Glock23 (.40) vs Glock19 (9mm)

[308]

Can someone comment on the recoil difference between the Glock23 .40S&W and the Glock19 9mm?
I've shot the G19 but not the G23 and I'm trying to give my wife some perspective. She thinks she wants the G23 and I believe it a better round for personal defense, but don't want it to be unmanageable for her to shoot.

Thanks

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[Riot]

The .40 has more "snap" in the recoil. It's not unmanageable (even for a woman) but there is nothing wrong w/ the 9mm. My wife doesn't like to shoot...she especially doesn't like to shoot my .40cal pistols.

My suggestion? If she likes the 9mm, keep the 9mm. Let her practice the crap out of it. Just give her a +P defensive load to shove in the gun when she carries it if you're still worried about the defensiveness capabilities.

Also, 9mm +p recoil is similar to the .40...so if she can take it she can handle the 40.

 

[308]

Thanks Riot, I believe that is the perspective I was hoping for.

 

[Glock23gp]

Buy a Glock 23 and get a Lonewolf 9mm conversion barrel for it.. Then you will have a 19 and 23 in one weapon...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[RBid]

If you want to carry a Glock in 9mm, keep the 19. To really convert a .40 Glock to 9 for reliable enough function to carry, you'd need barrel, mag, and extractor swaps. The .40 to 9 shift is better in theory than practice.

.40 is not really much more effective against people than 9. It's popularity with law enforcement is largely due to it's effectiveness against auto material. Specifically, it deflects slightly less when hitting windshields than 9 does. That's an asset for people performing traffic stops. Thus, 47/50 State PDs use of it. If you're not performing traffic stops or getting out into the wilderness, 9mm is probably a better round. Faster follow up shots, extra capacity, and very similar diameter after expansion.

I have a 23 and a 19. I carry the 19.

 

[biggie24420]

I too would say get the 23 with a lonewolf conversion barrel. But.... yes there is always a but lol........ but good luck finding a conversion barrel. Also if you decide to go that route, you will want to get a 9mm (G19) recoil spring assembly because according to Glock, there is a difference. You will also need to get at least one 9mm mag (yes you can use a .40 mag in an emergency) and you should be set. I did however use cheap Russian steel ammo with my G23 with the conversion barrel and I did have some feeding and ejecting issues and I blame the low power cheap Russian ammo (Brown Bear).

I never had any issue with feeding or extraction when I used good quality ammo..... and as far as self defense ammo (when I carried it as a 9mm) I would use +P or +P+ ammo just to be on the safe side and make sure everything cycled good if SHTF and I had to shoot to defend myself.

I've owned .380, .38, 9mm, .40, and .45...... I used to be pretty big on the .40 cal but now that I am older, smarter, and fatter lol....... I have no problems with the 9mm. My main calibers are 9mm and 7.62X39. I like the capacity and recoil of the 9mm.

So maybe a G19 will be cheaper but with a G23 you will have two pistols in one and either way.... it's a Glock!

 

[Meridian7750]

308,
If it helps her reach a decision, I'm happy to take you both out to Tri-County Gun Club sometime so she can try a 23.

 

[2gr8dgs]

I don't consider myself recoil sensitive in the least. I have owned a g23. I currently own a g19 & shoot it better. there is less recoil & it is easier to shoot. PERIOD. If you are shooting a modern 9mm defensive load, there is no reason to subject yourself to the harsher recoil of .40s&w. My $.02

 

[solv3nt]

I had a 23, my wife loved shooting it. It took her a little bit to get used to it, but after that, she was a deadly shot. She was pretty pissed when I traded it off

Go with the 23, .40 rounds have been easier to find after Obama. When something goes down, 9mm, 5.56/.223, 22lr and .308 seem to go first. I haven't had too much problem finding .45 acp.

 

[DieselScout]

I like shooting a Glock 19, I can shoot a Glock 23.....if that makes sense.

 

[Netspirit]

.40s SUCK - YouTube

 

[ArgyleAdams]

.40s SUCK - YouTube

That video is hilarious. "I don't like any high pressure rounds." "Any of the high pressure rounds wear out way faster than 9mm or .45 pistols." Well, 9mm runs at the exact same pressure at .40S&W and the more common 9mm defense round, 9mm+p, runs 3,500psi higher.

Speer Gold Dot loads for 9mm+p 147gr and Speer Gold Dot .40S&W 180gr loads only have a 2.4% difference in muzzle energy (which means there's only a 2.4% difference in the energy released during the combustion of the powder). I'm not sure about rate of combustion, so impulse might be higher with the .40, but the muzzle velocity is lower which implies a lesser total impulse (though peak impulse might still be higher). There is around a 15% difference in muzzle energy with the 165gr .40S&W offering which would be a more noticeable difference. Point being, if you chose your rounds right, recoil difference shouldn't really be an issue.

This is all theoretical, of course. I've shot less than 100 rounds of .40, but I don't remember it feeling much different than 9mm to me (that was a while ago, though).

All that said, I prefer 9mm because a: you get more rounds, b: it's slightly cheaper per round (if you can actually find 9mm in this day and age, like solv3nt said) and c: a fully loaded pistol is slightly lighter all else being equal.

 

[Netspirit]

Speer Gold Dot loads for 9mm+p 147gr and Speer Gold Dot .40S&W 180gr loads only have a 2.4% difference in muzzle energy (which means there's only a 2.4% difference in the energy released during the combustion of the powder). I'm not sure about rate of combustion, so impulse might be higher with the .40, but the muzzle velocity is lower which implies a lesser total impulse (though peak impulse might still be higher). There is around a 15% difference in muzzle energy with the 165gr .40S&W offering which would be a more noticeable difference. Point being, if you chose your rounds right, recoil difference shouldn't really be an issue.

This is all theoretical, of course.

+P is also a high-pressure round, which you do not need unless you shoot through windshields for a living. The regular modern 9mm (Ranger or HST) has perfect terminal ballistics, lower price and recoil, higher magazine capacity than your typical .40 S&W, and does not prematurely wear your gun out. If your gun has a short barrel, 147gr is best; for a bigger range gun 115gr is the cheapest and has the flattest trajectory.

 

[Blues]

Well my wife had a similar problem. She liked the 23 I bought her but preferred the 9mm feel. I bought a wolf conversion for the 23 to and changed the extractor and recoil spring and she is happy. I like the .40 so swaped back and forth till I got myself a Glock 22. I like the ability to change if I feel like it so it worked well for us.

 

[crimsonfog]

The 23 has more felt recoil than the 19, although very manageable. You really can't go wrong with either, but the 19 is stone cold solid. All day.

 

[308]

Thank you for all the replies. We ended up with a nice G23 from a trade, so all is good for now.

 

[bigmacattack]

good deal, hope she likes it, but if she doesn't darn now you have a new gun.....

 

[Ghost_2.0]

.40 is a little snappier I shot the 19 and 23 pretty decently with practice. I'd carry the 19 anyway though

 

[never4get]

lonewolf does a 357sig barrel for the 23 also..makes it better yet.

 

[hillbilli]

a 9 with good hollowpoints is good.. but not as good as a .40 with good hollowpoints.. same velocity, bigger WIDER bullet.. Remember with pistol bullets (and these energy levels) all you really get is what you actually cut or break. a "perfect" 9, that expands to X2, is now .72 in diameter.. a .40 that does likewise is .8, and a .45 would be .9... how much difference that makes is debatable, but the wider the wound the greater your odds of catching a nerve, artery, bone, or organ.. a bit like shooting a deer marginally with a 1" cut broadhead, or a 1 1/4 cut broadhead.. remember that the difference appears much bigger if you express it in surface area instead of diameter.. after all 9mm ball only has 60% of the surface area of .45 ball.