.40 or .45?

[Drs2288]

Hello to everyone, I am looking into purchasing another hand gun within the next week or 2, I currently have a 9mm which was purchased for me by my mom about a year before she passed away so it has tons of sentimental value so i would really like to tuck it away in the safe. I have heard to go with a .45 because the stopping power is excellent but magazine size is limited so i was thinking about a .40 so would you please lead me in the right direction and feed back on both and which brands you prefer and why.I have been looking into glock and taurus. Thanks in advance

 

[Dawico]

As far as I'm concerned, Glock and Taurus shouldn't even be in the same sentence. Get the Glock. Period. Value, quality, resale, there is no comparison.

40- cheaper ammo, higher mag capacity, less recoil, smaller grip
45- bigger bullets, more stopping power, AND ITS A 45!!!!!

If 13+1 rounds of 45 aren't enough for you, start looking at high capacity rifles.

The old 40 vs 45 debate has been argued to death, so be prepared for some flaming. Just a warning. Go to the store and try some guns for fit. The Glock 21 has a big frame and won't fit smaller hands. The new G 21SF may fit better. Or maybe the G30/ G30SF, or the G36.

Taurus make a decent gun, don't get me wrong. But for personal defense go for the Glock. A Springfield XD or S&W M&P would be good options also. See which fits your hand best. They all are in about the same price range.

 

[country_boy]

I own both. I'd go with a .45. I like my Taurus pt1911 shoots good groups right our the box, came with a good custom trigger and other custom features. 8 rounds is all I need, if I cant hit the target by then somethings wrong. A 40 has double the pressure of a 45. The recoil for a 40 to me is a little more sharp than a 45 but, both will do the job.

 

[Drs2288]

Dawico, I really like the glock 21 and it is what i have been leaning toward i just wanted some feed back on it and feed back on other brands out there i dont wanna buy a gun and have problems finding mags and other things for it, I own a cz100 and its a pain finding mags for it and who ever hs them wants you first born child for it.

 

[Drs2288]

country_boy i really like the 1911 series but the ones i have seen are really expensive. i have seen them at $800.00 + and the glock 21 i seen was at 459.99

 

[txinvestigator]

I am not sure where this idea that for home and self protection you need to carry nearly a box of ammo on your person. Military, police and some civilian positions there is an obvious need. However, carry what you shoot well and have confidence in. More and more agencies are going back to the 1911 with .45 ammo.

I carried a Beretta 92 with 16 rounds for YEARS. I do not feel undergunned now carrying a .45 with 8 rounds. The magazines are so flat that I carry an extra in a pocket, and that is in case of a malfunction. When I go to the grocery store I am not worried too much about multiple armed drug cartels trying to steal my bag of chips. I do concern myself with the doper and his pistol who might be willing to kill me for his next fix. A few rounds of .45 ought to at least change his attitude.

 

[country_boy]

country_boy i really like the 1911 series but the ones i have seen are really expensive. i have seen them at $800.00 + and the glock 21 i seen was at 459.99

Academy has the taurus pt1911 for $579... wow i bought mine from them back in may for $550.. anyway Whats the purpose of this handgun? chl, home defense?..?? If your a glock fan go for it. Like ours said 8 rounds is all you need. I know one shot would make me run.

 

[Al Swearengen®]

Glock all the way. I own mostly their .40 models and been happy with them.

You can find them used at prices around $300.

 

[Drs2288]

it is going to be for CHL so something im going to carry with me at all times. I guess the more bullets is just an ego thing from my dad because he is always tellin my about him browning that is 15+1 I am also a door to door sales man so i usually park at a wal mart and just walk to different areas from there so i do need something that is pretty reliable and from i have heard glock is one of the most reliable guns.

I am also wanting with a light trigger because my cz100 has a very heavy trigger.

 

[Texas1911]

Buy a Glock, either caliber is suitable, but I prefer a .45 for many reasons, most of which is muzzle control. The .40 is really snappy in a Glock and getting the muzzle down on target takes more time than the push from a .45 or lesser recoiling 9mm.

 

[Sidewayz]

The recoil of the .45 is easier to handle. Like others have said, the .40 has a lot of snap. I have never seen any advantage to owning a .40, other than just having one for your collection.

My personal recomendation would be the Springfield XD45.

 

[Texasjack]

For the .40, I would recommend the Beretta P4X. Before the Glock people start whining, I've owned both and the Beretta is far better.

There are plenty of options on .45, but I think a 1911 can't be beat. Colt has the best resale, but Taurus and Springfield are better made. Kimber if you can afford it.

As for .40 vs .45, they're both in the same class as far as stopping power, and both are much better than the 9 mm.

 

[randmplumbingllc]

it is going to be for CHL so something im going to carry with me at all times. I guess the more bullets is just an ego thing from my dad because he is always tellin my about him browning that is 15+1 I am also a door to door sales man so i usually park at a wal mart and just walk to different areas from there so i do need something that is pretty reliable and from i have heard glock is one of the most reliable guns.

I am also wanting with a light trigger because my cz100 has a very heavy trigger.

I would start looking for another model then the Glock 21 Very hard to conceal for the average size person, though you may be the exception. I am not even gonna answer the 40 v. 45 question.

Like it has been said over and over here, find a place where you can test, hold and wear the weapon before you purchase it. See what feels right for your size ,shape and lifestyle. IMO

 

[TexasRedneck]

A 1911 is hard to beat in terms of tucking into a waistband, but I gotta tell you....in Texas, it's gonna be a challenge to carry all the time. You really might want to consider a "pocket pistol". I carry a P238 at ALL times (unless in a prohibitted area), an' a .45 MOST of the time.

 

[TimberWolf7.62]

.45 in the pistol that best fits your hand. I was given a .40 and tried it out for a couple hundred rounds and sold it. Like the guys above said, it's a sharper recoil than a .45 with no real gain. I get 10 rounds of .45 in my ParaOrd P10, 13 in the P13. You want more - I notice that someone offers a 20-round mag for the Para pistols in .45.

 

[jfrey]

If you want a plastic gun check out the G36. Great to carry and shoots well. Definitely get the .45 over the .40. It was good enough for our military for 70 something years.

 

[winston1911]

.40 S&W is a very practical round, but it sucks to shoot for fun - that snappy recoil is just annoying. Conversely, the .45acp round is both a better manstopper and a much more enjoyable round to shoot for fun. As far as price - you will save $2/50 rds. if you buy .40 S&W instead of .45acp - to me there is only one right choice - .45acp. Besides 40 S&W was developed because most law enforcement officers "couldn't handle" the recoil of its direct descendant and big brother the 10mm cartridge - which is much more fun to shoot than .40 S&W if you can actually get your hands on good ammo (alot of the 10mm range ammo out there is extremely weak - almost like a hot .40). To me .40 S&W is a "police round" plain and simple. Every cop I've ever talked to says that they would carry a .45 instead of a .40 but they have to carry .40. When you ask them why they will tell you it's because most LEO's cannot qualify with a .45, but they can with a .40. I would stick with 9mm for saving money (and fun) and 45 for stopping power and range shooting. Let's not forget that our military used the m1911 (.45) up until 1985 - the only reason they switched to 9mm was because they wanted to go with a NATO round. Personally, I feel like my grandfather was safer in WWII with a colt 1911 with 7-8 rds. of 45.acp than the soldiers are now with berettas that hold 15-16 9mm rounds, but now I'm getting completely off topic. Go with 45, definitely glock over taurus - taurus semi-autos are garbage

 

[majormadmax]

Check out the Springfield XDs, comparable in price to the Glock and some/many (such as myself) prefer the 1911-angled grip.

And don't discount the Taurus, I have several and they are well-built pistols backed by a lifetime warranty.

 

[Drs2288]

Ok thanks for all inout everyone! I am going with a .45, Now torn between a G 21 or a 1911 around same price range. Any one recommendations on a less expensive 1911?

 

[winston1911]

if you get a 1911; I would save up and prepare to drop a grand - just don't see the point in buying a cheaper 1911 and souping it up. No matter how much you customize an RIA 1911 it will never be as dead on as a colt, kimber, les baer, wilson combat, springfield (the ones that aren't made in Brazil), etc. I would go with a glock 21 3rd generation (avoid the SF version) if you want to spend around $500 and get a top notch handgun the glock is definitely your choice. While not as accurate as a good 1911, glocks are more accurate than the other 85-90% of pistols out there. If you're set on a less expensive 1911 - I actually would suggest a taurus despite what is said in my previous post. Taurus has improved the quality of their guns considerably in the last few years. In fact, my friend from high school who appraises and sells guns all day at collector's firearms told me he would rather have a taurus 1911 than a brazilian made springfield. I've held a taurus 1911 and it felt well made and like majormadmax said - they DO have a lifetime warranty which is pretty tough to beat. However, i still wouldn't trust a taurus semi-auto in a combat situation. As far as Springfield XDs - I like the grip better, but I hate the 1911 style grip safety springfield employs on their XD line; and, unlike glocks you can't order parts from them and you'll have a really hard time finding replacement parts. With glocks, you can buy aftermarket everything; barrells, slides, frames, etc. Plus the Glock will hold it's value slightly better than a springfield xd