9mm vs 40cal
What are the big differences when shoppping these 2 calibers?
0
-
Basically 1 milimeter..... 40 cal is 10 mil, 1 more than the 9 mil.
The 40 carries a heavier bullet than the 9 and has more energy so a little more recoil and more energy delivered to the target.
Of course the boxes are marked with the appropriate caliber so shopping is easier. Make sure your buying the correct ammo for the gun you are using.0 -
.40 seems to be more popular around here, but it costs more than 9mm. Sometimes it costs more than .45 depending on where you are shopping. I'll keep my 9mm until I can afford the .40. 0 -
I prefer the nine personally. If I need more stopping power, I'll go back to the .45; but you can sure spread alot lead in hurry with these hi cap mags. 0 -
I prefer the .40, because it is inherently more accurate than the 9, and has significantly more power.
Doug
* calrity0 -
shot placement the most important thing. 9mm cheap ammo goes a long way. 0 -
I have several .40's, but practice is important and 9mm is cheaper to practice with.
With the bullets available now and shot placement (practice), either will serve well.
My #1 choice (unless I'm going offroad) is still the Browning HiPower. 74 years old and stll going strong.0 -
The .40 is really popular with law enforcement agencies today. Since I am one of them that detest everything about the 9mm, I would say go with the .40 cal. Before I bought any .40 cal I would make sure it's AFTER I bought a good .45 cal. My .40's are put away, and my nightstand holds my XD-45. 0 -
I have to agree. I have owned a Beretta FS and I now own a Kimber pro carry(45) and a S&W M&P(40). The 9m may be cheaper(in fact it is) but both the 40 and 45 have better stopping power. In the end it all comes down to what you want and shoot well. Will a 9m stop a tweaker trying to kill you>yup good as a grenade>just learn to shoot it well. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Doug Wilson
I prefer the .40, because it is inherently more accurate than the 9, and has significantly more power.
Doug
* calrity
I take issue with the first bit.
9mm got a bad reputation when the rounds were manufactured out of spec at factories all over the world. In the past 20 years, quality control and specs have gotten MUCH better on these, there is no reason why 9mm can't be an extremely accurate round, as intrinsically accurate as the 40SW.
In fact, probably the MOST accurate service type gun in the world, the SIG p210, is a 9mm. These guns will put out less-than 2 inch 50 yard groups on a test target or they won't leave the factory. Can *ANY* production 40sw do that?
Also, lower recoil means that the average shooter is going to be able to control a 9mm better, putting out more lead, more accurately with the 9mm (ie higher PRACTICAL accuracy). Realistically, the limiting factor in accuracy is almost always the shooter, not the gun.
As to power, yes, the .40 is a good bit more powerful, no question. That's pretty much the main reason the cartridge exists. . .to get something that is more powerful than a 9mm, but is capable of running in modern double-stack 9mm-platform type guns.
The .40SW will put out a standard 165 grain bullet at 1150fps for 484 ft-lbs of energy. Compare to a premium "personal protection" 9mm+P, which puts out a 124 grain bullet at 1220 fps for 410 ft-lbs of energy.
So the .40 is roughly 1/3 more powerful AND makes a bigger hole, a double-advantage when it comes to stopping power.
On the flip side, the tradeoff for the increase in power of the 40 compared to 9mm is lower capacity, increased cost per round, and higher recoil.
There are other minor differences as well. 9mm has a slightly tapered cartridge case that promotes reliable loading and extraction, making it *slightly* more reliable than .40. The 9mm also generally operates under lower pressures, meaning (again, in general) less wear and tear on guns that were often originally designed for 9mm before later being re-designed to run .40SW, and a possible greater margin of safety in reloads.
Personally, I am not convinced that the average shooter is going to be better off with a 40sw compared to a 9mm.
While the .40 is definitely a better round, the modern 9mm+P rounds are still pretty good, and certainly adequate for defensive use at close range.
For someone who shoots purely recreationally, the .40 has no advantage, unless you are shooting at knock-down targets.
The lower recoil and especially cheaper ammo with the 9mm mean that the average shooter who only has one gun, a limited budget, and limited available practice time, is probably going to be able to put more rounds downrange through their 9mm, achieving greater proficiency with it than they would have been able to with a .40.
IMO that counts for a lot. In the end, its not how powerful the rounds are, but where they hit that matters most. Along those lines, its probably better to have more skill with your gun than a more powerful gun. If you are using your gun for home defense (eg shooting inside a room), its probably not going to matter WHAT round you use, so long as you get the gun into action appropriately and place the shots correctly.
On the other hand, if I were a police officer, or soldier, and there is a good likelihood that I'll be using my pistol in a gunfight, might have to shoot through cover or engage single or multiple opponents at a distance, then given the choice I'd probably rather be carrying the more powerful rounds. That's especially true if I get to carry and practice with them at no cost to me, and if I have the luxury of carrying multiple spare magazines.0 -
Good point beantowns.
In IDPA, we have a full man size knock down that requires a hit on a smaller plate in the chest. The knock down wears a black shirt so there is no bullseye and you cannot see wear you hit.
Some of the 40 and 45 shooters have emptied their clips and while they hit the target, but because they do not hit the plate do not get the knockdown.
Many 9mm shooter have managed in one or two shots.
Bottom line:
A hit with a 9mm beats a miss with a 40 or 45.
Also according to some studies, some 9mm defense ammo is within 2-3% of some 40 and 45 defense ammo for 1 shot stops. 92% vs 95%0 -
If I wanted more then a 9mm can offer, I would not half ass it. 45acp, 357sig, 357mag or 10mm. The 40smith is a compromise between the 9mm and the 45, if you can handle the recoil and dont mind a few less rounds of capacity go with 45 over a 40. Even the 45 has been known not to be a 1 shot stop in some cases.. but as long as you make a center of mass upper torso shot all is well with any of the three 9x19mm,40sw, or 45acp. Unless you are unlucky...[;)] 0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
11 comments