What's your caliber?

[Blues Brother]

hmmmmm............

 

[minutemen1776]

Though it wasn't an option, my favorite is 9mm, for one basic reason. That is, I can consistently shoot 9mm well, regardless of the amount of shooting I get to do. I used to shoot more frequently, and in those days I could shoot larger calibers just as well. Now, though, life doesn't afford me the luxury of time all that often, and my trigger time isn't always there. But even in that circumstance, I can still accurately and reliably shoot 9mm, and that means more to me than a bigger slug.

 

[Dr.Mall Ninja]

I think Jeff Cooper said something to effect, that 40 caliber is carried by people who are embarrassed to carry 9mm's but cant quite handle a 45.

 

[spaladino]

Honestly, I find it odd I would need to convince someone who already owns and enjoys guns to buy a new one.... my wife would love you!

I have a passion for 40's, but I've always loved 45's. I also love the more Ruben-esque women, the one's with some meat on the bones. Maybe it's the sight of the short, plump, and round bullet that gets me running...

Anyway...

The 40 is ballistically superior on paper, and according to statistics, a better bad-guy stopper, typically a higher magazine count, but as someone has already noted, the recoil is a bit more snappy.

The 45 has very good ballistics due to a better coeffiecient, unfortunately it's loaded at a significantly lower SAAMI pressure than the 40, and therefore doesn't take advantage of it. The recoil is more of a push than snap, easier to double-tap (for me at least) accurately. Honestly, I don't think the statistics correctly establish an accurate benchmark as far as the 45 as a bad-guy stopper. I wouldn't hesitate to bet my life on either...

Get the 45, and make it a Colt!

 

[scoutsabout]

The 1911, chambered in .45 ACP, has been going strong for 100 years.

...and you've got questions?!

Get one, genius. ....................

 

[Gryffydd]

The 40 is ballistically superior on paper

That's news to me! The .40 has a lot of advantages over the .45, but horsepower isn't one of them.

The 45 has very good ballistics due to a better coeffiecient

The top bullet weights in both calibers have VERY similar BCs.

 

[Strahley]

I've shot all of the "main" calibers (9mm, .40, .45) and now all I own is 9mm. All regular handgun calibers suck anyway, so I may as well go with the one that is cheaper and I can carry more of. I'd rather spend more money on my long guns anyway!

 

[19-3Ben]

I think Jeff Cooper said something to effect, that 40 caliber is carried by people who are embarrassed to carry 9mm's but cant quite handle a 45.

In general I admire Jeff Cooper, but if he really said that, he made an absurd assertion.

I like .40cal. The .40S&W drives heavier bullets than a 9mm to higher velocities and is 1mm wider. But, a 14+1 gun doesn't have to handle like a 2x4 the way a .45 would. Practice ammo is also a good deal cheaper than .45.

I also loe .45 though and actually plan to get a .45 as an HD gun to backup the 12ga. My choice will be the S&W 4566tsw.

 

[Strahley]

I think Jeff Cooper said something to effect, that 40 caliber is carried by people who are embarrassed to carry 9mm's but cant quite handle a 45.

I agree with what Ben said, that's a ridiculous statement

Why would anyone be embarrassed to carry a 9mm? If we were limited to FMJ sure, but that's not the case

In similar sized guns, I find .45 to be more pleasant to shoot than a .40. My old Glock 30 was fun to shoot, but I didn't get rid of it because I "couldn't handle the .45"

 

[.357 magnum]

Get a .45--You will Love it!

I like three Calibers: the 9mm, the .40 and the .45.---- .45 is Always worth having Excellent defensive Caliber and Easy to learn to shoot Accurately-Especially in a 1911 Platform.

The Best to All!

Frank

 

[Manco]

I think Jeff Cooper said something to effect, that 40 caliber is carried by people who are embarrassed to carry 9mm's but cant quite handle a 45.

I think that a .45 is slightly easier to handle than a .40, actually--less "snappy" probably because of lower operating pressure and a different acceleration curve. Perhaps Mr. Cooper, with all due respect, simply can't handle a .40.

 

[LoneStarWings]

Just wait for a good 1911 in .40. STI makes a few. The Springfield EMP is nice. Rumor has it that S&W itself is going to make a 1911 in .40 next year. I have no use for the .45 acp.

 

[Blues Brother]

I like .357 too. I think Indiana Jones used one.

 

[Enachos]

The reason I'm looking for a .45 is because I always hear people talking about it having less felt recoil than a .40 which can always be a good thing. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the .40 but hey if a bigger round can be shot a bit easier then why not, right?

 

[Blues Brother]

9mm is affordable, I like that too.

 

[O_Blade_O]

9mm... x21

 

[Enachos]

I really like the 9mm too but overall I just felt more confident with the .40

 

[Blues Brother]

heck, I feel confident with a .380 I just like 9 best cuz its affordable.

 

[okespe04]

9mm is my favorite cartridge. That does not mean I don't own a 1911 .45, a Ruger gp100 .357, and a ruger LCP .380. I just don't stock much as ammo for them. My go to pistol is my Glock 19 so that's what I stock the most ammo for. Go get a 1911 in .45 they are really cool, I really like the size of the hole on the end of the thing. Its menacing

 

[Enachos]

Ok then... so I will. I'm thinking a Smith and Wesson or a Para Ordnance

 

[okespe04]

Those are a little rich for my blood, but yeah, knock yourself out. I don't think anybody would steer you away from either of those. Both are known for making high quality pistols. Now you just have to decide which one and what features you want. My only recommendation is to stay away from the ambi safety if you ever want to pack it. I hear those can get switched off.

 

[Strahley]

I'd go with a S&W

 

[Manco]

The 1911, chambered in .45 ACP, has been going strong for 100 years.

Only 100 years? To me the only REAL .45 is the .45 Long Colt.

Anyway, as fun as these caliber wars are--and I always seem to be involved in one--truth be told, there's not a huge difference between 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. Some people naturally tend to gravitate toward the extremes regarding performance, namely higher magazine capacity versus greater wounding potential per round, and those people often believe that .40 S&W is pointless. Others tend toward compromise regarding endless, age-old controversies that will never be resolved, which is probably one major reason .40 S&W has been such a success (three is the perfect number--one to cover each extreme and one more to split the difference).

Whatever the true potential of each caliber is, one has to deal with whatever reality places before them, in addition to other practical factors (e.g. cost, recoil, effect on grip size, artificial 10-round limits imposed by law, etc.). It's better to choose the specific loads that will achieve the desired effects, regardless of caliber, and see what options that gives you in other areas according to caliber and the preferred handgun design (the practical factors mentioned above)--anything else is simply bias for one reason or another. Some biases are alright, like preferring larger rounds, but many others are just silly. Also keep in mind that each load in any caliber is a separate design, and some of the basic JHP designs, for example, may work better at some sizes and velocities than others.

The reasons I chose .40 S&W for my primary self-defense handgun are: living in California I can't have more than 10 rounds in a magazine anyway (I should move back to America while that's still legal!), negating that advantage of 9mm; .40 S&W's recoil does not noticeably affect my aim or followup shots; in loads where the expanded JHPs were of equal diameter, .40 S&W penetrated several inches deeper than 9mm, and in loads that got equal penetration, .40 S&W had a slightly larger diameter (not much difference, but these are still points in its favor, even over 9mm+P); there were handguns that fit the small hands of some members of my family and could still hold 10 rounds, which is an advantage over .45 ACP; I secretly wanted to (due to bias) but could not find a comparison that proved definitively that .45 ACP was ballistically superior (I could get a wider wound channel but would have to sacrifice penetration for it, and I favor penetration), so that was pretty much a wash; and finally .40 S&W is less expensive than .45 ACP (not a huge deal or else 9mm might have won out anyway).

I wouldn't fault anybody for choosing 9mm or .45 ACP--both venerable old calibers that have survived this long for good reasons--if either were a better fit for them, but .40 S&W fits right in between them and I'm one of those people who try to avoid extremes when given an effective option anyway. That said, at the end of the day, there is just not that much difference between these calibers.

 

[Manco]

mall ninjas?????

Pretty much--I sure felt like one trying to choose between these similar calibers.

Why not make a full compromise and get a M1911 in 10mm?

I know what you mean, but I like how you characterize this as a compromise.

I like .357 too. I think Indiana Jones used one.

Now don't start that again!

The reason I'm looking for a .45 is because I always hear people talking about it having less felt recoil than a .40 which can always be a good thing. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the .40 but hey if a bigger round can be shot a bit easier then why not, right?

Well, keep in mind that shooting .45 ACP in a larger, heavier pistol--quite a common case--is bound to feel less "snappy" than a .40 S&W in a smaller, lighter pistol. In the same basic platform the difference is not as pronounced, although .40 S&W still has a more sudden recoil impulse. Then again, so does 9mm, only slightly lighter.

Anyway, I'm going to be somewhat of a hypocrite here and suggest that if you do buy a 1911 (like most everybody does or wants to at some point ), then it might as well be a .45 ACP because that's the classic caliber for the gun--there's that bias I was talking about. If you're just buying the gun to use as a tool or toy (as I was considering before), then that would be one thing, but if you want a 1911 because you want a 1911, then it should be in .45 ACP. That's what I would do, and I imagine that someday I'll buy a Single Action Army in (what else?) .45 LC (of course!).

 

[NinjaFeint]

I am a 9mm guy for my autos and 357 for my revolvers. Out of 40 and 45 I prefer 45