.40S&W vs .45ACP

[Guest Liberty Seeker]

I would like to hear everyone elses ideas of the pro's and con's of these 2 particular calibers. I have narrowed down my quest for a new carry weapon to these two, but can't decide and can't afford both . Almost every weapon I am looking at comes in both which doesn't help my choosing much. I'm not trying to start an argument, I'm just seriously tossed between the two, and looking for something to convince me which is the best way to go.

[Guest jcramin]

PRO: .45 bigger hole

[Guest bkelm18]

Both are perfectly suitable for carry. I'm a .40 kind of guy but wouldn't be above carrying a .45. Not to mention any handgun chambered in .40SW is most likely going to be smaller and lighter, which is a bonus for carry.

[HanSolo]

I carry a .40 and the reasoning was that I wanted an XD and i wanted a Sub-Compact and since the Sub-Compact only came in 9 or 40, i went with 40. With that being said I just bought a 45 1911 which I am dying to get out on the range and shoot tomorrow.

Another 2 cents on the carry, I have been very happy with my XD SC and it really surprised me as to how accurate it is with having only a 3" barrel.

[Guest Liberty Seeker]

Anything I get is going to be smaller and lighter than the .357 Highway Patrolman revolver I'm currently carrying, but that was one of my pros for that caliber. Of course the bigger hole mentioned above was a pro for the .45ACP too, LOL.

[Guest bkelm18]

Anything I get is going to be smaller and lighter than the .357 Highway Patrolman revolver I'm currently carrying, but that was one of my pros for that caliber. Of course the bigger hole mentioned above was a pro for the .45ACP too, LOL.

You're going to hear a bunch on either side. Choose what handgun fits you best and one that you shoot best. A hit with a .40 is better than a miss with a .45 and vice versa.

[The Rabbi]

All autos need to be either 9mm or .45acp. Everything else is a compromise.

[Guest bkelm18]

All autos need to be either 9mm or .45acp. Everything else is a compromise.

You're right.... the .40SW was designed as a compromise...

[Guest EasilyObsessed]

I find that I am more accurate with a 45 as opposed to a 40 when doing double taps or rapid fire. YMMV. The recoil of the 40, to me, is "snappier" while the 45 is more of a hard "push".

With the 40 you will get more capacity in the same sized package. I carry a 1911 and an extra magazine. If I need more than 17 rounds of 45 I am way in over my head and need to get the 'ell out.

I would definitely recommend shooting both before making a $500+ decision.

[creeky]

I carried a .45 acp that held 6...

(I then had a change of mind about carring only 6 rounds.)

Now carry a pistol that holds 12rds of .357 sig

and weighs less than my old .45 (36oz empty)

Love the .45 and would like to own another, like the 40sw as

well. The only difference I see is capacity and cost of shells.

That falls more into the personal opinion catagory. No matter

what we say... it's your money, and you'll be carrying it.

[DavidD]

I own both, but carry the .40 purely because of size and capacity. If I were only going to own one pistol to both carry and go to the range and shoot regularly (which everyone should), It would probably be the .40 if for no other reason than the price of ammo.

[gunsablazin]

I am a die hard 1911 .45 fan, I shoot them, I love them, they are great guns and the .45 is a great cartridge. I carry a 9mm, from a self defence stand point you will not be handicapped by a .40, pick the gun you like, and shoot the best, practice with it until you are good with it and don't worry about the caliber. IMHO, any good modern self defence round that functions properly in your pistol and that you can hit with is sufficient, 9mm, .40, .45 not that important which. I'm sure there will be people who will disagree, and they are entitled to their opinion, but what it comes down to is what you can do with what you've got that counts.

Robin

[Guest Liberty Seeker]

I appreciate all the input, I truly do. I'm sure I could find one in either size that shoots and fits well. From what I've read so far it looks like the .40 has the edge, for me at least. When I have tried a few of the ones I'm interested in and make a decision I'll let ya'll know which one wins.

[ergon]

Outside the number of rounds...........nothing much. http://www.tacticalforums.com/cgi-bin/tacticalubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=78;t=000964

[Guest canynracer]

40 is cheaper to shoot

I carry 40 or 9mm...

[Guest rj8806]

I would say .45ACP as well. I love my 4506-1. What puzzles me is I keep reading posts that say buy the .40, the ammo is cheaper. I don't know how much .40 ammo is but I am only paying $16.00 for a box of 50 Remington .45ACP, to me, that's not bad.

Richard

[Rightwinger]

Get one of each plus a pocket revolver, then your covered.

[molonlabetn]

Well, they certainly feel different from the user's perspective... I don't really think that there's much of a difference in terminal performance, really. All in all the lower cost and generally higher-capacity of .40s&w pistols makes for an excellent choice. I really think that the reason why most people who prefer the .45acp do so is mainly because of the quality and handling of the platforms it is chambered in, as opposed to performance by the numbers.

But... in all reality. All of the reasons which give the .40s&w an edge over the .45acp in certain aspects are equalled or out-done by the 9mm. So, the .40s is rather a superfluous caliber... especially if one looks at he hollow reasons for developing it. The same could be said for .357sig, so I understand that some have specific reasons for choosing a particular cartridge which make sense to their situation or preferences.

Bottom line, .40s&w is a more economical choice, and a more efficient package... but on the other hand it is harder on the gun and on the shooter. .45acp is a proven load with a wide safety margin, which will get the job done.

I'd say it would be better to choose the gun that fits you, and then pick the caliber which you shoot best, which it is available in.

[Guest flyfishtn]

I have a .40s&w and .45acp and like the way the .45 feels when I shoot, easier to handle and not as much "snap". As has been said, though, shoot both and then decide.

[Guest 2HOW]

I have both and the only thing I would say is be careful of the 40s with an unsupported chamber, lots of catastrophic failures in .40 pistols. The ballistics are close, as the .40 is a short .10mm it has more utility as in loads from 135gr to 180gr and more if you reload. I will buy another .45 before another .40. Hard to beat the .45

[Guest bkelm18]

I have both and the only thing I would say is be careful of the 40s with an unsupported chamber, lots of catastrophic failures in .40 pistols. The ballistics are close, as the .40 is a short .10mm it has more utility as in loads from 135gr to 180gr and more if you reload. I will buy another .45 before another .40. Hard to beat the .45

Could you cite some sources of info on these catastrophic failures? Other than Glocks?

[Guest canynracer]

Could you cite some sources of info on these catastrophic failures? Other than Glocks?

what do you mean...you want supporting FACTS?!!! oh crap, what is this site coming to

.40 cal rocks.

[Guest price g]

You're right.... the .40SW was designed as a compromise...

The .40 was designed to take the punch out of the 10mm, but still a compromise:)

[Guest tbone]

As far as I am concerned, I would hate to get shot with either one. I think you should let the gun determine you choice. Some members have commented that .40 has more "snap" vs. the "push" of the .45. It seems to me that weight dampens recoil. I like to shoot heavy bullets out of heavy guns. In polymer frames, 9mm is great and .40 is ok, but not .45. Same for aluminum frames. In .45, I like to shoot steel framed guns. I suspect that you could get around this by getting it ported. Having said that, I must also admit that I have never personally shot a ported gun. So, if your cary piece is going to have a polymer or aluminum frame, I would go with .40

[deerslayer]

I would rather carry a .40--they are usually more CCW friendly. If I had to shoot a bad guy, I'd rather use a .45--bigger holes are more effective. That said, the .40 makes possible a gun that does things the 9mm and .45 can't-- an excellent compromise. Although I shoot a lot, and ammo price is therefore always a concern for me, I think some of the best advice you've been given so far is to choose whatever you are more comfortable with, regardless of what caliber the gun may be.