Smith & Wesson released the .40 S&W, and the new cartridge has gained traction, but the 9mm remains far more commonly used — here are some key differences

In mid-2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) awarded Glock an $85 million contract for new pistols chambered in 9mm Luger. Then in early 2017, the U.S. Army awarded Sig Sauer a $580 million contract to supply a service pistol based on the company’s P320 handgun also chambered in 9mm. The new sidearms will replace the venerable Beretta M9, a 9×19mm Parabellum pistol.

Meanwhile, in the past couple of decades, police departments across the country have departed from the 9mm, electing instead to move to the slightly larger .40 caliber.

So, the debate rages on, and questions continue to be asked (and answered) by proponents of each. Which is better? What differences are there? What are the similarities? Is this a tectonic shift or simply another chapter in the rivalry? Here are some thoughts.

DIFFERING HISTORY

 For starters, the 9mm is a far older design. Georg Luger designed the 9mm in 1901, releasing it to the market about a year later. Smith & Wesson released the .40 S&W in 1990.

The intention behind the .40 design was to take a parent of the FBI’s 10mm load, shorten the case and enable a larger round in existing 9mm designs. In the 25 years since, the .40 has definitely gained traction, but the 9mm remains far more commonly used.

The two cartridges have some substantially different characteristics. For example, the .40 caliber cartridge typically sports a heavier bullet with loads between from 135 to 180 grain, compared to between 115 and 147 grain for the 9mm. The heavier bullets of the .40 caliber will be a little slower in velocity. The .40 also delivers more felt recoil and has a slightly higher recoil velocity.

Another difference is that the 9mm round is in pistols around the globe. The .40 caliber pistol is — with some exception — restricted to United States deployment. This is quite probably because there simply are more pistols on the market chambered in 9mm. That’s slowly changing — with more .40 cal guns emerging — but availability of more purchase options as a factor, the 9mm still has a slight edge.

One of the biggest differences is that 9mm ammunition is generally cheaper because of the disparity in the cost of materials. The materials used to make cartridges — particularly the lead, zinc, copper, and tin — are sold by weight (provided that other factors like the number of units are the same) so with less materials used, the cost to manufacture 9mm is slightly less costly than .40 caliber.

Another reason for the cost differential is that there are many more 9mm cartridges sold than .40 caliber.

DIFFERING PERFORMANCE BETWEEN THE 9MM AND .40 CALIBER

In terms of performance, the .40 has the edge. When comparing apples to apples (same brand/bullet design across the calibers) bigger calibers will almost always expand to a larger diameter and penetrate a little further. The bigger the bullet, the bigger the hole it makes. Sometimes, the 9mm will do better in penetration because of its high sectional density and because it easier to push a smaller frontal area through the tissue simulator.

When it comes to performance after barrier penetration (particularly auto glass in the FBI eight-part test) the bigger bullets will typically get more mass through the glass to do more damage to the target.

All that having been said, the margins between the performance of .40 cal vs. 9mm are close enough that in a real world situation, the damage done by each round is about the same. Further, the tests which net the results we discuss about penetration and expansion need to be assessed alongside a substantially sized grain of salt.

People are not comprised merely of muscle (which ballistics gelatin simulates). People have bones and vital organs, which affect the lethality of gunshot wounds. Consequently, shot placement and accuracy are far more important determining factors of a round’s lethality.

Finally, with bullet designs continuing to evolve, there may come a point in time where the performances practically intersect. So on balance, the “bigger hole” argument is a little, well, hollow.

COME TO YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS

So, which is better?

The short answer is, “It depends”. On whether or not you have difficulty with the “snappier” felt recoil of the .40 caliber. It depends on whether or not you want to save money while shooting more in training with the 9mm.

Do yourself a favor.

Shoot both.

A lot.

Then decide.

Either way, make sure you keep training hard, ensure your maintain your positive, winning mindset, and stay vigilant always.

Safety on the range is paramount.

No words can explain how bad this must feel.  Remember, CEASE FIRE is the word of the day, every day.  Not once in this did anyone yell CEASE FIRE.

 

What you need to know before you hit the range.

Practicing good gun range etiquette isn’t just good manners—it’s good sense! Gun range etiquette is a blend of common sense, courtesy and safety. A day at the range is fun, and good gun range etiquette makes it even better.

Most clubs and ranges require shooters to attend a safety class prior to using the range. This certifies that you’ve read and understand the NRA Basic Rules of Gun Safety and the specific rules that apply at the range you’re using. Remember that there may be other gun safety rules that are enforced on your range, but these three rules are ALWAYS appropriate, no matter where you are:

1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

Most ranges have Range Safety Officers (RSOs, also known as Range Masters) whose job is to supervise shooters, to enforce the rules and regulations of their ranges, and to handle any problems that may occur. Pay attention to the RSOs, who will tell you what to do in case of an emergency. Remember that the Range Safety Officer has absolute authority on the range. Compliance with his or her instructions is mandatory.

When you arrive at a range, introduce yourself to the RSO and let him/her know if this is your first visit to the range. The RSO will tell you what you need to know before you set up your gear.

Know the basic range commands, and learn other commands that are used at your range. If you don’t understand what they mean, ask the Range Safety Officer. He or she will be happy to explain it to you. Remember that asking questions is a sign of intelligence and maturity.

Two of the most common range commands are Ceasefire and Commence Firing, although sometimes it is said differently. Instead of “ceasefire,” some ranges are using the words, “Stop shooting!” and instead of “Commence Firing,” some are using the phrase, “You may begin shooting.” This is because we want our instructions to be as clear and as easy to understand as possible.

Ceasefires are used whenever all shooting must stop, whether it is because time’s up or because a potential problem has arisen. Whenever the RSO’s attention must be away from the firing line, he or she will call a ceasefire. Whenever someone needs to go downrange for any reason, a ceasefire is called. Ceasefires are also called when it’s time to post, change or retrieve targets.

However, the RSO is not the only person who can call a ceasefire. Anyone who spots a potential problem should call “Ceasefire!” The RSO will repeat the words and see to it that all firing stops immediately. If you aren’t sure what’s happening, it’s okay to call a ceasefire. It’s better to call a ceasefire and be safe than not to call one and be sorry.

Ceasefires are used in all kinds of situations—not just when it’s time to change, post or retrieve targets. Perhaps a person has inadvertently wandered out onto the firing range, or perhaps a shooter in the point next to you has become ill. It’s your duty to call a ceasefire so that the RSO can take control of the situation and provide a solution or direct others to provide assistance if necessary.

During a ceasefire, there should be no handling of firearms. The key things to remember are:

1. Chamber is empty and ammunition source (magazine) is removed.2. Action is open.3. Hands off!4. Step away from the firing line.

Before anyone goes downrange, the RSO will do a visual check to see that everyone has stepped away from the firing line, and then ask, “Is everyone clear?”  Everyone else on the line should also make this visual check, because safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Clear means that all shooters have made their firearms safe, that no one has a gun in his/her hand, and that there will be no handling of firearms until permission is given. Then, and ONLY then, may anyone go downrange.

When the ceasefire is over, the RSO will ensure that no one is downrange before stating, “The range is going hot.”  This alerts everyone that the range is shifting from a ceasefire, but it doesn’t mean that shooting may begin. You must wait until the “commence firing” command has been given before you can shoot.

Commence Firing is the command given that tells everyone it’s safe to shoot. That doesn’t mean you start blazing away. It means that when you are ready, you may shoot your gun. These are two of the sweetest words a shooter will hear.

Remember, safety is everyone’s job. You are responsible for your own safety, the safety of others and for the behavior of your guests. If you see that someone else isn’t following the rules, you should leave the range. Go to a safe place and report the situationas soon as possible to the authorities.

A few other rules of Good Gun Range Etiquette are:

1. Do not fire at posts, supports or target frames. These are expensive and time-consuming to replace.

2. Shoot only range-approved targets. Check with your range to find out what types of targets are allowed. Some ranges allow only approved paper, cardboard, club-furnished metal targets and clay targets.

3. If you set out target frames to support your targets before you started shooting, you will need to return them to the storage area once you are done.

4. If your club or range allows pets, keep them on leashes or under control at all times. Give careful consideration to bringing a pet to a shooting range. Remember that shooting may hurt your pet’s hearing the same way it may hurt yours. Pets that scavenge (eat things that may or may not be food) should not come to a shooting range with you. Be aware that pets unused to gunfire might panic on a range.

5. It’s good etiquette to leave the range better than you found it. Picking up trash, cleaning your firing station, and obeying all of the range rules are not only good gun range etiquette—they’re good manners!

There are certain lessons we can learn from a gunfight. We tend to learn more from our failures then our successes. To maintain a gunfighter mentality these are some critical habits you need to develop and continually drill in order to win on that fateful day when you face a determined armed adversary for real.

1. Keep Your Head Up
We often hear, the attack ‘came out of nowhere’. In reality, no, it didn’t. They probably had their head down and missed seeing danger cues, and the assailant was just waiting for that distraction.

When you’re in public you’re in a dangerous place. You need your eyes up, watching other people and what they’re doing. Notice details. Look to each side and behind you.

A leading firearm trainer, says that in his training shootouts, “if something unexpected happens, like a stoppage or running out of ammunition, many people plant their feet in cement and gawk down at their gun. That seems to be very natural but it’s also very lethal. You need to practice in the dark so you can smoothly do everything that’s necessary to keep a gun functional without having to look at it. Your eyes should be busy feeding you information, not tracking your fingers.”

2. Learn to Identify What’s Significant
As you move through your daily life, you’re bombarded by visual and aural input. Most of this information is worthless distraction. Some of it may be interesting, but not important.

What you need to know when you’re out in the world is what affects your safety and your continued existence. Develop the habit of paying attention to things you may have to react to quickly. Distinguish the significant from the insignificant. You want to perceive as far in advance as you can anything that might represent a threat so you can alter your behavior to protect your best interests.

3. See with Honest Eyes
Developing the skill to rapidly size up threatening situations is important but the key is then having the courage to admit the facts even when you don’t like them.

In some scenarios, as on the street, denial is often a problem. You may see danger signs compounding but they don’t want to confront what they’re seeing. So they make excuses in their mind: ‘Yeah, this looks bad but it isn’t, really,’ because they don’t want it to be.

You need to avoid pretending reality isn’t true, and face the situation squarely, whatever the circumstances.

4. Have a Plan
You view the world through a filter that’s composed of your collective life experiences. The more diverse your experiences, the more sophisticated you’re likely to be in analyzing and reacting to what you see. The more exposure you have, the more likely you are to recognize a potential threat situation and relate it to something you’ve already confronted and controlled in the past. You’ll have a greater sense for what will work and what won’t, based on previous results.

5. Avoid “Cerebral Fibrillation”
That’s panic. It doesn’t take much for most of us to become overwhelmed. “During World War II, many soldiers froze up or didn’t shoot at all in combat. Or they fired into the air with ‘comfort shots’ — making themselves feel ‘comfortable’ by making their gun go off.

Scenario exercises that are progressively more difficult can help you learn to flow through your plan, moving smoothly from whatever you’re doing to what you need to do next to stay ahead of a developing situation.

And keep breathing! That’s another important discipline you can develop through repeated scenario training. Holding your breath is a part of panic. When you don’t keep oxygen flowing to your brain, you can’t think clearly.

6. Stay in Motion
Stopping and standing still is a frequent reaction to attacks, just the opposite of what’s desirable. To maximize his chances of a successful attack, a predator needs to get you stopped in a particular place. The longer you stay in one spot, the more likely his plan will progress to completion.

Get off the X. When you sense danger, move laterally to the threat. When you move forward or backward in a straight line, your relative positioning doesn’t really change.

Keep moving until you’re behind cover, when it’s available. Your moving will cause your attacker to continually reset his plan and keep you harder to hit.

If you’re driving when attacked, stay in motion. Don’t stop. Bullet penetration is much less likely when a vehicle is moving.

7. Actually Use Cover
Many times in his scenarios any will stand right next to cover and fire from there without ever moving behind it, where they’d get some actual protection.

Always be conscious of your nearest cover possibility. That means something that’s big enough to allow most of you to get behind it and stout enough to stop bullets, particularly lower-caliber handgun bullets, which you’re most likely to encounter. They’re stopped by a good many common items, from utility poles to kitchen appliances. Refrigerators, for instance, have multiple layers of construction, and bullets tend to break up as they go through the layers.

When nothing better is available, getting behind even something that probably wouldn’t impede most ammunition — like a stuffed sofa, say — may be superior to standing stock still in the open. Attackers usually will try to shoot around any obstacle rather than through it. If the bad guy hesitates to shoot because he thinks you’re behind cover, then it is cover in his mind.

8. Fight Through “Speed Bumps”
Turning solvable problems into Mt. Everest. Running out of ammunition, stoppages, being wounded — they’re all just speed bumps. Get over or around them quickly and move on.

People tend to make more of problems than they actually are. Don’t spend time looking for excuses to lose. Get out of self-defeating thinking and focus on ways to win! Outcomes are often determined by who gives up first.

9. Maintain the Offensive and Finish the Fight
To win, you have to overwhelm the suspect with so much precise force that he can’t deal with it and he is defeated. You eliminate his options until he has none left but surrender.

Often this can be done without a shot being fired. That’s the ideal. Establish control early on. Don’t hesitate in applying your best justifiable force option to shut down resistance fast. Once you seize the offensive, don’t give it up. Stay in control and carry through to completion. You don’t want a protracted give-and-take battle. The longer resistance goes on, the likelier you are to get injured. Pitched battles make great novels, but they’re lousy in the real world.

When things go well and the suspect appears to be cooperating, many tend to slack off, relieved. Actually, this can be the most dangerous time. Don’t drop your guard. A strong finish is as important as a strong start.

10. Reinforce Rigorously
Drilling in good tactics through scenario training is not an entertainment enterprise. Done right, it’s arduous, it’s challenging, it’s sometimes frustrating—it’s work. But regular, repeated rehearsal is the core component of warrior performance. When your life is on the line, it’s the habits you’ve cultivated that make will the difference.

Surveillance cameras, government agents listening in on your phone calls, reading your emails and text messages, monitoring your spending, mandatory health care, sugary soda bans, anti-bullying laws, zero tolerance policies, political correctness: These are all outward signs of a government that believes it knows what is best for you.

Indeed, as I document in my book “A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State,” this is the tyranny of the Nanny State: marketed as benevolence, enforced with armed police, and inflicted on all those who do not belong to the elite ruling class that gets to call the shots.

This tyranny disguised as “the better good” explains the recent rash of parents getting charged with negligence and arrested for leaving their kids alone for any amount of time, whether at a park, in a store, in a car, or in their front yard – another sign of what C.S. Lewis referred to as tyranny exercised by “omnipotent moral busybodies.”

For example, working mom Debra Harrell was arrested, spent 17 days in jail, lost custody of her daughter, and if convicted, could spend up to 10 years in jail all because she let her 9-year-old daughter play alone at a nearby park. Single mother Shanesha Taylor, unemployed and essentially homeless, was arrested for leaving her kids in her car during a 40-minute job interview.

For the so-called “crime” of allowing her 7-year-old son to visit a neighborhood playground located a half mile from their house, Nicole Gainey was interrogated, arrested and handcuffed in front of her son, and transported to the local jail where she was physically searched, fingerprinted, photographed and held for seven hours. She was forced to pay almost $4,000 in bond in order to return to her family. Gainey now faces a third-degree criminal felony charge that carries with it a fine of up to $5,000 and five years in jail.

A Connecticut mother was arrested after her 7-year-old, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, fell off his scooter and allegedly injured himself. Patricia Juarez was arrested after letting her 7-year-old son play at a Legoland store in the mall while she did her shopping. Tammy Cooper was arrested, jailed overnight and charged with child endangerment for letting her kids ride their scooters alone in the cul-de-sac outside her suburban home.

These incidents are worsened by what journalist Josh Harkinson more broadly refers to as the “criminalization of the working poor,” oftentimes targeting parents “struggling to make ends meet with no better child care options.”

Nevertheless, despite the arrest-driven uproar over what constitutes negligent parenting and the government’s attitude that it – in concert with Social Services – knows what is best for your kids, it turns out that kids aren’t really in any greater danger today than they were 40 years ago, at least not from abductions by strangers.

Unfortunately, having allowed our fears to be codified and our actions criminalized, we now find ourselves in a strange new world where just about everything we do is criminalized; not just our parenting decisions.

As with most of the problems plaguing us in the American police state, we are the source of our greatest problems. We have relinquished control over the most intimate aspects of our lives to government officials who, while they may occupy seats of authority, are neither wiser, smarter, more in tune with our needs, more knowledgeable about our problems, nor more aware of what is really in our best interests.

Yet having bought into the false notion that the government does indeed know what’s best for us and can ensure not only our safety but our happiness and will take care of us from cradle to grave – that is, from daycare centers to nursing homes – we have in actuality allowed ourselves to be bridled and turned into slaves at the bidding of a government that cares little for our freedoms or our happiness.

The lesson is this: Once a free people allows the government inroads into their freedoms or uses those same freedoms as bargaining chips for security, it quickly becomes a slippery slope to outright tyranny.

When our own government no longer sees us as human beings with dignity and worth, but as things to be manipulated, maneuvered, mined for data, manhandled by police, conned into believing it has our best interests at heart, mistreated and and jailed if we dare step out of line, we are no longer operating under a constitutional republic. Instead, what we are experiencing is a pathocracy: Tyranny at the hands of a psychopathic government, which “operates against the interests of its own people except for favoring certain groups.”

So where does that leave us?

Having allowed the government to expand and exceed its reach, we find ourselves on the losing end of a tug-of-war over control of our country and our lives. And for as long as we let them, government officials will continue to trample on our rights, always justifying their actions as being for the good of the people.

The choice before us is clear. It is the choice between tyranny and freedom, dictatorship and autonomy, peaceful slavery and dangerous freedom. The choice between manufactured pipe dreams of what America used to be versus the gritty reality of what she is today.

Most of all, perhaps, the choice before us is that of being a child or a parent, of obeying blindly, never questioning, and marching in lockstep with the police state or growing up, challenging injustice, standing up to tyranny, and owning up to our responsibilities as citizens, no matter how painful, risky or uncomfortable.

As author Erich Fromm warned in his book “Civil Disobedience”:

“At this point in history, the capacity to doubt, to criticize and to disobey may be all that stands between a future for mankind and the end of civilization.”

John Whitehead – The Rutherford Institute

John W. Whitehead is president of The Rutherford Institute and author of A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State. Whitehead also drafted anti-drone legislation which is making its way through state and local legislatures.

Constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute and author of “A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State.” Whitehead can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org.