First handgun

Question
I'm looking to purchase my first handgun. I live in Missouri where we have conceal and carry. I'm looking for the gun mostly for protection.

Here are my questions:
Advantages / disadvantages of 9mm versus .40?
Difference between single action and double action?
Brands - your experience or knowledge - S&W, Glock, Taurus?

Anything in general I should look for?

Thanks,
Brian.


Answer
Your short question would require a book to answer adequately (meaning their great questions), but here goes:

With modern expanding ammunition, the data indicates not a great deal of difference. Handguns are poor stoppers in any caliber, but the data seems to indicate the .40 as slightly better than any other typical self-defense handgun cartridge, which is why more than 60% of American Law Enforcement agencies use it.

I like and carry a .40, but if I could have one gun, it would be the 9mm. Reasons are there: 1) with modern expanding ammunition very little difference, 2) 9mm ammo is cheaper than .40 so I'll practice more (shot placement is more important than caliber), 3) If things ever get really bad, the 9mm being the NATO cartridge, IT will be available even when the supply of other ammunition dries up.

Single action pistols require more training and dedication and they are, in my opinion, more trouble than they're worth. I don't say that because I don't like them or have them. I shoot them in competition occassionaly. But the only single action pistol out there that is viable for a self-defense gun is a 1911. There's a reason (and a good one) why modern companies don't make them and modern operators for the most part don't use them.

A traditional double action pistol (such as a SIG) has two trigger pulls - the long heavy one for the first shot, and the light short one for every shot thereafter. I find this annoying and deleterious to practical accuracy. I would much rather have a pistol that has the same trigger pull every time than one that changes, although I don't really care too much what the trigger pull is (SIG has their new DAK double action only trigger)

The Glock is classed by ATF as a double action trigger, though in truth once you get on to it, it it more like a single action trigger but without the external safety (the Achilies' Heal of the single action).

After seeing dozens to hundreds of models of guns come through training and in competition, the gun that works all the time every time is a Glock. Everything else is a distant second. If reliability is your criteria in a defense gun (it should be) Glock is it.

There is a reason why no LE agency carries or issues Taurus' - they break easily. They've got a great life time repair policy, so as long as it doesn't break during the attack, or you don't mind waiting for it to come back for the factory for several weeks . . . .

The S&W M&Ps were very promising guns, and still may be if they can ever get their firing pin issues worked out. I had one for T&E and sheered two firing pins in less than 1,000 rounds. My experience is not unique - the firing pins break on these guns. If Smith can get this problem fixed, it is otherwise a good gun.

If I could not have a Glock the next gun I would be taking a hard look at would be a Springfield XD. If you don't mind a true double action, HK and SIG are good, although the HK are much more reliable than the SIGs (see lots of the SIGs fail in class if it's muddy) and neither are as reliable as the Glock.