help me choose a caliber
 

So im going to buy my first conealed pistol. Mostly to carry in my truck, and on ocasion to pack around in public. I've narrowed my choices down to three but would like some input from all of you. The choices are 9mm,.40, or .45. I want something with not alot of "kick" and plenty of knowdown. Let me know your thoughts on each of these calibers, thanks!

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

this will depend on what you find comfortable concealing in the first place. If you are tall and thin how will you conceal a full size .45. it's not comfortable and you will print.

I purchased a .380 and use corbon defense loads. I know, not the most powerful but better than nothing and its not to bad to carry. Bersa Thunder .380

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

Pretty tough to beat a 40 S&W better punch than a 9mm, easier to handle than a 45.

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

I agree here.

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

Decide on a platform first then think chambering. See which models FIT you best and which will be more suited to YOUR individual requirements then think chambering.

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

there is a reason alot of police agencies switched from .45 to the .40.... alot easier to handle and it's like a 9mm on steroids

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

I'm leaning towards the 9mm, whats the difference between the 9 and the .40? How much recoil difference is there?

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

Usually not much recoil difference. It really depends on what weapon you decide to go with. My wife has a Smith & Wesson 9mm that kicks more than my XD 45acp. You really need to find a weapon that fits you.
The big difference will be in the knockdown power, in that department the .40beats the 9mmeverytime.

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

I have a 9mm Springfield XD I love it but if I had to do it over I would have went with a 40

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

Well, sounds to me like what you want doesn't exist, since it would have to defy Newton's Third Law of Motion (for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction) to have plenty of knockdown and little kick! No gun can hit harder than it recoils, since these two actions are equal and opposite.

IF you want knockdown in a handgun, you will have to master the recoil of a round like the .45 ACP. Kimbner makes some really nice little, easily concealed .45's!IMO, in a semi-auto this is about the best you can do.

However, the 9mm and .40 S&W will work pretty well, IF you learn to shoot them well enough to put the bullet somewhere that results in a fast stop of the fight! Both of these cartridges lend themselves much better to makinga small hideable pistol.

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

ok whats the difference (balistic wise) between the 9 and the .40? WHats the difference in recoil and how much knockdown does each have?

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

I own a smith&wesson m&p 9mm I love it I think the I have shot a 40 a bunch of times the pistols are pretty much the same except the 40 has more stopping power than the 9mm but if you are using it mainly for target practice and home security and personal protection as long as you dont need to use it for work (as pretty much all law enforcment agencies have went to the 40) the 9mm is a great pistol with a large magazine capacity its just fun to shoot. Find which ever pistol feels the best and thats the one you should think about getting.

RE: help me choose a caliber
 

Felt recoil depends a lot on the individual pistol - grips, size, weight, how it fits in your hand, etc. In general, 9mm is going to feel like it kicks less than a .40 or .45. However a 9mm isn't as powerful as a .40 or .45. I've read that in terms of real world "stopping power" the .40 155 grain hollow point load and the .45 230 grain hollow point are pretty comparable as far as putting people down quickly.

I shot a .40 SigSauer a few times that felt like it kicked harder and harsher than the .45 Smith & Wesson I was shooting during the same range session.

I would recommend that you go to a range that rents guns, and try shooting a variety of pistols in the 3 calibers you are looking at. If you can handle the recoil from a .40 or .45, go with one of those. If they seem a bit much for you, get the 9mm and make sure it's loaded with quality hollowpoint ammo and you should be fine.