[The Godfather]

Preferably, I'd like to hear from Baretta owners.

Which would you say is the better choice for a self defense/home defense (in back up to a shot gun) situation?

Never shot a .40, and it seems that the .40 is considerably more costly than the 9mm. The only reason I ask is because I know of too many .40 1911s that malfunction, but then again those are 1911s and not Barettas.

[Ubergopher]

Do you mean .40 S&W or .45 ACP?

[hunter Joe]

I'm really impressed with the Beretta PX 4 Storm whether in 9mm, .40, or .45. The bottom line is whatever you shoot you need to practice with it. If it's a matter of cost, go with the 9mm. If money is not an object, do not pass go, go right to the four-five.

The 40 was developed as an alternative to the 9mm when police agencies started to hire more females. It was thought that the 9mm did not have enough stopping power but the 45 was a little bit too much for females to handle. I'm not sure who came up with this analogy but I personally know plenty of females that shoot 45s and shoot them well.

Ultimately I hope to have at least one of every popular caliber made. This gives me a reason to buy more reloading dies.

[The Godfather]

thanks guys.


why did this get moved to the Long Gun section?


i was referring to the 92FS vs. 90two Type F.

[Flint Rock]

Any one of the three, 9mm-40S&W or 45ACP, will get the job done if you do your part (practice=shot placement). If you aren't willing to pay the time and money price and develop the skill to use a handgun, just stick with the shotgun, and maybe check out the thread on wasp spray.

[UnderFire]

The bigger the wound hole the better chance of hitting
a vital organ and stopping your threat.
I would go with the .40 cal over the 9mm.
Maybe you should try and rent a couple of Baretta's in different calibers and see what you like the most.

[bigjim]

Godfather

I am unaware of many 1911's that are in 40 S&W, since the balistics of both the 40 and 45 ACP are very simular. The reason that the 40 S&W came out was to give more power to the 9 mm shooter with a bigger punch and more ammo than the 45 ACP 1911 carries.

I own a Baretta, but the PX4 Storm as well as Taurus PT 92 AFS both in 9 mm and I would have to say the 92 would be my choice in 9 mm. The problem is that 9 mm would NOT be my choice. I use it in compitition shooting only. I would go with a 45 ACP, but short of that I would use a 40 S&W to defend my family.

Jim

[Viking]

My ccw is a Stoeger Cougar 40 formerly made by Beretta now manufactured in Turkey with all the machinery shipped from Beretta. For the money this weapon is of excellent quality, and for me shoots better than my XDm 40. I'm sure as I put many more rounds thru the XDm I'll get better with it. Because the Cougar has a rotating barrel lock up it feels altogether different than the XDm, it feels like it pushes straight back with no barrel rise as the XDm does to a small extent. I should mention that the reason I went to the 40 S&W is that it was and often still is one of the most abundant of ammo available. A little more 9mm ammo is showing up but still hardly any 45 ACP. Had there been abundant supplies of 45 ACP, that's what all my pistols would be.

[JonM]

handling the recoil of most common self defense handguns is all about proper training, experience and proper grip. my wife before i met her had never fired a gun in her life. she handles 45ACP handguns just fine. her favorite pistol to shoot is actually my .50AE desert eagle which has the felt recoil of a .357magnum revolver and that is substantially higher than just about any lesser self loader out there. the difference is that i trained her to handle the handgun correctly without instilling fear of the weapons in her.

i have seen folks trying to teach wives and girlfriends at ranges and most of that "instruction" involved telling them how bad the recoil is and how aweful things can be if something goes wrong. the best way to train new folks on handguns is to treat them without condescending to them as in the "im so manly the recoil of my .45 will knock over small children and shatter window panes at 1000 yards!!". The best way i have found to train new folks regardless of gender or relation is to start with something easy like a .22LR pistol and work up from there. renting intermediate caliber handguns at ranges on the way to the target round of your choice.

let the person who is going to be using the weapon for self defense pick the handgun and caliber dont pick it for them. do them the favour of exposing them to a large variety of weapons and caliber before making a decision. most ranges have rentals utilize that resource before picking a weapon for someone that person may hate.

[ccr203]

Hi,

With reference to which beretta and caliber is better, it is merely personal choice for you.
The 9mm Luger has seen a long life, and has been a proven handgun round, still used today.
The 40 S&W was developed from the 10mm round after FBI testing concluded that the 10mm was not practical for their needs(felt recoil etc.)
The 40 S&W has become the round of choice of several LE agencies, providing different ballistic results, not always better results(different expansion levels, etc.)

What it all boils down to is what you as the end user are comfortable with. As stated before in responses, if possible go to a range that rents weapons and shoot both. See which works for you. While bigger holes usually are better, if you cannot get ANY holes in the target/BG, the weapon is ineffective.
Which ever you choose, practice, practice,practice with it and be confident with it. The one shot stop is unsually not the case and follow up shots can be the difference between a positive or a negative outcome. You have to be able to get second and third rounds on target, and if you are shooting a weapon that you are not comfortable with, the first round may not find its mark, much less and others.

Stay safe and have a great start to the New Year!

Chris