i know this is beating a dead horse but I have a couple 40’s and been wanting a 9mm for EDC a friend at work bought a new G19 and didn’t like it so I traded him my 23 for it I still have my G27 that I carry a lot but I’m already missing the 23 what’s your opinions did I screw up?
Can’t help you there boss , lol my safes like black hole ..... I rarely give one up when i make an addition.....
frustrating! but probably not as frustrating as missing one you gave up
you didn’t make a mistake unless you can’t pick up a G23 somewhere else
frustrating! but probably not as frustrating as missing one you gave up
you didn’t make a mistake unless you can’t pick up a G23 somewhere else
Ask yourself this... what do you miss about your 23? I mean, it's the same frame, weight would be essentially very comparable (probably heavier in the .40) for everyday carry, probably no difference in concealability since it's the same size...
Nothing wrong with liking your .40, I carry .40 almost exclusively now, and I love it. But what specifically are you missing about your 23 that makes you wonder if you "messed up"? Is it a mental thing, thinking to yourself you've downgraded your caliber? Or something else?
Nothing wrong with liking your .40, I carry .40 almost exclusively now, and I love it. But what specifically are you missing about your 23 that makes you wonder if you "messed up"? Is it a mental thing, thinking to yourself you've downgraded your caliber? Or something else?
That’s exactly what it is I keep hearing from Leo friends that you don’t need as many shots with a 40 this and that yada yada yada but mine are the only 40’s in the family everyone else carries 9mm and in worst case scenarios if I ran out or they did ammo would not be compatible
Let me guess, your friends say "Real men carry a cartridge that starts with four", right?
Hogwash. Pure hogwash. A solid hit with a 9mm is better than grazing a bad guy with a .45 mag super duper zombie killer. Frankly, the difference in performance between 9mm/.40/.45 with modern defensive ammo is negligible. Don't believe me? Check out the Lucky Gunner ammo tests online. They did a very comprehensive comparison of tons of ammo, complete with pictures, gel tests, retained weight, etc... It's really well done and very interesting. Not a ton of difference in penetration (FBI standards, not overall), and surprisingly, not as much difference in expansion as you may think.
I'd say carry what you shoot best. Get your butt to a USPSSA/IDPA match. You'll have a blast and may discover what you thought was perfect doesn't work for crap in your hands. It certainly happened to me.
Bottom line: If you like your .40, keep your .40. If you like the 9mm, keep the 9mm. If you really think you need super duper zombie killers, get some. But if you're better with the 9mm, carry 9mm.
I have friend on that keeps after me to come over and check into match shooting I just got into hand guns the last couple years still pretty new to me but want to become better something that I have always wanted to do just not quite good enough yet to feel comfortable doing it
Definitely if it is a matter of feeling like you "need" more stopping power, there is very negligible difference between 9 and .40 in modern self-defense carry ammo. Zaph is right, shoot what you shoot best and what you can carry, and what you can afford. It's all better than nothing, and beating yourself up over it isn't going to change anything OR make you a better shot.
Personally, I lean more toward .40 these days for a number of reasons. I feel it's a reasonable compromise between 9 and .45 - not that there is a huge amount of difference to begin with - again, with the proper ammunition. Also, I often get pretty good deals on .40 carry guns because so many people are switching over to 9mm to "consolidate" their calibers. Fine with me, I can collect plenty of ammo in multiple calibers. Sure, I could collect MORE in 9mm if I stuck only with that, but I'd have to offload a bunch of guns - and I just don't sell my babies.
Bottom line, don't sweat it. Shoot it. Practice with it, get comfortable with it, and if it keeps you awake at night, then fine - switch back. It's not enough of a difference to be worth stressing yourself in the least little bit over.
I carry what fits with my wardrobe, my situation, my social interactions and my appointments for that day. Sometimes that means only my G22 in the door pocket of the truck with a couple extra mags in the map pocket. Sometimes that means my .40 Walther PPS IWB with an extra mag if I can fit it. Sometimes it means my Taurus .45 PT145 sub-compact in a zippered compartment of my backpack, again with an extra mag. Occasionally, if I feel like it, I will OC one of my 1911s in a retention holster out to Lowe's or around town or whatever.
It all depends on how I feel, but I think I shoot all of them well enough to know I could respond appropriately if needed, I can most of the time carry at least an extra mag, I know I could reload, change positions and clear malfunctions in any of them reasonably well. Beyond that - I can't be prepared for EVERYTHING, but preparing for even something puts you head and shoulders above where you were a couple of years ago, yes? Yes.
Then be happy, and keep looking for areas you can improve upon.
Personally, I lean more toward .40 these days for a number of reasons. I feel it's a reasonable compromise between 9 and .45 - not that there is a huge amount of difference to begin with - again, with the proper ammunition. Also, I often get pretty good deals on .40 carry guns because so many people are switching over to 9mm to "consolidate" their calibers. Fine with me, I can collect plenty of ammo in multiple calibers. Sure, I could collect MORE in 9mm if I stuck only with that, but I'd have to offload a bunch of guns - and I just don't sell my babies.
Bottom line, don't sweat it. Shoot it. Practice with it, get comfortable with it, and if it keeps you awake at night, then fine - switch back. It's not enough of a difference to be worth stressing yourself in the least little bit over.
I carry what fits with my wardrobe, my situation, my social interactions and my appointments for that day. Sometimes that means only my G22 in the door pocket of the truck with a couple extra mags in the map pocket. Sometimes that means my .40 Walther PPS IWB with an extra mag if I can fit it. Sometimes it means my Taurus .45 PT145 sub-compact in a zippered compartment of my backpack, again with an extra mag. Occasionally, if I feel like it, I will OC one of my 1911s in a retention holster out to Lowe's or around town or whatever.
It all depends on how I feel, but I think I shoot all of them well enough to know I could respond appropriately if needed, I can most of the time carry at least an extra mag, I know I could reload, change positions and clear malfunctions in any of them reasonably well. Beyond that - I can't be prepared for EVERYTHING, but preparing for even something puts you head and shoulders above where you were a couple of years ago, yes? Yes.
Then be happy, and keep looking for areas you can improve upon.
Similar threads
- Sub Category: Handguns
- Caliber: .40s&w
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- Caliber: 9x19
