45 or 40 caliber... newbie help

[Crue4]

Have shot both calibers but not enough to choose, I like both of them equally at least in my experience..... so I thought I would ask you guys to give me some pros and cons of each and which would you choose and why. I have a 9mm, and plan to add one of the above calibers as my second handgun. I am looking at a CZ, Sig, and SA XD.. at least those are the top 3 right now... Any help on deciding which caliber and model would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Crue4]

By the way

By the way, this is for personal use and fun shooting as well as personal protection...

 

[Black Majik]

most 1911's come in .45

 

[Crue4]

so

You are saying 45? Help me and give me some advantages?

 

[chrisTx]

You are saying 45? Help me and give me some advantages?

i have owned .40s. i have and still own .45s. .40 just doesn't do anything for me.

 

[SpookyPistolero]

It will pretty much come down to personal preference. I don't like the .40, I like .45 very much. I think it shoots more 'smoothly' for me. More of a gentle shove and less of a snap. You will have a couple more rounds of .40 in most guns chambered for both cartridges. Also might be a bit cheaper to shoot .40, though I'm not up on .40 ammo prices.

 

[GoBrush]

Tuff question here

Before I begin want to say I own both and have shot 1000's of rounds through both. The main question I think you need to ask is are you planing on using it as a CCW? Bottom line I do not like the baby 45's to much recoil for one reason, to heavy etc. If you are planning on using it as a CCW then I would lean to the 40 for that reason. If you are using it for home security then the 45 would be a fine choice.

I grew up on 1911 45's and LOVE THEM but they do have their application if you have to carry a 45 then carry a full size model. For me though it is just more metal than I am willing to tote around I am even thinking of buying a Kahr in a 9mm because they are easy to conceal.

Remember 1st rule of a gun fight is to bring a gun.

If you already have other guns and want to add to your collection buy the 45

Last point in the last 5 years or so defense ammo has gotten MUCH better and even with a 9 well placed shots will do the job (didnt ever think I would say that but it is true) Gold Dot my choice but Hydra Shok good too.

I own 2 Sigs one in 40 and one in 9mm for the wife love them both

 

[STAGE 2]

You are going to get as many different replies as there are posters, some with lengthy statistics and some with cute little quips like "9mm may expand but .45 will never shrink"

To let you know my bias I am a .45 guy. Ironically I own more 9mm pistols than .45, but if I'm going down the dark alley or off to war the .45 is the one I'm going to grab.

That said, to answer your question, I really think .40 is a solution to a non-existent problem. Generally 9mm is a choice when one is looking for capacity, and .45 is a choice when one wants a larger hole. Unless you plan on shooting 10mm a pistol in .40 is kind of pointless.

Were it me I would get the .45. I really don't think that there are really any points that the .40 has in its favor. I would even venture to say that this applies to recoil as .45 has a soft push while .40 is kind flippy.

My .02 and I'm sure many will disagree.

 

[Black Majik]

Hi Crue,

Just to clarify, yes I was voting for the .45 ACP

I wanted to get into .40's. I figured if I ever got a CCW, a .40 would be a awesome round, with a powerful defensive round and higher capcity magazine than most single stack .45s.

So, I filled 2 niches with one stone. I bought a Glock 23 in .40 S&W. The gun itself would have been a great carry package. Light, compact, and carries many rounds.

Eventually, I sold the gun, because I decided the .40 wouldn't work for me. The recoil was snappy, and I found it uncomfortable to shoot.

So, now I have recently narrowed my pistols to only 9mm and .45. The 9mm is for range plinking, and I use the .45's for home defense. I dont need a .40 caliber pistol anymore. I tried it, and found I didn't like it. But it gives me one less box of ammunition to buy when I go to the range.

For me, I found the .45 more comfortable to shoot. The recoil is more of a push instead of a snap. For me.... .45 is my favorite round.

 

[Cousin Mike]

You are going to get as many different replies as there are posters, some with lengthy statistics and some with cute little quips like "9mm may expand but .45 will never shrink"

Damnit man! You stole my line!

Seriously - I would also vote for the .45, although I admit I have never shot a 40 caliber. However, I did own a 9mm, and I have heard the kick compared to 9mm quite frequently, and more often than not the word of choice is "snappy." That's exactly how I would have described my Beretta 92. My cousin recently purchased a S&W Sigma in .40, and he described his first trip to the range as "unpleasant," and complained about a numb trigger finger due to heavy and (once again) 'snappy' recoil. I've also heard .40 referred to as "the worst of both worlds," describing the push of a .45, and snap of a 9mm.

I plan on renting a Glock in .40, or maybe taking my cousins S&W to the range one day to see for myself. The reason I would have to cast a vote for the .45 is because after owning several smaller calibers (.32, .380, 9mm, .357 mag) I simply find that it's what I shoot best with, and I can shoot very quickly and pretty accurately with the .45 - I also find the recoil more pleasant (big slow push upward vs. quick snap straight backwards) and trust the round a little more, but this is only my personal bias.

And STAGE 2 is right... .45 doesn't shrink
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Shoot both, and see what you like best... Both rounds will do the job just fine if you need them to, that's for sure. Have fun, and good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[10-Ring]

I'm not a fan of the 40 cal...10mm maybe, but definitely not the 40 cal. That said, I'd go w/ the 45 acp. Of the choices you provide, I'd go w/ the CZ 1st
Have fun on your quest!

 

[Crue4]

If I want a compact size... That pretty much rules out the 45... Am I right?

 

[eastwood44mag]

I wouldn't get an XD in .45, simply because it would be GAP, and the rounds cost a lot more (and are harder to find).

Other than that, I can't offer any advice.

 

[cslinger]

.40 tends to penatrate barriers better. Other then that it is really a wash. Shoot the one that you tend to put into the right spot the fastest. Both cost close to the same to practice with.

I like .45. Some of this is for nostagia, some for cabability, some for just the way it feels. That being said I also shoot and own, 9mm, .40, .357 etc. I am confident with all of them. Handguns are all pretty lethargic as far as defensive weapons so you need to be able to put the rounds in the right place. If you do that better with a 9mm then buy a 9mm. If you do it better with a .45 then get the .45.

Basically get the one you have more fun shooting. Practice, have fun and learn to put the bullets in the right place. Don't stress about caliber.

One disadvantage I see to .40, and I own a couple, is the risk of bullet set back. All bullets run this risk but .40 being such a high pressure round to begin with is more susceptible. Stick to 165 grain loadings.

My two cents. Understand I am no gunfighter, LEO or anybody you should be taking advice from so take my advice for what it is worth............the afore mentioned two cents.

 

[cslinger]

As far as compact there are many very good compact .45s. What you really sacrifice here is ammunition capacity, which in my opinion is not as important in a civillian CCW gun. Hell I carry a 5 shot revolver so what do I know.

SIG P245, GLOCK 30, GLOCK 36, Kimber Ultra Carry, Para's itty bitty guns etc. All are wonderful tiny .45s.

 

[gudel]

I have both 40 and 45, and the 9mm too.

 

[Cueball]

I am going to go against the trend of the previous posters and place a vote for the 40. It has good power and generally offers higher capacity in the mags over the 45 and there are many choices as far as size goes. One of my carry guns is an HK USP 40 Compact. I would take a close look at the HK's and SIG offerings in 40.

For the most part, it's just a matter of preference and what feels best in your hand and what you shoot best.

 

[dsk]

The biggest problem with the .40 is that its developers tried to max out the pressure and create something with the power of a .45, while being able to be shot in 9mm-sized guns. The result is you have small guns that recoil sharply and often have durability problems thanks to under-engineering. The only .40 I ever owned that I cared for was the HK USPc, which thankfully was actually built from the ground up to handle the .40. But even then the recoil was enough to prevent fast, accurate repeat shots so I eventually lost interest in it. Now I feel if you can't handle things with a 9mm then get a .45. If on the other hand you think the .45 is too slow and lacks mag capacity, just get a good 9mm loaded with +P ammo and relax. In my opinion the .40 is a jack of all trades, master of none.

 

[MachIVshooter]

As far as compact there are many very good compact .45s. What you really sacrifice here is ammunition capacity, which in my opinion is not as important in a civillian CCW gun. Hell I carry a 5 shot revolver so what do I know.

SIG P245, GLOCK 30, GLOCK 36, Kimber Ultra Carry, Para's itty bitty guns etc. All are wonderful tiny .45s.

Don't forget the little Taurus.

Seriously, I have never been a Taurus fan. But this little PT 145 .45 ACP has impressed me. A couple days ago I had a chance to compare it side by side with the new Kahr P45. The Taurus is almost identicle dimensionally (about 1/8" wider). I does weigh 5 ounces more, but offers 10+1 capacity, compared to the Kahr's 6+1. And the little Taurus can be had for around $300. I've got nearly 200 rounds through mine (just bought 2 weeks ago, at the recommendation of other THR members) and it has yet to hiccup with any ammo. It has not replaced my Witness Compact 10mm as a primary carry piece, but rather supplimented. It gets carried on "lighter" days when I don't feel like toting a 43 ounce near-full-size pistol (though I certainly prefer the power of the 10mm).

 

[Crue4]

Further

How about some best values on 45s in compact size... looking to stay around 500usd or lower..

 

[Cousin Mike]

I'm thinking in the $500 range, just my humble opinion, you might be better served with a Glock. Some people don't like them, and I don't own one, but there's not too much debate about Glock's reliability. NIB for around that price.

 

[carolinaman]

Hi there,

I can't say much about the Croatian Manufactured Springfield XD because I don't own one and haven't shot one.

I do own the compact Glock 23, not sub-compact, in .40 S&W and believe that it is about the best configuration for caliber, magazine capacity, size and manageable ergonomics for defensive shooting of many of the .40's out there.

I have also owned the Colt Officer's ACP and Colt Commander in .45 ACP in the 1911 configuration. They were great guns for the size! But magazine capacity was a concern.

Based on my experience, I like both designs and calibers, but for a defensive pistol, I believe you should have all the advantages you can get!

Chris

 

[BullfrogKen]

Crue,

Do you live nearby any shops that allow you to rent representative models of the handguns you might be interested in to try out before you buy? I'm assuming you don't have any shooter buddies you can talk into letting you try what they have . . . Another alternative is join a local gun club that appears active in the action shooting sports like IDPA and show up at some of the practice days and bring your question up there. You'll likely find a fellow or two who will take genuine interest in furthering your education and introduction into this new hobby.

Don't worry about caliber. Decide on what handgun system you are interested in. For $500, your best value is gonna be in the used gun market, and since its your first, don't worry about if you buy a gun you later find out doesn't suit you. You'll lose less on a used handgun if you decide to trade it in on another.

The only thing I'll caution you on is, the more compact you go, the less comfortable the handgun becomes to practice with, and in the real compact models, proper grip becomes more important. The amount of travel the slide makes, and the length of time it travels reduces substantially, and you have much less forgivessness of improper handling; the result is the handgun will begin to malfunction.

 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

The truth is that it doesn't really matter. Either .40 or .45 will get the job done. So will 9mm and 357 and 10mm and 44 and all the rest of the serious calibers.

What matters is your ability to put bullets where they need to go. If you can do that, it won't matter what gun you have. If you can't do that, it won't matter what gun you have. Get the point?

Buy the one that fits your hand better. Or buy the one that has the best trigger pull or best sights. Or buy 'em all. Or buy the one you think is "coolest".

Or don't buy anything. Save your money and use it to take a shooting course with the 9mm you already have. THAT will make far more difference than agonizing over "40 or 45?"

 

[JDGray]

.40 ammo is slightly cheaper. .45- 1911, cause youll want one sooner or later! If you reload, .45 brass last a long time due to low pressure. JDGray