re: .40 S&W vs. 9mm

FWIW, I personally carry a HK USP Compact in .40 and I'll never carry a 9mm for the following reason: a buddy had to engage a bad guy with his 9mm M9 (in Iraq) and the bad guy would not go down...the velocity of the 9mm was to high so the rounds went right through him. Possibly the fact that we were shooting FMJ ammo and not expandable hollow-points might also have contributed. Additional reason is that i already had a .40 SIG P226 when I was looking for my CC pistol and i wanted to keep the logistics of sustaining my ammo count easier.

I agree that shot placement does count but you've got to practice A LOT in order to get your reflexive fire accuracy very tight. Unfortunately i have found that only the military and law enforcement have the budget to shoot that much (i know i don't).