Non-Polymer Frame options? .40 or .45?

I am sure this is an age old debate but for defense purposes should I really be looking at the .45ACP over the .40 S&W or is the .40 sufficient?

Somewhere previously mentioned the ballistics were similar, does someone have a link to a chart/graph showing stats?
 
brtt485 said:
I am sure this is an age old debate but for defense purposes should I really be looking at the .45ACP over the .40 S&W or is the .40 sufficient?

Somewhere previously mentioned the ballistics were similar, does someone have a link to a chart/graph showing stats?
Click to expand...

This question will definitely get many responses but if I had to shoot someone with a round it would be a 45 ACP. They're both great rounds but from what I've seen the 45 will have the best stopping power. You do give up a lot of room for extra rounds. I love my sig 220. A blast to shoot at the range and a perfect home defense gun. It's a bit big for carrying. I usually carry a glock 27 which is chambered in a 40. Either round you go with I'm sure you'll enjoy. My suggestion is get one of each!!!!!
 
457 pic.jpg

Probably the 1 handgun I own and will never sell is my S&W model 457. Its part of their 3rd gen "value" series. Its ugly, blocky, boring S&W that has NEVER impressed anyone at the range EVER. Alloy frame,steel slide DA/SA .45 auto 7+1. I got it for cheap, when no one wanted them ( maybe people still dont ) Its truley an ugly beast! But it goes bang where I point it every time, with every brand of ammo,fmj or hollow points. Its DA is smoother than my 92fs and its SA has a short, audible reset. I do carry it, comfortably. And Im pretty sure if my house burnt to the ground and fell on top of it I could pull it out of the rubble and shoot it just fine.

You will not impress anyone with it, girls will not beg to be taken by you as if in a AXE commercial while carrying it. But Im reasonably sure its still one of the better DA/SA .45 metal guns available in mass ( oh, and if you buy right they will be $400 or less )

Edit: if interested in one I know a shop that has one as well
 
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ranger4-7 said:
Smith 1911PD (.45 ACP). The commander size 1911 with a scandium frame makes it very comfortable to carry IWB or Out.
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Take it a step further - 1911 ES. 1 round less but WAY more concealable. 7+1 and you can use 8 or even 10 rounders for reloads.
 
andypieces said:
http://www.firearmstactical.com/ammo_data/40s&w.htm .40 S&W stats
http://www.firearmstactical.com/ammo_data/45acp.htm .45ACP stats
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Not bad links, but the readers should bear in mind those pages are over ~12 years old at this point... and there are a lot of other new defense loads out there, EG, Federal HST, etc, that aren't on those lists but should be. EG, Hydra Shok is pure trash about 50% of the time compared to the HST. Hell, a lot of the loads on that list you can barely even buy anymore. For example, I haven't seen anyone selling the 200 gr Speer Flying Ashtrays in years, unless it was old stock or something.

-Mike
 
brtt485 said:
I am sure this is an age old debate but for defense purposes should I really be looking at the .45ACP over the .40 S&W or is the .40 sufficient?
Click to expand...

If you want to make your life a lot easier stop caring about caliber and find a gun that shoots well for you, chambered in 9mm Luger or better. Any of the common centerfire calibers at 9mm and above will stop bad guys with decent ammo, if you do your part. I carry both .45s and 9mm and don't feel "under-gunned" with either, with the ammo I've chosen.

If budget is a huge concern, stick with 9mm.... It'll allow you to practice more for the same amount of money. Whatever you buy, if you can afford to feed it you will shoot it more often.

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
If you want to make your life a lot easier stop caring about caliber and find a gun that shoots well for you, chambered in 9mm Luger or better. Any of the common centerfire calibers at 9mm and above will stop bad guys with decent ammo, if you do your part. I carry both .45s and 9mm and don't feel "under-gunned" with either, with the ammo I've chosen.

If budget is a huge concern, stick with 9mm.... It'll allow you to practice more for the same amount of money. Whatever you buy, if you can afford to feed it you will shoot it more often.

-Mike
Click to expand...

I will often carry a 380. In close range and up to twenty five feet I feel comfortable that I could hit someone center mass but the stopping power (lack there of) concerns me. Think I should bump it up to a 9MM? The only issue I've had is I love the size of my bodyguard and can't find a comparable 9mm.
 
I have decided to go with the P220. I wanted something bigger than the 9mm (which I already own) both caliber wise and physical gun size. I went and shot the P229 (in .40) and the P220. I shot both of them very well, tight groups with both guns at varying distances. I liked the overall size of the P229 better but strictly from a visual standpoint. In the end, I thought the .45 was a little less snappy than the .40 and I think I may put a tac light on this gun which I think will work better on the P220.

Thanks for all of your input!
 
p220 is a great gun (I have one) but seems a bit large for CCW. I echo the third gen S&Ws and three of the 45s are on the AG roster (4513, 4563, 4566) so you can pick a size. Nice thing about the p220 and 4566 is that after you are empty you can beat the bad guy with them and do a lot of damage...
 
brtt485 said:
I was afraid this might happen but had to ask! I personally dont know anyone who has had an issue with a P229 or any other Sig for that matter but I know my exposure has been limited compared to many on here.



I was thinking this as well. I have not shot one before. Is the carry model compliant in MA? I am not sure how concerned I am about the mag capacity if I go the .45 route but its too bad Sig put a single stack mag in the P220.



Thank you! I will check these out.



My Walther P99c is 9mm.
Click to expand...



My sig 229 is substantially wider than my SW 1911, if they made the 220 carry (.45) a double stack the handle would be like holding a can of coke.
 
I Like it a lot, thanks. I have a 10-8 performance target sight and some VZ grips en route that I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of :)

You probably didn't shoot it enough to notice, but the factory left the feed ramp in really rough shape, I got through about 100 rounds before I couldn't even get a round to chamber. No big deal, a dremel, and half hour later it was perfect but I was surprised they didn't catch that at the factory. Other than that, it's been perfect.
 
Good pick on the P220. That was my first gun and I plan on being buried with it.

The only thing I've done to it is replace the stock polymer guide rod (that warped a little bit) with a steel fat guide rod from GrayGuns.
 

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