SW 9MM or 40? 1st Firearm

J

JasonC

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Hi,

I'm new to shooting. Got LTC A unrestricted. Have gone to the range a few times with a buddy, done some bullseye 22 shooting and took the NRA pistol class where I tried a few different calibers 9, 38, 40, 45, 22.

I don't have alot of spare $, so I'm looking for that tough purchase, "economical", good for target and carry for SD when/if SHTF. I'd also like to shoot it regularly at the range to the less expensive rounds of the 9 vs a 40/45 are preferred.

I'm leaning towards SW M&P either 9 or 40 (for the ability to do the 9 barrel conversion).

Any suggestions/advise/experience for this type of buy are welcome.

Should I consider a different manufacturer?
Is the SW MP 40 not worth it and I should just go for the 9?
There are a few different models of SW MP 9 I believe, what would you recommend?

Thanks alot,
JC

Any advise would be appreciated.
 
Go for the 9mm. It still kills shit and it's cheaper and easier to find. Plus the recoil impulse on .40 is funky and sucks.

FWIW, I'd recommend Glock over the S&W M&P line. You can get pre-ban hi-caps for Glock. With the S&W you will be stuck with 10-round magazines.
 
atmay said:
Go for the 9mm. It still kills shit and it's cheaper and easier to find. Plus the recoil impulse on .40 is funky and sucks.

FWIW, I'd recommend Glock over the S&W M&P line. You can get pre-ban hi-caps for Glock. With the S&W you will be stuck with 10-round magazines.
Click to expand...

^ this ^

unless you go for an M&P compact... i own a M&P 9 and it's a great gun. i refuse to carry a full size gun with cripple mags though
 
9mm.

ammo is cheaper and more readily available. There are excellent defensive loads for it too.
 
My first was the S&W M&P9 and I love it however the stock trigger will disappoint you until you get used to it, now I'm very comfortable with it. The other thing I'd say is that my plan was to carry my M&P9 but quickly decided that it's WAY too big for me to carry. Maybe check out the M&P9 Compact? I've since purchased 2 other S&W firearms and I'm very happy with the quality.

I also like the Glock's frame for concealment.
 
If you decide to reload, you will find that 40 brass is more plentiful (on the ground at your local club).
 
I carry a 40 caliber glock and love the 40 caliber (see screen name). I have been shooting for years and feel comfortable with it.

That being said, for a first time pistol, I would go for the 9mm for all the reasons stated above. You will shoot better with it to start as the recoil is less. Get some hollow points for carry and be done.

If you are worried about knockdown power remember bullet placement is important. If you can't hit the target, it does not matter what the round is. If your still worried about knockdown after you hit the target, you can always shoot twice [grin]
 
Glock > SW all day everyday....

The m&p isn't bad, but it's not great, and it's not a glock....and the trigger will make you want to bite your fingers off in anger.....and mags. Who wants a 10rd mag in a full size? If it's compact sure, otherwise there is no excuse....prebans are around. Do yourself a solid and stick to the G-19
 
Thanks everyone for your replies, they are much appreciated. The 9mm seems like a pretty clear choice for my situation based on your feedback. Now to narrow down manufacturer and model.

SW:
- Any recommendations between the M&P 9mm vs. the one for sale above?: Smith and Wesson Model 5906 - I'm looking for Self Defense and occasional concealed carry.
- Of the 15 or so M&P models on the SW website, it looks like 2-3 are mass compliant. Any recommendations between the compact and the other 2 or so?

Glock:
- Excuse my newness. In the deluge of my learning I remember hearing you can't buy new Glocks in MA, but used are OK from an individual?
- What is the *general* +/- of a Glock?

General:
- In MA we can't buy new handguns with greater than 10+1 capacity correct?
- If we buy used it has to be pre 98' to have greater than 10+1 capacity?
- Does anyone have a link to a post about general +/- of the different manufacturers, Glock, Ruger, SW, SigSauer etc...?

Sorry for the newbie questions, just so much to learn and I'm trying to make as educated (and of course legal) decision as possible.

Thanks
JC
 
Buy the 239 in 9mm. I carry the 239, and it's a great gun. You can definitely get range time out of it in addition to carry, unlike a lot of smaller carry and pocket guns.

When you have more cash, you can add 40 in a full size frame, but definitely buy Glock or Sig so you can get pre-bans. Like Wolf223, I also refuse to buy full-size firearms that only take reduced-capacity mags.

For quick reference on Sigs:

Sig 229 - a double-stack version of the 239. Slightly thicker and longer. pre-bans available for both 9mm and 40sw.
Sig 226 - a full-size double stack. pre-bans available for 9mm only.

If you want to try sigs out sometime, I shoot in Weymouth and would be happy to meet you at my club.

ETA: If you buy the 239, 229, or 226 in 40, you can get drop-in 9mm barrels for them. Doesn't work the other way. I wouldn't stress about that for your first gun though, especially if it's for carry. Still recommend the 239 in 9mm.
 
jasons said:
The guy selling it is a stand up guy. (No, it's not me. [grin])
Click to expand...

That's a REALLY good price! I paid $200 more for mine new. Jump on it and you'll be happy. In DA the trigger is STILL better than the crappy MA M&P trigger and in SA it's way better. You'll be getting a compact that is as easy to control as a full sized M&P due to the extra weight and, as has been pointed out, 9mm kills shit at $.10 less a round than .40 with a better recoil impulse. The only drawback IMO is the weight and that helps with controlability. The 2 round difference in mag capacity is negligable. The M&P is a nice gun, but I sold mine for a SIG and have no regrets.
 
First decision is DA Striker pistol (M&P, Glock) or DA/SA Hammered pistol (Sig, Beretta, older Smiths). I carry a 9MM 239 these days and very happy.
Depending where you are I bet you could hook up with some NES shooters and try out a few different types.
 
Last edited:
9mm.

If its EDC more rounds per mag, better recoil etc. If you got M&P be sure to put in the APEKs kit for better trigger. I tried a 40 and just to snappy in a short frame for my liking. Also, modern Self Def. ammo is leaps and bounds better from 10 yrs ago, so get a gun you can shoot and keep rounds on target, because no matter what you carry if you can't hit your target what your shooting doesn't matter.
 
I went with the full size M&P9 when all I wanted to do was shoot paper, $20 for 50 rnds. I will get a trigger job in the future. Once I decided to CC i went with the BG380.
 
This was exactly my debate. I went with 9 because it's cheaper to shoot, and I need the practice. I also found the recoil on the .40 to be a bit strange to manage. I have shot and LOVE 357 mag, 44 mag, and .50, so it's not a "too much recoil" thing for me, it's just that I found the snappiness of the .40 a little strange. I have since tried a few other guns in .40 and did a little better with them.
 
I shoot both 9mm and 40 regularly. I'm about the same with either caliber. The 40 is snappier, but hey it's not 357sig or 10mm! (Or an E.C./Duke style hand cannon.)

For defensive purposes, 9mm defensive rounds are fine. For practice, unless you're hand-loading, 9mm is cheaper. I still say go with the Sig 239.

What has helped me deal with the snappiness of 40, or more accurately my tendency to compensate for recoil and shoot low, is to shoot in Double Action only when practicing. It's easier for me to get that surprise trigger break when there's a long DA trigger pull. With SA triggers, especially Sigs, there is a crisp and very clean break. I love that, but my mind likes to take that opportunity to push the muzzle down slightly, and I'm trying to train it not to. [grin] This helps me concentrate on the entire trigger stroke, not unlike using a revolver.
 
I think for me the choice was simple. GO with what your most comfortable with. You want something you can put a lot of ammo through and practice practice practice. I dont know if you can beat the reliability of the glocks or sigs. Smith and Wesson makes a nice gun but I don't know if its in that class. Also my first was a S&W sigma sw40ve. I love the thing. Most people are not a big fan of these but I appreciate the firm trigger pull that most people complain about. Just about no one I know would recommend a Sigma Series to anyone, but I like it a lot. My best advice is, take some of these guys up on their offer to shoot a whole bunch of things. Also there is a place in Salsbury MA (the name escapes me right now) but it has an indoor range and you can try it before you buy it. Thats my 2 cents.
 
I agree with everyone on 9mm. Nothing wrong with a Glock 19 though I'm partial to SIGs and HKs over Glock.

You should try firing as many different guns as you can before buying. You've made a good first step by going green with only 10 posts. Now attend and NES shoot.
 
Thanks all, I think I'm going to start with a Mark 3, get some target practice under my belt, as you recommend, shoot a bunch of different guns and then make the decision. Thanks for your words of wisdom all.
JC
 

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