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Hey guys, I'm seriously considering buying a S&W M&P handgun soon, do you think I should buy a 9mm or 40 S&W? It will be used for plinking at the range and possibly home defense, Ive shot a 40 cal before which I really liked, but never a 9mm. I like that the 9mm holds 2 extra rounds and that ammo is cheaper, but I'm afraid that it might be boring to shoot compared to the 40, any thoughts? Thanks
It seems like boring is a good thing, i.e. boringly reliable/predictable/accurate/etc...
I recommend that you go over to ammunitiontogo.com and Palmetto State Armory and weigh the cost of "boring".
If it is going to be used solely for range use/HD then the 9mm will be more than adequate. Cost of ammo will be cheaper which means the cost of training will be less. I have a M&P9FS that is a training gun and also doubles as HD.
I carry the M&P40FS at work for the ballistic performance when encountering intermediate barriers like vehicles and auto glass. This is really the only reason I do not carry the 9mm although the 9mm will perform.
Unless you are going to be encountering intermediate barriers the 9mm is fine. When carrying off duty, where the chances of a shooting will be person on person, I carry the 9mm FS or a M&P9C.
Also my dept. pays for th 40 cal ammo. If I was footing the bill for the ammo I would carry the 9mm.
"Boring" should not even enter into the equation.
If all you are doing is cranking off rounds aimlessly, shooting in general can be boring. Can you boringly and consistently put rounds through the same hole or fist sized groups from 3 to 25 yards? I can't yet, but I'm getting there and that's what the 9mm allows me to do on a regular basis, save money and practice. I enjoy shooting both calibers but I shoot 800-1000 rounds a month in pistol alone, and the 9mm allows me to continue to train at that level.
Either one will be an excellent pistol. 9mm is "slightly" cheaper to practice with, so if you shoot large amounts of ammo at the range it can equate to some savings. However, the difference is about $.20-.$25 per shot for 9mm, and about $.25-$.30 per shot for .40S&W. Defensive ammo is almost identical in price.
Personally, I prefer to use .40S&W. The M&P .40 is one of the best .40S&W pistols ever made, and there are benefits to using it over the 9mm in defensive situations. Plus, most Federal agencies use .40S&W so there will be lots of contract overrun ammo available for many decades to come.
While I have the FS 9, a bonus to owning the 40 is being able to insert a 9 or .357 barrel in the .40 when you wish. A nice perk...
I would say go for the M&P 9. Ammo costs are cheaper, and with modern JHP such as Golt Dot, Ranger T or Federal HST, will make a very viable defensive handgun platform as well.
Drop in the Apex DCAEK and RAM as well. :big_boss:
I'll second that.Quote:
Originally Posted by GermanSynergy
I chose the M&P 40 because that's what was designed first. The M&P 9 came afterwards. I know there is probably no issues with the 9 (maybe the extractor) but I also narrowed it down to the 9 and 40. This is what finalized my decision. The Glocks and XDs both were designed as 9s first. Glocks have the unsupported chamber in 40 and the XDs capacity is not on par with other similar 40 platforms. All the previously posted reasons are completely legit aswell, IMO.
Like SwatCop said, in a CCW / HD situation, you probably aren't going to be shooting through barriers like glass.
I've owned a couple .40s over the years, still own one, and I don't think I'll buy anymore. If I was assigned one as a duty gun, I'd be more than happy, but for CCW / SD, the round just feels too hot vs. 9mm. And you can't beat Wally's 9mm price....
How do you define boring in this context?Quote:
Originally Posted by M4CARBINE556
I will never buy another .40, I am not a fan of how it shoots, irrespective of platform.
I prefer 9mm, and in the M&P 9mm is one smooth shooter.
And shooting should never be boring. If it is, you aren't pushing your skills to the limit.
I have both and they're both fun to shoot. I'd say go with whichever caliber you shoot best if you try a 9. For self defense, both calibers will do the job as long as you have quality ammo.
With the 40 M&P platform, you also have the option of shooting either the 357 SIG or 9mm w/drop in barrels and mags. Just say'n.....
M4CARBINE556--I have lots of thoughts. The first one is how much training do you have? Your comment above is quite humorous unless it was not done in jest. The M&P9 is the "softest" shooting 9 mm pistol I have ever used. Likewise, the M&P40 is the best .40 S&W pistol I have had the opportunity to shoot. Either will be more than adequate and neither is "boring" if you are properly training. If you are just plinking, why not use a .22LR?Quote:
"I like that the 9mm holds 2 extra rounds and that ammo is cheaper, but I'm afraid that it might be boring to shoot compared to the 40, any thoughts?"
Thanks for all the replies, it sounds like the 9mm is the way to go.
.40S&W
Bob
9mm. with good ammo, sd won't be a problem. cheaper to shoot as well.
This is what lead me to liking the M&P40. It will be more of a range novelty for me to shoot 357S or 9 out of mine, but it's fun to have that ability (if I ever qualify with all 3...)Quote:
Originally Posted by gsxr-fan
Plus, as SWATcop1911 said, I plan on using this on duty and dealing with intermediate barriers is a possibility.
Nothing gun related but for me it's either .45 or 9mm. I just don't like the way a .40 recoils. Guess it's too much of a snap where the 9mm is a pop and .45 is a push.
I do have a 9C, 45C, and a 9FS (it'll be here on Wednesday) that have been mostly trouble free through a combined 35K rounds, although I've developed a dead trigger in the 9C that Apex is taking care of and a failure to fire that hopefully a new striker will fix.
Buying a gun to cure "boring" is treating the symptom, not the disease.
"Boring" is a whole other set of problems, none of which can be solved by a caliber switch.
If you are using this for HD, then "boring" should not be a considration. The best handguns I own are "boring": they put the bullet where I want it to go and go 'bang' everytime. So, Im not really sure why this would be a consideration.Quote:
Originally Posted by M4CARBINE556
Having said that, here some more practical things to consider:
- 9mm is cheaper
9mm holds more rounds
9mm has less recoil
- 40 has better barrier penetration
40 has larger expansion (lets not into a debate)
40 can be converted to .357 sig or 9mm with a conversion kit
There is no universal right answer, only the one that is right for YOU. Food for thought.