what bullet or caliber is better?

Question

which is better? 9mm or .40 cal?

im sorry about my first question. im planning to buy a pistol for sports and home defense but im confused whether to choose a 9mm or .40 cal. pistol.

Answer 1

The 40 is only marginally better as far as expansion or penetration. Law enforcement is as prone to fads as anybody else and I think that explains the 40.

The 9 is the way to go. First quicker follow ups. People will tell you that follow ups are all technique. These people do not own shot timers. I assure you 9s are faster for everyone.
You are very likely to encounter multiple targets and you want speed.

Next you want higher capacity which you get with the nine. People will say things like "if you can't get it done with 6 you can't get it done" If you study deadly force encounters you will find there is more missing than hitting also you will find that there are very often multiple targets. A recent study of New York city Police showed that 57% of their shots are misses when fired at 6 feet or less. When they use their guns at 25 yards their percent hits is less than 7.

Which brings up my next point on why to buy a nine. It is cheaper and you will practice more. Thus you will be more likely to hit your target.

Go to the range and watch all the people who can't shoot. The reason is they are scared of their guns. So the more they practice the worse they get. Really go to the range look at the vast majority of people shooting 1 foot or bigger groups at 10 yards. Get a gun that is cheap to shoot and does not recoil ... get a nine and you will be deadly.

There are a few other reasons to get a nine but keep in mind when you are at the range that most handguns can shoot 3'' or less at 25yards. I consider the way most people shoot embarrassing. I taught my fiance to shoot better than most people at the range in 5 minutes because I started her out with a gun that doesn't kick. Thus she could watch the front sight while she squeezes the triger.

If you listen to the bluster and get a 40 as your first gun this is what will happen:
you spend $ 25 for a 100 shells. You go to the range miss everything, run out of shells and did not improve the least. You go home kicking yourself for not listening to your Uncle Frosty.
Or
You ignore the bluster listen to people's arguments and get a nine.

By the way I think everyone's first pistol should be a 22

What kind of sports? steel challenge? uspsa? idpa? or one of the others?

Answer 2

Both are good defensive calibers. Which is better? Depends. With the proper ammo the 9mm is a great defensive round which has been around forever. Ammo availability is Universal. Ammo is cheap, especially the practice ammo.

The .40 S & W has only been around since January of 1990. Most people think it is a shortened 10mm but it is not. The 10mm uses large pistol primers and the .40 S & W uses small pistol primers. The .40 was designed to basically duplicate the performance of the venerable .45 acp and at least on paper it does. Additionally most .40 pistols hold more ammo than the .45 and usually as many as the hi cap nines. Ammo availability for the .40 is not as Universal as for the 9mm and it is more expensive but it won't put you in the poor house. A lot of police departments are switching to the new .40 S & W.

Personally I am not a fan of the .40 S & W simply because I acquired one of the first Glock 10mms & see no need for anything smaller. The 10mm does everything that the .40 does and more. At a 100 yards the 10mm has as much energy as the old .45 acp does at the muzzle. Sure it recoils. Of course it must be built on a larger frame than the 9mm in order to not self-destruct but to me neither one of these factors is a problem. If a person has very small hands or is very small in stature, then yes, I can see him/her going with the .40 or the 9mm.

The 9mm & the .40 S & W use the same platform so size/fit will be the same. It goes without saying that the .40 throws a slightly wider bullet than the 9mm but for most makes & models ammo capacity is about the same. The .40 will tend to recoil a bit more than the 9mm so pick the one that works best for you.

Best.

H

Answer 3

Really now with the technology up into modern bullets they are almost the same. The 40 will open up and have a slightly larger frontal diameter than a 9mm. The 9mm has been around for a long long time so if it was not good it would have died. The 40 is also going to offer slightly heavier bullets adding to the 40 being a bit more affective. With a pistol loaded with high performance Self Defense ammo I would not feel under gunned with either the 9mm and the 40 S&W.

Answer 4

It depends on what the main use is going to be for. Range time and hobby I would go 9mm because it is less expensive. ($16 or so for 100 rnds at Wal-Mart). It is also easier on the hand. The recoil (to me anyway) on the .40 has more snap to it. My first gun was a 4" .40caliber semi-auto and over time I began to get sharp pain in my hand and arm due to my firearm. I traded it for a 9mm and I was fine. I actually prefer the .45acp over the .40. It is much more smooth to shoot. Last time I bought .40 it was about 25 bucks a box of 100.

If you are going to use it for conceal carry or home defense a 9mm will work (even though some people will disagree) you may want to look into the .40 or a .45.
I do know many police departments in IL that still use 9mm still.

Answer 5

Why not a .357 Magnum or .45 ACP?

Both calibers have better stopping power and more raw power than the 9mmP or .40 Short & Weak.

Both the .357 magnum and .45 ACP have a wider range of factory loadings available and more bullet weights and designs available for reloading than th 9 mmP or .40 S&W.

And in all honesty, I'm rather unimpressed with the 9 mmP's reputation for accuracy or it's stopping power record.

Doc

Answer 6

The 9 is by far cheaper, so you can get more trigger time for a lot less. The 40 has more power. Neather have much recoil. If you reload your own ammo point one is out the window.

Answer 7

All you really need for your purpose is a 357 Magnum.* It is a proven man stopper and you can shoot 38 caliber ammo in it also. You get two (2)* handguns for the price of one (1)*.. Great gun & great value.* I prefer a Smith & Wesson 4" barrel in a revolver.*

Answer 8

These two rounds are almost equal. The .40 cal is actually a 10mm one up from the 9. The pros and cons balance both calibers out the same for general purpose use.

Answer 9

what are you using it for. a 9mm will be good for self protection and small game and a .40 cal would be good for.........well i have no clue why you would want a 40 cal or use it for.

Answer 10

The 9mm is FAR more versatile, and cheaper. You can use milder loads for target practice, or hotter loads approaching .357 magnum power for self-defense.