9mm vs. 40: real world DOCUMENT defensive case study?

[kwest10]

I've read more info than I care to on the whole 9mm vs. 40 round. Unless you find yourself NOT being able the handle and follow up with a 40 then you might as well get the 9mm or throw rocks. They are almost both the same but I wanted opinions with these factors in mind.
my guns are in order of priority/used as:
1. range guns
2. plinking
3. IPSC/Steel (if I can get my lazy arse off the couch)
4. defensive use (god willing it'll never be used)

so with that in mind. Should I sell my 40 for 9mm? Cost being the biggest factor here. HOWEVER. IF I should ever need the pistola for #4, HAVE there been ANY DOCUMENTED studies/forensics done where they found someone dead with a 9mm pistol on the ground because IF they had a 40 or higher caliber would have resulted in the dead being the victor? A well placed shot will beat out a higher caliber any day correct?

[Jicko]

A well placed shot will beat out a higher caliber any day correct?

YES.

HAVE there been ANY DOCUMENTED studies/forensics done where they found someone dead with a 9mm pistol on the ground because IF they had a 40 or higher caliber would have resulted in the dead being the victor?

There WON'T BE ONE, since there are TOO many "what if"s.

Should I sell my 40 for 9mm?

NO, thou should not sell your guns. Now, which 40 do you have? If you have a Glock 40, you can easily get a 9mm barrel for it... then you have both!

[fun2none]

Should I sell my 40 for 9mm? Cost being the biggest factor here.

Is the cost difference really that significant ? Unless you have a source for cheap 9mm surplus plinker grade ammo, I don't think the price difference is large enough to justify selling.

The .40 will take some time to master. My first .40 was a Glock 23. It took several hundred rounds of practice before I could shoot it as well my Glock 17. I am comfortable enough to use either in defensive situation.

[ar15barrels]

HAVE there been ANY DOCUMENTED studies/forensics done where they found someone dead with a 9mm pistol on the ground because IF they had a 40 or higher caliber would have resulted in the dead being the victor? A well placed shot will beat out a higher caliber any day correct?

From my friend Gary Roberts:

[Soldier415]

From my friend Gary Roberts:

Hey Randall,

What type of ammo is that brand wise?

[FlyingPen]

Why is the 40 165 grain so much darker?

How do you interpret that gelatin?

[wildcard]

.40 definitely has a larger temporary wound cavity for those times where you need to destroy more organs (tissue will spring back into place). It goes without saying that the permenant wound channel will be larger.

There are of course faster defense loads with varying bullet types that would yield different results. For example, Double Tap offers a .40 load that will push a 165 Gr. Gold Dot at 1200 FPS out of a 4" barrel.

[Jicko]

How do you interpret that gelatin?

Pentration & Cavity

[wildcard]

Don't forget that theres a difference between the permenant and temporary wound cavities.

[RAD-CDPII]

I'll still take the .45 any day. Just love those 1911's.

[rksimple]

.40 definitely has a larger temporary wound cavity for those times where you need to destroy more organs (tissue will spring back into place). It goes without saying that the permenant wound channel will be larger.

There are of course faster defense loads with varying bullet types that would yield different results. For example, Double Tap offers a .40 load that will push a 165 Gr. Gold Dot at 1200 FPS out of a 4" barrel.

The permanent cavity of a 40, 45, 9mm, or even 38 +P often times can't even be distinguished in gunshot victims. Pistol ammo does not have the velocity to create much of a permanent cavity beyond its own diameter. So the 40 will not have a discernibly larger wound channel.

Look here: http://ballistics.com.ru/mw.html Its a good read.

I chose 9mm for general use, for many reasons, and have never looked back. Heck, at this point, my ccw is a smith 442 with +p gold dots. I don't feel its underpowered by any means.

[FlyingPen]

Interesting read.

So it seems human penetration is everything, how do the 3 calibers compare in terms of penetrating the body?

[kwest10]

I think the short answer is NO.

Jicko - I have a HK USPf. Not a big fan of conversion kits since they're usually pricey enough where a couple of bucks more and I can have ANOTHER pistol.

Fun -this thread was started b/c when I went to wally world the WWB 40 was just under $30 for 100 and the 9mm was just under $20 so yea the cost does seem like a lot more. But I think if I buy at fun shows and stock up when I see a deal it shouldn't be so bad.

AR15 - I've seen the same tests and I'd bet dollars to donuts or whatever that ANY of those shots placed center mass will take someone down.

I think I'll just buy a 9mm as the compact/carry/trunk gun I've been looking for. BUT I also like to KISS as much as possible and keep my guns as same caliber as possible. Good infofeedback gents. Thanks.

[paradox]

The only real difference is that with a .40 you can load heavier bullets which have less deflection when shooting through barriers (ie auto glass, concealment, etc).

[AngelDecoys]

This thread has been very informative. Rattled my paradigm and I like that. A lot of great stuff with regards to penetration. Leaving the permanent vs temporary cavity question aside, is there is difference in actual stopping power?

In other words, is a 9mm, or .40cal, more likely to STOP a 300lb man on the first thorasic cavity shot? (Everything else held costant).