soon to purchase .40 handgun.reliability question

I'm going to buy a .40 caliber handgun within the next month for home protection. I have fired many guns at my local range that I have rented over the past 6 months. Beretta, Ruger, Glock, Walther, Sig, Kahr, HK to name a few. Just want to know if there are any brands that have been problematic that I may want to stay away from?

My S&W Shield has been perfect. The Sig Sauer P229 has the advantage of swapping caliber from .40 S&W to .357 Sig with only a barrel change. Both are excellent choices. I have both; must say the Shield is easier to carry if you plan on using it in such a fashion

diehardmason said:

I'm going to buy a .40 caliber handgun within the next month for home protection. I have fired many guns at my local range that I have rented over the past 6 months. Beretta, Ruger, Glock, Walther, Sig, Kahr, HK to name a few. Just want to know if there are any brands that have been problematic that I may want to stay away from?

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Nice list you put up. You could even add the S&W M&P. Any on this list will perform accurately and reliably. So, it really just comes down to your preferences of brand, style, fit, feel, shootability and price.

I've always been confused with DA/SA. Is there any "better" between the two?

Just bought the Glock 23 .40 cal.
love it

I have carried a G22 as a duty weapon for 17 years. They are hard to beat for reliability...Beyond that, I don't love a Glock and don't care for a .40 cal...Both are fine defensive tools, though.

The Glock will never fail you!
Carried one for 22 years and never had one single failure of any kind.

Any handgun can and will malfunction if you use it enough. I have seen and experienced malfunctions with Glocks on range days. This is the reason we do malfunction drills at the start of every range day.

What made you decide you want the 40 over the 9 or .45? Is there any gun your leaning towards after shooting them all?

I personally would go with a DA striker fired gun like a Glock, SA XD or M&P. I also would buy a 9mm for my first gun. Cheaper/easier to shoot and with today's defensive rounds its on par with the 40 cal. That is just my opinion and you really cant go wrong with any of those brands you listed above.

Keep us posted.

I agree on .9mm, especially if you are buying factory ammo.

blary54 said:

What made you decide you want the 40 over the 9 or .45? Is there any gun your leaning towards after shooting them all?

I personally would go with a DA striker fired gun like a Glock, SA XD or M&P. I also would buy a 9mm for my first gun. Cheaper/easier to shoot and with today's defensive rounds its on par with the 40 cal. That is just my opinion and you really cant go wrong with any of those brands you listed above.

Keep us posted.

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+1 I would go with a 9mm. I have a Glock 26 9mm and a Glock 36 .45 caliber. I have these for concealed carry and I don't carry the .45 pistol anymore. I have found that I have better control of the 9mm pistol than the .45. For me, the .40 would be as hard to control as the .45. This is mainly due to the light weight of the Glock Polymer frame which makes it harder to control. I have a full size Colt Government .45 and I have no problem controlling that as the heavier weight helps immensely.

If you are getting a pistol for mainly home defense or just range shooting a .40 would be fine in a non polymer pistol as far as being able to control the pistol and getting consistantly on target.

Good luck and good shooting.


Mike

diehardmason said:

I've always been confused with DA/SA. Is there any "better" between the two?

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The double action is supposed serve as an extra safety. I have a Beretta with DA/SA; it has a nice trigger. On the hand some refer to the first shot on a DA/SA as a throw-away.

I carried the Glock 19 on duty from 97' to 05' and then my department changed SOP to the .40. Been carrying the Glock 23 on duty since. I shoot both very well and feel adequately armed with both. My department just recently changed SOP to .40 or 9mm at the officer's choice and discretion. I decided to stay with the .40 Glock 23.

However off duty, I have been carrying the 9mm Glock 19 for 26 years and I feel like I walked outside without any pants if I don't have it on.

I too would strongly suggest a 9mm for your first pistol. It is easier to shoot accurately and cheaper to practice with. There are no magic bullets or calibers. Accurate shot placement is everything. You want to quickly place multiple accurate shots on target. This is easiest to learn and do with a 9mm. Modern defensive ammo design has essentially rendered most true defensive calibers equally effective when placed in the right place in rapid succession. I would also suggest a striker fired Glock or similar design that has the same trigger pull for each shot rather than have to master the DA/SA transition. You should not consider any shot a "throw away" shot. You are responsible for every shot that goes down range and in a defensive shooting that first shot needs to be the most accurate one.

I prefer 9mm over any other round for EDC/defensive use. One thing that does give .40 cal S&W an advantage...no matter what there ALWAYS seems to be an adequate supply of ammunition available, no matter what. Times when 9mm, .45, and even .38 (let's not discuss .22LR) were all but non-existent there was always quite a few boxes of .40 on the shelf.

As far as less costly..yes in a way 9mm is cheaper, but only by a minimal amount unless we're talking the Russian steel-cases stuff. Quality US made ammunition in .40 was pretty much the same cost as 9mm or .45.



Both of these see a lot of use. The Glock 26 is one of only two pistols I am authorized to carry under the Tennessee interpretation of LEOSA guidelines. I chose it and a S&W 442 (not pictured) as they (to me) offered the best features in ease of concealment and proper firepower.

I do enjoy the Shield .40 cal and believe it is a fine defensive round overall. The advantages of 9mm are well defined though and indeed it, to me, is the best all-around choice for defensive use.

Lads, the man wants a .40 cal and wants to know about reliability. I presume he can shoot one well. (I can't, but so what?)

For a home defense gun, I'd get at least a medium-sized gun (4" barrel, 12 or so in the magazine) or larger. No need to conceal it, and the capacity will be much better than, say, the Shield that's been recommended. No reason not to go with one that has a nice, light trigger, too.

In my house, SWMBO is also a shooter, but less experienced than I; therefore, I decided to avoid safeties and DA/SA for a house gun. Round in the chamber, pick it up and shoot, and it feels the same every time. If you have an analogous domestic situation, you might want to consider these factors.

All the manufacturers on your list (I would add the M&P along with OkieStubble) have made reliable guns. Pick one that points naturally for you, that feels right in the hand, and that you can manage the recoil with and put the sights back on target quickly.

I have owned my Glock 23 for over ten years and have shot several hundred rounds. Never had one problem.

+1 for the Glock, you can't go wrong.

I truly appreciate the Great responses. Good to know that I have a wide variety to choose from. I have been leaning towards the Glock, Walther, Berreta and Sig. I have fired the M&P and I will shoot it again as I don't really remember much about it.

I have considered the 9mm but I think the .40 cal is where I want to be. If not, that just gives me a reason to go and purchase another gun!!!!

Do keep in mind that if you get something striker fired like the Glock (light, short trigger with no external safety) you'll want to keep it in a holster that protects the trigger area, even if it's just in your bed stand.