Why I chose 40 S&W

[smmassociates]

Lucky1:

No flak, but Sammy has been given targeting coordinates.... He's kinda hankering to test drive your right ankle.... :mrgreen:

Seriously, the HP's are solid, if incredibly ugly. Made in OH, too, I'm told.

I can't find 'em anymore at my usual haunts. My favorite dealer's last round of wage increases allowed him to pay the counterslaves in United States currency, and he had to get rid of the inexpensive stuff.

If it works, why not?

I've been "collecting" for about 42 years, and seem to have pretty much everything I need. The only real rule is to avoid the "gun of the month" syndrome. The idea being that everything you carry/use has similar controls, or the stranger stuff can be turned off safely. For us 1911 guys, the thumb safety on everything else has to be missing, or at least safely off. The S&W M93-style, which is very common all across their line, is "up" to fire! But most of those can be left off, with the safety lever used as a decocker as needed. It's simply easier to go for the thumb safety un-necessarily than to not be able to get it right.... (Some of those S&W models can be modified so the lever is just a decocker, and some actually come that way.)

Regards,

[lucky1]

You were told correctly, Stu. My particular HP was made in Mansfield (about an hour south of me). Some are made in Gallion, if I'm not mistaken. Gotta support our local economy . As for Sammy...He can try to take a chunk out of my ankle...but I think once he smells my dogs on me, he'll roll over and ask for belly rubs. :lol:

[jrohio]

As for Sammy...He can try to take a chunk out of my ankle...but I think once he smells my dogs on me, he'll roll over and ask for belly rubs. :lol:
You're new here, so we will forgive you, you are confusing Sammy and Rich. Rich is the one that asks for cookies and "belly rubs". I've seen it before, it's not a pretty sight! :mrgreen:

[nick_m]

Also, watch your Hi-Point around Rich. He collects them.

[lucky1]

Also, watch your Hi-Point around Rich. He collects them.

LMAO! Thanks for the tip "neighbor" (I'm in Vermilion). I know my HP is no Glock, and I actually prefer my Super Redhawk, but as I said....it's kinda hard to carry something with a 9 1/2" barrel. Although...if I put it in a supersize in-the-pants holster, it might impress some women I know :lol:

[smmassociates]

Sammy does like belly rubs, although about any kind of edible will work....

When he was still very young (six months, maybe), I brought him over to mom's for supper one night. He'd been our four-legged vacuum for a while, eating whatever hit the floor. However, one of us managed to drop a bit of lettuce. Before I could say "Sammy will never go for that", and pick it up, he finished it off.... (He won't eat bananas if you put a piece in his dish, but will take it if you hand it to him.... Doesn't know what to do with grapes or canned mushrooms, either....)

He also knows how many treats he gets while I'm trying to make breakfast with him underfoot.... I'm not sure Becka could do that at that age ....

(She called about 1800 on Wednesday: "Are you shooting tonight?" I told her that I was. "Shoot fast so you can come home early - I need some help with a paper...." Two more weeks until she graduates.... I may survive....)

About concealment.... My uniform gun (rent-a-cop, way back when) was a 6" S&W M19 Combat Magnum. Bigger than a breadbox.... (Couldn't get a 4" at the time.) For concealment, given that I still can't hit the broadside of a barn door from the inside with a snubbie, a 4" S&W M10HB.... Nobody cared about printing in 1968, and I'm kinda big.... I took the M10HB to my CHL course back in 2004. It was older than the lead instructor.... Of late, I've been known to wear a full-size 1911 or a double-stack "Commander"-sized gun, but my preference is a couple of steel "Officer's" sized 1911's. Most of the advantages of the 5" without the bulk. But kinda heavy.

Not that I've got a lot of money (I was a very wealthy man until my wife found out about it ), but I try to buy one or two a year if I can. If the kid actually graduates, I can afford it .... This year's cost a whopping $75 (minus the value of a couple of magazines coming via a rebate deal), but that's because I traded a gun I didn't like that was worth nearly as much as the new one.... I rarely do that....

If you really want to get into concealment and not get laughed at, the M&P40C (or it's 9mm cousin) are my latest picks. The Walther PPS in 9mm's also superb. I traded a PPS40 for the M&P40C with few regrets. The Walther did conceal better, but I couldn't stand shooting it. I don't believe in Glocks, but they've got some really nice little ones, too. I can't quite get into the XD's, although I have one, but YMMV, and mine's been 100%.

Regards,

[nick_m]

Also, watch your Hi-Point around Rich. He collects them.

LMAO! Thanks for the tip "neighbor" (I'm in Vermilion). I know my HP is no Glock, and I actually prefer my Super Redhawk, but as I said....it's kinda hard to carry something with a 9 1/2" barrel. Although...if I put it in a supersize in-the-pants holster, it might impress some women I know :lol:

I carry a full-size M&P9. In a Supertuck, its very comfortable. I work down in Birmingham just south of you. Don't get up to Vemrillion much though. Welcome to the forum!

[lucky1]

Thanks for the welcome Nick. I've really been looking at the Ruger SR9C here lately. I really like the Ruger I have now, and the SR9C is supposed to be just as reliable as any other Ruger, and lightweight enough to carry comfortably. We'll see what happens...I might have to find something my wife can handle easily before I buy another one for myself. LOL. I just might have to go to the Lorain County gun show this weekend and see what I can find there.

[grumpybiker]

I have several guns in .357 Sig and like the round a lot. .
I myself have an addiction to the .357Sig round. That through my P239, SP2340 or SP2022 is scarry accurate! A little pricey but my God. :shock:
That said my 2 carry guns are the P239 in .357Sig ( originally in .40S&W) and a P250
in .45acp.

[nrainstructor]

.40 S&W is a good round, no doubt about it. I own a few but do not carry them. I recently upgraded to 147 grain gold dots for the 9mm XD sub. 14 of those in the pistol with a 16 round mag in my pocket should do the trick. If not- I am in the wrong place!

[lucky1]

Question on .40 vs. .45acp (ok...2 questions if you want to get technical)

1. From what I gather, .45 has less recoil than a .40? Or did I misinterpret something?

2. Pending on the gun, is .45 acp ammo and .45 auto the same? In other words, can you fire .45 auto from a .45 acp gun with no worries? Reason I ask is I have been looking to sell the .44 Redhawk and buy a .45 acp...but haven't seen ammo labled as .45 acp anywhere, but I have found .45 auto. Wouldn't do me a whole lot of good to buy a gun that I can't find ammo for, now would it? LOL

I know...I sound like a newbie...but keep in mind, until this year, the largest caliber gun I had fired was a 9mm, so the .40 and .45 are still "new" to me, as I have never owned one.

[buckeye dan]

Question on .40 vs. .45acp (ok...2 questions if you want to get technical)

1. From what I gather, .45 has less recoil than a .40? Or did I misinterpret something?

2. Pending on the gun, is .45 acp ammo and .45 auto the same? In other words, can you fire .45 auto from a .45 acp gun with no worries? Reason I ask is I have been looking to sell the .44 Redhawk and buy a .45 acp...but haven't seen ammo labled as .45 acp anywhere, but I have found .45 auto. Wouldn't do me a whole lot of good to buy a gun that I can't find ammo for, now would it? LOL

I know...I sound like a newbie...but keep in mind, until this year, the largest caliber gun I had fired was a 9mm, so the .40 and .45 are still "new" to me, as I have never owned one.

.45 auto is just short for .45 auto colt pistol which is .45acp. Same thing.

[lucky1]

Thanks Dan....that's what I thought, but I wasn't sure if there was a difference in the grain between an auto and an acp. Kinda like my Ruger 9mm...it's rated +P+ (if I'm not mistaken...haven't found +p+ammo yet to worry about it lol). I wasn't sure if .45's had the same type of grain rating, thus being a difference between acp and .45 auto. Definitly going with a .45 then by next weekend.

[jrohio]

The recoil for a .45 isn't necessarily less than a .40 most people feel the recoil from a .40 is "snappier". I don't know how to define snappier but if you fire both I think you'll get it.
I prefer a .45 for what it's worth.

[lucky1]

The recoil for a .45 isn't necessarily less than a .40 most people feel the recoil from a .40 is "snappier". I don't know how to define snappier but if you fire both I think you'll get it.
I prefer a .45 for what it's worth.

Thanks for the info. I don't have to shoot a .40 to "get it" now. I know exactly what you are referring to. Bought a Glock 36 and the recoil is far better and easier to manage than on any of my 9mm! Don't get me wrong, I still love my little Ruger SR9c....but the Glock....there's NO comparison. Mr. Ruger is tucked away safely in the gun safe getting a break from EDC.