Need Opinion Please

Over the last 10-15 years cops have been ditching 40 S&W for 9mm at a rapid pace, 45 was never a player. There is no difference in performance between 9mm, 40 or 45. If I wanted more than 9mm I'd go to 10mm.

FWIW, the better 9mm loads will send a 124 gr bullet out the muzzle of a 4-4.5" barrel at 1250-1300 fps. Which is exactly the same as the 125 gr 357 mag when fired from a 4" or shorter barrel. I know the ballistics charts say 1500 fps, but that is from 8" barrels.

That load has proven to be one of the best. No reason the same bullet weight, at the same speed from a 9mm will be any different. Which is exactly why cops are going to 9mm.
 
As an owner of the .45 version (PT145), I will aver that that will be a snappy little pistol in .40, but not intolerable. You won't want to run more than a box through it at a range session, and it will take some time to get used to. As others have said, quick double taps are not going to be your best option.
Your decision should be based on your experience. I have plenty of experience shooting short, high powered handguns (.357 snubs, then .45 ACP Compacts) and can use them effectively at SD distances, but the .357 snubs have long since been retired for a .38, and the .45 compact has been reduced to a car gun, replaced by a 9mm loaded with, as jmr40 mentions 124 gr. rounds.
 
I'm sure we've all been in the "money is tight, but I want the new shiny" boat. Goodness gracious, I know I have! If I was on a budget, but had an EC9s that I liked, I'd buy more ammo. The link provided by the OP takes us to a $259 Taurus. I'd rather have another 1000 rds of 9mm ammo for that price.
 
Anymore I'm living on tight rations...

I would like opinions on this as an every day CC. I have my Ruger ec9s and like the gun. It always digests anything I feed it and is highly accurate for what it is. The extra oomph of a 40 has an appeal to me, and my budget can't tolerate the more expensive alternatives.

Should I stick to the Ruger, or do these run smooth?

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Since you have a Ruger (and I assume you like the brand), why not look for a SR40C? I owned one for about eight years and it was a great CC gun, uber reliable and very concealable. Came with a 10 round flush magazine and a 15 round extended magazine. I only sold it because I'd decided to go all-steel, no polymer. I did replace it with another .40 because I do like that caliber a lot.

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Since you have a Ruger (and I assume you like the brand), why not look for a SR40C? I owned one for about eight years and it was a great CC gun, uber reliable and very concealable. Came with a 10 round flush magazine and a 15 round extended magazine. I only sold it because I'd decided to go all-steel, no polymer. I did replace it with another .40 because I do like that caliber a lot.

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Appreciate the advice. Thanks ;)
 
I would stick to the Ruger and funds permitting, invest that in ammunition.
 
I think I've decided what I'm going to do.

Sell a couple of my seldom used handguns and find a good condition 45acp Commander LW, like I used to carry. One center body mass with the 45 is a stopper. I had to use a 45acp once for that job a long time ago.

Not according to this event. This was a SWAT cop carrying a Glock 21 (45 ACP). Full story at the link below:

“I thought I was hitting him, but with shots going through his clothing it was hard to tell for sure. This much was certain: he kept moving and kept shooting, trying his damnedest to kill me.”

In this free-for-all, the assailant had, in fact, been struck 14 times. Any one of six of these wounds – in the heart, right lung, left lung, liver, diaphragm, and right kidney – could have produced fatal consequences, “in time,” Gramins emphasizes.



Do whatever you feel is best but don’t think a .45 is automatically a “1 and done” round…

Obviously, YMMV…
 
If money's tight, stick with what you got. I like .40, but I've moved away from it due to cost. Occasionally there will be sales on it that are close to 9mm prices, but when panics happen they happen fast.

Which, if that's one of your concerns that there will be another panic and a run on 9mm sending prices back to $60 a box, then that's a sensible reason to jump into .40 as an alternative since it's not as popular as 9mm and tends to stick around for a bit longer at a better price. I recall spending $20 for a box of 10mm at a time 9mm was well over $50. Don't remember what .40 was at that time, didn't care, the 10mm was available and the same price it had been a year prior.

So, if that's something you're looking for, there aren't many .40's out there as low a price as the Taurus. The next step up would be a used police trade in Glock 22 or 23, those run about $350. If you would prefer a DA/SA there's the Taurus TH40, which would be about what the G2C costs.
 
When I was living pay check to pay check, instead of buying a cheap new gun, I learned I would rather buy a quality used gun via layaway at the local gun shop.
Most gun shops will let you pay on a gun over the course of a month or 2. To start you put $50 to $100 down on the gun. They take it out the case and hold it for you till you pay it off. You should then give them $50 to $100 every paycheck until you pay it off within that time period.

You can also trade in a gun towards your layaway balance. Either at the start or at the end of the time period.
 
In addition to what everyone else has stated, I'll add that in my area at least, the 40's don't hold their resale value as well as 9's. The 40's sit discounted on the shelves while the 9mm's are selling.
 
Not worried about recoil. I've punished myself all my life with it, and maybe it's starting to show up.

My reason for a 40 is a bit better stopping potential, only. Points were made here regarding better 9mm loads, and I agree completely. A box of premium 9mm ammo is cheaper than a new cheap pistol + ammo.
There is also the additional expense of new magazines, holster(s), maybe sights, etc. You've already paid for these with your 9mm Ruger.
 
Economical.

For a 3 in. barreled 9mm pistol you already have?

Federal 147 gr. HST (std. pressure).

 
I think I've decided what I'm going to do.

Sell a couple of my seldom used handguns and find a good condition 45acp Commander LW, like I used to carry. One center body mass with the 45 is a stopper. I had to use a 45acp once for that job a long time ago.

My solution was the Glock slimline G36 .45 ACP.

1 in. thick, 27.5 oz. loaded 6+1, and, well, it's a Glock.

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If your budget is tight, I’d stick with 9MM. If penetration is an issue go with 147 gr flat nose bullets.

I like .40 but not in anything smaller than a Glock 23 (19) size gun.

If you want an affordable .40, look at something like these (but may be larger than you want to carry…)

I like .40 but not in anything smaller than a Glock 23 (19) size gun.

That pretty much sums it up for a lot of people. 👍
 
Meh, the Glock 27 isn't unshootable, it's just not easy to shoot fast at distances past 15 yards, which you likely won't be shooting at anyway. Within 10 yards the G27 is as shootable as any 9mm.

I'm not interested in the .40 vs 9 argument, it's been beaten to death for 30 years. If someone wants a .40 there's no reason to dissuade them from doing so other than ammo price and that becomes pretty irrelevant if someone is only shooting 50-100 rds a month.
 
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