9MM or 40SW

pirate2501

Thinking of buying a semi auto for around 550.00 which make & model and should I go 9MM or 40SW? Also with the 9mm what's the difference luger and steyr ?

quickmajik

Glocks, the Springfield XD, CZ75, S&W M&P, Beretta PX4, Steyr M series, and a few other good quality guns are in your price range, most of which can be had in more then one configuration

All of the guns I listed are avaliabale in either 9mm Luger/Parabellum or .40 S&W.

The 9x23mm Steyr round is a different chambering then the 9x19mm Luger. Though American made ammo has about the same velocity as the 9x19mmluger/para, I dont know of any modern American gun manufacturer that chambers the 9x23mm Steyr as a standard offering.

the 9x19mm Luger and the 9x19mm Parabellum is the same round

you can NOT shoot a 9x23mm steyr ina 9x19mm luger/parabellum or viseversa.

pirate2501

thanks I was leaning toward a glock or s&w but was confused about ammo which is better 9mm or 40sw or just about the same?

partisan

quickmajik was right on with his answer. IMO you should really consider the Springfield XD-40. The XD made me put my Glock in storage.

Zinderbloc

One advantage of the 9mm is that 9mm ammo will always be cheaper and more widely available than .40 S&W.

ENBLOC

I really like the 9mm Luger over the "new kid on the block" .40 S&W. I carry a 9mm in the Glock 17 or Sig 226. I also have many other 9mm's with favorites Browning Hi-Power,Beretta 92FS,CZ-75,Sig239,Sig
225(P-6),Walther P-38, P-1, Luger, Lahti,Stars,etc. I even have a Ruger Revolver SP-101 in 9mm Luger! The 9mm has a higher ballistic coefficient than the .40 S&W. The 40 is popular and alot of guys carry it. There are more guns chambered for the 9mm Luger. I like the Browning & CZ-75 for the best handling & balance, but carry the Glock 17 or Sigs for work as they are lighter on the hip. There are alot of "retired" Police & Military guns in both chamberings with alot of service life yet. Good Luck.[;)]

cwi555

quote:Originally posted by pirate2501
Thinking of buying a semi auto for around 550.00 which make & model and should I go 9MM or 40SW? Also with the 9mm what's the difference luger and steyr ?


Go with the glock and 9mm. 40 cal is a wuss variant of the original 10mm auto. With the 40 you get the worst of both worlds.

For me it's a glock hands down, and for cartridge, 9mm or the 10mm, the inbetween just doesn't cut it.

machine gun moran

I have to agree, the .40 S&W was the attempt to get a 10mm Colt into a 9mm-sized magazine well. It worked, but the result was without any special strong point.

When WW2 ended, no one argued against the 9mm as a militarily effective cartridge, and it was a war that was the mother of all try-outs. Fault has been found with the 9mm since, mostly by civilians who are obsessed with the idea of making one-shot stops from, oddly enough, handguns with twice the magazine capacity of many WW2 guns. In my mind, defensive shooting doesn't require making a one-shot stop, and in fact, it requires avoiding even making an attempt at one. Rather, a person should shoot until his bullets start going through the airspace where the target used to be standing. Then again, I was raised in the Army method of 'shooting to live', and they didn't give us rolling blocks. [:D]

dfletcher

You may want to look at the subcompact Kahrs, they're made in 9 and 40 in the same size. I like the 9mm but prefer the 45 ACP, the 40 is fine I think.

05HDrider

Bigger is better, and 45acp is bigger so it is better, and makes one big hole

hk-91

go with the 9mm. most police depts run it, ammo is cheaper, and if its not quit what you need for take town power just pump anouther one into them.

Mark G

I can't speak from personal experience about the XD but I have heard good things about them. I have owned (3) Glocks and won't own another. For the money, try to find a good used Sig. My 9MM P226 outshoots any semi-auto I have ever owned. Caliber and frame size are personal preference. Depends on what you want to do with the firearm.