[DodgerBlue]

.40 is a yuppie round for yuppies. .45 easy choice.

[ArmedCitizen]

Round choice is personal preference.
.45 ACP is not the end all, beat all on pistol ammunition. However, I own several pistols in the caliber and love them all.

As far as Short and wimpy? Firefights have proved otherwise.

[ArizonaLawman]

Just one thing to think about....9mm, 40, and 45 with modern ammo are within a whisper of one another in terms of the mythical "one-shot-stop". If you are forced to defend yourself...shot placement being the most critical part of the puzzle...whomever forces you to shoot them will probably need to be shot more than once. Thus, of those three you should pick what YOU shoot best, not what a "gun'riter" or other internet commando tells you to get.

I shoot the crap out of 38, 357, 40, 45...but I carry a Glock 22 (did so for YEARS on duty, and now that I am retired I still carry a G22 because I absolutely trust it.

But to the meat of the matter....look what your local police agency carries. If they carry predominantly 40 and YOU shoot it well, by all means carry a 40. If you carry it with the ammo they issue, and it is quality ammo, carry that ammo. You will never be at a loss for an explanation for why you carry that ammo IF you are asked by a prosecutor..."It is what the local police carry."

Since 40 is THE predominant ammo carried by LE around the country...IF things go to crap...you may be able to "forage" for 40 ammo more easily than the other major SD caliber ammo. I used to say this about 38Spl when officers carried revolvers for the most part.

So...pick what YOU shoot best, and practice and train. You will be well served.

[Quentin]

I think ArizonaLawman pretty much nailed it. Shoot what you want as long as you choose good defensive ammo but it's hard to argue with the caliber the majority of LE carries. That's why I bought a G22 and G23. Love my 45, 9mm, 38 Special and .357 and won't get rid of them but now mainly go with the .40S&W.

[russ]

I'm with Quentin. ArizonaLawman put that as well as I've seen it anywhere. Find one you're good with, then shoot it 'til you get better. I have carried 9mm, 38spl, 357mag, 40S&W, and 45acp and I don't feel any "safer" with 45 than with 9mm.

[jjfuller1]

Originally Posted by Poink88

All Austin LEO's are now carrying .40 cal as far as I know.

I too doubt it is pointless. While I wouldn't want to be hit by either, I believe the .40 still makes a bigger mess than a 9mm and that is the point. Same can be said going up to .45 vs .40. The trade off is mag capacity and .40 is a good compromise for some.

and this proves the point. you get more shots for just slightly less power with .40 vs 45. id rather have my 12 rounds of .40 than 7 rounds of .45. just incase i need to engage six targets with double tap. i wont have to reload

[ArizonaLawman]

I have students ask me all the time:

Which round is best? "Shoot what YOU shoot the best."

Which ammo is best? "Any of the premium jacketed hollowpoint rounds on the market today will erve you well."

"The guy at the gun shop said that if I don't carry a ________ in _______ caliber, I am going to get killed!" "The vast majority of guys in gun shops have been no closer to a gunfight than an Arnold Schwarzennegger movie. You will do fine with a gun and ammo combination that you shoot well, and you train with. You will get killed if you don't use cover and concealment, and you let the other guy shoot you a bunch of times."


The answer I ALWAYS give is what I posted above. In fact, I do the vast majority of my classes with a Glock 19. That way, if someone shows up with a 9mm, they won't feel like they aren't playing with the big kids carrying calibers that start with "4".

I don't shoot much during a class...that is not the place for the instructor to have a self indulgent "See what I can do" attitude. I typically only shoot if a student is having an issue with the gun they brought, and I am doing a diagnostic on it, or if they are mssing so badly that I am verifying zero on their sights. The other time I will shoot is if someone brings a J-Frame type snubby and feels undergunned. I will show them what can be done with a J-Frame with practice and training.

If I am teaching a USPSA or an IDPA skills class, then I shoot a whole lot more.

I stand by my rule: "A subject hit with a good hollowpoint in a vital area will not stop to ask you what you shot him with before he falls over and stops fighting."

[therewolf]

Once again, it's all very personal.

Sometimes I prefer to carry a 9mm, for the extra rounds.

Other times, I feel better carrying a .45.

I never felt the need to compromise with a .40, but many

swear by them...

[Wambli]

Originally Posted by therewolf

Once again, it's all very personal.

Sometimes I prefer to carry a 9mm, for the extra rounds.

Other times, I feel better carrying a .45.

I never felt the need to compromise with a .40, but many

swear by them...

Yep, like the FBI, The Air Marshalls, The Border Patrol, Homeland Security...

I'm no caliber snob. I feel just as good carrying a 9mm, a .40S&W and a .45 because all my CC guns work 100%. I know where the good stuff is and feel confident I can hit it...

[jjfuller1]

Originally Posted by therewolf

Once again, it's all very personal.

Sometimes I prefer to carry a 9mm, for the extra rounds.

Other times, I feel better carrying a .45.

I never felt the need to compromise with a .40, but many

swear by them...

well thats what .40 is for. on the days where you wish you had that extra few shots on a bad guy. or the day you wish you had the extra power but too bad that was the 9mm day or vice versa