Glock 9mm Vs 40 Cal

[CSEMARTIN]

I want to purchase a glock for my wife. Her experience shooting is very limited. My gut feeling was to go with the 9mm, but since this will eventually become a home defense pistol, I've been thinking of going with the 40 caliber. My concern is her ability to handle the 40 cal. What do you guys think?

Also, does SUREFIRE make a laser/light combo. I know that Streamlight does, and it has been recommended by someone whose opinoin I trust-it's just that I've had such phenomenal experience with Surefire.......

I appreciate the input.

[Flexmoney]

IMO...without a doubt...9mm and a Surefire X200.

You may want to put a lighter recoil spring in the gun for her as well.

(I've been hearing the Surefire holds up better too.)

If you are reloading, and plan to load minor 40, then that is a possibility.

[Sean Gaines]

I would say to get a 20 guage shotgun for home defense. Hard to miss with a shotgun. I believe the 20 gauge is under rated as far as defensive weapon. Recoil can be managed easier, and still has alot of power. but if you have to get a pistol go with 9mm, with good hollow points. As far as the flashlight and laser. Might be too many buttons to learn and could fail. I handed my wife a sig sauer 226 and she gets confused which lever is the decocker and which is the slide release. But she doesn't shoot much either. I would make it simple stupid. Make it where she is able to pick the gun up and line the sights up and pull the trigger. no levers or buttons to push, but thats my oppinion. Good Luck

[Clay1]

The 9 is great with good ammo. My wife has my 2nd G34 right now with her when she is out of town. Speer Gold Dots and a Streamlight M3X weapon light on it. She has no issues with the light or with the Glock.

By the way the reason she is out of town without me is that I had to work and she went deer hunting without me. She's coming back to pick me this weekend and we will both go out together. If she shoots my big buck, I will never live it down.

Rick

[glock17w]

I would say the 9mm. If you could take her to range and allow her to shoot both the 9mm and the .40 and let her choose which one she likes best.

[Kimberkid]

Go 9mm, there are a number of reasons it is the most popular cartridge in the world. FWIW Glock makes a light that looks and performs identical to an M3 but costs like $60 as opposed to several hundred.

[DougCarden]

I would buy a G17, put a 3.5 connector in it, and then take off the top end. I would then buy an Advantage arms .22 conversion kit, 5 mags, and put it on the gun. I would then have her shoot several thousand rounds through the .22 gun until she was used to the trigger and the noise without a flinch, then put the 9mm upper back on with loaded down ammo. Training on steel seems to speed up the learning curve as well, due to instant feedback. Bill Rogers turned me onto this when I asked him how to bring smaller handed people (men/women) who have never handled, let alone shot a gun before up to speed. This allowed me to get people ready to go to the academy in much quicker time. Good luck, DougC

Edited October 28, 2005 by DougC

[GuildSF4]

I would go with the 9mm, since as you say she hasn't shot much. There are many good 9mm loads out there. I personally prefer the Surefire lights.

(Also as Doug says have her shoot a few thousand rounds thru a 22, before running the 9mm, although for a carry/ home gun I would use a 5# connector rather than a 3.5 just my $.02.)

[ima45dv8]

What Flex said. The reduce power recoil spring will ease her effort retracting the slide to charge the gun.

Get some poofter loads for practice (double-plug her before she develops a flinch), and get some designer 9mm ammo for around the house.

[glock17w]

I like the idea of getting the advantage arms .22 conversion kit. I am considering getting one of those for myself to practice real cheap and get some added trigger time. Sometimes you have to spend money to save money.

[Kevin Kline]

I agree with Flex. I would go with Glock 9mm and Surefire.

[CSEMARTIN]

Thanks everyone. I am surprised to see a unanimous response. In fact, I used to have a G17 with a ciener .22 cal conversion. I sold the conversion to Nik Habicht, and I sold all of my glocks. I should have kept the 17.

I was planning on getting a laser/light combo, but I am hearing that lasers are illegal in Michigan. I'm looking into the Surefire X200.

I like Paperkiller's idea about the shotgun, but I want something smaller/easier to lock up with kids in the house.

Thanks again, everyone.

[poipu33]

What Flex said. The reduce power recoil spring will ease her effort retracting the slide to charge the gun.

Get some poofter loads for practice (double-plug her before she develops a flinch), and get some designer 9mm ammo for around the house.

Retracting the slide is a problem for my daughter on my G17. I didn't know there was a "reduced power" spring. What is the downside of this modification?

Thanks,

[Sean Gaines]

What Flex said. The reduce power recoil spring will ease her effort retracting the slide to charge the gun.

Get some poofter loads for practice (double-plug her before she develops a flinch), and get some designer 9mm ammo for around the house.

Retracting the slide is a problem for my daughter on my G17. I didn't know there was a "reduced power" spring. What is the downside of this modification?

Thanks,

the downside is that the gun will not go into battery and fire, if the recoil spring is too light, with a G17, if you plan on going with a lighter recoil spring a 13lb seems to be the magic weight for the 9mm. Personally I dont use any aftermarket modifications for my carry glock, due to problems that may arise. We all know that "Murphy is alive and well"... I only use the mods on my competition guns. hope this helps

[poipu33]

What Flex said. The reduce power recoil spring will ease her effort retracting the slide to charge the gun.

Get some poofter loads for practice (double-plug her before she develops a flinch), and get some designer 9mm ammo for around the house.

Retracting the slide is a problem for my daughter on my G17. I didn't know there was a "reduced power" spring. What is the downside of this modification?

Thanks,

the downside is that the gun will not go into battery and fire, if the recoil spring is too light, with a G17, if you plan on going with a lighter recoil spring a 13lb seems to be the magic weight for the 9mm. Personally I dont use any aftermarket modifications for my carry glock, due to problems that may arise. We all know that "Murphy is alive and well"... I only use the mods on my competition guns. hope this helps

Thanks, I think I will leave my G17 alone. I was wondering about the mid and baby Glock 9mm sizes. Would racking be easier on these?

[Sean Gaines]

What Flex said. The reduce power recoil spring will ease her effort retracting the slide to charge the gun.

Get some poofter loads for practice (double-plug her before she develops a flinch), and get some designer 9mm ammo for around the house.

Retracting the slide is a problem for my daughter on my G17. I didn't know there was a "reduced power" spring. What is the downside of this modification?

Thanks,

the downside is that the gun will not go into battery and fire, if the recoil spring is too light, with a G17, if you plan on going with a lighter recoil spring a 13lb seems to be the magic weight for the 9mm. Personally I dont use any aftermarket modifications for my carry glock, due to problems that may arise. We all know that "Murphy is alive and well"... I only use the mods on my competition guns. hope this helps

Thanks, I think I will leave my G17 alone. I was wondering about the mid and baby Glock 9mm sizes. Would racking be easier on these?

dont hold me to this one. But I believe they use the same pound recoil spring for those also

[Rocket35]

My concern is her ability to handle the 40 cal. What do you guys think?

My wife started out with a Glock 9mm in the form of a G17 and then the G34. When she started shooting her G35 in .40 she said that it wasn't really any worse than the 9mms. Take her out and have her try a .40 and see what she thinks. There are generally a lot of folks willing to let a lady shoot there blaster!

[cep]

I dont know as much about pistols as most everyone here But, I do know self-defense.

For a wife at home I would recommend a good dog( an alert one) and a revolver. Say a .357mag that she could shoot 38specials for most of her practice but keep the magnums loaded for defense.

Also, No flashlight!!!! You and your wife know your own home much better than an intruder. You literallly can negotiate your house in the dark and ambush etc an intruder.

Why would you give up that tactical advantage by making yourself a target with a light?

Let the badguy light himself up or fall over a coffee table and dealing with your reasonably formidable dog. In my case, my family dog is formidable and faithful and loving to her family. But I know she would not be beguiled or easily stopped by badguys. We make a great team. She hears and smells much better than I do and she does not over analyze decisions like humans sometimes do.

I think a double action Smith revolver is a great way to go. And they are cheap enough to buy two and hide one near the front door in case someone tries to pretend to be legitimate visitors and then rush the door.

Also, I dont think there is any significant combat advantage between today's excellent 9mm ammo and a 45 or 40cal. I shoot a 40 but I am going to switch to a 9mm now. Ammos cheaper, recoil less, every bit as deadly. After all, if we had a choice everyone would choose a military rifle and not a pistol at all. Rifles and shotguns are much more powerful than most pistols, right?

[CSEMARTIN]

CEP,

You made some interesting points. I couldn't agree with you more concerning a dog. In fact, I used to train police dogs years ago- I used to have a level III Schutzhund trained Rottweiler. But now that I have small children, I don't want one around. I have seen several kids bitten by their family pet whose owners would have sworn their dog would never bite. My boy is three and thinks it is great fun to tease our cats and grandpa's dog. Why take the chance?

My father is a retired Illinois State Trooper. I've spoken to him at length regarding this topic, and I have come to the conclusion that I am much more comfortable with a 40 or 45 stopping somebody compared to a 9mm. There are countless examples of 'bad guys' not being stopped with a 9mm. In fact, my father was in an episode of Real Stories of the Highway Patrol which discussed a case in which the Illinois State Police were unable to stop a motorcycle gang member with a 9mm.

Because of my profession, I see a lot of gunshot victims. I rarely see anyone that was hit with a large caliber round. Most of what I see are lower caliber bullet wounds like the 9mm. I think the S&W revolver idea may be a great idea. We're still trying to decided what we're going to do.

Your point about the flashlight is interesting. I hadn't though of it that way.

Chris

[jkrispies]

Chris,

My wife recently started joining me at the firing range. She enjoys shooting my G17, but it's about as much as she can handle. I've never shot a .40 myself, but I'd guess that it would be the proverbial straw that would break the camel's back if she tried to handle one.

As far as "stopping power" is concerned regarding the 9mm vs. .40SW, there's countless unresolved threads discussing that. What's more important, to my mind, is whether or not your wife will be competant/comfortable enough to hit the target. It wouldn't matter a darn whether she was shooting a .22lr or a howitzer if she can't hit what she's aiming at.

My $.02,

J

[Chuck Anderson]

Also, No flashlight!!!! You and your wife know your own home much better than an intruder. You literallly can negotiate your house in the dark and ambush etc an intruder.

Why would you give up that tactical advantage by making yourself a target with a light?

I'm sorry, I know that Tactical debates are not a good idea on this forum but this is an exceptionally bad idea. If you have kids, or neighbors, or anyone else that may come to your home, you absolutely must be able to identify your target before killing it. What happens to the neighbor or cop that comes to your door because it didn't latch and the wind blew it open in the middle of the night. The risk of a flashlight, "making yourself a target" is far outweighed by the ten years on a manslaughter beef. In most states you'll need a little more than just a burglar to kill him anyway. Seeing hands, actions, facial expressions will let you know more than some knucklehead stumbling around in your house. Your best bet is to get to a safe room, behind a locked door with family at hand and call the police. If someone wants to pop in to the room most tactical lights are bright enough to cause pain or at least discomfort to someone looking at it, especially with dark adapted eyes.

As far as the original question, a Glock 17 with XXX tactical light is a great choice. My personal preference is for SureFire lights after going through half a dozen M-3 and M-6 lights. I also see these lights fail constantly on the range during night practice. The M-3x and M-6x came after I gave up on Streamlight products but I hear they are much improved. I also have not heard anything bad about the Glock lights and they do make one with an integrated laser.

As far as the difference between 9mm and 40. The Glock was originally designed around the 9mm case and I don't think that anything else runs quite as well. The 9mm will last forever and digest pretty much anything you throw in it. It is also the least sensitive to limp-wristing. And the last thing to consider. It functions better with a light than the 22. In fact Glock even has a separate set of mag springs to use in the 22 if you are going to mount a light.

Stick with the 9mm, and a light.

[jkrispies]

Also, No flashlight!!!! You and your wife know your own home much better than an intruder. You literallly can negotiate your house in the dark and ambush etc an intruder.

Why would you give up that tactical advantage by making yourself a target with a light?

I'm sorry, I know that Tactical debates are not a good idea on this forum but this is an exceptionally bad idea. If you have kids, or neighbors, or anyone else that may come to your home, you absolutely must be able to identify your target before killing it. What happens to the neighbor or cop that comes to your door because it didn't latch and the wind blew it open in the middle of the night. The risk of a flashlight, "making yourself a target" is far outweighed by the ten years on a manslaughter beef.

This reminds me of something that happened back in my bachelor days, when I was renting a guest house in someone's back yard. I was hauling groceries in from the curb and had put a few perishables immediately into the refridgerator, which took a matter of a few minutes at the most. When I turned around to go retrieve another bag from outside, I almost crapped my pants to see a stranger in my living room! It turned out to be a senile woman from the down the street. She'd literally walked through my landlord's backyard, through the gate to my yard, and quietly through my front door... managing to sneak past my dog in the process. I walked her back to her house and politely asked her husband to keep track of her, as the ending might not have been so happy if it had been the middle of the night. From this experience, I can certainly attest that identifying your "foe" is an must.

[PistolPete]

I would say definately buy the 9mm. I would recommend the Glock 17 because of the full size which will help in recoil. I went thru this with my wife and took her shooting. I let her try a .45 1911 with really light target loads. It was too much for her even after shooting several other times with me using a 9mm and I couldn't get her back to the range for almost a year. I ended up buying a .22 pistol for her and she loves it. We go to the range she shoots 100-150 rounds and is happy. She brags at all her head shots...

As for home defense the 9mm should be plenty. Even the military uses 9mm Barettas. Plus, if she can't shoot the .40 then 2 hits with a 9mm are better than 10 misses with a .40.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Pete

[cep]

With regard to my statement against flashllights... I am assuming that the homeowner is in a justifiable shoot situation. I believe that we are assuming for the purpose of this discussion that if we are discussing actually shooting an intruder we are long past talking your way out of the situation or the "intruder" is in reality a benign prescense.

No rational citizen or officer wants to harm an innocent person or even a threat that does not warrant lethal force.

If you feel you must use a flashlight, dont mount it on your weapon, hold it with your non dominant hand as far away from your body as possible. That way if the bad guy shoots back... they often do that... they will hit air and not your body. BTW, yes, this means that you will be shooting one handed. That is after all the raison detre of a pistol in real combat.

While we see "operators" on FOX channel posing for the camera, pretending to enter a hostile filled room with all kinds of confusing equipment on their carbines including lights etc, remember....THEY ARE WEARING BODY ARMOR. Your wife will not.

I think that the combat doctrine of Fairbourne, Sykes and Cassidy et al is proven by far more gunfights than what relatively few skirmishes occur in Iraq. Dont forget the lesssons from millions of encounters in WWII. Pray we never again see such warfare again.

As for me, I have learned personally to keep it simple, effective and above all, deceptive. I may not be as strong and fast as I was years ago but I still remain sneaky and dirty

As for a "safe-room", fantastic. However, I cant afford such a room. Most of us live in ordinary homes that are as vulnerable as can be. I wish I could own a big home with a safe room and a billiard room and a library and a pool etc.

As for police stumbling into the wrong home? I think they should look carefully at their search warrant and use discretion, so as not to hurt innocent citizens. This happens too frequently today. It is the officer's fault, not mine. I am sleeping in my own bed, I did not invite you to assault my home in force etc. how do I know who the heck you are?

[Chuck Anderson]

cep, this is getting a little off topic. PM sent.