9mm vs. .40

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Black92LX

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well i am soon to turn 21 so i would like to buy a semi auto pistol. it will mainly be for plinking at the range.

should i go with the 9mm since ammo is cheaper. or would the .40 be better for other reasons??

it will mainly be for plinking since i am in Ohio and we don't have a carry law yet (fingers crossed it keeps moving up in the courts). but the day that law passes i will get a compact in a larger caliber. so just looking for suggestions.

Thanks
Jeremy

sorry if this gets asked a lot i am new here:D
 
Just for plinking ? your first handgun ? For a first handgun a 22 would be far better since there are things to learn, trigger pull and sight alignment, that are better done without having to deal with recoil. The ammo is far cheaper too. When you learn the basics then you can think of something better. If Ohio decides to give carry permits I hope mandatory training is a condition.
 
This should be interesting. I wonder if the differences between 9mm and .40 has ever been explored.

P.S. Agreed with above poster. Get a .22.
 
On person's perspective on the 9mm:

http://www.greent.com/40Page/ammo/9/9mm-advoc.htm

Conclusion: The 9x19 certainly isn't the choice for everyone. Plenty of people are very hardware dependent or simply lack confidence in the 9mm because of anecdotes and the performance of some of the "bad" ammo discussed above. That's fine. Those people are certainly free to use bigger guns which generate more recoil, which they cannot afford to practice with as often, just to have the same terminal performance ("stopping power") as my wimpy little 9mm.

Oddly enough, I haven't found a single person so far who is so unimpressed with the stopping power of a 9mm that he is willing to stand downrange and catch one fired out of my Beretta. :cool:

Stay safe ...
Click to expand...
 
FIRST get lessons and try various guns before you buy.

9mm

Priced such for lots of practice, loadings available for self defence too.

Besides I never had any interest in .40 , still don't, and never will.

Pick a gun that fits you, in a platform that suits you.
 
Something jut for plinking, I'd recommend a 22. If you plan on some IDPA, I'd go w/ 9mm. Better yet, a 9mm w/ a 22lr conversion kit for the really cheap trigger time ;)

Happy B''day greetings! :D
 
Go 9mm


A lot of fine yet inexpensive guns to choose from, full size to compact to sub-compact.


Just one rule: don't stray from reputable gun makes, and you'll be fine...


Enjoy the hunt :D
 
i have had a fair amount of handgun time (not saying i am a master or even close for that matter.) the only thing that really intices me about a .22 pistol is the price of ammo. the .22 is on the list but that will be for my girlfriend.

the 2 guns i am really looking at are the Springfiled XD and HK USP. i think 9mm will be the way to go for me. does anyone know of any good .22 conversions that are available for these guns.

the only thing that is holding the XD in 2nd place is that it is hammerless, and i don't like the unavaoidable double action initail trigger pull. but the Glock is the only hammerless i have shot and i didn't not like it one bit. i have heard it's an aquired feel. i still need to shoot the XD before my final decision.
 
The XD has no "double action initail (sic) trigger pull".

The XD is fully cocked as soon as you load the chamber and stays that way until one trigger pull after its empty... I didn't care for the one I owned... YMMV
 
I'd recommend 9MM for reason of economy. Since you are startin' out still, you may want to feed cheaper ammo.

I would normally suggest a .22 pistol as well, but since you already own a .22 rifle, you might as well make the jump.

9MM v. .40 S&W doesn't mean much in the real world, don't let people quote statistics or muzzle velocities, stopping power, one-shot stops, etc as the end-all for caliber choice. Junk science.

All bullets kill, all handgun bullets are underperformers.

Learning to hit what you aim at while under stress is what is really important. Shoot cheaper ammo, get more practice.
 
the 2 guns i am really looking at are the Springfiled XD and HK USP...

the only thing that is holding the XD in 2nd place is that it is hammerless...

but the Glock is the only hammerless i have shot and i didn't not like it one bit
Click to expand...
You've started on the right track. Any of these three models would be an excellent choice.


The XD is much like a Glock, though with a bit crispier trigger which I like, but retains those grip and trigger safeties that I really don't care for..


In the end, I stuck with the DA/SA HK USP9 and never looked back. After more than 3,500 flawless rounds, I could never have been happier... :D
 
First: Browning Buckmark Camper .22lr

Second: 9mm auto

A .22lr in a 4-6"bbl. pistol can be used for SD if necessary. But you'll learn pistolcraft a lot better w/ the .22lr first.

(Nothing against the Ruger, but I'm trying to save Black92LX the headache of disassembling & reassembling that trick pony...:banghead: )
 
The XD has no "double action initail (sic) trigger pull
Click to expand...

wow it sure felt like it had a double action trigger when i dry fired it at the gun shop the other night. i guess i will have to run back over there tomorrow and try it again.

9X19 why didn't you like the XD, i have heard nothing but good things about it before you?
 
I just didn't like the single action trigger feel... it should be much better for what it is.

The grip safety is a silly addition as well, IMO, and was not comfortable to my hand like that of the 1911.

Bottom line: it wasn't the equal of my Glocks, and I prefer their safe-action system to the XD's single action.

When you go look, rack the slide on an empty gun and look at the rear of the slide. You will see the back side of the fully cocked striker sticking out. With the pistol in hand, you will note that you are holding a cocked single action without a safety... something that many people try to (incorrectly) assert is a negative feature of Glocks... but who often never mention the reality that is the XD. {shrug}

If you like it, buy it and shoot it, that's the only real way to know if, for you, its the bees-knees or an also ran. :D
 
Oddly enough, I haven't found a single person so far who is so unimpressed with the stopping power of a 9mm that he is willing to stand downrange and catch one fired out of my Beretta.
Click to expand...

Now, I like the 9x19mm cartridge and the guns that chamber it well enough, but that is just a dopey comment. I don't want to get hit with small pebbles, either... does that make them Weapons of Mass Destruction? :neener:
 
Don't let all the caliber war nonsense sway you either way. I own handguns in .45, .40 and 9mm. Which I choose for defense depends more on my mood than anything else.

I'd say a 9mm is the better choice simply because its cheaper to shoot and its a better caliber with which to build up the fundamentals. Not saying you can't do that with a .40. But with the 9mm its easier to concentrate more on your shooting than trying to manage recoil, muzzle flip, a possible flinch, muzzle blast, or noise. For most people the learning curve with .40's, .357 SIG, and .45 is steeper. Only after thousands of rounds of .45 and .40 can I shoot them almost as fast and as accurately as a 9mm. After saying all that why do I even bother with .40 and .45 for defense? Because I'm human, I like the perceived "edge" with more powerful calibers. I also like shooting guns with a bit more noise and recoil sometimes.
 
I don't want to get hit with small pebbles, either... does that make them Weapons of Mass Destruction?
Click to expand...


If glued to the exterior of a 150 lb bomb? Yep.... context is everything. :D

I think the dopey comment was meant to argue at the same level as those who denigrate the 9mm as insufficient in terms of defensive handgun cartridges.
 
Or maybe Sean really is scared of flying pebbles as much as he fears real bullets. :neener: ;)

Me, I respect anything that can break skin.:D I guess I'm sensitive that way :eek:
 
Greeting's All-

Contrary to public opinion, the 9m/m still maintains
a huge following. Besides cost of the ammunition, the 9m/m
is available virtually world-wide; even in some third
world country's. As a rule of thumb, I have decided to stick
with established caliber's; ie: .380 Auto, .38 Special, .357
magnum, 9m/m Parabellum, .44 magnum, and .45
ACP. You get the picture? NO .40 S&W caliber or 10m/m
for me. I did previously experiment with the .40S&W,
in these three firearms: a Glock 23, a Glock 27, and a SIG-
Sauer P229. The truth be known, the Glock 27 out
performed the other two by leaps and bounds. So, to wrap
things up; I'd say stick with a good, quality 9m/m.
And I don't believe you will go wrong.:D :) :rolleyes:

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
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