I'm looking to get a pistol, I've settled on the .40 cal but have found 3 i really like. Beretta, S & W M&P, and Springfield XD. Please give me your thoughts as to the best choice in your opinion. I really like all three and have shot a Beretta and M&P. Thanks in advance.

Also, is there any special trick to reloading for this caliber? I have reloaded for .357 mag and rifle so have experience with reloading but not specifically with reloading for semi-auto. Thanks

I would pick each of them close my eyes being them up on target and the one that come up on target the best buy that one.

All three makers make good pistols. Personally I own 5 glock 40s more so because they were all free market guns

You will probably get a better deal on the M&P or Springfield on the used market. Have you consider a Glock? There are plenty of LE trade ins available.
Reloading for a semi auto is slightly different as the round headspaces on the case mouth, so you should get a die set with a taper crimp die. Be aware that 40's can shoot some bullet weights more accurately than others.
Peter.

Thanks for the info. I've been checking out the dies and turret presses as I think I'll need to step up from my single stage press. I've shot a 45 and 9mm Glock not sure what models but found I didn't like the way they fit my hand.

Thanks again.

If you are only going to load for the 40 S&W round take a good look at the Dillon Square Deal press. I own one in 9mm Luger and consider it far superior than any turret press as far as speed and convenience.

Of the ones you mentioned, get the Smith M&P. Glocks are great in 9 but stay away in 40.

Glocks are great in all calibers, including the 40 S&W. If they don't fit your hand pick a brand that does.

I am biased toward the M&P but not a fan of the .40 (but that's just me, if it's what you want, go for it!). I don't like the XD because of the unnecessary grip safety. The Beretta is an overweight chunk. And as rcasto said, stay away from the .40 in Glocks.


The back story is that the Glock was designed around the 9mm in the G17, then when the .40 became popular, Glock came out with the G22. However, the frame and upper were never designed with the .40 in mind but rather as an after thought. Not sure about the XD but the M&P was designed with the .40 in mind.

Glock 40s suck? News to me and about 70% of LE in the US....

Glock 40s did have a problem, but that was 15 years ago and has been fixed. Of the three you mention, I would choose the S&W. My personal preference happens to be CZ just for the reason pdog mentioned above. They just fit my hand. I have owned Glock and S&W, but the CZ just fits me better.

Grip angle and mechanicals are two things you cannot change after purchase. Learning to shoot on the 1911 platform I can not get use to the grip angle on the glocks,where as the S&W and Springfield are closer to what I am use to. Slide release, mag release grip shapes are all things to consider. Sights are easily changed.
Of the three you mentioned The M&P or Springfield get my vote, between the two I have an XDM in 9mm that I bought for my daughter to shoot when she is home. I like the grip safety feature and the fact that the mag release is ambidextrous. The M&P may have a better feeling trigger.
Go to a shop that has all three and play with them with a critical eye..
Good Luck let us know.

You didn't say which particular Beretta that you were looking at. In general, I think that the bore axis of the Beretta's is too high, or higher than necessary, depending on your perspective.

Personally, I'm a fan of the M&P. I own several of them. The XD feels good in the hand but I am not a fan of the useless grip safety on a striker fired gun. And many years ago, I asked to dry-fire a fellow's XD and I couldn't get the gun to fire. Admittedly, I held the gun in an awkward position but I'm not sure you can "guarantee" a position in a gun fight so this turned me off.

I see that the Glock fanboys are chiming in but you didn't mention them. Good guns, easy to maintain and disassemble but not my favorite though I own two Glocks. If I *had* to carry a Glock I would (probably before an XD) but since there are other options, I choose not to.

I love my Walther PPQ 40

It fits my hand like no other pistol ever has

what fits is the answer. I shot a 1911 for nearly 30 years, and fairly accurately.

A friend on the PD sold me his NIB Glock M20. Great pistol, but a bit too large for my hand.
Went to the M22 in 40 and have never looked back. I like them enough to own two and a third frame (Lone Wolf) to build a 22lr on.

That said, try and shoot all three, and go with what works the best...

Rich

I second the Walther ppq. It has an excellent comfortable grip angle that is adjustable for size. The best trigger with an excellent recess. No unnecessary grip safety, extremely accurate, fairly priced, ambidextrous and you don't have to spend any extra money to customize it. The only thing I would add is 24/7 Big Dot XS sight. My 9 handles so smoothly it feels like a .22lr.

I assume that you guys are talking about the PPQ and not the PPQ M2? I just checked the prices and they are quite pricey. Have they been out for a while or are they new?
Peter.

Walther PPQ M1 is in 9mm and .40S&W with a paddle magazine release on the trigger guard, which I prefer on CCW carry. There is no way the magazine is coming off accidentally and is ambidextrous.
The M2 model has the push button magazine release typical of the 1911 models. They also added a 5" model. The M2 came out approximately 3 years ago. The M1 a few before that . The current street price is around $550. It comes with 2 magazines. 16rounds for the 9mm and 12 for the .40S&W. Last year I saw an advertisement for the pistol in .22LR version full size and not a compact to help in practice, familiarity and ammo cost.
I had custom 1911's, and ran Glocks since 1988 and have Walther p88. The PPQ Is my favorite.

Thanks mlf. I saw the M2 on various sites and it seemed like a full size gun (5" barrel) but perhaps there are other M2's in a shorter configuration. I will have to look up the "paddle release". Does it still holster OK? I also saw the 22lr models.
Peter

The standard M1 and M2 come in 4.1" barrel. Bud's guns had the gun for $523. I use Bullard custom leather holster out of Texas, a first class unit with no problems.

Thanks mlf. All the reviews I saw of the M2 were with the 5" barrel. Nice looking gun but I do not need another full size 9mm. A 9mm in a compact carry gun might be nice as the 40 grip does not feel natural in my hands.
Peter.

If I had to carry a 40 it would be the Glock. Wnen I was forced to carry a 9mm, I had the choice of a SIG, Berretta, or a Glock. I chose the Glock 17. I carried two of them 100% of the time.

When I was able to choose what handgun I carried, I chose a S&W Mod 29 in 44 Magnum when a revolver was required, and a 1911 in 45 ACP, when I could choose a semiauto.

If you can pick the gun you can carry, take a hard look at the 1911 in 45ACP. Get some PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION, with the 1911.

It is the best of the best, IMHO, of course.

quote:

Originally posted by wdagel:
I'm looking to get a pistol, I've settled on the .40 cal but have found 3 i really like. Beretta, S & W M&P, and Springfield XD. Please give me your thoughts as to the best choice in your opinion. I really like all three and have shot a Beretta and M&P. Thanks in advance.

Also, is there any special trick to reloading for this caliber? I have reloaded for .357 mag and rifle so have experience with reloading but not specifically with reloading for semi-auto. Thanks

What will you be using it for - range shooting, concealed carry, etc.? I'm also curious about your level of experience; have you shot a pistol, or a .40 before? There are plenty of good pistols out there, but, for me, I wouldn't choose a .40, or a .45, as my first one.

Out of all of those, I would choose the beretta. Assuming you meant their 92/90 design. Followed by m&p.

I prefer 9mm for a much longer service life.

If you must get a .40, go with the M&P, they seem to last longer.