...planning on buying something else.

Not a damn thing wrong with the XD-40. It's just these two things:

1. it's the 'tactical' model with a 5 inch barrel, which is just a bit longer than I want, and

2. the XDm in .40 caliber is not only a half inch shorter, but it also has a 16 round magazine (comes with two).

I'm getting $500 for the old one, so I feel like I'm doing alright.

Anyone heard anything real bad about the newer version, the XDm?

Believe me not all police officers have a clue about guns...just because they carry one doesn't mean they know shat about it. They perpetuate more myths about guns as much as anyone if not more really...I've explained to someone pretty high ranking and with tactical training that 5.56 DOES NOT tumble in flight. .40 is here to stay but trust me it isn't the cats ass that some people think, it's compromise caliber that isn't quite 9mm and isn't quite .45 either and really doesn't do as good as either of them, just my opinion though take it for what it is....an opinion.

10mm is bad ass but is cost prohibitive unless your loading your own to me. Real true to Norma specs 10mm loads are expensive and some of the others are nothing but .40 powder charges in a 10mm case. If you want big and slow go with .45 if you want fast and light go with 9mm is how I see calibers for semi-autos. If you like revolvers nothing beats a good .357, .41, .44 special or mag.

Man I just thought of something....revolvers have crap loads of proven really effective rounds....interesting.

See if Bladetech or CompTac makes something for your gun/light combo.

bc

I have a .357 mag and if it came down to it, and I had a choice between just the .357 mag revolver and the .40 semiauto, I think I would reach for the revolver.

Someone once told me they thought the rounds cops used in the .40 were about the equivalent of the .357, and I have not done my homework on the ballistics and energy and etc. between the two rounds, but something tells me that's probably horseshate.

Still and all, it seems to me that a bullet that is heavier than a 9mm, even though it may not be quite as fast, is going to be a better man-stopper than a 9mm. Again, I have not done the research on velocities, but I know that 115 grains weighs a lot less than 165 grains... and think about this, 50 grains is about the same as what a .223/5.56 weighs. That's a big difference in weight. So, how can it be less effective, or only the equivalent of the 9mm parabellum? I just don't see it.

Some one please enlighten me.

Bullet design, velocity, caliber all go into effectiveness.

IMO, you need to be a LOT less concerned about what's a "manstopper" and more concerned about being a good shot with whatever you have in your hand. More Mindset, less Gear.


The lightweight .40's, Corbon 135 @ 1325fps and Gold Dot 155 @ 1200fps, are fairly close in weight and velocity to similar weight loads in the .357 Mag. It's not horseshate it's just apples to apples.

bc

Those are wise words, BC, and truly the one thing that seems to be overlooked by a lot of us. We are so gear conscious that we forget that it's all for naught once the manure hits the windmill if we don't have the correct mindset or training.

Being comfortable with a particular gun/caliber and able to hit the bullseye on a paper target on a range probably won't do me much good in a truly desperate situation.

Practice...practice...practice. With whatever gun you plan to carry/defend your self & family with. I'm not that worried that I "only" have a 9mm...I have no doubt that 3 9mm's in your chest will stop you!