if that is all i had,i would take them both and wish i had a long gun to go with them.

 

How long before the .45 crowd gets here?

I go with 9mm....

 

we are here!!!! although if I had to choose between 9 and 40 I would pick the 9..I just don't like the 40 tried it on Glocks, sigs etc and hate the recoil...

 

i have never shot or owned a .45 , tell me why you like them

 

The 45 ACP fires a 230 grain bullet that has been in existence for over 100 years . This is the gun that killed Nazi's , VC's, the Japanese and more 3rd world people then we could ever have known about. The 45 is so steeped in American history that people instill mythic properties to the weapon. With an high quality 1911 in 45 ACP is a real joy to shoot . The slight push with a small amount of muzzle flip makes shooting one fun when you see the effects of the 230 gr FMJ projectile on your intended target. The flip side is when you shoot a lower quality 45 with out some kind of recoil reduction you get this massive push and muzzle flip to it , even more then a 40 without any recoil reduction. Shoot one and see what your missing .

 

Agreed I would take both. Considering how military uses 9mm and law enforcement uses 40s&w the ammo would be easier to find. Besides I would rather carry a 100 round brick of 9mm or 40 than 45. 45acp has a lot of weight when considering a bugout bag. If I want something with power I would go with either a 357sig or 10mm. But those rounds will not be as easy to find compared with others. I like the 45 its a fine round, but in a shtf situation you can carry more 9mm or 40 and have less weight than 45acp. If weight and ammo is not an issue, then what type of caliber would be a personal choice. As for me I believe shot placement is key to and caliber one may choose.

 

I use a Glock 20 10mm as my main bugout handgun. I have a 40S&W, 357SIG and a 9x25 DILLION barrel I can interchange should I need to. They can all use the same mags too! My wife has a 9mm.

 

9mm...Seems to the most prevalent and so it is my adopted handgun caliber (have Glock 24 [40 S&W] with conversion barrels in 9mm and 357 SIG = versatility).

 

Knowing that that 90% of law enforcement uses a 40 S&W that's what I am going to grab . The beauty of the 40 S&W is the availability of ammo and parts , the similarity to the 357 sig that makes caliber conversions a simple barrel swap . With cutting down the brass you can take the same components from the 10mm and make 40 ammo out of it .To me the 9mm is too under powered, and has be relegated to being a nice plinking round .

 

9mm is the cheapest plinker.....40 if you may ever really need it. I've personally gone almost completely away from 9mm and transitioned fully to .40...well except i still shoot and carry .45 far more than both.:

 

Id go with the one you can handle the best. Personally, i prefer 40 but have both. I would feel naked without a rifle in shtf.

 

The answer is yes.

If the 9mm and .40 were all I had, I'd surely take both, one on me and the other in the pack.

Personally, I prefer the 10mm and .45, but that's because they are not just defensive chamberings but also hunting choices and I know what a 200gr bullet at 900-1000 fps will do to a deer or other critter.

Again, I'd take both, not because of some ill perceived concept of finding ammo or trading anytime soon. But because they are both useful and one may break, run out of ammo, or I may encounter a friend or family member who is unarmed and I could arm them.

 

Grab the one you have the most ammo for. Regardless of popular belief, the military, law enforcement ect is not gonna be handing you ammo and parts. And I also do not believe it will be lying around like a video game for you to pick up.

 

Neither. if I had two Ruger pistols, I would probably already have a 10/22, which would be my bug out choice.

However, out of the two choices at hand, I would go for the 9mm because I personally have better shot placement with it, and that's all that matters to me.

 

.40 S&W, harder hitting, ammo is very easy to get. Even more then 9mm right now for me. The police use it, FBI use it. I'm not saying a 9mm is underpowered by any means. But a .40 packs more power and when you need to stop a threat I want more power with a higher capacity. 40 S&W fits the bill for me

 

I have a 40 s&w and a 9mm barrel. Both rounds are very reliable and capable. I am very good with both. There is also a shot gun and a long gun in the mix.

 

Depends on what the departments in your neck of the woods use. What will be available for scrounging after things go South would govern my picks in the matter.

 

Would take either, get a 1911 in 45 acp......practice,practice.......good manual and some extra parts.

 

A 9mm handgun will do the same job any other handgun will do if you use reputable hp ammo.

 

9mm due to availability, low recoil, and capacity

 

1 vote for .40... bigger

 

Another for both.... I love my Rugers (SR 9's & 40's) but I to would take my SIG P226, for which I too have .40 S&W, 357 SIG, 9 mm & .22LR barrels. That is my shtf/BO gun..... Although I would take as many of my other guns as I could.

Lateck,

 

I have that 226 set-up and really like it also. My first choice is my Ruger Blackhawk convertible in 357/9mm for a long term bug-out in the rural area I live in, but under different circumstances or if I'm going by vehicle I love my Sigs. My reasoning for the Ruger is stainless, simple, and accurate for me farther than the Sig with the longer barrel & finer sights.

I'm firmly in the camp that wants a long gun along also. I'd want my ultralight 22 pack rifle and a heavier long gun.

 

Id have my 357 on my hip.

 

thanks for all the suggestions, both would be ideal , plus you would have a backup . the ideal bug out choice would be the 9mm sr9 - .40 cal smith - marlin 30/30 with 10*40 scope and the 12ga . ...... with buckshot 3 1/2 inch magnum shells and 8 oz bird shot in 2 3/4 shot :

 

IMHO I would look into a Glock 22 in 40 S&W as all you would need to swap out to turn it into a 9mm Glock 17 is the barrel and the mags. With this kind of setup you are not lugging the weight of everything else like another slide , frame and other items that are redundant. The great part is that with another barrel you could also run 357 sig . While it is a specialty round that is expensive to shoot it does have its fans out there . For the weight it is not a bad item to have .

 

Repeatable shot placement is most important to me...I like 9mm.

 

Huh, whichever you shoot better with, amazed that has not been mentioned.

 

9mm

For a long while I carried my Glock 29 every day, because I wanted the "power" of 10mm and all of tha; recoil isn't really a problem and all of that: the truth is, I can shoot my 26 better, faster, and the gun is smaller. I was able to get some 9mm +P DPX and don't feel under gunned at all when I go out. That said, I still have my Glock 20 on my nightstand backing up my shotgun; currently loaded with Critical Duty, but going to find some DPX for it soon; it's a heavy gun plus a surefire x300 on it, so recoil isn't bad.

Glock 17, 20, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33, and 36 (plus a Model 36 and a PD340). It's nice having different calibers, plus I really like me some Glocks, but if I had to run off with one ur would probably be my 26. Thinking of adding some mid sized ones, but it will be hard to pull me from the baby Glocks for carry (a single stack 9mm would be a nice new Glock also...); the two fulls are nightstand guns, 20 on mine 17 on my girlfriends side.

All pistols are weak and horrible fight stoppers; with good ammo, there's next to no difference between handgun calibers.