what is the best 9mm hand gun or the best 40 cal hand gun i need a handgun for my home protection?

Answer 1

"the best" is really personal preference in combination with budget. For example, I'm a retired police sergeant and currently an armorer for a smallish police department (135 officers). Their duty weapon is the SigSauer P 226 in .40 S&W. It is a dependable pistol, accurate, and costs between $500 and $600.

Personally I like my Smith and Wesson 4506. Stainless steel .45.

Glock makes a good pistol, H&K, Springfield, Taurus, even Ruger (although they aren't one of my favorites).

9 MM is not a very effective round, even the new bullet designs. A .40 has most of the performance characteristics of the .45, but there's nothing like a .45. They are available new in the $400 range for a reliable pistol up to several thousand for a customized model.

I'm not a gun nut, and don't recommend guns to people who aren't familiar with them. Ask yourself these questions:

Do you have any children?
if you do, what do you do with this gun when you're not home? When they have friends over?

When you're not home, where do you store the pistol? The magazine? the ammunition?

Do either you or anyone else in your house come home late or at odd hours?

Can you shoot someone?

What if it's your stupid brother who got drunk and crawled in through the window because he was to stupid or too drunk to go home (subtitute husband, wife, sister, buddy, son, old college buddy, etc for brother) and you shoot him?

Can you shoot someone and kill them?

I have investigated several cases over my career where a well meaning parent bought a pistol, hid it from the children and came home to a dead child. Or their husband came home at an odd time and the wife shot him (and killed him) and they were both deputy sheriff's.

Have you ever shot a handgun before?

Can you shoot and kill someone? (notice I've asked this before? Many people say they can, but really can't, then the gun is a problem)

If the gun is locked anywhere, (safe, drawer, lock box, nightstand) it is of no value when someone breaks in.

Here's a biggie:

Can you wake up from a dead sleep, find your pistol, find your magazine, load it, find the intruder, identify that it's not "one of your own" and place a well shot round in the chest in the dark with your heart rate at about 160 beats per minute and your breathing nearly out of control, and not through your childs bedroom wall?

If you must have a gun at home, I recommend a 20 gauge pump shotgun.

If you can't actually shoot someone, or had problems with any of the questions above, I REALLY recommend an aluminium baseball bat. They're easy to get, easy to maintain, have more than one use, most people CAN hit someone, and make a really bitchin' ping when you smack someone on the head with it, oh yeah, and it hurts like hell.

Good hunting.

9-14-06 I just saw this today. If close quarters defense is what you're interested in, watch this. It's scary/awesome.

http://www.taurususa.com/video/taurus-theJudge-video.cfm

Answer 2

9mm Luger Ammo Testing & Ballistics Even though the recoil of the 9mm Luger is much less than the 40 S&W or 45 ACP, you will be surprised at the results on the business end. You will now understand why the 9mm Luger was adopted by NATO, the U.S. Military, and close to a million police officers worldwide. The 9mm Luger has 35% more muzzle energy than the 38 special, 10% more muzzle energy than the 44 special, and rivals the energy of hot 45 ACP loadings. For longer distances, the 9mm Luger is flatter shooting than the 40 S&W or 45 ACP. The 9mm is no sissy cartridge. Since the lessons learned at the Miami shootout fiasco, the FBI performance requirements for an ideal cartridge must have bullet expansion of .50" (1/2 inch) or more, and at least 12 inches of penetration in bare and clothed ballistic gelatin. Bullet penetration should not exceed 18 inches depth. 12 to 15 inches is considered the ideal range. The 9mm Luger meets these requirements with quality ammunition just as good as the .40 S&W and 45 ACP. The FBI 9mm test don't lie! Any brand of premium 9mm 124gr or 147gr JHP has the stopping power do the job! My favorite is the 124gr hollowpoint ammo for defense. I use any brand I can get a good deal on. The reason for the 124gr choice is; I can practice with the low price 115gr FMJ made by Remington UMC and Winchester white box. The 124gr point of impact out to 15 yards is almost identical to the 115gr FMJ. Your Captian, Chief, or sheriff may be old school and remember some of the 9mm pistols from 25 years ago that were cheap made or very heavy. He may also remember the crappy 9mm ammo from 25 years ago too. This is why so many officers are required to carry lower capacity 40 S&W or 45 ACP pistols, even though you may run out of ammo in a gunfight. The FBI has tested todays 9mm ammo and it has proven to be just as terminal as 40 S&W or 45 ACP. Cops carry 9mm pistols In Europe, Russia, Japan, China, Korea, India, and the middle east. Over 90% of the world's police use 9mm! Premium 9mm ammunition cost as much as 45% less, thus giving police officers more range time without breaking the budget.

Answer 3

9mm is lighter on recoil than the .40 S&W round.The two round are high pressure rounds with a working pressuore of around 33,000-34,000 psi. Velocity wise, the 9mm is faster, but the .40 imparts more energy on the target. I would recommen either the full size Glock model 22 in .40 S&W caliber, or the model 23 compact model. They can be had for about $500. The guns has to fit well in your hands for you to shoot well, so go down to the gun shop and see what fits you the best. One last thing, when you get the gun, don't just keep it in a drawer, or in a holster until the need arises, PRACTICE with it to get proficient with it, and learn all about safe gun handling.

Answer 4

for real.... forget glock. i know i know.... people are gonna say that im crazy. Springfield XD .40 is the way to go. has several safety features that glock doesn't have such as an Ultra Safety Assurance (USA) Trigger System, a 1911-style grip safety, ambidextrous magazine release buttons, a loaded chamber indicator, striker status indicator, and also has an accessory rail.and is fairly priced. ive had a glock 17 (9mm) and a ruger p95 (9mm) and i would have to say that the XD .40 is the better of all three. accuracy is great! u say home protection? so most def XD .40 will stop an itruder in his/her tracks. no joke

Answer 5

If its going to sit in a drawer , a semi-auto is a bad choice. The spring in the magazine is constantly compressed and that is very bad for guns. If you are going to cycle the magazines frequently, then I like the Berettas, and the newer model Glocks are ok now. Smith stainless' are pretty tough.

But, if you plan to have it loaded & just sitting around, look for a good old revolver. 38 cal is plenty for close quarters (in house) and the rounds won't penetrate too far outside the house (and hit a neighbor) if you miss. And, if you can't take care of business with six shots, don't get a gun (or take classes). Unless you expect to be invaded by the Talaban, and need to have 1000 rounds loaded.

Answer 6

I like my Springfield Armory XDs. You can by them in 9mm, .40cal, and .45ACP. I do think they make a .357sig but do not quote me. They come in sub-compact, compact, 4" service pistol and 5" Tactical.
XD and Glock owners will argue for hours on who makes the better gun... Personally I like the XD better: XDs have the same trigger safety Glock does but they also have 4 more other safeties. There is a grip safety, load indicator (a little knotch that is seen on top of the slide that tells you a round is in the chamber), and the striker indicator (when the gun is ready to fire a indicator protrudes fromt the back of the slide). XDs fit better in my hand than Glock and in my opinion natural pointers. From holster to target it is easier to sight onto your target for an accuate shot. Less felt recoil as well. The XD is a little lighter.
Both guns are nearly indistructible. Neither of them will jam or misfire on you.
I also like my Beretta Px4 Storm in 9mm.
As for the best that is up to you. Go to a shop and look around, pick up some handguns and the one that fits better in you hand and is easy on your eye in line of sights is the one for you. No matter the brand....Just stay away from Smith & Wesson semi-autos. They suck. Good luck and happy shooting. PS do not forget to take a safety course and make sure you get plenty of range time to keep up with your shooting skills.

Answer 7

as much as i hate too admit it i agree with the sarge if you can,t pull the trigger get a baseball bat but more important get some lesson,s cause just owning a firearm is not the answer you got too learn what your using it for and how too use it right before you can use it for home protection

Answer 8

personally i would go with a 44 cal python, 8 inch barrel, if your going to shoot some one , make sure there dead, on the first shot,

Answer 9

personally i would get either the clock 9 or a Beretta these 2 are very durable and light...

Answer 10

the glock nine is the best handgun their lighter and more durable