glock 9mm or 40cal

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While I stated the 19 in an earlier post I must agree with those who advise the larger cal. 40 or 357 then getting a new barrel and mags in 9mm. I have a G32 that I got a 40 barrel for and a 19, I carry both the 19 & 32 and I guess my biggest preference is the mid size Glock frame. It seems the perfect compromise for me as a carry gun because it is smaller, lighter, takes the full size mags and conceals well.
I have heard that the extractors on the larger pistols my not be as reliable as those on the 9mm 19/17 when using the smaller round in the bigger guns but can't say because I haven't used that conversion. The 357/40 conversion works fine including the mags but the 357 mags hold 1 less 40 for some reason.
Has anybody tried any 22 conversions on the Glocks, I have tried the Kimber on 1911's and was impressed to the point that it replaced my MK1 Target Ruger as my go to 22.
 
The .40 extractor fits better on luger than the luger extractor does. Also, luger will work in 40 mags, but not the other way around.

I initially purchased an extra luger extractor because I read all the concerns. After careful comparison, I no longer use it. The cases eject with a more consistent trajectory with the stock G27 extractor, and visually you can see a huge gap between rim and extractor with the luger version installed. You can see the same gap on a stock 9mm Glock. They're just made that way. Perhaps it's all part of the long history of the luger round including some obscure thick-rimmed ammo, somewhere, that Herr Glock wanted to work in the gun.

Sorry, I digress. I've never had a bobble with either extractor, but I prefer leaving in the stock one. I would have no problem relying on the LWD conversion for carry, if need be. I'd probably spring for a couple luger mags, if for nothing else but the witness holes lining up right. And so you don't put the wrong mag in while shooting multiple guns. But I'd leave the extractor alone.
 
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Thats good to know, I will be buying a LW 9mm barrel for my 32, I have plenty of 9 mags but I gave one of my boys a G22 and I'd like for him to be able to shoot 9's as well.
 
I chose a g23 two weeks ago. Couldn't be happier. And will get a 9mm barrel for it ($100) sometime and now I have 2 guns :)
 
I too bought the .40 caliber G23. I love the pistol. 13 round mag should be polenty! Question? Two gun-store guys. One says I can purchase and use a 9mm barrel for my G23, and the other gun-store guys swears I can not.. What's the truth?
 
9mm is cheap(er) to shoot and will work just fine in a defensive situation. I would gamble that most CCW is done with a 9mm or .45, the .40 is just a great LE round, but I am not convinced of its place in the civilian market.
 
I have no doubt the .40s&w has fantastic stoping power if you put it in the right place, however, I find the recoil downright unplesant, and Im a big time 10mm fan.

I say get the 9mm

You mean to say for SD you would use fmj for .40 and jhps for 9mm? You know they make really good jhps for .40 also. Fmj sucks across the board for all calibers.
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I don't understand this :confused:...use good hollow points for SD
 
If carry only, I'd get the .40 (although I use a G29 --easier to shoot and I am more accurate with it). It makes a bigger hole and has plenty of capacity. .40 is snappy, I've had my friends 16yo daughter say she liked the G29 after shooting the G27 and G29. That was with target loads, but those target loads clocked higher with a greater weight than the .40 did.

For shooting, the 9mm by far. Cheaper, more fun overall. Reloading the 9mm for a Glock is safer too. Component manufacturers, at least two powder manufacturers, specifically recommend to NOT reload .40 for a stock Glock barrel. So the unsupported chamber can be an issue, but only with reloads/improper loads. The .40 is essentially loaded hot already as it is a scaled down 10mm. Think of it as a specialty round for defense in a Glock.

I shoot a G17 and 17L also and those are both fun. Both shoot real well, but the 17L will tear one ragged hole at 50ft. I also have a 20 and 21, one a slim, one not, but they are not nearly as comfortable as the 17, although they fit my hands fine.

I think if I only had one it would have to be the G19. Probably the finest 9mm handgun period. It balances better than the 17. No nonsense, well sized, good shooter, etc. And if you don't mind used, check the old ones without the finger grooves. They feel better to me.

The G27 is a nice carry piece, but not fun to shoot. It really needs the mag extension. Same with the 29. For carry, the G23 would be superior.
 
while i agree with jeff cooper's assessment of large cap mags

It is all the rage, of course, and like dual air bags, it is a popular current sales gimmick." - Jeff Cooper
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.. i guess the estimated 6400 lives saved, along with 55% less brain injuries from airbags is "just a passing fad" :rolleyes:
 
while i agree with jeff cooper's assessment of large cap mags



It is all the rage, of course, and like dual air bags, it is a popular current sales gimmick." - Jeff Cooper
Click to expand...
.. i guess the estimated 6400 lives saved, along with 55% less brain injuries from airbags is "just a passing fad"
Click to expand...
I was wondering when someone was gonna jump on that :p
 
I really dont see that much of a difference in recoil between the two.

I have a 19 and a 27 and I shoot the 27 better for some odd reason.

I like the 27 but I like the 19 too. I carry my 27 just because it is smaller and easier to hide.

Had I not already had 4 9mm pistols I probably would have got the 26 but now that I have the 40 I am really glad that I went the way I did.

Some people may interpret the recoil differently but I noticed very little difference in mine and love the fowty now.
 
your physical body size, hand size, and unintentional strength have a LOT to do with this. By unintentional strenght I mean this, anyone can concentrate very hard, and put crazy effort into shooting the 27 as well as the 26 a time or two, when trying hard. But when your attention is on an emergency and all of the extraneous information that you have to consider in a shoot/no shoot defense scenario, you wan't to know that you'll be fast, and accurate, WITHOUT undue effort.
I am 6 foot tall and weigh 220 lbs, and I'm a little stocky, so I carry the .40 model 27, because honestly, I shoot it just as well and I like the idea of 40 over 9. If you are under 160 lbs, and unpracticed, and don't plan on training three times a month minimum, then I would say go with the 9mm, and just KNOW IN YOUR HEAD, and think about it as you train, that your 9's won't stop a guy so quickly, and follow up shots are now a bigger issue.
Be safe
-theQman23
 
Not so sure that can really be established anymore with all the data out there QMan...

For the person it is simple cheaper to shoot, not as much recoil (fact) and faster second and third shots if needed...
Recoil is a big factor for many, hitting what you aim at is the biggie, placement the key...

9mm is the most popular for a reason...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9x19mm_Parabellum
In addition to being used by over 60% of police in the U.S., Newsweek credits 9x19 pistol sales with making semi-automatic pistols more popular than revolvers.[8] The popularity of this cartridge can be attributed to the widely held conviction that it is highly effective in police and self-defense use
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This pistol is a reason for its popularity...Mod. 92FS : 15 years of evolution and success...

http://www.berettaweb.com/92 Successo/Beretta 92 a global success.htm
 
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If you are under 160 lbs, and unpracticed, and don't plan on training three times a month minimum, then I would say go with the 9mm, and just KNOW IN YOUR HEAD, and think about it as you train, that your 9's won't stop a guy so quickly, and follow up shots are now a bigger issue.
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So if you are not a big guy .40 is not for you and 9mm won't stop someone nearly as quickly as a .40. Got it, I feel so well informed now. Now I've just got to get rid of those anemic 9mms of mine. How could I be so stupid? :rolleyes:
 
If Dirty Harry had been 3" shorter he would have only been able to pack a 357 Mag.
 
9mm Guy:
9mm is just as good as 40. Ballistic gel... military... more people dead by 9... only 3% difference per Sanow. So 40 is not worth the extra recoil. It's all about shot placement. Here, watch this. <Shoots out the X-ring with his Glock 19>

40 Guy:
What recoil? You should try my .357 snubby. Here, watch this. <Shoots out the X-ring with his Glock 23.>

If you're the latter, why would you not want to shoot a bigger, faster bullet? Just understand not everyone can shoot a 40 as well as you do.

If you're the former, 9mm IS better. Just understand that not everyone finds the recoil of a 40 to be objectionable.

I think in all honesty, caliber doesn't matter if the other guy isn't shooting back. If he IS shooting back, I'd want the biggest gun I could shoot well, whether that's a 9mm or a .44 mag. I mean, I wouldn't want to lug around a .44 mag, but when the bullets start flying, I'd want one to magically appear in my hand. I might be able to put 'em all in the X-ring with a .380, but the other guy's hands/weapon/arms might be covering that X-ring right up. Skin counts for 4 inches of ballistic gel. In you shoot through an arm, that's 8 inches. So in case the bullet doesn't make it to a vital spot, I would want to give him every opportunity to at least notice he's been hit. With a .44 mag, I might blind him with the muzzle blast. :) A good shot through the arm will still do a lot of damage. A shot on bone or skull might break/penetrate instead of glancing off (and a broken bone IS one of the things that people generally feel, immediately*). A shot that riccochets off the other guys weapon might still penetrate. Essentially, when shooting a bigger gun, you sometimes have a bigger effective target. Or at least the same target area with less blackout areas. And in a contest of who hits first, hit with the biggest thing you can. Yeah, shoot COM, and keep on shooting with 19 bullets on tap sounds great. But if he's doing the same thing to you with more gun, you might be "discouraged" before he is, whether or not you are both mortally wounded. (And you're not going to put 19 shots in the X-ring while someone is shooting back!)

*When I was in a motorbike accident, I recall flying through the air, hitting the asphalt, flesh ripping off my arms, flipping through the air... ok not so bad... then "holy $#$@ing @#$@" the exact instant my leg fractured. I don't remember seeing anything immediately after that. I was literally blinded by pain. Then writhing and swearing uncontrollably for the next 30 seconds. A few foot-lb's less impact, and I wouldn't have had any immediate pain, at all.
 
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You can drop Phoenix PD off the list of 9. They just announced a switch to .45.
 
When I read that about 9mm being the big number I thought it was to high but when you realize, most depts that use the 40's and 45's, still allow the 9mm as a choice...

Military is into the 9mm big time...

:)
 
Ben, remind me not to smoke whatever it is you are smoking!!
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I was being especially sarcastic. LOL

I think maybe 60% of agencies Authorize the 9mm, but actual use is probably not that high. .40 is pretty much dominating the market for LE.
 
Glock's 9mm line is their greatest, the one which has arguably set the benchmark in the pistol world for reliability, durability and longevity. Its hard to argue against them, especially given the state of the modern ammunition industry.

Their 40 s&w line consists of solid performers, though they give something up in terms of longevity and some believe reliability to the 9mm line.
 
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