.40S&W vrs .45ACP

[LetsRoll]

ONE GUN?
Where's the fun in that?

That's right, one gun per task.:thumbsup: BUT, I have several task at the moment going on. Well, kind of, sorta. Actually, truth be told, I changed my mind cause of the break-in's in my area and burglars are all not the same. So to try to keep up with them and there habits or there act's of crime. I've decided to buy four weapons, yes I said four (number 4). In the end, and this is a big maybe, but I might buy two more, so that will put the total to six (6) weapons. Here's the break down of the six weapons. One for me and one for the wife to conceal on our persons. Just will have to train the wife how to shot her's and take the class to get our concealed weapons license. The other four (4), one for the front door and one for the back door. These two (2) weapons will be hidden close to the doors but can be gotten to pretty quick. The other two (2) weapons will be used for max damage and will be kept in master bedroom. These two (2) weapons will consist of .45 caliber full frame hand gun and a short barrel shot gun with a pistol grip (no butt stock) and have a capability of holding six or seven rounds.

To top this all off, a FAMILY can never have enough weapons to protect themselves. When this is all said and done, I will be looking into assault weapons too. And to make this tractor related, I will be making a range at my house for target shooting.

 

[LetsRoll]

For anybody reading this, we have no children, so no worries there.

 

[TripleR]

For anybody reading this, we have no children, so no worries there.

Probably opening a can of worms, but my wife and I raised three children in a home where guns were accessible; never had any issues. Guns left out when they were younger were semi-autos with the magazine removed and no round in the chamber. My personal weapon was always loaded, but no one had access to it.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Probably opening a can of worms, but my wife and I raised three children in a home where guns were accessible; never had any issues. Guns left out when they were younger were semi-autos with the magazine removed and no round in the chamber. My personal weapon was always loaded, but no one had access to it.

Same here. We taught our children to handle guns and shoot. My two teenagers probably know more about firearms than most adults.

 

[Sigarms]

For myself, same size gun, the .45 always wins over the .40

.40 has more of a snap for myself, and I can never outshoot the .45 for speed and accuracy using a .40

I suggest you try some fast double taps with both calibers and see which groups best for you before you make your decision.

Then again, I have no qualms being armed with a 9mm.

 

[Sigarms]

For myself, same size gun, the .45 always wins over the .40

.40 has more of a snap for myself, and I can never outshoot the .45 for speed and accuracy using a .40

I suggest you try some double taps with both calibers and see which groups best for you before you make your decision.

Then again, I have no qualms being armed with a 9mm.

 

[k0ua]

Here is the thing with the recoil impulse on the 40. IF you do the following things, the .40 is a pussycat.
First thing, it needs to be chambered in a full sized 1911 framed gun, preferably with an heavy dustcover, and full length guide rod.. Weight is your friend here. Now you need to load at least 180 grain bullets or even 200 grainers. with a powder with a longer pressure curve. I am not talking about factory +P+ rounds here. I am talking about rounds that just make major in all weather. Now you will have a gun that still makes major power factor (165 or better) but has very low recoil. This recoil impulse will be on par or below a .45 set up likewise.. Now all of that said.. that does not help a bit with your carry gun something built on a 9mm frame, with a 3.5 inch barrel etc..Some of these can get pretty snappy, especially loaded with good self defense rounds. You can select factory rounds, that are lower recoil than others, but I don't think any of them are wimpy. Neither are factory .45 rounds for that matter. So carry a 9mm in that size pistol if you want less recoil.. While I have .45 and .40, I also have 9mm's. There is no shame in carrying a 9mm. with the proper ammunition..I have seen very few threats I thought a 9mm would not handle (OK maybe no Grizzly or Polar bears). I guess what I am saying is there is no free lunch,,If you want less recoil, you must have a heavier pistol, and/or lighter loads. If you want a hand cannon.. get a .375JDJ.. geez that thing hurts.. I have fired exactly 2 rounds of that caliber in a Thompson Center Contender. That is all I wanted. And all my wrist could take. I can shoot a .44magnum all afternoon at steel and still have fun.. the .375JDJ makes a .44magnum revolver feel like a .22.

James K0UA

 

[robs660]

I have both. A Kimber And a glock. Both will put big holes in phone books and both will blow holes through 1/4 plate steel at 20'. Can't go wrong with either one. I have found that the .45acp is a few cents cheaper then the .40.
I must get on my soap box and say my new favorite gun is my Smith and Wesson M&P 22. What a fun gun. Shooting cheap .22 rounds by the hundreds is a blast! Best fun gun I have ever bought

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Don't take your eye off the fact that in terms of self defense, caliber is by no means as important as familiarity with the firearm you are using, whether it is a .22 or 45ACP. Practice with whatever you purchase.

A study on mortality confirmed this conclusion a few years back. I was surprised at the mortality percentages of the .22 pistol in the hands of a familiar user.

 

[tomd999]

Hiya,

If given the choice between the 40 and the 45, I would always choose the 45. I have never been a fan of the 40 Short & Weak in a full sized pistol. In a medium to compact frame, the 40 would be better than a 9 or 380 but unless that's what your after, I would stick to the 45 in a commander or gvt model if you prefer single action pistols, if you prefer double or safe action there are plenty of full sized pistols out there in 45. For what it's worth, my 3 main carry pistols are a Colt Commander in 45, a Sig 220 in 45 and a Glock 20 in 10mm Norma.

Tom