Hey guys, kind of a two fer here.

In thinking about stocking up on ammo, with CA having ANOTHER law going into affect in 2011 that will jack prices up on supplies, I get into the mind set of maybe it's great to have all the different fun guns, but should really focus on what it is for defense.

I have a 9mm, glock, early early first gen. shoots good, reliable. I have owned handguns in 22, 25, 380, 357mag, 41mag, 44mag, 45 auto. I have a kimber 45. Had and regret selling a Sig 220.

I want a gun for carry, and was thinking a 40. everybody says they're great etc. then I wonder, are they better than the 45? if things went tits up is it gonna be that much easier to find 40 than 45? Maybe I just get another 45, standardize on that.

thoughts guys? any reason for a 40 over a 45? I was thinking about getting a 44mag, but was reading on the light 329 I was dreaming about and seems control is an issue.

I read somewhere 9mm expands, but 45 doesn't get any smaller.

Red

quote:

thoughts guys? any reason for a 40 over a 45?

The big 45 is a difficult handgun to master. At least that's what the Navy firearms instructor told me before my test with the Colt 1911. And yet having never fired a pistol in my young life, I still managed to qualify Sharpshooter. But that's more a testament to his skills as an instructor than mine as a shooter.

The 40 auto is mostly used by the police because it has less recoil for women cops, and men who aren't that familiar with full-sized handguns...some people's hands aren't big enough to grip a 45. The 40 magazine can hold a few more rounds of ammo.

It's a step up from the 9mm for fight stopping a bad guy but not in the same league as the 45 ACP. It is somewhat cheaper to shoot. And chambered in the right gun, also easier to conceal.

I doubt very many, knowing they're going into a gunfight, would chose the 40 auto over the 45ACP.

IMO you need a reliable 9mm+ and quality modern hollow point ammunition. After a couple of well placed shots, the bad guy really won't be able to tell the difference as he exsanguinates on the pavement. It's important to have something that will perform well around vehicles, and since each bad day is a unique scenerio, magzine capacity is also a plus. The .40 S&W does a good job balancing these various concerns, but is by no means the only viable solution.

However, the most important concern is this. As a suporter of our way of life, it is your duty to go buy a new gun in protest of the new law.

I love it!! I was looking today, I don't have very many guns any more. If I didn't have a custom rifle in the works then I'd go buy one monday! I think I'm definitely going 45.

Red

I have owned a CZ75 in .40 S&W for many years and just bought a Glock 22 Gen4. If you are lucky you can find magazines for the CZ which will hold 12 rounds, the Glock 22 holds 15 rounds with the standard mags. I bought the trigger and 3.5 pound connector kit from Ghost along with some tritium sights and couldn't be happier. The Glock is a great pistol, incredibly rugged, and the Gen4 model gives you a couple of extra back straps, which helps if you have large hands.

I think the .40S&W is a verry good choice and it is "the round" that I have been stocking up on. I have 9mm's and .45's.......but my go to defence gun is a .40S&W in a Springfield and/or Glock 23

Also stocking up on .223, and .22LR

quote:

Originally posted by Dago Red:
if things went tits up is it gonna be that much easier to find 40 than 45? Maybe I just get another 45, standardize on that.
Red

If that's your biggest concern, think NATO, thus 9mm.

I like the .45, but if the blue helmets start rolling in like conspiracy theorists speculate, they'll be totin' 9s, not .40s or .45s.

quote:

Originally posted by DesertRam:

quote:

Originally posted by Dago Red:
if things went tits up is it gonna be that much easier to find 40 than 45? Maybe I just get another 45, standardize on that.
Red

If that's your biggest concern, think NATO, thus 9mm.

I like the .45, but if the blue helmets start rolling in like conspiracy theorists speculate, they'll be totin' 9s, not .40s or .45s.

Or perhaps whatever cartridge your local police department uses. I have pistols in all of the three cartridges, you never know what will be available or not.

I would go with the 40 S&W. Almost all US police forces use the 40. The 45 is great, but for the same size gun, you can stuff almost twice the number of bullets in a magazine at almost half the weight of an equal number of 45 bullets (165grain vs 230grain for instance).

The police conversion to 40 had nothing to do with less recoil versus the 45. The 45 to me is an easy recoiling cartridge compared to a light 9mm gun.

Most departments never had the 45. What happened was the conversion from 38 special service revolvers to a high capacity 9mm. The 9mm initially showed unsatisfactory stopping performance (I think they were using FMJ ammo then).

They went to the 40 as a compromise between a heavier, bigger caliber bullet, but still retain the ability to field a high capacity gun. After the tragic FBI shootout (in Florida, I believe) and especially after the Hollywood bank robbery shootout, the need for high capacity magazines was affirmed. Unless you are a specialized operator (hostage rescue, entry team, etc), most guys would prefer more ammo over the aura of the "infallible" 45ACP in a gun that carries only 8 rounds.

If I had to carry a gun that would only hold 8 shots, I'm going with the 45. Otherwise, I'm carrying my 12+1 40S&W or 14+1 9mm with quality hollow point ammo.

Even the Air Marshalls don't carry 45s. They carry a necked down 40 - the .357 Sig.

But, the best caliber is the one in the gun you actually carry and have with you when bad things happen, not the one in the safe!

Considering the price of commodities these days, you can buy and store away a lot more 9mm or 40 ammo than 45ACP.

I have 9mm H&K P7s for summer carry; Supers for competition; and 40's and 45s for serious interpersonal business. A 357 Mag for snakes with shotshells. 41 and 44 mags for hunting.

Have CZ 75, SIG P229, A FireStar, and 1911 based single and double column 40s.

40 brass is plentiful and cheap. Will be a good supply if things get bad. Performance in a 1911 platform can be spectacular when loaded to almost 10 mm length. Honestly 10mm performance with a short case that is easy to extract and eject.

Have to agree with Mike. The 40 S&W is a powerful cartridge that is available in a double stack magazine. 180 grain bullet at about 11 fps is a potent round. I have a S&W PC Shorty Forty (amongst others!) which is very concealable and accurate to boot.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by DesertRam:

quote:

Originally posted by Dago Red:
if things went tits up is it gonna be that much easier to find 40 than 45? Maybe I just get another 45, standardize on that.
Red

If that's your biggest concern, think NATO, thus 9mm.

I like the .45, but if the blue helmets start rolling in like conspiracy theorists speculate, they'll be totin' 9s, not .40s or .45s.

By the time I start running low on .45acp there will be plenty of 9mm pistols lying around to pick up.

What Skipper said, plus one...

Rich