.40 .45 or 9mm

[severous01]

question as stated, 40 45 or 9mm. i'm lookin at a springfield XDm and i like the 9 because of price of rounds and i'm not looking to spend a ton in bullets. i like the .45 because of stopping power. most rounds fired will be down range. it's for personal protection only, nothing more than staying in the house or goin to range.

any assistance would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

[annn]

With modern ammo such as federal hst,gold dots, etc...those 3 calibers are so close in "stopping power" it's really a personal choice.

I was a big fan of .40s&w for many years but with ammo advances in the last 10 years .. I think the 9mm gets my nod because of round count.

[cdydjded]

Iv also asked te same question to gun owners I knw, they all have said 9mm

[MadMax]

I still prefer .45ACP, and with pistols like the XD you can carry 13+1 to have another ammo to stop a threat.

But it's all a compromise, size vs velocity; but in the end it's round placement that counts more than anything else!

Cheers! M2

[severous01]

everyone i talk to says to watch out for 9mm. it passes through. but, i guess i'll stick with cheaper rounds and cheaper gun.

like mentioned above, they all have high grade and low grade rounds. i suppose all of them being similar in size, force, capacity and price...i suppose i'll just have to stick with what's common to make things cheaper and easier.

[Dragracer]

Federal HST 9mm ammo expands to almost 3/4" and over penetration is unlikely.

[MadMax]

9mm is more likely to over-penetrate that the slower, larger .45ACP round; but honestly it has never been something I worry about. Seriously, if you find yourself in a situation where you have to use lethal force to save your life, the only thing you will be worried about is stopping the threat!

That said, I would still use a shotgun over an AK-47 in a home defense situation; but for a carry weapon either round (9mm, .40 or .45) will be effective. They all have their advantages/disadvantages but all have been used in one capacity or another with great effectiveness. The caliber debate is a silly one and if you are looking for a personal defense pistol you should concentrate more on finding one that suits your needs (size, weight, capacity, ergonomics, etc) than worrying about which caliber to choose. About the only time that really comes into consideration is on price.

I would recommend going to a gun show and "feeling" which pistols feel best in your hand. I think the XD is a great firearm, it is my primary carry weapon and I have thousands of rounds down my .45 Service without a since hiccup. It is a very popular model and one you can't go wrong with, but there are numerous makes and manufacturers out there who make excellent pistols; it's all a matter of what you like and how much money you have to spend!

Cheers! M2

[ztrack157]

SW .40

[djct_watt]

In a real life shoot-to-kill situation, you're not going to firing shots like a jon woo film. You'd be seriously out of your mind to empty an entire clip. . . even with a 45. IMO, you wants those rounds to have the maximum impact possible. I mean, you really shouldn't be shooting someone if you don't intend to use deadly force. Unless you are a terrible shot or plan on fighting off the spanish inquisition, I'd go with a 45. The only reason I can see that you'd want to carry a 9mm is for a concealed carry and outdoor use where you could potentially get into a shoot-out situation (highly unlikely as well). Most times when guns are actually used, only a few rounds are actually fired, unless it's some idiot holding it sideways doing a drive-by (where they always hit EVERYTHING BUT the target). IMO, 6 rounds is plenty for defensive purposes.

[MadMax]

While the truth is that in most police-involved shooting incidents, only 2-3 rounds are fired, I would still advise owning something with a capacity greater than six rounds!

And I can as easily conceal a full-sized .45 semi-auto like my XD as well as any smaller, compact 9mm.

The point is, the effectiveness will come down to the skill of the shooter no matter what firearm is used. So instead of spending a lot of money on a Kimber 1911 or something similar, buy a pistol that you can afford to train with; and by train I don't mean standing at the range, taking careful aim at a paper target 10-15 yards away, and shooting at it. There are drills and even competitive shooting events such as IDPA that will allow you to be more efficient with your weapon and that will make you better prepared if it ever came to using it!

So find what works for you, and train as much as you can with it!

Cheers! M2

[djct_watt]

^ I can agree with that. I definitely wouldn't advise only 6 rounds. . . but I'm just saying it would be adequate for most situations. The clip capacity of most any 45 is more than enough!

However, my personal preference for a concealed carry is something a little smaller than a 45. . . but you're 100% correct about it being more about the shooter than the gun. But with the tub-larded-ness of most people nowadays and the amount of drugs people do, I'd personally want more stopping power than 9mm. I've heard many stories about needing more than 1 round to neutralize a threat. IMO, that's too many.

[Nexus1155]

I have a M&P 9MM. I love the feel of the gun, fits perfect with the interchangeable grips.

Like others have said above me, the stopping power is close to one another, just the 9mm travels at a higher velocity. Rounds are cheaper. If you are going to go to the range alot get the 9mm. I have hollows for my carry clip.

[djct_watt]

Man, reading forum posts on an iPhone sucks... I missed a lot of relevant posts by other people that made some of my comments look even more retarded. When I browse on a computer, I read every post. Sorry for the forum idiocy on my part. I had no idea that 45 and 9mm were so close on stopping power. Most of my weapons education has been in Thailand, and this is THE land of misinformation.

[nemelek]

I have an assortment of fire arms. The loaded one in the night stand is a 9mm. The rest are in a safe.

[severous01]

my uncle has a colt 1911, a XDm 9mm and several other pistols. my dad has a .22 pistol, .38, .357m and a few others of different caliber.

the 1911 was awesome, accurate and had a good feel but was extremely long. rounds are expensive as well unless you make your own, which uncle can do. the xdm 9mm was awesome in hand, it was the 4" version and was perfect for my hands. the .357 magnum was way too much, and was way too big and clunky feeling in hand (revolver....they're out of the question). .22 was good but no stopping power. .38 was good as well, but felt light and small in hand, and i wasnt very accurate with it due to it's small feel.

so i guess i'll be buyin an XDm of some caliber and like mentioned above, it will be based on price of rounds.

[MadMax]

so i guess i'll be buyin an XDm of some caliber and like mentioned above, it will be based on price of rounds.

If inexpensive ammo is a factor, then you should go with a 9mm. Right now you can pick up 50 rounds of Federal 9mm FMJ at Walmart for about $10, good for target shooting. For home/self defense you'll want specific JHP ammo that will be considerably more, but you won't use it too much. I'd recommend putting several rounds of whatever ammo you plan to keep in the gun through it to make sure it feeds/cycles properly, although with an XD/XDm it's not a concern (they will eat anything). Still, it's a good idea to run some rounds through anyway, just to be sure.

Good luck and happy shooting! :headbang:

Cheers! M2

[Palmer812]

My daily concealed carry is a .40 (Glock 27). It is the same size as the 9mm Glock 26 and is only 1 round less. Target ammo is almost as cheap as 9mm (usually about $2 more per 50 rounds) but I get carry ammo for free so that helps. I have handguns from .22 all the way up to 500 S&W Magnum and love them all. Here is some gun porn. :biggrin:
39064

[SailDesign]

I'm just glad I live somewhere that doesn't make me feel like I need a "daily carry", or ANY "carry", come to that. I have a 20-gauge side-by-side and a Winchester 52 target rifle, all locked up snug - haven't pulled them out for use since we sold the farm. Travelling anywhere in New England, I have yet to feel "the need" for a carry-along. And that suits me fine.

[Nexus1155]

I still need an upper for the AR-15 I still haven't decided yet. HOLY HELL HOW DO I RESIZE?!



http://i53.tinypic.com/oaav69.jpg (http://i53.tinypic.com/oaav69.jpg)


http://i54.tinypic.com/2dt3luv.jpg (http://i54.tinypic.com/2dt3luv.jpg)

[MadMax]

I'm just glad I live somewhere that doesn't make me feel like I need a "daily carry", or ANY "carry", come to that. I have a 20-gauge side-by-side and a Winchester 52 target rifle, all locked up snug - haven't pulled them out for use since we sold the farm. Travelling anywhere in New England, I have yet to feel "the need" for a carry-along. And that suits me fine.

Well, Rhode Island is considerably safe; but since the population of the entire state is about half of the metro area of the city I live in, I wonder if that's because there's no one around! :bellyroll:

Seriously, the crime stats for RI are low; but there were still 2,660 violent crimes there in 2009 (to include 39 murders, 287 forceable rapes, 786 robberies, 1,556 assaults) for a population just slightly over one million people, so it isn't like crime doesn't exist!

Heck, even in this metro are of well over two million, the chances of being a victim of a violent crime are low; but they go much lower when you have the ability to defend yourself! :headbang:

I guess it's just the life of a sheepdog...

Cheers! M2

[Goose]

Another vote for 9mm here. Since practice/familiarity with the weapon is your best friend you don't want to drive yourself to the poorhouse with ammo consumption.

Practice with the cheapest ammo you can find, and shoot plenty; the best weapon in the world isn't worth much if you're not comfortable with it.

[Nexus1155]

Theres a funny video here if you have time to check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evr_tP9cJWY

says something in it like "I heard all calibers don't matter unless it begins with a .4*" LOL pretty funny.

But don't get a plinker .22, if you ever need to use it, youll see its like shooting pebbles at someone. It may hurt, but they'll still have time to come at you most likely. And I doubt you're going to use a head shot to protect yourself. I certainly couldn't do it.

[TEHxFALLEN V1.2]

I still need an upper for the AR-15 I still haven't decided yet. HOLY HELL HOW DO I RESIZE?!

Rock River Arms. That is all I have to say.

I have one that I've built throughout this year, and one more in the making.. Excellent craftsmanship.

[elmo]

call me old fashion if you will; my handgun of choice is a Smith&Wesson 357 with a 4" barrel my thoughts are if you can't stop it with 6 you shouldn't be allowed to carry a gun

[Nexus1155]

I liked the rock river arms, I was going to get a rail from them. Even the spikes or the stag ones, but the prices fluctuate so much is insane. and I can't have one with a flash hider on it unless I feel like removing it.

I want something thats 1:7 twist with a chrome lined barrel with either a comp or no comp on it for around $450. I know thats a pretty decent price range especially not included the BCG.


I like the six shooters, I never had a chance to use one yet.

[SailDesign]

Well, Rhode Island is considerably safe; but since the population of the entire state is about half of the metro area of the city I live in, I wonder if that's because there's no one around! :bellyroll:

Seriously, the crime stats for RI are low; but there were still 2,660 violent crimes there in 2009 (to include 39 murders, 287 forceable rapes, 786 robberies, 1,556 assaults) for a population just slightly over one million people, so it isn't like crime doesn't exist!

<snip>


In '09, we had 83 road traffic deaths versus 39 murders, so it is still statistically safer (in a lose-your-life way) to walk around unprotected than to drive a car. :smile:
I'm working on the assumption that I'm safe from rape, of course....

[MadMax]

I'm about to pick up a Khyber Pass AK-47 clone later this morning...

http://texasguntrader.com/user_images/6841463.jpg

Speaking of AKs, if you really want a powerful handgun; this is classified as a pistol under Federal law...

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c209/M2Repsol/Guns/IMG_4326.jpg

Thirty rounds of 7.62x39! :headbang: Heck, if I used the Bulgarian drum I have, you can bump that number up to 75! :evil:

So technically in states where an individual has legal authorization, it can be carried concealed; but I doubt most local law enforcement agencies know that!

It can also be converted to a Short-Barreled Rifle by adding a stock but only after getting ATF approval (Form 1 (http://www.atf.gov/forms/download/atf-f-5320-1.pdf)) and acquiring a $200 tax stamp.

Additionally, as it is a pistol, you cannot add the traditional Romanian "donkey dong" front grip without the aforementioned ATF approval/$200 tax stamp as adding it changes its classification to being an "Any Other Weapon" (AOW, a broad "catch-all" category used to regulate any number of firearms which the ATF deems deserving of registration and taxation) under the 1934 National Firearms Act.

Cheers! M2

[djct_watt]

In '09, we had 83 road traffic deaths versus 39 murders, so it is still statistically safer (in a lose-your-life way) to walk around unprotected than to drive a car. :smile:
I'm working on the assumption that I'm safe from rape, of course....

Double check driving habits, DUI's, and people not wearing their seatbelts, and you can cut down that statistic by quite a bit. Most people are idiots behind the wheel and the very same people shouldn't be operating firearms either.

What the driving statistic says to me isn't that we should prevent all people from driving or owning guns. No, it says to me that we need STRICTER driver's license requirements, testing, training, and issuance. I don't understand people who flip out about guns when there are people flying around on the roads in giant machinery that is just as dangerous. Get the morons off the road. . . just as you should keep guns out of the hands of morons too.

I've been robbed before. . . and I've been assaulted too (both in the USA). Hey, I was "jumped" by 10+ drunk college dudes wanting to "brawl." And I've also been crashed into by other cars. . . once by a police officer that ran a red light with his lights on but no siren (and I was on a motorcycle at the time). Now I can't exactly "defend" myself against other drivers (there is only so much you can do, defensively). You can't exactly shoot at someone before they crash into you. But you can definitely stop a robbery in progress. . .

[SailDesign]

Double check driving habits, DUI's, and people not wearing their seatbelts, and you can cut down that statistic by quite a bit. Most people are idiots behind the wheel and the very same people shouldn't be operating firearms either.

What the driving statistic says to me isn't that we should prevent all people from driving or owning guns. No, it says to me that we need STRICTER driver's license requirements, testing, training, and issuance. I don't understand people who flip out about guns when there are people flying around on the roads in giant machinery that is just as dangerous. Get the morons off the road. . . just as you should keep guns out of the hands of morons too.

I've been robbed before. . . and I've been assaulted too (both in the USA). Hey, I was "jumped" by 10+ drunk college dudes wanting to "brawl." And I've also been crashed into by other cars. . . once by a police officer that ran a red light with his lights on but no siren (and I was on a motorcycle at the time). Now I can't exactly "defend" myself against other drivers (there is only so much you can do, defensively). You can't exactly shoot at someone before they crash into you. But you can definitely stop a robbery in progress. . .

Watt - we're going to have to agree to disagree. I live in an area where we don't get "10+ drunk college dudes" wanting to brawl. I don't get to areas where I'm likely to meet them, either. By choice.

I'm an old phart of 55, and I love where I live and how I live. No fear! ;-)

[severous01]

wow...i just asked which caliber to buy...didnt know that i'd open a can of worms here about drunk drivers, rapists and ak-47's and m-16's

i'll stick with 9mm becuase like mentioned so many times already they're deadly, accurate, cheap and effective. enough for me...not to mention the pistol i'm wanting is in that caliber, length, color combo, and manufacturer i want, unlike the .40 and .45.

[swidd]

I own and sometimes carry a .40.

However I'd go with a 9mm if I'm buying another one. Less recoil and better triggers = easier to hit what you're aiming at. Also, more practice > less.

I'm well practiced with my .40, but fact remains the recoil knocks that thing off very easily, which makes it more time consuming to achieve good accurate shots when I'm at the range. I beat and/or match the accuracy of my friends who have 9mm, but I take longer time to re-aim.

Also, hundreds of rounds of .40 will wear on your biceps :(

[djct_watt]

Watt - we're going to have to agree to disagree. I live in an area where we don't get "10+ drunk college dudes" wanting to brawl. I don't get to areas where I'm likely to meet them, either. By choice.

I'm an old phart of 55, and I love where I live and how I live. No fear! ;-)

I'm not forcing my beliefs on you, just saying not everyone can be as fortunate as you. As you can tell from my post, I don't live there anymore. But some people cannot choose where they live and where they find jobs. Not everyone has that luxury. But yeah, stats like the one you posted make me far less concerned about the people who (legally) bought guns than I am over DUI offenders still being allowed to drive.

[why?]

I agree with the getting the gun that has the least expensive practice ammo for your daily carry. Never mind that most the world uses 9mm with great success.
I'm just glad I live somewhere that doesn't make me feel like I need a "daily carry", or ANY "carry", come to that. I have a 20-gauge side-by-side and a Winchester 52 target rifle, all locked up snug - haven't pulled them out for use since we sold the farm. Travelling anywhere in New England, I have yet to feel "the need" for a carry-along. And that suits me fine.

I think there are maybe 6 or so areas in all of new england that must be avoided, the rest are all ok.

Well, Rhode Island is considerably safe; but since the population of the entire state is about half of the metro area of the city I live in, I wonder if that's because there's no one around! :bellyroll:

Seriously, the crime stats for RI are low; but there were still 2,660 violent crimes there in 2009 (to include 39 murders, 287 forceable rapes, 786 robberies, 1,556 assaults) for a population just slightly over one million people, so it isn't like crime doesn't exist!

Heck, even in this metro are of well over two million, the chances of being a victim of a violent crime are low; but they go much lower when you have the ability to defend yourself! :headbang:

I guess it's just the life of a sheepdog...

Cheers! M2

NE is safe. There are a few parts of boston where you should not tread, and maybe the same can be said for a few of the smaller cities, but that is about it.

While I am a fan of guns, and will eventually get a license to carry, I have never felt I needed one. And if you avoid the cities, there is almost no violent crime. Even in the college cities, there just aren't those type of incidents.

[Dragracer]

This is where I bought my flat top upper:

http://www.rguns.net/rifles/rifles-semiauto-ar15-uppers-556-16Inch.shtml



I still need an upper for the AR-15 I still haven't decided yet. HOLY HELL HOW DO I RESIZE?!



http://i53.tinypic.com/oaav69.jpg (http://i53.tinypic.com/oaav69.jpg)


http://i54.tinypic.com/2dt3luv.jpg (http://i54.tinypic.com/2dt3luv.jpg)

[Nexus1155]

I'll check out that link, I am trying to find out about the laws of building firearms.

As, you can buy a parts kit for an AK, make your own receiver without serial #'s and it won't be illegal.
I know I can do this in MA

Also, no automatics here pretty much ever.

What I am trying to do is build a short barreled uzi that is semi auto. I'm trying to figure if that is legal as well even if it is short barreled.

[kiteslinger]

Q and A's can be found here;

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/index.php

[Midnight Drifter]

My daily concealed carry is a .40 (Glock 27)

Nice. I've got a S&W .38 air lite SC that I occasionally concealed carry when I'm charting... unfamiliar territories. Wonder what the size difference is.

Lucky you, by the way. You don't have to risk going to jail when you carry where you are. :biggrin: Carrying licenses (concealed or open) for personal defense are practically impossible to obtain here in the Soprano State, unless you're a State Trooper or a big-shot politician, (even cops can't carry when they're not on duty) and since unauthorized carrying warrants the same amount of jail time upon conviction whether you're open or concealed, it's much better to just hide the damn thing and hope you never end up getting patted down by a cop. :rolleyes:

Oh well, it's not like I do it often... only when I'm going to seedy areas that I don't know well. Like Newark or Camden. Usually I just try to stay out of those areas, period... minimizes my chances of being shot at. (or arrested)

Oh, the joys of living in a state where you have to practically be a criminal to to protect yourself from criminals. Can't wait to move to Georgia so I don't feel so naked.

[Nexus1155]

Ended up going with a spikes upper that aimsurplus.com had for a great deal...

http://i52.tinypic.com/2pq292a.jpg