Nice Necro.
I'm .40 because I bought a police turn in over 10 years ago on an impulse buy and the freakin pistol turned out to be a laser beam for me. I now have a second one and it is the same. I recently bought a new safe because I have stuff laying around all over the place and found out I have over 2K rounds of .40. Pretty much the only ammo I am seeing out there right now is .40 and .38sp. It turned out to be pretty good for me.

As far as shooting people. Who gives a crap? Center of mass with a 9mm-.40sw-.45.....pretty much gonna be barfing up a lung.

I always like these convo's about FPS and this and that, but in the end, most of these weapons have a zillion round magazine, so if you don't think the first ten made it stop, pour on some more and then reload. You have a reload, right?

 

Nice Necro.
I'm .40 because I bought a police turn in over 10 years ago on an impulse buy and the freakin pistol turned out to be a laser beam for me. I now have a second one and it is the same. I recently bought a new safe because I have stuff laying around all over the place and found out I have over 2K rounds of .40. Pretty much the only ammo I am seeing out there right now is .40 and .38sp. It turned out to be pretty good for me.

As far as shooting people. Who gives a eff? Center of mass with a 9mm-.40sw-.45.....pretty much gonna be barfing up a lung.

I always like these convo's about FPS and this and that, but in the end, most of these weapons have a zillion round magazine, so if you don't think the first ten made it stop, pour on some more and then reload. You have a reload, right?

If you’re looking for practice and carry ammo I’d suggest Freedomunitions. Make sure when you’re getting the newly factory made ammo and not the re manufactured. The prices for both are in the $20 range in 50 round boxes.

 

1911 pattern .45ACP are just way cooler than any .40 I have come across. If I can't hit what I aim at, it don't matter much and if I do hit where I aim, don't matter much either.
So if you are going to take someone down, do it with a little style and panache.

 

I wouldn't want to get shot with any of them. That being said, 45acp in FMJ has been combat proven for over a century now. Just saying....

 

And even if you use a HP and it doesn't expand, it still makes a .451" sized hole.

 

I don't want to get shot with any of them. That being said, I'm a 45 ACP guy but YMMV. Look up the FBI ballistic stats on one shot stops, one shot kills etc and make your own determination. Whatever you decide on, just be proficient with it.

 

I have around 50 years of carrying a 1911, the same combat Commander for the last 14, I had a few FTFs and thought about the plastic fantasics out, but how could I live without that broke-in 1911 trigger? Fortunately, a new recoil spring and some new mags and it is like new. I would have looked at a 9mm or a 40 if I had turned to the dark side, but I am so used to the 45 ACP and the 1911, why change now? They all work, shoot what you are used to and good with.

 

Of the 3 I think I will stick with my 4" GP-100 357 magnum. Loaded with 140gr JHP loads its very controllable and has the best stopping power of all. And it doesn't chunk my valuable, reloadable brass all over creation. Plus I can load it with lighter loads to reduce recoil and flash so anyone can pick it up and operate it and not be intimidated by it.

My auto choice was and has been the 9mm since the early 1980s. I have owned both 45 and 40 and just like the 9mm best. The fact that I have several thousand rounds for it and a nice Marlin Camp Carbine rifle also helps me make that choice.

 

Be a man and get a 10mm, if you get a Smith 610 you can also shoot the .40 "Short & Weak" when you want.

 

My bud has a 10mm and I wasn't that impressed with it. Power wise it is the equivalent of a 357 or maybe just a tad more. If I want a real step up in power I will just shoot my 44 mag. A 10mm can't touch it. And once again my 44 mag doesn't throw my reloadable brass away out in the tall grass. So you could be a man and get a 44 mag.

Here ya go. Not a lot of difference is there?

10mm Auto vs .357 Magnum Ammo Comparison - Ballistics Info & Chart

The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare 10mm Auto vs .357 Magnum ammo rounds. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer...

www.foundryoutdoors.com

 

This is comparing the low end 10mm rounds, the original full power loads are significantly more powerful than the 357, the 10mm is often called the "41 Magnum".

Here is another set of comparisons:
357 Magnum vs 10mm - Which Is Better? (ammoforsale.com)

Hornady:
.357 Mag 158-grain JHP: 548 ft-lbs
10mm Auto 155-grain HP XTP: 684 ft-lbs

Winchester:
.357 Magnum 110-grain JHP: 410 ft-lbs
10mm Automatic 175-grain JHP: 559

100+ ft-lbs is a lot more than "a tad more", just buy the real ammo.

I haven't seen many semi-autos that take 44 Magnums like the 10mm which is a bonus also.

 

 

These threads crack me up.

 

Yes. Especially when you consider that the gun and caliber is almost a non issue. Whats more important is how well do you shoot what you own and do you have a good supply of ammo and best of all can you reload for it? There are only a few percentage points difference between all of them in terms of stopping power.

People seem to forget that its the indian, not the arrow.

 

Like I said if all I am after is muzzle energy I see no point andd stopping at a 10mm. Why not go with a real power house handgun round? And if you shoot 10mm how many of your cases have you recovered? Thats a big consideration to me for a SHTF gun. The case is the most expensive part of a cartridge and saving it to reload is important to me. If you like your 10mm then use it. No matter to me.

But telling me to be "A Man" and get a 10mm is not going to get a good response from me. And its not something you would say to my face. Not more than once anyway.

44 mag energy chart. Loads that are well above any 10mm load.

Bullet mass/type	Velocity	Energy
240 gr (16 g) SJHP Remington	1,180 ft/s (360 m/s)	741 ft⋅lbf (1,005 J)
240 gr (16 g) JHP Cor-Bon	1,475 ft/s (450 m/s)	1,160 ft⋅lbf (1,570 J)
270 gr (17 g) LFN GC Buffalo bore heavy	1,450 ft/s (440 m/s)	1,260 ft⋅lbf (1,710 J)
300 gr (19 g) JSP Cor-Bon	1,250 ft/s (380 m/s)	1,041 ft⋅lbf (1,411 J)
340 gr (22 g) LFN +P+ Buffalo bore heavy	1,425 ft/s (434 m/s)	1,533 ft⋅lbf (2,078 J)

 

But telling me to be "A Man" and get a 10mm is not going to get a good response from me. And its not something you would say to my face. Not more than once anyway.

Well it was said jokingly, I'll add a trigger warning for you next time butter cup 😘

 

.45 200 gr Flying Ashtray from Cor-Bon pretty much is the Gold Standard for anything critical…Like the 125 JHP in .357, you select downward from there..jmo

 

.45 200 gr Flying Ashtray from Cor-Bon pretty much is the Gold Standard for anything critical…Like the 125 JHP in .357, you select downward from there..jmo

Back in the day yes but now I think the Critical Defense loads have surpassed it.

 

1911 end of discussion hand's down favorite on all levels of awesome

 

You know … for all the proponents of 40 S&W & low level 10mm, here’s the newcomer. The Black Hills Honey Badger 135 gr. In .45 ACP will duplicate or surpass all the ballistic testing results of the 40 & come close to the 10mm. Even me who likes the .45 ACP a shade more than 9mm.
I keep coming back to the most reliable guns in my bunch. Also my Sig in .45 & the old Colt Gold Cup are both more accurate in my hands.

I can’t load that Honey Badger in .45 ACP So I’m glad I got a box or two, when available.

 

 

 

I still come back to what a person shoots best as the primary determinant of which gun, and which caliber, one should choose.

For reasons I'm still trying to figure out, I shoot my .45 XD as accurately as anything. It's a tack driver for me. I have the most confidence in it of any pistol I own (8 or 9 total).

I shoot my 1911 pretty well too, but it's got less capacity than my XD .45, so it doesn't make the cut.

I also own a Sig P229 in .40 S&W, and while it's a pretty accurate gun, it's not as accurate (with me shooting it) as my XD .45.

And that part I bolded and italicized above? I really think that should factor in more than people tend to believe. That said, I don't think caliber matters as much as people think, once you're at 9mm or more. What matters is how confident you are in the firearm you choose, and how well you shoot it. Caliber pales in importance to that, IMO.

 

I like guns with a big enough bullet, and enough energy to fully penetrate the biggest threat I'm likely to face, and leave a big bloody exit hole. Around here the threat is more often a feral Hog or a Panther, than some scrawny meth head, so my smallest pistol is a 40 cal. More often I carry 10 mm or a 357 mag.

 

As far as stopping power or whatever you want to call it I think both are about the same and will work fine as far as pistols go. I don't think either will really stop a bad guy better than the other.

I like .40 and carry it more often than .45 but someone else on here made a good point that in a house the .45 might be somewhat easier on the ears and less muzzle flash than .40. I think if you want a bit more penetration for out in the woods then .40 might have a slight advantage.

I'm a little better shot with my 1911 .45 than with the Glock 23 .40.

 

I can't answer the OP's question. I have 9mm,.40SW and .45ACP .

 

i have a 40 on my night stand with 3 mags, when that runs out I'll grab the 45 with 3 more mags..

 

The best thing in a gun armed house is doors and windows that require a lot of destruction to get into. Then you have lots of time to prepare a proper welcome.

 

OP asked about shtf scenarios. I say find a pistol you like and shoot well. I like Glock. Every Glock has the same trigger and it's not the best one out there, but it is the same. Buy one in all three calibers and have ammo for all. If you actually can acquire ammo in shtf times, you will have a gun that can shoot it.

 

It all comes down to ammo availability. So 45acp is the only thing I would consider for this. The old saying is “They all fall to ball”.

 

If "it all comes down to availability", what makes the 45 superior? The thrust of the OP was shtf, so availability is going to be minimal, if at all. What you stocked or what you can "acquire" is what you will have. The military is 99% 9mm. LE is trending back to 9mm from 40. Although 40 and 45 still have a strong presence.

The reality is that these are handguns. None of them really have knockdown power. I actually prefer the term handy-gun. You carry it because it's handy. If you have a reasonable suspicion that trouble is coming, get out your preferred long gun.

If you're shooting people with ball, 45 has the edge.

 

I do t have a 40 but I have shot it. I find that it is snappier than a 45 and took a little bit longer to reaquire the target. With that said, I think guns are tools and have different purposes. XDS in 45 is a 5 +1 but great for concealed pistol. XDM comp in 10mm is a great side arm and is 15 +1. 44mag super Blackhawk is perfect hunting round. And these choices are mine in this situation and location.