XD 40 vs XD 45

[Electricboy]

I had baught an xd40 to have somehting more powerful than my Taurus 9mm, and had never concidered getting a 45. On Aug 28,2009 i won an xd45 at a friends of the NRA dinner, Which i picked up on the way to a four day defensive handgun course at Frontsight in nevada. I shot my xd40 all four days, and on day 5, the ccw day, i did my ccw test with the xd40. I then pulled out the xd45 for my second gun for the permit, and shot better with it than the xd40. Both are 4" service models, but i had the misconception that it would be hard for me to control.

So..... for anyone trying to figure out which to get, 40 or 45 i would recommend a 45. In my opinion it handles like my Taurus 9mm. The xd40 had a lot of muzzle rise. The xd45 hardly moved on my target.

[Air]

40 is a bit snappy in the recoil department. I prefer 45 also. 40 was a solution to a problem that didn't exist.

[CalNRA]

same here, never understood the .40SW's purpose.

I suppose if you are trying to fit lots of rounds into a magazine 40 has an edge but most double stack 45s are not that thick anyway.

my first handgun was a 1911, and the 45 ACP just...felt right.

[BHPFan]

same here, never understood the .40SW's purpose.

I suppose if you are trying to fit lots of rounds into a magazine 40 has an edge but most double stack 45s are not that thick anyway.

my first handgun was a 1911, and the 45 ACP just...felt right.

Prior to 1989-1990, the issue was finding an intermediate cartridge between the 9mm and the 45 ACP as there were the issues that:
1) .45 pistols did not have enough firepower (7 to 8 rounds max at the time) 2) .45 pistols were too big for people with small hands (women in general).
3) The FBI chose the downloaded the charge for the 10mm Auto as the standard cartridge for their agents due to "better" ballistics than either .45 or 9mm (This 10mm "Lite" was later replicated by Winchester and S&W into a shorter cartridge now known as the .40SW)
4) 9mm was not a very good stopper though it has more firepower/capacity.

However, with modern technology since then, these issues are absolutely pointless as:
1) There are more .45 pistols with more capacity/firepower today.
2) There are more compact .45 pistols as well as improved thinner after market grips plus adjustable backstraps on some pistol models.
3) I doubt the FBI is using the 10mm as the standard cartridge today.
While the .40 is still around, modern technology has also improved the 2 mentioned ammos (9mm and .45 ACP). Therefore, you have a good point today regarding the purpose for .40SW today.
4) Back to #3 above regarding modern technology.

Back to the topic, "YES" .40SW has much snappier recoil than .45 ACP, which is more of a push recoil. I shot Glocks in .40 and .45 and I prefer shooting the .45 Glocks. One of my best friends, a long time .45 ACP guy, cannot stand shooting the .40SW.

[pottymouth310]

Yea, I had the same problem too...
I bought a XD .40 1st thinking it would have less recoil than my .45's. I didn't like the high reset nor the snappy-ness of the .40, I traded w/someone on calguns for a .45 service XD.
Haven't regretted since.

[fullspeed1]

Shot placement is key, no matter what caliber you are shooting. If your getting a ccw in nevada(clark co.?) you are not going to be restricted to magazine capacity. Why carry a heavy service model with limited capacity as opposed to a 9 with nearly twice the capacity. In either caliber you are going to be using high quality personal defense JHP. Both 9mm and 45cal are man stoppers if your shot placements are good. It's amazing how many people think that if you hit anybody with .45cal that they will automatically disinigrate(sp). The key to winning any confrontational gunfight is training your *** off, and having the proper mindset. Bigger isn't always better. I have never had to shoot anyone or been in high stressed life or death situation involving a weapon, but from personal experience of owning 9mm's, 40cal, and shooting many types of .45's, I will take my 9mm's in any situation any day.

[Legasat]

I chose 9mm & 45. For me, .40 would just be a another caliber I needed to buy ammo for. Modern 9mm ammo will do the job very well, .45 is a proven manstopper. The recoil on 9mm is less than .40, and .45 recoil is easier to manage. I'm not surprised you shot it better. Many people do.

[SDI]

You guys just confirmed what I have always thought about the .40. My wife has had wrist surgeries and shooting her XD45 is way easier on her wrists than the XD40. Like someone else said, it is more of a push with the .45.

[Bug Splat]

I like the 45 recoil more than any other round I fired (not counting 22lr). Its just a very smooth push as opposed to a snap from a 9mm or 40.

[fullspeed1]

I like the 45 recoil more than any other round I fired (not counting 22lr). Its just a very smooth push as opposed to a snap from a 9mm or 40.

9mm snap? Lol, Well there are so many different variables to consider(Gun type,barrel length, compensated or not, ammo type). most every gun is going to shoot different. The more range time you have with a certain pistol, the more you become familiar with it.

[Rob Roy]

I'd go with .40s&w. It has better barrier penetration than .45 It makes bigger hole than 9mm. The frame size is the same of the 9mm's. Practice ammo recoil is the same as SD/HD unlike 9mm and .45 where +p+ ammo should be used. It's more likely to be available and for the sain price and because cops carry it.
On a sidenote, .45 is the most fun to shoot though, I just love that substantial feeling and 9mm is not challenging enough to improve your shooting skills and plain boring.

[Gryff]

I like the 45 recoil more than any other round I fired (not counting 22lr). Its just a very smooth push as opposed to a snap from a 9mm or 40.

A don't agree that the 9mm has any snap to it, but the recoil on a .40 definitely seems sharper than a .45. Keep in mind, though, that you rarely get to try a .40 and .45 in guns with identical form factors. In the case of the XD, the .45's frame is physically larger than the .40's, so it is quite possible that this affects perceived recoil.

For home defense, I will take a .45 over a .40, although I prefer the .40 for concealed carry.

Shot placement is key, no matter what caliber you are shooting.

In a contact-distance fight for your life on a dark street, good luck with that. I recognize that you usually are not given the opportunity to put aimed fire on target, so I'll take the caliber that increases my odds by doing more damage.

40 was a solution to a problem that didn't exist.

I love it when people copy and paste that line. Ten percent improved stopping power in a 5% larger form factor (yet still noticeably smaller than a .45-chambered gun). That's why I'll take the .40s&w for CCW use.

[darksands]

I would say the recoil is also partially due to the design of the gun. I agree that the .40 has more or a wrist snap recoil vs. the .45 which is more of a push back. However, this can be fixed. I replaced the guide rod of my .40 with a stainless steel one and a heavier spring which has changed the recoil characteristics drastically.

[fullspeed1]

In a contact-distance fight for your life on a dark street, good luck with that. I recognize that you usually are not given the opportunity to put aimed fire on target, so I'll take the caliber that increases my odds by doing more damage.

In a "contact-distance" gunfight it almost makes no difference what caliber you are shooting. And wouldn't you want something that will give relatively less recoil for more concentrated fire. What if you have to shoot 1 handed at arms length? Even a .22cal at "Contact-distance" will make someone stop bothering you.

[sorensen440]

I own both and my preference is the 45
however 40 is easy to find right now for half way decent prices and 45 is not