# .40 cal vs 9mm- which is "better"?



## SpringShot (Apr 15, 2014)

I apologize in advance if this topic is beating a dead horse. If there is at thread started already on this, I would love to be linked to it. 

I'm in the process of researching my first gun. I am going to be using it for having fun at the range and personal defense. Trying to decide if I'm going to CC or not, which will determine if I go standard or compact. I've handled .40 cal pistols pretty well so far and like the idea of this caliber being better at getting the job done if it needs to be used for self defense. But, I've read that 9mm ammo is cheaper and it will also get the job done but with the potential for less collateral damage. I'm also interested in getting involved with competitive shooting, for the fun of it and challenging myself.

Can someone outline the differences between .40 cal and 9mm with real-world examples of how the types of ammo would handle situations differently? Thanks!


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Only major difference is recoil... ballistics are for self defense ammunition are very similar now a days. A 9mm has less recoil and you will be able to engage multiple targets faster and stay on target easier while doing follow-up shots. The .40 is a very "hot" round and while recoil isn't terrible.... it does suffer from 'muzzle flip' more than 9mm AND .45 ACP.... especially in polymer guns like Glock. My duty gun is a Glock 22 (.40)... but all my personal guns are 9mm for several personal reasons:

Quick follow-up shots (faster)
Cost... means more Training/Shooting
Ballistic Qualities
Round Capacity
Minimal Recoil for One Handed Shooting
More manageable Positional Shooting
Ammo Readily Avail in my Area
One Caliber for All My Guns

These are my personal reasons for preferring 9mm over .40. While this is a big topic for debate on gun forums and on the range... it all comes down to personal preference. 

Not saying 9mm is better... but the .40 was adopted from the 10mm (made for FBI then scrapped) which is a solution looking for a problem imo. On paper a .40 sounds like the perfect balance between 9mm & .45 ACP... but the reality of shooting these calibers tells a different story... in other words, MORE recoil and MORE muzzle flip than the 9mm or .45 ACP. I have no problem controlling and shooting a .40 very well... but i'm also very experienced and train with my G22 often since it's my issued duty sidearm.

If your looking for a competition gun, enjoyable range gun and high capacity home defense firearm all rolled into one... a 9mm will fill your needs... maybe better than a .40 (again, my personal opinion). I'm sure you'll get an opposing opinion from some of the .40 owners out there as well.

As long as you train often, you'll be fine with either one... but bigger is not always better. Hitting your target, along with shot placement trumps all at the end of the day.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

I own guns in both calibers and my primary carry guns is one of my gen3 Glock 23's, which is of course a .40S&W caliber pistol. But I also carry guns in 9mm when the situation avails itself for this preference. I do have a preference for the .40 but with quality modern self defense ammunition, there is nothing wrong with carrying a 9mm. This is going to wind down to what best serves your needs, what you shoot the best, and how much money and effort you're willing to put forth in this venture.

For what it's worth, here are the three most important criteria in order for a defensive handgun;


Reliability. The gun must go bang when you need it most. If it fails to do this, everything else is moot.
Practical accuracy. This is the ability of the shooter/weapon's system to delivery rounds to target accurately, consistently, and confidently. If this is not assured, the last item is a null issue.
Power. The ability of the caliber and load selected to incapacitate and therefore, stop an assailant before he can injure or kill a victim.
Notice that power is the last item on the list, the most important being reliability, so keep that in mind when building your candidate selection list of handguns for your defense. Since you mentioned that you may like to pursue competitive shooting, that should help you greatly in taking the right decision. The cost of ammunition.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

I carry a "9" but, during the most recent ammo crunch, locally, I could find no 9mm, .40 being much more prevalent to find. Might not be a bad thing to have a .40 They are both great rounds. .40 has a little more snap in my observation and if you plan on hitting steel plates the 180grain does a pretty good job at knocking them down.


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

I love the 9mm with the right ammo it will do the job very well. The ammo is cheaper and more available for me in my area and I enjoy shooting it over the .40 S&W but I do own 3 .40s and the caliber is a good round too.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

There isn't enough of a difference btwn the two to warrant saying one is better than the other. So which ever you shoot better and are most comfortable with is better for you. Both are great rounds.


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## Sgt45 (Jun 8, 2012)

I am still a .45 fan, but I carry a 9mm most of the time due to my wrists aging. To me, the recoil of a .40 is brutal on the wrists. It is a snap rather than a shove of the .45. That said, I shoot the 9mm way better than the .45 and with modern ammo I think I'm in pretty good shape as far as defense goes. Recoil is my issue, it may not be yours.


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

Yes........


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## warbird1 (Apr 17, 2012)

Both great rounds. Love em both. Bigger or more is pretty much the question. Recoil may be an issue if you are recoil sensitive. Get both and don't worry about it. :mrgreen:


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

One thing not mentioned was the competition you said you may do. The 9 will be considered a minor caliber and you'll have to shoot all A hits on the targets or your going to lose points, the A zone is always scored 5 points but anything outside of that gets a point dropped for minor calibers. If you're really fast your time can help offset that but you're still starting with a disadvantage. The 40 makes major but you have to deal with the added muzzle flip, some guns are really snappy while others are much mellower. I've found Glocks to be pretty ridiculous while my son's EAA 40 is quite mellow in the recoil and flip department.

As far as carry I agree with what everyone said, they are pretty close in performance but the 9 is more economical. What you may also want to consider is getting into reloading down the road, you will be able to either save money per round or be able to shoot more for the same price.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

denner said:


> I carry a "9" but, during the most recent ammo crunch, locally, I could find no 9mm, .40 being much more prevalent to find. Might not be a bad thing to have a .40 They are both great rounds. .40 has a little more snap in my observation and if you plan on hitting steel plates the 180grain does a pretty good job at knocking them down.


I've seen the same wrt the 9 ammo shortage and plenteous .40 ammo. Seems a lot of ppl are becoming very active, as well they should, but it could be a motivator for going .40 if you can handle the round. I used to be a "40 man", but found after hours of range time, I'm just more accurate with the 9 & 45. But you really can't go wrong with either. Just be accurate!


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## Smitty79 (Oct 19, 2012)

One other thing to consider, there are lots of guns that allow conversion from one caliber to the other. A Glock 35 can easily be made into a 9mm as can an M&P 40. A friend of mine was interested in 3 gun, Speed steel and USPSA. He bought an M&P40. It can be run major power factor for USPSA Limited, minor power factor for USPSA Production or Steel or put a $150 barrel in it to get more rounds in the magazine for 3 gun. 1 gun, 1 set of sights, 1 trigger upgrade and you can shoot almost any action pistol competition. You can also shoot what you can find in the next ammo drought.


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

I have one in .380 ACP, 9 x 19mm, and .40 S&W. I have a use for each caliber myself, but it is more about concealment for me. My .380 is small for very discrete carry. My 9mm is a tad bigger for easy IWB carry, and my .40 is large and mainly for heavy clothes carry. I was down to just a 9mm for ease of ammo purchasing, but decided to add the other two again so that I could have ammo for at least something I own. The .40 S&W never really disappeared around my area, so that was the main reason I added that.


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## SpringShot (Apr 15, 2014)

Thanks for the feedback. So far I seem to be handling the .40s pretty well. I noticed the most flip (on the target, at least) with the Ruger I shot with, a rental SR40.

Hoping to get to the range today to try out a G17 or G19. I like the .40 well enough but the 9 might feel much better and win me over.

I think it's superb that the guns can be converted! That would be a reasonable option, especially for a Glock. It sounds like in some cases one would be better off saving the money and just getting a second (or third or fourth, lol) firearm to fill the need. It seems like that might be the road I take. Get my first gun for targets, possible competing, and home protection then save up for an EDC. My EDC will need to be smaller, I'm not a mouse but do run on the small side of average.

What does IWB carry mean?


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## rustygun (Apr 8, 2013)

IWB. Inside waist band. May even want to try .45 ACP . I like it better than .40 S&w


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

SpringShot said:


> Thanks for the feedback. So far I seem to be handling the .40s pretty well. I noticed the most flip (on the target, at least) with the Ruger I shot with, a rental SR40.
> 
> Hoping to get to the range today to try out a G17 or G19. I like the .40 well enough but the 9 might feel much better and win me over.
> 
> ...


In the Waistband carry. If you can get your hands on a Sig P229, that is my favorite .40 platform. Those weapons are truly a real joy to shoot! You will find that the Gs 17 and 19 are quite smooth. I love mine! I like the Gen4s b/c the grip is slightly narrower than the previous gens, but you may find you like the other gens better. The .40 really is a great round, and I'm not afraid to carry it. I've just come to the conclusion that I know I can get more hits on the target quicker, and with the technology in ammo today, there really isn't a need to go with anything heavier than a 9mm. Nothing wrong with going heavier! Just no need to. So if you find you just get better shot placement with the 9mm, and you're really just more comfortable with it, don't feel like a little girl carrying it. I've come full circle going from the 9mm to .45 to .40 (b/c it was the sexy round at the time) now back to the 9mm. A lot of LE agencies are going to either a long slide 9mm or a .45 b/c their officers just seem to get better shot placement with those two rounds. I know I do! Good luck! It is fun to shoot!!!


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## SpringShot (Apr 15, 2014)

Thanks for the input.

It's turning into a feel it and see waiting mode here! I really don't have a desire to try out other calibers besides the 9mm. I know a 10mm is too much for me (for now at least) and the .40 cal has power to it but I can handle it. The much smaller mm's and cals just don't have any sort of appeal to me.

I'll let you all know what I think when I get my hands on the G17 or G19 at the range!


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