More Stopping Power - .40 or .45?

S

Slidetechnik

Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
739
I was thinking about this the other day and never came to a conclusion as to what has more stopping power, a .40 or .45 round.

At first glance, bigger is better, but then I started thinking about kinetic energy, profile, penetration, expansion, etc.

Kinetic energy is porportional to the square of the velocity(although mass comes into play, velocity is the driver), which would give the nod to the .40. The .40 has a smaller profile and higher velocity, possibly leading to greater penetration but certainly less expansion.

Anyways, after thinking about it for a while, I decided it's better to just ask someone who is in the know.
 
I'll bet you'll never notice a difference between the two shooting 4 or 2 legged animals .I certainly haven't. I've used the .40 since it first came out 20 years ago.A fine cartridge .So is the 45 of course . So the difference is a MOOT POINT !!
 
agree with the above. when you are nit-picking such tiny differences it doesnt much matter. quality constuction bullets, good shot placement and forget about it. .40s&w is a higher pressure round with a snappier recoil pattern compared to the .45, more of a pop than a push. its the "compromise caliber" almost the power/weight of the .45 with almost the velocity and capacity of the 9mm (.35dia) Its truely the middle ground
 
Mete, is right on. There is no difference - period. No handgun cartridge is effective in stopping motivated human beings. It is going to take rapid multiple hits up the center line of the thoracic cavity to deliver enough to stop a threat with any modern defensive cartridge - 9mm, 38/357 mag, .357 Sig, 40 S&W, 45 ACP etc. They're all about the same as far as effectiveness goes and comparing the .40 to the .45 is only theoretical and good for starting fights on forums.

The most effective is to get professional training from a qualified instructor or school. Then you'll learn the strategies and tactics it takes to survive a lethal encounter with avoidance always being your most effective option. Most who are serious about self-defense and who have BTDT carry two handguns, several spare magazines, a couple blades and a couple flashlights. There is a reason why...why, because all modern defensive handguns cartridges are generally ineffective in stopping motivated human beings!

Best suggestion, get a cartridge you can afford to shoot and train a lot with. Seek out a good school and practice a couple thousand rounds per year in a classes and reinforced on your own time. I'm certain the experts will disagree with my conclusions. But what the heck do I know?
 
Last edited:
It's much more important to hit your target than what you hit them with. Spend the energy at the range ;-).

Wife being able to really do well with a 9mm or a .380 is a ton better than her not hitting something with a .500 as one example.
 
Quirt said:
Mete, is right on. There is no difference - period. No handgun cartridge is effective in stopping motivated human beings. [/I]
Click to expand...

Not really. A .44 Mag load will do the job, no matter how motivated or unmotivated the target is.
 
A hot loaded .45 long colt can rival a .44 magnum, but I assume you mean the .45 acp.
 
The 10mm is better than both .40 or .45, but "harder" to shoot in rapid-fire.
 
I heard that if you shoot a bad guy in the little finger with a round of .45 ACP FMJ he will fly 10 feet backwards and his head will catch on fire. :D
 
If one was to take all of the "which is better" articles out of all the gun magazines I venture to say it would save about 300 million trees. :D
 
Wow- to actually answer your question, if both have properly designed bullets, the .40 has more stopping power.
 
When it comes down to a .40 or .45, it's usually preference. I like .45acp with a 230 grian round nose. It may by slow, but not everyone is Jet Li and able to dodge bullets.
 
A quick search on Double Tap's website showed most .40s&w and .45acp rounds averaged in the 450-550fpe range. They're both going to hurt equally. :) I prefer the .40 only because you can fit more rounds in the magazine.
 
Get the biggest caliber you can shoot effectively. Center mass to CNS (central nervous system). Motivation counts for nothing after a bullet in the brain.
 
I think that to end the debate we should conduct a survey of individuals who have been fatally hit with both calibers. No, either caliber would suffice. Well actually, in the end the effect has been the same. :)
 
Ok I am not a gun expert but really what are we equating to "stopping power?" Are we concerned only with speed or with bullet mass? In My opinion "stopping power" is just some term that the gun industry created as some imaginary catch phrase to sell their products. The bottom line is figure out what you want to do the round, do the research, as the people who are the experts or even those that use a certain round everyday. Sure the police officer may use a .40 everyday but is that because he was issued the weapon or because he chose the weapon.

The reason for carrying a certain round over another is as opinionated as Coke vs Pepsi. The decision is based on several factors. How big of round can you comfortably control for follow up shots? Is the weapon going to be concealed and are you a skinny person who usually wears tight clothes? Are you willing to change certain attire or even certain habits to cater to a fire arm?

Now that I have said all of that I will tell you what I carry and why. I carry a 5" 1911 in .45 ACP. I carry this because first both 9 mm and 45 rounds pretty available here in the states and if I need rounds more than likely I can find them. I chose the .45 over the 9mm for a few reasons. First I am a big guy so I get away with a big gun as a primary. Second the 1911 is like the AR15 of pistols. Parts and gear is everywhere for these pistols so I do not have to only buy parts from one company and hope they are not back ordered or that the company falls apart. Additionally this is the round that I use for home defense. From what I have read the .45 slow down faster after hitting something like a wall or a person than a 9mm. Yes a .45 can go through several sheetrock walls but hey I'm trying. Now that being said I have recently seen that there are some great 9mm rounds that have come out that have plastic tips inside a hollow point that slow down nicely. In my opinion the .40 is trying to fill a gap between the .45 and 9mm which is really not a bad thing. but the reason for me not choosing a 40 boils down to round and parts availability.

These are my reasons and nothing more. As mentioned everyone pistol owner has a reason for his choices and these are mine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top