40 SW or 45 ACP?

[smallcigar]

Hello everyone,

Does anyone have any opinion on the 40 SW and 45 ACP? Cost of ammo is not much of a factor. Really looking for something for the house and the occasional trip to the range. Considering the Sig 229 and various H&K models.

Thanks

[Beowulf]

I would go with a 45ACP rather than a 40. The 40 is a bit anemic in comparison to a 45 and ammo cost is the same for both. I dont like any handgun without a hammer exposed and really dont like double action autos either. My first choice for an auto has and always will be a 1911 colt type. A 1911 is very reliable and very accurate and there are so many things that can be done with a 1911 that cant be done with any other handgun. BTW I personally would pick a 38 super auto over the S&W 40. I own H&K rifles but dont like their pistols at all.

[RJM158]

Either caliber will do what you want but the 45 has a reputation for better accuracy than the 40. Suitable self defense and practice loads are available for both. Many 40's will have a higher magazine capacity than 45's but that is a subjective thing since shot placement is always the key to a self defense scenario, not number of rounds carried/fired.

As for guns it basically comes down to what fits your hand best. I have carried a Sig 229 on duty since 1995 and it has been a superb firearm. I carried a P220 in 45 before that. Sigs are my first choice in handguns but they will cost more than others. I am also a big fan of the S & W M& P's. The interchangeable backstraps let them fit virtually any hand size and they point extremely well for me. The Springfield XD's work for me as well. CZ's are ok too.

I don't have much experience with the HK's (except the P7M8) but when I've had the opportunity to shoot them they didn't appeal to me. Likewise Glocks, which don't point for me or fit me well. Ditto Beretta's.

Handle as many brands and models as possible and see what appeals to you. My preferences, or anyone else's, can/will vary greatly from yours but yours is the ultimate one in this case.

Good luck and let us know what you choose.

Ron

[smallcigar]

Thanks fellas. I think I am leaning towards the 45 ACP (friends have also recommended the 45). I was handling the P229 yesterday. I liked the feel. I will check out the 220 and the 1911. I am also going to look at the HK45.

Beowulf, anything in particular you don't like in the HK?

Thanks

[tddeangelo]

I've been toying with the idea of getting a 229 myself for a little over a year now. I had a chance to buy a police return 229 with night sights, law-enforcement trigger, and in like-new condition for $425. I should have.

That said, my stock GI 1911 (Remington-made) shoots pretty darned well. I would probably not shoot any better with a newer pistol, although the 1911A1's sights are a bit tough to use well. If another pistol shot better for me, it would be the sights, not the pistol itself.

[trophydoehunter]

I have both a 1911 and a sig 229 .40, love them both for different reasons. The 1911 just flat out shoots and the sig 229 is a great glove box gun. One thing that i like about the 229 is that you can buy the 357 sig barrell and change it out. The 357 sig is extremely hot and packs a mean punch for taking down hogs or heaven forbid a person if my life was on the line. If money was no big deal i'd say get them both and play around to see which one you like more, you can never have too many toys :)

[Beowulf]

Thanks fellas. I think I am leaning towards the 45 ACP (friends have also recommended the 45). I was handling the P229 yesterday. I liked the feel. I will check out the 220 and the 1911. I am also going to look at the HK45.

Beowulf, anything in particular you don't like in the HK?

Thanks

First of all there are a number of HK types, the P2000, USP and P30 dont have exposed hammers or have hammers too small to be of any use. I REALLY dont have any use for double action autos and neither do most all of the champion shooters. I REALLY dont like plastic handguns or guns with complicated safeties or slide releases. I can tell you from vast experiance that complicated will get you killed every time. I have owned and packed a 1911 since I was 18 and they have NEVER let me down in a pinch. There has never been a more reliable auto than the 1911 or one that did its job as well. There is good reason why our special forces have gone back to the 1911 and the M14. As in the 1911 if you cant get the job done in 8 rounds then go get yourself a shotgun. I now pack a matched pair of Smith 1911's with scandian frames, they are lightweight and have controlable recoil. Even as rusty as I am these days I can still clear 6 plates in 4 seconds with them. 180 CorBons will go a long way in keeping the recoil down but the knockdown up. BTW Sig makes an exellent 1911 and for my second choice of 45 it would be the 229. Another note... the only top people shooting Kimber 1911's in competition are ones paid to do so.

[tddeangelo]

Wow......

You really hate Kimber, dont'cha?

;)

[smallcigar]

All of the advice has been very helpful.

Much appreciated.

[pappabear]

+ +++on the 1911. Nothing handles like a 1911 and you will shoot a 1911 better because of the superior trigger design and overall handling. It may cost you a little more to get a quality 1911, but they are the way to go. And if you get a 1911-.45acp of course.

I own XD's as well, but only because they are the closest thing IMHO to the feel of a 1911.

[tddeangelo]

You just need to watch with 1911's.....there are deviations in modern production pistols from the original design. Some are improvements, some are viewed skeptically. An example of each: Many shooters, myself included, enjoy the bobbed hammers and beavertail grip safeties. Milspec 1911's are quite happy to nip your hand if you get a little too high with your grip. It's not an awful experience (nowhere NEAR M1 Thumb!), but it's something I can do without just fine. On the other hand, I think an external extractor ruins the overall appearance of the 1911, and some consider them less reliable (no clue if that is or isn't the case).

Just look carefully before getting one. Generally speaking, the lower cost 1911's are lower cost for a reason.

[RJM158]

I have one of the Sig 1911's too and it is the best shooting 1911 I have ever fired or owned. Even with generic hardball it shoots fantastic.

I also have 3 220's, 2 45's and a 38 Super. I gave up my 220 duty gun only because my department began issuing 229's as a mandatory sidearm. I bought one of the 220 SAO's a couple of years ago when they first came out because it seemed the best of both worlds, the 220 feel but 1911 operation. I have had no complaints with it either. It is actually a little safer than a 1911 because you can load/clear it with the safety engaged, but you can't with 1911's.

That said, I don't have any qualms about carrying my 229. It has never failed me in 12 plus years and worked just fine the evening a pit bull was airborne trying to eat me.

I agree with Trophydoehunter about the barrel switch capability. I have a personal 229 in 357 Sig plus a 40 barrel for it. I have a Browning Hi-Power set up that way too. In the past I have done this with a Glock 22 and a 35 but got rid of them because I didn't like the guns themselves. I also have a P239 in 357 Sig that is one of my main off duty guns. The 357 Sig is EXTREMELY accurate, shoots flat, but is FAR more controllable with less muzzle blast than a 357 revolver.