45 my glock 21 has the push recoil like stated above versus the snap of the g22 but my ? is that guy stated the 9 the 40 and the 45 have the same terminal ballistics is that true? i got my 45 for more stopping power every where you read they say a 45 has more stopping power heck its a bigger round how could it not just was wondering if there is any truth to that cause if there aint i dont see why everyone dont use 9mm they dont kick at all and you can load a crap load of rounds in them i just like having a thumper like stated above

[SOLID EAGLE]

I won't carry it unless it is comfortable enough or easy enough to conceal. because if not then you will find yourself an excuse for not carrying.
I carry a kahr pm9 black diamond

Bingo!! A Glock 17 may hold more rounds than a 1911 Commander, but if it's so big and uncomfortable that you leave it in the truck or house, what good is it for concealed carry? The "best" is the one on your hip that you are proficient with and that will go boom, when needed, every time.

[Chad C]

not trying to argue but i own a 40 and 45 my glock 21 has the push recoil like stated above versus the snap of the g22 but my ? is that guy stated the 9 the 40 and the 45 have the same terminal ballistics is that true? i got my 45 for more stopping power every where you read they say a 45 has more stopping power heck its a bigger round how could it not just was wondering if there is any truth to that cause if there aint i dont see why everyone dont use 9mm they dont kick at all and you can load a crap load of rounds in them i just like having a thumper like stated above

Proficiency and comfort is the key! It is meant for personal protection, not urban warfare. If urban warfare were to ensue, most of us have much bigger toys that would come into play.

.380 will do the job, 9mm will do the job, .40 will do the job, and .45 will do the job

So, if they'll all do the job, why not carry the smallest with a devastating round?

Yes, the stopping power from 9mm - .45 ACP is so close it's not worth arguing over.

[wsteffen]

1911 45 acp.... they go together like peas and carrots.

That's a definite.

Can't beat the reliability of a 1911 or the weight of a 45

Aside from ballistics, the velocity of a nine or 40 mean that they will generally go through a body and a few walls besides, that could be very dangerous. I like a bullet that stops when it hits.

[Felix40]

Proficiency and comfort is the key! It is meant for personal protection, not urban warfare. If urban warfare were to ensue, most of us have much bigger toys that would come into play.

.380 will do the job, 9mm will do the job, .40 will do the job, and .45 will do the job

So, if they'll all do the job, why not carry the smallest with a devastating round?

Yes, the stopping power from 9mm - .45 ACP is so close it's not worth arguing over.

There is a huge difference between .380/9mm and .40/.45. Anyone who has shot an animal with them knows this. Kind of like the .223 vs the 22-250. On paper they look pretty similar but in real life there is no comparison.

[AtTheWall]

Cuz the 45 lets you shoot rat shot if you want to.

[Chad C]

There is a huge difference between .380/9mm and .40/.45. Anyone who has shot an animal with them knows this. Kind of like the .223 vs the 22-250. On paper they look pretty similar but in real life there is no comparison.

I've done it... Dead cow made for a nice back stop, multiple wounds with each round and cut them out!

Every one of them would work in self defense and has. The .40 can perform parallel to the .45 in actual damage and penetration.

The only difference in .380 to 9mm is less powder… If I have to draw and shoot a person, they’re going to be close after all, it was in self defense.

[tvc184]

not trying to argue but i own a 40 and 45 my glock 21 has the push recoil like stated above versus the snap of the g22 but my ? is that guy stated the 9 the 40 and the 45 have the same terminal ballistics is that true? i got my 45 for more stopping power every where you read they say a 45 has more stopping power heck its a bigger round how could it not just was wondering if there is any truth to that cause if there aint i dont see why everyone dont use 9mm they dont kick at all and you can load a crap load of rounds in them i just like having a thumper like stated above

Yes, it is true. When fired into flesh simulating ballistic gelatin, they all have similar penetration depth and expansion. Modern engineering of ammo has come a long way from solid lead or full metal jacket rounds.

The idea of "stopping power" or "knock down power" or "energy expended in the body" from common self defense pistol rounds is a myth. You die or are incapacitated from bleeding to death or turning off the light switch with a shot to the central nervous system (brain or spinal column). You increase your chances of making a person bleed from a major artery or vein by going deep into the body. Given equal depth of penetration at a given location, the one that expands more will usually do more damage. As stated, with modern ammo most of the good ammo on the market has very similar results in both depth and expansion.

There are other factors like the .40 and .45 tend to go through auto windshields better than the 9mm. If you intend to stand in front of a speeding vehicle and try to stop it with a kill shot on the driver (not sure how that will stop a speeding vehicle) then the larger two in the tests that I have seen are much better. I personally don't intend to stand in front of a vehicle that is speeding toward me but if that is your desire, the 9mm will not likely perform as well as the others. In flesh? Yes. In car windshields? No.

[krtnorris]

Funny I am a .45 man till I die. But some places I can't carry my 1911. So I go with the smaller cal. With that being said. I have heard of no one voluntering to get shot buy a .380 a 9mm or a .40. The best caliber to get is one you will carry everyday! They all have their limits, round capacity, powder, bullet weight, and velocity. Nothing is perfect. Just know your weapon and use it smartly.