9mm vs .40 vs .45

[Machias]

One needs to ask their self.

What would I rather be shot with? 9mm, .40 or .45?

Then go to the other end of the spectrum and holster it up. A 9mm may expand but a .45 bullet sure isn't going to get any smaller.

I would rather start at 230grs and .451 caliber.  Than 125grs and .355 caliber.

I'd rather not be shot by any of them.

However, if I ask myself this...would I rather the bad guy be holding a 9mm, .40 or .45.... I would rather him have the .40 or .45...two reasons....  less rounds and probably slower or less accuracy from the shooter. 

Is that why the majority of Law Enforcement carry .40s? 

[jackelope]

Agreed.  This is why I bought a 9mm on my 21st birthday and not a 40 or 45.  I would rather have 16 rounds vs 7 or 8.

I have 15 rounds of .40   

Dunno.

[jackelope]

One needs to ask their self.

What would I rather be shot with? 9mm, .40 or .45?

Then go to the other end of the spectrum and holster it up. A 9mm may expand but a .45 bullet sure isn't going to get any smaller.

I would rather start at 230grs and .451 caliber.  Than 125grs and .355 caliber.

I'd rather not be shot by any of them.

However, if I ask myself this...would I rather the bad guy be holding a 9mm, .40 or .45.... I would rather him have the .40 or .45...two reasons....  less rounds and probably slower or less accuracy from the shooter. 

My .40 holds 1 less round than the same gun in 9mm. I don't follow your 1st reason.

[Machias]

My .40 has 15+1 rounds.

[huntnphool]

One needs to ask their self.

What would I rather be shot with? 9mm, .40 or .45?

Then go to the other end of the spectrum and holster it up. A 9mm may expand but a .45 bullet sure isn't going to get any smaller.

I would rather start at 230grs and .451 caliber.  Than 125grs and .355 caliber.

I'd rather not be shot by any of them.

However, if I ask myself this...would I rather the bad guy be holding a 9mm, .40 or .45.... I would rather him have the .40 or .45...two reasons....  less rounds and probably slower or less accuracy from the shooter. 

Is that why the majority of Law Enforcement carry .40s? 

Its more about the low ball bid for the contract than by choice, kind of like buying vehicles for the dept. patrol cars, they don't always get a choice.

Several of my buddy's carry FiveSevens for personal defense weapons but have different dept. issue pieces.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

One needs to ask their self.

What would I rather be shot with? 9mm, .40 or .45?

Then go to the other end of the spectrum and holster it up. A 9mm may expand but a .45 bullet sure isn't going to get any smaller.

I would rather start at 230grs and .451 caliber.  Than 125grs and .355 caliber.

I'd rather not be shot by any of them.

However, if I ask myself this...would I rather the bad guy be holding a 9mm, .40 or .45.... I would rather him have the .40 or .45...two reasons....  less rounds and probably slower or less accuracy from the shooter. 

My .40 holds 1 less round than the same gun in 9mm. I don't follow your 1st reason.

I will take the extra round in the same gun .

[DBHAWTHORNE]

One needs to ask their self.

What would I rather be shot with? 9mm, .40 or .45?

Then go to the other end of the spectrum and holster it up. A 9mm may expand but a .45 bullet sure isn't going to get any smaller.

I would rather start at 230grs and .451 caliber.  Than 125grs and .355 caliber.

I'd rather not be shot by any of them.

However, if I ask myself this...would I rather the bad guy be holding a 9mm, .40 or .45.... I would rather him have the .40 or .45...two reasons....  less rounds and probably slower or less accuracy from the shooter. 

Is that why the majority of Law Enforcement carry .40s? 

"Because they got conned into it.

Pistol gunsmiths and a handful of manufacturers were looking for a semi-automatic pistol round that would have the ballistics equal to the 357 magnum. They needed a rimless case to shoot through their auto-pistols. After playing with different designs, they came-up with the 10mm. . The gun was interesting but never caught-on until a guy started carrying one on the show Miami Vice.

So, the the 10mm started to catch-on.  An semi-auto pistol with 357 magnum ballistics! The FBI took the lead and determined that they would switch from their S&W model 19 and model 66 revolvers to a 10mm auto-pistol. S&W didn't want to lose their FBI contract so they started building the 10mm. There were several problems...the guns were falling apart and many agents couldn't handle the recoil.

So, the engineers at Smith & Wesson came-up with a solution.They CUT the case of the 10mm back and reduced the loadings for it. Now this would be a 10mm short, right? With less velocity and less energy. It really was a wimpy 10mm, but instead of calling it the 10mm short, they came up with a new name - the 40 S&W.

Of course the problem here is that it's really not what the FBI and law enforcement agencies really wanted in the first place. But after they proverbially got egg on their faces over adopting a new pistol cartridge AND pistol without doing any real "trials" to determine if it was any good...they just went with what was before them, the 40 S&W.

And that's the story of the 40 S&W. It was a result of a failed attempt by Smith & Wesson and the FBI to develop a super-duper auto-loading pistol round...that agents couldn't handle and that broke their guns in a short period of time.

Major law enforcement agencies usually do what the Feds do. So if it's good enough for J. Edgar Hoover's men...then by golly, it's good enough for the rest of the men and women that fight for truth, justice and the American way."

 

[dontgetcrabs]

My 45 holds 15+1.   

[Machias]

Yea they are just stupid and got conned.   

I started out shooting the S&W Model 15, .38 special, then carried the Beretta 9mm.  I hunt with a .44 sidearm.  I know I'm not special or really good but the .40 doesn't "seem" to me to have much recoil at all and I can put as many rounds in the 10 ring with it, just as quickly as I could with my Beretta.      Now I will give you the price difference, but since I got a couple of thousand free rounds from a good friend, I never gave the cost any thought. 

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Yea they are just stupid and got conned.   

I started out shooting the S&W Model 15, .38 special, then carried the Beretta 9mm.  I hunt with a .44 sidearm.  I know I'm not special or really good but the .40 doesn't "seem" to me to have much recoil at all and I can put as many rounds in the 10 ring with it, just as quickly as I could with my Beretta.      Now I will give you the price difference, but since I got a couple of thousand free rounds from a good friend, I never gave the cost any thought. 

Yeah.. I just typed in "Why does law enforcement use .40" in google and that was the response I got. 

Of a different note when I did that search I actually saw a number of articles of note and it appears many big city police forces are switching to the 9mm for many of the reasons I stated above.

[Machias]

Ok, you've convinced me just on the ammo price alone, I think I'll be buying the S&W M&P Shield in the 9mm.   

So what 9mm ammo do you like to practice with and what do you like to carry?

[huntnphool]

Ok, you've convinced me just on the ammo price alone, I think I'll be buying the S&W M&P Shield in the 9mm.   

So what 9mm ammo do you like to practice with and what do you like to carry?

Lots of choices in 9mm, hand size and magazine style makes a difference in a lot of cases.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Ok, you've convinced me just on the ammo price alone, I think I'll be buying the S&W M&P Shield in the 9mm.   

So what 9mm ammo do you like to practice with and what do you like to carry?

You are going to love the Shield whether you get it in .40 or 9mm.. great little weapon.

I use the 135 +P Critical Duty Ammo for my larger guns... My wife uses the Speer Gold Dot 124 gr JHP and I use the same one but +P in the shield

For practice ammo I use just about anything I can get my hands on.. (and of course I practice with our carry ammo as much as we can afford)... it eats it all. The only stuff I ever had an issue with was  Buffalo Bore and that was two rounds out of 100.

[Machias]

Thanks!!!

[Bofire]

  There is a lot of opinion/false info presented  on this thread.
I carry my 1911 45 cause I can clear a pin table in 2 seconds or less and bounce 1/2 gallon anti freeze jugs at 75-100 yards. It carries easy, is flat, hits hard, and I trust it. An easy couple thousand rounds thru the current carry and it works like new or better. I have owned all three, owned glocks, hammer drops, double/single action, Sigs, S&W, Berettas,Brownings, came back to the 1911's,  still think its the best ever. Carry what you can shoot!
All the opinion about killing performance of various rounds is bull crap, carry what you can shoot!!
then learn to shoot it.
Carl