.45 and .40 input please.

[Paperchasin]

45 is definitely easier to shoot than 40s. With that said, you need to ask yourself if you can afford to shoot 45s comfortably, as 45 ammo costs more than 40.

[CK_32]

Solid info guys! Your similar assessment of both calibers solidified my decision in getting .45 next year. I really thought that .45 had a monster muzzle flip and recoil. It's nice to know that's just in my head. Thank you all for chiming in.

By the way, my 229 is 9mm but the .40 is 226.

Honestly if you take a 5 min break in shooting all 3 calibers or going from 9mm to 45. You probably wont tell any difference. Its only if you look for it you can say "Eh, yea I kinda felt it"

[dobek]

I'm a 1911 fanatic - but own a m&p 40 as a "light" carry gun

I think the 40 recoils much harder - but I put the cause on the polymer gun vs steel. The weight and structure of the 1911 seems to absorb better. Also the 1911 is narrower giving a much more secure grip

There is my.02. Ballistically - the 40 kicks ***

Steve

[LBDamned]

Honestly if you take a 5 min break in shooting all 3 calibers or going from 9mm to 45. You probably wont tell any difference. Its only if you look for it you can say "Eh, yea I kinda felt it"

I don't believe this at all.

I guarantee I can tell you the difference (I wouldn't condone shooting blindfolded, but I'm confident I'd identify each caliber).

[Oliver_Charles]

***

[CK_32]

I don't believe this at all.

I guarantee I can tell you the difference (I wouldn't condone shooting blindfolded, but I'm confident I'd identify each caliber).

Maybe you could, but like I said after shooting all 3 one after the other at the range last weekend the difference was sutle at best.

[LBDamned]

Maybe you could, but like I said after shooting all 3 one after the other at the range last weekend the difference was sutle at best.

interesting... maybe like other have indicated, different guns?...

last range visit I took M&P 9, 40, 45 and a shield 9... same guns, different calibers... distinctly different feel.

[CK_32]

interesting... maybe like other have indicated, different guns?...

last range visit I took M&P 9, 40, 45 and a shield 9... same guns, different calibers... distinctly different feel.

Im sure. Like in my first post the weight of each gun, factory reloads and powder,grip stance all comes into play for each caliber will make changes. But again my main point was its nothing to lose sleep over and hardly noticeable especially when most think the 40s&w is a hand cannon compared to 9mm. Which it is not. You could feel the 40 had more push but wrist snap I didn't feel it. Its hard to explain but the feeling was weird.

[Knomad]

.40 has a more "jerky/sharp" recoil.
.45 is not necessarily less recoil, but "softer" recoil...like "round edges" vs "sharp edges"

hope that makes sense...hard to describe. just goto the range and rent a couple .45 & feel it yourself. that's the best way

Good description. I find 45 to be a slower and easier to control recoil, it's easy to absorb into the hand and arm and not troublesome at all (except tonight shooting at 37 degrees, when almost anything feels harsh). 40 is faster and sharper, at least for me.

There is of course a fair amount of variation among different loads and with different guns, so the above is a relative statement and not absolute.

[Knomad]

... and Im typically faster back on target & more accurately with a .40 than a .45 in similar platforms (say Glock 22 vs Glock 21)... but I'd chalk that up to simply being more experienced/used to .40's recoil impulse.

Certainly part of it is experience with the platform. But I think there's more to it than that. I have a 357 Sig with a spare 40 barrel, and can get the 125 gr 357 Sig back on the target faster than 165 or 180 gr 40... both have similar recoil, but at least in a P2000 the recoil pulse is faster with the lighter and faster round, which means the barrel settles faster. With 45, for me, it depends on the gun, a light gun with a high bore axis seems to take forever to settle back on target, while heavier guns or certain designs are relatively quick to settle.

Of course if that were the only factor to consider then 9mm would win almost every time, it's much faster for accurate repeat shots with most guns in most hands. In the real world we each need to decide what's most important to us.

[Saym14]

sell all but one of your 40's and buy 45's

[Off the Roster]

i compare their qualities like earthquakes: the .40 is the sharp jolt type, and the .45 is the slow rolling type.

[Barang]

sell all but one of your 40's and buy 45's

After all the wooing and convincing my wife getting those 226s, 229 and 686, she'll kill me.

i compare their qualities like earthquakes: the .40 is the sharp jolt type, and the .45 is the slow rolling type.

I think I'm gonna like .45 more than .40. We'll see when I get it.

[nahpungnome]

45's fun and expensive My wife doesn't have a problem with the recoil of our Sig 1911. The only issue (not related to 45 ACP) is that the checkering is too aggressive for her as it hurts her hands. She doesn't like shooting it much.

[jmpgnr24k]

If you're getting one just to have , 45 all the way. Recoil is recoil. It's gonna be there. Go big.