personal protection guns

[flametamer64]

i currently have a  springfield xd 45 . i am thinking about downsizing to a ruger SR9 9mm. looks like a slick little gun and would be easier to conceal also cheaper to shoot.any thoughts on this...?

[tombogan03884]

No cheaper to shoot,my buddy has a taurus Millenium and when we go to the range or shop online(sportsmans warehouse Midway ) His 9mm costs as much ,sometimes alittle MORE than my .45 acp

[Swamp Yankee]

I would a gree slightly with Tom on this one though for different reasons. I find 9mm to be much cheaper than 45Auto. But in my case I would end up just shooting more often so the cost would balance out. If you really desire to get the Ruger I say go for it. I personally like the pistol  and will eventually get one but I will wait a litle bit and check on consumer reports as to how they hold up and function. I just can't go by hype.

Mike Mc

[Dougdubya]

I hate to sound heretic, but it's not the size of the caliber, but the fun of shooting of the caliber.  The more fun it is, the more you shoot.  The more you shoot, the more likely you are to train.  The more likely you are to train, the more likely you're going to put your bullets in the boiler plant for immediate cessation of violence. 

This is why the wonderfully accurate and ergonomic 1911 ends up proving such a fight-stopper.  Not because it's bullet, at the magical twice the weight of one thousandth of an adult human's mass, has awesome power.  If that were the case, .44 Magnums would have a better track record.  The .45 ACP and the 1911 just combine to easy shooting (low bore axis, light trigger, proper grip angle), and fun shooting (it makes the big boomie sounds, and it feels manly).

That's just my theory.

[Diplomat]

Good question... I believe in Rule #1 Diplomacy by Superior Fire Power. Stick with your .45 he won't let you down.

Plus I can't think of one reason why you shouldn't buy your choice Ruger. Add it to your collection. I hope your .45 is closer when/if your need it.

[Sponsor]

[clayflingythingy]

Think twice before buying an SR9. Go over to Rugerforum.com and cruise the auto pistol forum. SR9's are seemingly plagued with "first model year issues syndrome". I would wait at least another year before buying an SR9 to make sure all the bugs are worked out. Even then you are taking a crapshoot as "long term" issues, if any, will not have had time to surface.

Local Wal Mart has 100 paks of 9mm WWB for $15+. 45 ACP 100 paks WWB are $28+.

Altho I think the Glock 19 is probably the perfect 9mm since you have an XD why not get an XD 9?

[2HOW]

What Dougdubya said

[cporfe]

I haven't been carrying long, but I just bought a Wather PPS 9mm.  Very thin and a reasonably nice trigger out of the box.  I've carried a 3" S&W 36, a S&W 432 in .32 Mag, a Bersa .380, and a Ruger SP101 in .32 Mag.  I really like this new PPS.  I only have about a 100 rounds of mixed 9mm through it and will keep shooting until I'm positive it'll function.  But, 95grn Magtech, 105 grn Federal Expanding Full Metal Jacket, Hornady 124grn TAP, Remington green box, Winchester White box, Independence range ammo, and Blazer Brass all ran through without a single failure.

Since I'm only slightly slimmer than Duke Venturino and a few inches shorter, I think this thin PPS is going to fit quite nicely for me.

Appreciate you listening to my 2 cents.

Chris

[HAWKFISH]

Yeah, 9mm is definetely cheaper to shoot generally. Or at least price per shell is. Usually, a person has so much fun and user friendly low recoil, that you'll end up shooting even more 9mm than what they do of .45. So, then at that point it is just as expensive. If you looking for a carry 9mm then, I would recommend an even smaller 9 mm than the ruger sr9. As, cporfe mentioned, something like a walther pps 9, or maybe a sub-compact Springfield XD, or maybe a small 1911 "carry 9mm (expensive though), or maybe even a Glock 19 9mm (4 in. barrel), or the Glock 26 9mm (3.5 in barrel) (bout same as xd sub-compact). I would look at what size you want or feel comfortable with and go from there.

[clayflingythingy]

If you go over to waltherforum.com you will see the PPS is also suffering from "first model year issues syndrome". I would wait until Walther gets all the issues ironed out before getting the PPS.

I recommended an XD because the OP already had one and would be familiar with it. Personally, I think the Glock is better engineered (a trained monkey can replace parts on a Glock but not the XD) and the better quality gun as well. However, given the love many have for the XD is must be "OK".