Glock 19 or 23; 9 mm vs. .40?

[fitebak]

Newbie here so forgive any repetition. I did do a search and answered some of my questions but . . . . .    I have been shooting a 1911 colt full frame for many years. Recently got interested in the Glock for the simplicity and light weight. I am considering the G19 or 23 (9mm or .40) as I like something a little larger than the sub-compacts. The 1911 is a little heavy for a skinny tall guy for all day carry. The G19/23 seems like a nice compromise in capacity and size.

Which is easier ammo to get now and what is price comparison between the 9 and .40?  I believe the ballistics of the .40 are between the 9mm and .45. There are good self defense loads for the 9 but the .40 is superior in some ways. If I wanted to stick with a .45 I could go to the G36 but then I'm back to only a 6 rd. magazine. I was considering a 3" Kimber but now considering the Glock for simplicity and that sometimes I get misfires from the 1911 grip safety (had mine pinned). 

Looking for some thoughts on this matter. My shooting activities involve personal carry, solo ATV riding in the desert and mountains, car travel, range shooting, occasional shooting school (may do Rob's in May in CO), and perhaps some IDPA this summer. I plan to keep my 1911. 

Are the G 19/23 available on the market now?  thanks for any comments

[TAB]

I'm a skinny tall guy ( 125 lbs 6')  I never had a prob with a full size 1911, but I did find a commanders length more confy when I had to sit down.

as far as 9 mm vs 40... If you can control the 40, get the 40.



oh wait, you said glock, never mind  get the 9 you don't want to kaboom.

 



really, never reload 40 brass from a glock if you doing any thing other then light loads.

[Galeth005]

as far as 9 mm vs 40... If you can control the 40, get the 40.
oh wait, you said glock, never mind  get the 9 you don't want to kaboom.
really, never reload 40 brass from a glock if you doing any thing other then light loads.

on that note.. yes get the glock 19 i prefer the 9mm to the 40.. even though i have both a 26 and a 22... however the higher capacity of the nine, lower recoil and more available ammo makes it a invaluable addition to any arsenal you may have

[ericire12]

Here is a rather extensive examination of the 9mm vs .40 subject:

http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php/topic,1896.0.html

[Steyr M40A1]

I'm a skinny tall guy ( 125 lbs 6')  I never had a prob with a full size 1911, but I did find a commanders length more confy when I had to sit down.

as far as 9 mm vs 40... If you can control the 40, get the 40.



oh wait, you said glock, never mind  get the 9 you don't want to kaboom.

 



really, never reload 40 brass from a glock if you doing any thing other then light loads.

That is why I love my Steyr's. They have a FULLY SUPPORTED barrel that prevents case budging. In fact the Steyr's were designed for the 40S&W and then adapted to 9mm and 357sig.

By the way, 357sig will give you about 10-15% greater ballistics over a 40 and up to 30% better than 9mm.

[Sponsor]

[MAUSERMAN]

Looks like we have limp wrists here if you cant handle a 40S&W glock of any kind. Everyone in my house is well trained in the use of the G22. My girlfriend is 122lbs and she owns her own G22 that she keeps at the house when Im away.

[fightingquaker13]

Go with the glock 19!!! Look, any glock will do what is supposed to.
1 Shoot 4" at 15-20 yds
2 Go bang EVERY time you pull the trigger no matter what you load it with
Yes I've drunk the Kool-aid, but it doesnt make it less true.The glock is a weapon. Not a target pistol, not a hunting firearm, not a work of art, a weapon. Nothng more, nothing less. No BS, no half-cock or safties or anything else. Just point and click.
That leaves you with the choice of .40 vs 9 mm. Frankly they are both good rounds, and a zillion police and sheriffs departments agree. I would just say that the .40, a compromise between the the 9mm and .45, is not that much better than the 9. It has fewer choices of mags than will fit a 19, and is a lot more expensive and harder to find than either 9mm or .45, and has fewer commercial SD rounds available. (Do not use reloads in a glock). As far as more exotic loads like the .357 sig, me, I like to keep it simple. If I can't find ammo for it at wally world, I don't want to own it.Because a hand gun for sef defense is all about trade offs. One of those (to me at least) is the price and availability of ammo and mags. Just my .02.
FQ13

[Rob10ring]

I disagree with the 40 being a compromise between the 9 and 45. Because the older rounds have been around so long, there are a lot of weaker guns around that the can chamber them. That's why the 45 is kept down to loaded pressures under 21,000 psi, when the 40 is up to 35,000.

The energy of the .40 S&W exceeds all standard-pressure and +P 9x19mm Parabellum loadings and many standard-pressure .45 ACP rounds, generating between 450 and 600 foot-pounds (550 J and 800 J) of energy, depending on bullet weight, with mid to high 500 foot-pounds force (680 N·m) typical.

However, I'm not a firm believer in the "one-shot stop". All of the 3 main handgun duty calibers, and many others, poke holes about the size of a finger. Your goal in a defensive encounter is going to be to put holes into an attacker, repeatedly, until the threat is over. All of these calibers are going to act similarly in the majority of incidents and their effectiveness pales in comparison to most long guns.

Get what you like, what you can afford and what you can afford to get good with.

[Steyr M40A1]

Go with the glock 19!!! Look, any glock will do what is supposed to.
1 Shoot 4" at 15-20 yds
2 Go bang EVERY time you pull the trigger no matter what you load it with
Yes I've drunk the Kool-aid, but it doesnt make it less true.The glock is a weapon. Not a target pistol, not a hunting firearm, not a work of art, a weapon. Nothng more, nothing less. No BS, no half-cock or safties or anything else. Just point and click.
That leaves you with the choice of .40 vs 9 mm. Frankly they are both good rounds, and a zillion police and sheriffs departments agree. I would just say that the .40, a compromise between the the 9mm and .45, is not that much better than the 9. It has fewer choices of mags than will fit a 19, and is a lot more expensive and harder to find than either 9mm or .45, and has fewer commercial SD rounds available. (Do not use reloads in a glock). As far as more exotic loads like the .357 sig, me, I like to keep it simple. If I can't find ammo for it at wally world, I don't want to own it.Because a hand gun for sef defense is all about trade offs. One of those (to me at least) is the price and availability of ammo and mags. Just my .02.
FQ13

Interesting, so a glock will shoot anything.
But dont use reloads.

Just pointing it out..

While I will agree a glock is the most simple pistol (just counting the number of parts) I know of. One must feel comfortable with the gun and then use it to obtain proficiency. Shot placement is the KEY!!
9mm is more available than 40 due to the age of the round, its cheaper, but as the host on American gunner said, "its all fine until you shoot someone with it!" Now he was comparing 9 to 45 I will add. But published data cant be refuted. 40 is a more powerful round.

[fightingquaker13]

Interesting, so a glock will shoot anything.
But dont use reloads.

Just pointing it out..

Not all that interesting. Glocks are slightley over bored in the interest of reliability, albeit at the expense of accuracy, much like the AK. Hence brass fired from one can be a problem. I'm not a reloader so I can't tell you why that is, just that enough folks, and Glock, who kow what they're talking about say not to use reloads from the gun. So I don't.
FQ13