I'm new to this forum and new to hand guns. I plan to buy 2 guns, a 4" XD and a XD sc for concealed carry. My question for you guys is this: All things considered, what is the best caliber? I was planning on buying 9mm but a guy at a gun show I attended recommended .45 for its knock-down power. Is the .40 caliber a good tradeoff?
9mm, .40, or .45?
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bluetopper
Member
Saddle up..........here we go.
"I'm planning on buying a pickup truck. Should I get a Ford, Chevy, or Toyota?"
Knock-down power and stopping power are B.S. Shot placement is king. All three calibers you mentioned are fine.
Shoot all three and see what you like. I don't care for the .40S&W because it's too snappy. I have 9mm and .45ACP guns that I like very much. If you're new to shooting, I'd say get a 9mm. 9mm guns generally have a higher capacity too.
Knock-down power and stopping power are B.S. Shot placement is king. All three calibers you mentioned are fine.
Shoot all three and see what you like. I don't care for the .40S&W because it's too snappy. I have 9mm and .45ACP guns that I like very much. If you're new to shooting, I'd say get a 9mm. 9mm guns generally have a higher capacity too.
rellascout
member
Okay I will take the bait.
The best caliber is the one you shoot best. There is no knock down power/ stopping power in any of the calibers you are mentioning. People died from these calibers when you put enough holes in them in the right places so the loose enough blood to pass out and die. Period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you want knock down power carry a shotgun.
Now looking this scenario I would consider a few things. Is this your first gun? It sounds like it might be. I would get a 9mm. These days ammo is expensive. When you are brand new to shooting and carrying you will need to shoot a lot of rounds. 9mm will be almost 50% cheaper. This means more range and practice time.
In the end defensive handgunning is not about caliber it is about putting holes in the right place.
The 40 S&W is a recoil heavy round with a lot of muzzle flip. It is the worst caliber for a new shooter IMHO.
The 45 ACP is more of a push then a kick so I would put it next in line. Great caliber but getting expensive to shoot.
The 9mm will get the job done and the XD is a good platform for it. Once you can control the 9mm keeping the front sight on target with nice rapid strings then look to other calibers.
The best caliber is the one you shoot best. There is no knock down power/ stopping power in any of the calibers you are mentioning. People died from these calibers when you put enough holes in them in the right places so the loose enough blood to pass out and die. Period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you want knock down power carry a shotgun.
Now looking this scenario I would consider a few things. Is this your first gun? It sounds like it might be. I would get a 9mm. These days ammo is expensive. When you are brand new to shooting and carrying you will need to shoot a lot of rounds. 9mm will be almost 50% cheaper. This means more range and practice time.
In the end defensive handgunning is not about caliber it is about putting holes in the right place.
The 40 S&W is a recoil heavy round with a lot of muzzle flip. It is the worst caliber for a new shooter IMHO.
The 45 ACP is more of a push then a kick so I would put it next in line. Great caliber but getting expensive to shoot.
The 9mm will get the job done and the XD is a good platform for it. Once you can control the 9mm keeping the front sight on target with nice rapid strings then look to other calibers.
fletcher
Member
Says it all pretty well. Modern JHPs in all three calibers will do the job just fine as long as you do yours. The biggest factors are personal:
Can you shoot it well?
Can you make followup shots easily?
Is ammunition price a concern?
Do you want as many rounds as you can get, or are you comfortable with a couple less (not a biggie to me with the XD as they all hold a good bit, but some people just want as many rounds as possible, it's just preference)?
Thernlund
Member
Caliber war thread. Uh-oh.
That's right. I could defend myself just fine with a .22 if I had to.
Forget the caliber. Get what you like and can afford. (9mm is cheapest to shoot.)
-T.
strat81 said:
That's right. I could defend myself just fine with a .22 if I had to.
Forget the caliber. Get what you like and can afford. (9mm is cheapest to shoot.)
-T.
Since you plan on getting 2 guns, my recommendation would be to purchase one first and practice with it. Then, you will be able to make a more informed decision on the second gun.
My suggestion would be to get the 4" gun in 9mm. It will be a nice, comfortable gun to shoot and it is the most affordable as far as ammo goes. Later you can decide on the second gun.
By the way, you will soon find that 2 guns is where it starts - not stops. It is likely that you will try out a few different guns before you find the one that is right for you. You are starting with some good quality guns though and that is a good thing.
My suggestion would be to get the 4" gun in 9mm. It will be a nice, comfortable gun to shoot and it is the most affordable as far as ammo goes. Later you can decide on the second gun.
By the way, you will soon find that 2 guns is where it starts - not stops. It is likely that you will try out a few different guns before you find the one that is right for you. You are starting with some good quality guns though and that is a good thing.
DougDubya
Member
I'll take a 9mm and a .45.
.40 is neither fish nor fowl to me.
.40 is neither fish nor fowl to me.
mindwip
Member
FORGET THE GUN my friend. Do not buy one! Yet....
Spend the $500 on Training at 3 different shooting schools around you. Take multiple class there renting there pistols.
Then once you know more after going to those schools you will magically learn what you like, by being around others and learning from them. And trying many different models as you rent from different schools
As you gain more experence with shooting your taste will change, you sound like your new to this sport, dont judge a pistol by what you think you will like you should know. Try before you buy. This calibir war will end in your head once you have training.
Spend the $500 on Training at 3 different shooting schools around you. Take multiple class there renting there pistols.
Then once you know more after going to those schools you will magically learn what you like, by being around others and learning from them. And trying many different models as you rent from different schools
As you gain more experence with shooting your taste will change, you sound like your new to this sport, dont judge a pistol by what you think you will like you should know. Try before you buy. This calibir war will end in your head once you have training.
Lonestar49
Member
...
The gun show guy is right-on IMO, as there are several 40cal platform shooters/gun manufactures of this caliber that are soft, sweet-shooting, guns that make it a great "middle of the road for knock-down power" with both, a mag capacity advantage, *12+1 or *10+1, and ammo (less-cost than 45-most with *8+1 or *7+1), *flush-fitting mags that will serve you well in both cases..
40 cal is a very respectable cartridge (in 155gr-IIRC, 165gr, or 180gr JHP's) vs 9mm or 45 cal..
Personally, I shoot 180gr JHP's for both, heaviest punch, and accuracy, with least amount of recoil, within 63ft or closer..
Ls
noskilz
Member
First, +1 on the lessons. Then, if cost is a factor at all, make one of those two guns a .22 - Ruger or Buckmark will do just fine - and then practice, practice, practice. Or better yet, just make it three guns. 
Take a trip to your local ammo depot and check out the prices. Not going to the range 'cause the ammo is too expensive is a real bummer.
Take a trip to your local ammo depot and check out the prices. Not going to the range 'cause the ammo is too expensive is a real bummer. 
ojibweindian
Member
The XD is a great platform (I've got three of them, myself) and the 40, 45, and 9mm are just fine for self defense.
If you have the opportunity, go to a nearby range that provides rental guns for its customers, and try out the XD9, XD40, and XD45. Doing so may help you in making a decision.
If you have the opportunity, go to a nearby range that provides rental guns for its customers, and try out the XD9, XD40, and XD45. Doing so may help you in making a decision.
Tarvis
Member
How much recoil can you handle/shoot effectively with? How much do you plan on shooting? If you shoot a lot and don't reload get a 9mm. If this is strictly concealed carry with some training but not a lot of range time, get the most powerful round you can handle. Remember that 80% of pistol wound victims survive, meaning shot placement is just as important if not more important than how big the hole is. Yes, the bigger the hole the more likely he will go into shock/bleed out, but if you blow a 4 inch hole in someones calve because can't handle the caliber you're shooting, you aren't being effective.
possum
Member
oh boy, well welcome to thr. i have the xd service and xd sc in .40 and i love them, they are awesome, but as much as i shoot them if i had to do over again i would have gotten 9mm. 9mm is so much cheaper, and allows you so much bang for your buck.
.45 is great, i love .40 too but with the offerings that they have in 9mm these days and there is alot of good ones, i woudl say go 9mm. shoot more, for the same amount and have 16+1 capacity.
btw the xd line is outstanding and sa is a great company.
.45 is great, i love .40 too but with the offerings that they have in 9mm these days and there is alot of good ones, i woudl say go 9mm. shoot more, for the same amount and have 16+1 capacity.
btw the xd line is outstanding and sa is a great company.
Northalius
Member
For wounding power, I'd say the .45 ACP is best; the .40 S&W is a little less, and the 9mm is the weakest of the three.
However, some say the differences aren't big enough to care which is strongest and which is weakest. That's a personal issue only EACH INDIVIDUAL can choose to care about, when they see in light of which they shoot best with; if having more OR less rounds per magazine matters to them or not; if the price of ammo between said calibers matters so much, or not... etc. etc.
It depends on quite a few factors here... not small enough in numbers to make it simple in asking random people on a forum "which is best for ME" really. It (caliber selection) is a very personal issue.
So, as others said: Choose that which you shoot best with in rapid fire, and moving around to random, moving targets (thus more closely simulating a fast-paced, random, moving gunfight in the real world... though no training can prepare us for such a thing 100%).
If the price and extra or less wounding potential, etc. don't matter to you, then again: shoot what you shoot best with!
Anyone that says the 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP "have the same wounding capability," are simply not in the know, imo. They're similar, yes, but not the same. Will these differences matter? That's up to YOU!
Me personally: I go with 10mm, because I see it as the best of all semi-auto cartridges. It penetrates DEEP with enough power to break big bones if they get in its way, and expands AWESOMELY in diameter at the SAME TIME! Out of a Glock 29 (sub compact 10mm model), even the most powerful factory rounds (DoubleTap) are not even as bad as .357 SIG out of a Glock 32, when considering recoil.
Again, that's just my taste. It's all up to YOU to pick and choose which is best for YOU! How? Go to the range, buy a bunch of different makes of ammo in each caliber you plan on choosing from, and which guns you plan on using as the platform... and see for YOURSELF!
It's the only way to get down to the bottom of this issue, my friend... and that is a fact in my mind.
However, some say the differences aren't big enough to care which is strongest and which is weakest. That's a personal issue only EACH INDIVIDUAL can choose to care about, when they see in light of which they shoot best with; if having more OR less rounds per magazine matters to them or not; if the price of ammo between said calibers matters so much, or not... etc. etc.
It depends on quite a few factors here... not small enough in numbers to make it simple in asking random people on a forum "which is best for ME" really. It (caliber selection) is a very personal issue.
So, as others said: Choose that which you shoot best with in rapid fire, and moving around to random, moving targets (thus more closely simulating a fast-paced, random, moving gunfight in the real world... though no training can prepare us for such a thing 100%).
If the price and extra or less wounding potential, etc. don't matter to you, then again: shoot what you shoot best with!
Anyone that says the 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP "have the same wounding capability," are simply not in the know, imo. They're similar, yes, but not the same. Will these differences matter? That's up to YOU!
Me personally: I go with 10mm, because I see it as the best of all semi-auto cartridges. It penetrates DEEP with enough power to break big bones if they get in its way, and expands AWESOMELY in diameter at the SAME TIME! Out of a Glock 29 (sub compact 10mm model), even the most powerful factory rounds (DoubleTap) are not even as bad as .357 SIG out of a Glock 32, when considering recoil.
Again, that's just my taste. It's all up to YOU to pick and choose which is best for YOU! How? Go to the range, buy a bunch of different makes of ammo in each caliber you plan on choosing from, and which guns you plan on using as the platform... and see for YOURSELF!
It's the only way to get down to the bottom of this issue, my friend... and that is a fact in my mind.
Z-Michigan
Member
New to both... get 9mm. Less recoil, cheaper to shoot, carry more. There *may* be differences in lethality, but those are small compared to what I just listed. My two cents. BTW, I have an XD9 and am quite happy with it.
Oh yeah, "a guy at a gun show" is usually the very last person you want to listen to or take advice from - somewhere around the level of asking the Brady bunch.
I'll set the trolling anchors out...
Oh yeah, "a guy at a gun show" is usually the very last person you want to listen to or take advice from - somewhere around the level of asking the Brady bunch.
I'll set the trolling anchors out...
I'm going to have to 19th this motion in that caliber isn't as important as who's using the firearm. Your shot placement is going to determine the outcome of any situation. Like most things in life, the best tool you have in your arsenal is your mind. Practice, knowing the laws and common sense are going to be your biggest benefits to being a gun owner.
Sorry of your direct question isn't answered by some.
Sorry of your direct question isn't answered by some.
Shoot what you like, with modern JHP designs, the only difference between any of the calibers is the amount of bullets in your mag and the amount of kick from the gun. The guy on the other end will be just as screwed from any of them.
+1 on the suggestions of go shoot a 9's .40s and .45s and decide which one is best FOR YOU. The gun thats best for you, is the gun that you think is best for you, no more no less.
In the end a .25acp to the head will ALWAYS stop an assailant more reliably then a .500S&W Mag in the big toe.
+1 on the suggestions of go shoot a 9's .40s and .45s and decide which one is best FOR YOU. The gun thats best for you, is the gun that you think is best for you, no more no less.
In the end a .25acp to the head will ALWAYS stop an assailant more reliably then a .500S&W Mag in the big toe.
lee n. field
Member
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- Dec 29, 2002
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Pick one. Buy it. If you decide down the line that you made a mistake, sell it and get what you think you really want.
You won't get a subcompact in .45.
Is pretty good, all by itself.
edited to add
I've got a .40. I've got a .45. I handload most of what I shoot, so cost isn't such a big issue with me. If you handload, .45 ACP is easy and forgiving. .40 load data is always plastered with especial warnings about seating depth and pressure.
I don't have a 9, and with the way things are going lately (my wife of all people asked me yesterday if I thought we'd see civil unrest), I'd rather not try to start accumulating (ammo, bullets, brass, bullet mold, et interminable cetera) for yet another cartridge and yet another gun.
Buy what you want, be responsible, get good with it. Yeah, I know, that's not real helpful. Pick a daisy, start plucking off the petals, going "9, 40, 45, 9, 40, 45...".
You won't get a subcompact in .45.
Is pretty good, all by itself.
edited to add
I've got a .40. I've got a .45. I handload most of what I shoot, so cost isn't such a big issue with me. If you handload, .45 ACP is easy and forgiving. .40 load data is always plastered with especial warnings about seating depth and pressure.
I don't have a 9, and with the way things are going lately (my wife of all people asked me yesterday if I thought we'd see civil unrest), I'd rather not try to start accumulating (ammo, bullets, brass, bullet mold, et interminable cetera) for yet another cartridge and yet another gun.
Buy what you want, be responsible, get good with it. Yeah, I know, that's not real helpful. Pick a daisy, start plucking off the petals, going "9, 40, 45, 9, 40, 45...".
ScottyT
Member
.45 ACP is KING!
I have personally seen this caliber hit a charging 250 pound man and not only stop him dead in his tracks, but send him flying backwards 10 feet! You are lucky if 9mm or .40 S&W will even break the skin!
[/sarcasm]
All great SD calibers. Get what you are most comfortable shooting/concealing.
If it were ME getting 2 guns I would get a XD 45 compact to carry (which is what I carry now) and a XD 9mm Tactical for range goodness.
I echo those above me and recommend that you rent/borrow and shoot as many models as you can and discover which is the most comfortable for YOU! For me, it is the XD, hands down. For my best friend, it is a Glock. For another friend, a 1911. All fantastic guns, all the BEST gun and caliber for the hands that carry them!
I have personally seen this caliber hit a charging 250 pound man and not only stop him dead in his tracks, but send him flying backwards 10 feet! You are lucky if 9mm or .40 S&W will even break the skin!
[/sarcasm]
All great SD calibers. Get what you are most comfortable shooting/concealing.
If it were ME getting 2 guns I would get a XD 45 compact to carry (which is what I carry now) and a XD 9mm Tactical for range goodness.
I echo those above me and recommend that you rent/borrow and shoot as many models as you can and discover which is the most comfortable for YOU! For me, it is the XD, hands down. For my best friend, it is a Glock. For another friend, a 1911. All fantastic guns, all the BEST gun and caliber for the hands that carry them!
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