Thread: Pistol People - 9mm or .40 caliber?

Originally Posted by 33knight33

Originally Posted by TehSpaz

Ah...Ruger Security Six....we FINALLY got one a month ago and have fallen in love.

i have a ruger single six revolver in .22 cal and i love it. it was the first pistol i ever shot.

we have had other the past year a security six, service six, and speed six.

I just don't like .22 revolvers...the only .22 we have is a .22mag that my dad carries in his jersey pack pocket when he does long distance bike rides...he keeps .22mag snake shot in it incase dogs are bugging them...like, to the point where one of the riders might be in danger.

Originally Posted by 33knight33

Originally Posted by TehSpaz

Ah...Ruger Security Six....we FINALLY got one a month ago and have fallen in love.

i have a ruger single six revolver in .22 cal and i love it. it was the first pistol i ever shot.

thats exactly what i got that my first pistol..and im 17.hopefully ill get a ak 47 when i turn 21 22

Originally Posted by B0SS

Originally Posted by 33knight33

Originally Posted by TehSpaz

Ah...Ruger Security Six....we FINALLY got one a month ago and have fallen in love.

i have a ruger single six revolver in .22 cal and i love it. it was the first pistol i ever shot.

thats exactly what i got that my first pistol..and im 17.hopefully ill get a ak 47 when i turn 21 22

Just do your research when you decide to, which can take months... There is a lot of garbage out there and equally a ton of gems.

First,

Originally Posted by MaBell37

The .45 ACP, made and distributed by many, many companies now (because it's such a popular chamber-due to it's stopping power (read: will literally stop someone in their tracks, even push them back, rather than letting their forward momentum carry them onward, which happens a LOT with 9 mils)) will definitely do the trick.

Nonsense. I will say again: "Knockdown power" of a handgun cartridge is a myth. Here is the math: Momentum = Mass x Velocity. If a bullet does not penetrate, the bullet's momentum will be fully transfered to the target. So (230 grain slug from a .45 ACP) x (900 feet per second muzzle velocity) / (6000 grains per pound) = 34.5 foot-pounds per second of momentum. This is the same as a 34.5 pound person walking at one foot per second. So, based on pure momentum, a .45 slug will stop in their tracks a strolling toddler. No bullet will literally push back a charging assailant, and if you are expecting it to do so in an engagement prepare to be disappointed.

"One shot stops" are a more useful concept, but the terminal ballistics involved are a complex relationship of momentum, kinetic energy, permanent wound cavity, temporary "stretch" wound cavity, and target effects: Primary tissue damage, central nervous system disruption, hydrostatic shock to body tissues, and target psychology. There is a point at which lighter and faster are clearly more damaging to a target- A 165 grain bullet traveling at 3000 feet per second is unquestionably more damaging than a 230 grain bullet at 1000 feet per second. But exactly where the crossover is between "mass" and "velocity" is a subject of endless debate between 9mm and .45 crowds.

It is true that for "ball" ammo (Full Metal Jacket of FMJ) the .45 has a great reputation. But once hollow-points were developed, the big, slow slugs lose out in one shot stops because they can easily under-penetrate, and they don't bring as much kinetic energy to the table. On the other hand, 9mm ball ammo is a notoriously poor man-stopper, but with a well-designed hollow-point (doesn't have to be any particular brand- Speer's Gold Dot, Remington's Golden Saber, Hydra-shoks, and many others) the 9mm will do just fine. But, when a hollow point cavity gets clogged by denim, leather, multiple layers of cloth, or deformed by a windshield, the fancy hollow point acts like a plain old ball round. At that point, IMO, its nice to have a bit more mass and diameter to the projectile than the 9mm offers. A .40 at 155 or 165 grains gives enough velocity for reliable hollow-point expansion, while still having some mass and cross-section to it that the 9mm lacks.

Consultant, the comment someone made about "DA/SA" refers to the action of the pistol: "Double action" or "Single action." You can google 'em for more detail, but DA is a long, heavy trigger stroke because it is cocking the hammer as you pull the trigger. At the end of the pull, the hammer is released to fire the cartridge. Hence, "double action."

In "single action" the trigger simply releases the hammer, requiring very little motion, and much less pressure. So, many semi-auto pistols are DA for the first shot, and then SA for subsequent shots because the slide's action from the first shot leaves the hammer cocked for the follow-on shots. The down side of this is that the trigger pull is very different for the first shot and subsequent shots, which can take some getting used to. Some pistols are "DAO" or "double action only" for this reason. The famous 1911 style is "SAO." The pistol must be manually cocked before firing, and then each trigger pull is the same.

Glock pioneered a striker-fired system in which the pistol is always "half-cocked." This gives you a consistent short, light pull for each shot, with some trigger travel as the striker comes all the way back and is then released. Some other pistols offer a similar system.

Revolvers (since you mention that you are considering all options) are often a very good choice for a first firearm. They are typically simple, safe, and utterly reliable. There is nothing complicated here- Pull the trigger, it goes boom. (Interestingly, many fans of Glock semi-autos are folks who started out with revolvers- Glocks are similarly simple: You pull the trigger, it goes boom. No external safeties, de-cocking levers, etc.)

IMO, if you are open to a revolver, a medium frame .357 with a 4 inch barrel is the perfect first firearm. It will handle light and inexpensive .38 special loads when you are getting started, so you don't learn bad habits and you can get lots of practice. A wife can work her way up to .38+P loads that are reasonably effective, while as you get more comfortable with the recoil you can work up to .357 magnum rounds. As hollow-points became popular the .357 became recognized as a fantastic man-stopper, and is still a yard-stick against which other handgun rounds are often judged.

Ruger's GP-100 and SP-101 are great values- solid and reasonably priced. Smith & Wesson makes great revolvers, but you'll pay more. Taurus supposedly makes decent "knock-off" S&W's. They had a so-so rep for quality a while back, but I hear nothing but good things about them in the last ten years or so. Colt's are great, but quite pricey.

A local gun club here is obtaining a ton of Glock 22 police trade ins, which vary in conditions. My dude can hook me up with on for $280 tomorrow morning.

What to do, the wife may hurt me...

As a great man from the 82nd Airborne told me, 'A pistol is what you use to fight your way to a rifle'. :9

Get the 9mm. Three shots on target in quick succession is better than one shot with stopping power.

I have a Glock 20 (10MM).

Nice gun. Expensive rounds, but I like it.