Should I Buy a 9 or a 45?

[Pietro Beretta]

SA XD-9. It's a great, reasonably accurate, reliable pistol but I won't carry it with one in the pipe. Everything is in place for it to fire if I chamber a round and the only thing keeping that from happening is the grip safety and trigger. I don't have a problem with those who are comfortable with this but I'm not. I've lived around Mr Murphy too long. Glocks are a bit safer because the trigger completes the cocking process but I don't think I'll be buying one one of those either.

Huaco, what exactly makes a glock safer than a Springfield XD series gun?

Both have fireing pin safties. You have to pull the trigger for the saftey to release, the same is true on glocks as well.

I realize that the tension behind the fireing pin of the glock is something like 60%, while the Springfield XD is at full tension.

However I was reading in Handgunner that tests have proven that, on the glock, if the fireing pin is released at that tension the round will fire, they tested 100 rounds, and 100 rounds fired.

(I wish I had the specifics but Ive seemd to misplace my magazine....)

(Found my Magazine now, heres a quoted paragraph from it...

American Handgunner Annual 2005

There is a degree of controversy over how much the striker spring is "pre-loaded." Critics say since the Glock is only partially loaded it is safer than those that are fully compressed. Springfield commissioned a study by the prestigious independent consulting firm, Tioga Engineering of Wellsboro, Pa., to compare the systems of the Glock and XD. In both designs, the fireing pin block or safety is the key element, but their test showed that a primed case fired 100 percent of the time in the Glock when the striker was released from the 62 percent normal preloaded level.

... A little later in the article....

4. Both the Sprinfield Armory XD and the Glock 17 are designed with an array of safety featurest hat, if maintained properly, virtually preclude a discharge unless the trigger is pulled, or a chamberd round cooks off in a fire.

So again I ask, what makes the glock safer than the Springfield XD series guns.?

Just Asking

P.S.(To the Original Poster, Neither get a .40 I suggest going to the fireing range, and test a few calibers to see what your more comfortable with.)

 

[mattw]

SA XD also has a grip-saftey

 

[TimboKhan]

Well,

I automatically default to saying that you should by a .45, as I love that cartridge, but seeing as how not more than 4 hours ago I just bought a 9mm, I can't really say either way. it really boils down to what you like, what you want to use it for, what you can afford etc... Personally, i think that the .45 is the superior combat round, even though there are some on this forum who say that there is no real difference between the two (not to disrespect his opinion, as he was very reasonable in explaining why he says that...just saying thats what the guy said). It is available in a variety of guns (no offense 1911 fans, but there are other .45's out there that work...), ammo is readily available, and so on. The 9mm represents cheaper ammo that is just as readily available, reduced recoil and thus, theoretically, a faster learning curve; 9mm Pistols are available in just about any format you want (DAO, SA, DA/SA) and they generally have a higher capacity than a .45, although if you live in Cali, this may actually be a blackmark against the 9mm for you. So, it sort of boils down to what you want. If I HAD to say which one to buy, I would probably go .45, but thats my opinion.

 

[BioDemon]

My Sig 40 S&W for those who state it's unreliable or what ever. I have yet to have one jam, FTF, or what ever with my personal Sig. It's a none problem for me thus far. I find it fits for my use and works for me. I trust my life to it. I also like the 45acp. I just found a better deal on a 40 S&W and it holds more rounds to boot. I'll stick to 40 and 45.