Lots of hate on for the .40. Well, not hate, per se. Says Uncle, I think, summarizes it as something like, “10% more effective than the 9mm, but 50% more cost.”
Yeah? So? This is America. The .40 is OUR Europellet. Without the Europe. More expensive? Yes, but in THIS country we drive gas guzzling SUVs no matter what the cost of fuel.
Besides, I’d hate to think of Jeff Cooper’s zombie looking on me with quiet disdain if I armed myself with a 9mm willingly. It’s bad enough I have the .40. Instead of the superior .45ACP
Seriously, though. I've heard, essentially:
"But with a 9mm, I can carry a pistol with 19 in the magazine. And since that Miami FBI shooting shows that sometimes it takes more than 12 rounds of 9mm to stop a fight, you're gonna want that many. Or in case you are flash-mobbed. You'll be sorry with only 5 or 7 or 12 rounds, even if they are better bullets like .357, .45, or .40."
Really? There is a difference between what schmoes like us will have to deal with in using a pistol in self-defense against a criminal/s and what the FBI had to deal with in the Miami shootout, you know. When a single bad guy or a mob picks you in their victim selection process they are on offense, you are on defense. They are looking to score, you are looking at fight or flight. When the FBI chose that bad guy THEY were on offense, and HE was fight or flight. I don't want to say the FBI had an issue with its 'victim' selection process, because that bad guy was no victim, but fight or flight was definitely in the bad guy's court.
If a mob presses an attack against a victim that starts resisting with a firearm to the point that magazine capacity becomes an issue how is the 19th round in the magazine of 9mm really gonna help? I really don't see the help. 1911 with a reload mag, and don't use the pistol to provide covering fire like you were in a rifle squad with the USMC. If you find yourself needing that 15th round of .45ACP then you would probably have needed the 39th round of 9mm with some other gun, assuming similar hit percentages. No?
But if you are really worried about magazine capacity... Split the difference and get a 12 shot .40.
"What do you carry, usually, T-Bolt, when you can?"
Uh... 5 shots of .38 +P in a revolver? But I WANT to carry 7 shots of .45ACP. Or at least 7 shots of .40.
(ya know, blogger doesn't copy/past well over from MSWord. Always hated that.)
I like my .40 a lot.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone thinks it isn't an effective round, mug me.
No one says it's inneffective. It's more of, "Why compormise? if you want the advantages or a .45 get a .45, if you want the advantages of a 9mm get a 9."
ReplyDeleteI should have added a - :-) - to that.
ReplyDeleteThis is EASY! Get a Baby Glock in .40, and carry 2 Full size Mags as spares.
ReplyDeleteOr a Baby Glock in .357 Sig, 9mm, or .45ACP.
Or any other Sub Compact that'll take its Big Brothers Mags.
Or, better yetter, carry 2 Subs with a spare Full Size mag for each. New York Reload still works. And it never hurts to have a Second Gun when Murphy's Law comes after you.
Why? Because as Clint Smith says : "In a Firefight, you keep shooting until the threat is Stopped. If it takes 10 rounds, it takes 10 rounds. And don't expect the Ammo Fairy to give you an Air Drop while the Lead is Flying." (Paraphrase, of course).
Besides, Hippies are only a real threat when they're in Packs, unlike Zeds who could be Shambling along by themselves.
Seriously, this "My Ammo can beat up Your Ammo" got old back in the '80s, and it really doesn't matter, because they are Pistol Rounds, not 7.62 Nato.
However, in our Day and Age, we do have the Technology to carry much lighter Polymer Frame Pistols with Larger Ammo capacity than Grandpa did, so why not take advantage of it?
Having said that, if I had the money TODAY, I'd go with 2 Pocket Polymer 9mm Double Stacks vs my Beloved Smith .40 for two reasons: more practice with cheaper Ammo, and a Spare Identical Pistol helps balance out my carry clothing style and fights off Murphy. Ymmv, of course.
The reason cops need a high capacity 9mm is that they are notoriously bad shots. When you're spraying and praying you need all the ammo you can get.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what the hubbub is about.
ReplyDeleteI carry 15+1 of 10mm in a Glock 20. When I get a new IWB holster for the M&P40, I'll sometimes carry 15+1 rounds of 40.
Someone wants to send me an M&P9 or an M&P45 I'd carry that too.
I like the .40 'cause it means I can still get lots of bullets for my 10mm...
ReplyDeleteI don't really think the miami incident is relevant anymore since I wouldn't think anyone would carry 9mm with FMJ (unless they lived in New Jersey and somehow got a permit to carry). So the fact that it took 12 rounds of FMJ doesn't really say how many rounds of a modern hollow point it will take. The stats that I have seen, seem to indicate that in general you will need 2-3 rounds of either 9, 40, or 45 to make a stop. If that is the case, then capacity wins. Then if you factor in being able to get the shots off faster in a 9 it seems like more points in its favor. I don't hate the 40 or 45, but I don't think they buy me anything anymore. When the FBI switched to it I think it did buy people something (a more effective round than 9mm FMJ).
ReplyDeleteThose Baby Glocks are too damn fat, Les.
ReplyDelete22 rounds of .45 has been working so far.
ReplyDeleteHell, 13 rounds of .380 has been sufficient.
The first time I actually had to use a gun, 20 rounds of .308 barely did it.
The second time zero rounds of .308 were enough.
Go figure.
Robb, quick question. How the hell are you using an IWB holster?
ReplyDeleteBrass
I carry a Desert Eagle in .50ae. Only need to shoot once and the concussive blast of it knocks 'em down even if I missed.
ReplyDeletePlus it makes a good bludgeon.
Course that's just my backup...
My main carry piece is a minigun.
I have all of these cals. .380, 9mm, .40, .45. That being said the gun I carry most is my small frame 1911 with slim grips.
ReplyDeleteLike boat guy, I am quite happy for the .40 Short & Weak. It keeps bullets for my 10 MM on the market and at reasonable costs!
ReplyDeleteCost of training ammo(meaning how much practice shooting I can do), was what tipped me to 9mm over 45acp.
ReplyDeleteThis article makes a lot of sense to yours truly.
ReplyDeleteJim Higgenbotham article"