.40sw ???

[Handyman]

Why isn't the .40 more popular ? A lot of police depts. now use it . But most gun owners here seem to prefer the the 9 mil. or the 45acp for a carry weapon . What's wrong with the .40 ?

[dralarms]

I can't figure it out either. I like the 40 round. I use it as my daily carry. I can tell you that from 15 yrds it will go through a pressure treated 4 by 4 with NO problem.:what:

[RNB65]

9mm ammo is cheaper.

[Surefire]

Nothing wrong with it.

I just like the other rounds better.

The .45 ACP IMO has a great balance of power and low recoil. Best balance of the three rounds IMO.

The 9mm has low recoil and cost IMO.

The .40SW IMO has the sharpest perceived recoil of the three, but doesn't offer a big enough power edge over the .45 to justify the greater perceived recoil.

Again, nothing wrong with the .40, its just not my first choice.

I WOULD trust any of the above arounds though, and have used all three in the (if) SHTF home defense role.

The .40 IMO shines the most as a pocket rocket. You can get it in smaller (thinner) packages than a .45. If you need maximum power in the smallest package available, its hard to beat something like a Kahr MK9. However, I'd rather sacrifice a little power for controllability and go with a slightly larger gun in either 9mm or .45.

[mavracer]

9mm works using velocity to expand,45 uses momentum. 10mm has both.40 gives up both.if you look at what the trend has been most 40 SD ammo is of the lighter end of its range.

[Banta]

Probably price and also some people seem to find the snappy recoil uncomfortable. I really enjoy my .40 and now that I have begun reloading, I wouldn't even bother with buying a 9mm myself. All I do is adjust my load depending on whether I want full power or a light recoil. I think it's a great and very versatile round when you reload.

[CWL]

Nothing good or bad.

The .40SW came into being as a powered-down version of the 10mm cartridge. Law enforcement agencies embraced the round as the latest Magic Bullet solution to every problem in the world and adopted them for carry. Gun manufacturers had new 'sexy' caliber gun to sell, private shooters got excited and jumped aboard.

Turns out that you still have to know how to shoot accurately in order for the .40SW to be effective. Same as for any other bullet caliber.

[shadowalker]

9mm works using velocity to expand,45 uses momentum. 10mm has both.40 gives up both

9mm, 40 S&W and 45 all have velocity and momentum, in fact velocity is part of the equation for momentum. Momentum explains why 45 ACP has solid penetration even though it uses a slower bullet than the 9mm.

Energy = (Velocity * Velocity) * Weight / 450400
Momentum (ftlbs/sec) = Weight (grains) ÷ 7000 x Velocity (fps)

A +p 9mm 115 grain traveling at 1250 FPS has 395 ft/lb of energy and 20.53 ftlb/sec of momentum
A +p 9mm 124 grain bullet traveling at 1150 FPS has 364 ft/lb of energy and 20.37 ftlb/sec of momentum
A 165 grain 40 S&W bullet travelling at 1150 FPS has 484 ft/lb of energy and 27.10 ftlb/sec of momentum
A +p 45 ACP 230 grain bullet traveling at 950 FPS has 460 ft/lb of energy and 31 ftlb/sec of momentum

As you can see the 40 S&W has plenty of energy and good momentum.

As to the original question it seems most people here are informed enough to have a favorite caliber, I've found that in the general population where people are not as informed 40 S&W is very popular, partly because the police use it so heavily which gives the gun salesmen leverage in selling people it.

I like and carry both 40 S&W and 45 ACP.

[browningguy]

I think it's very popular. I've got 4 of them, and know many people that have them. I use a BHP in .40 as my carry gun.

Now in IDPA I shoot 9mm most of the time, lighter recoil, and no scoring disadvantage.

It's really tough to convert a .45 shooter, 230 grains makes a powerfull statement. I think I'm one of the few converts, for me 10-15 rounds of .40 outweighs the 7-8 round of .45.

[PPGMD]

if you look at what the trend has been most 40 SD ammo is of the lighter end of its range.

Huh? Most of the ballistic tests that I have read show that quality SD ammo in .40 produces the same wound size as the .45.

Anyways .40 takes the stopping power of the .45 and puts it in the cartridge size similar to a 9mm. With a .40 you get the same stopping power, but in the same size gun more rounds. I think the best example would be comparing Hk models.

USP 9mm 15 rounds
USP .40 13 rounds
Hk45 .45 10 rounds (the USP 45 larger then the other USPs)
USP Compact 9mm 13 rounds
USPc .40 12 rounds
Hk45 Compact 8 rounds

[wally]

Factory 9mm ammo is much cheaper than .40S&W. Reloading .45ACP is much easier with larger safety margins than reloading .40S&W.

So IMHO the only place .40S&W really shines is in sub 4" barred guns. Love my Kahr PM40.

--wally.

[Croyance]

Well let us turn it around - why should the .40S&W be more popular? After all, the 9x19 and .45 ACP have been around longer than we have been alive. There was a large following to begin with.
I mean, there is something for everybody and I have no issue with the cartridge or its adherents. But having found solutions I like, I have no reason to change.

I handle the .45 ACP fine, I handle the 9x19 fine. No issues with the .40 S&W, but no need for yet another caliber either (though I do own one).

I didn't like the initial marketing either, with one gun writer repeatedly insisting that anything that begins with a "4" is a large bore pistol. Well I don't doubt its effectiveness - or rather lack of it, since it is a pistol - but the repetition was a turn off.

[Lonestar49]

...

I have, well, almost, all 3 calibers and, as mentioned, the 45cal is IMHO, really the most forgiving in the recoil issue, pure and simple.

And the 9mm is IMO the easiest recoil to tame and feel super comfy with.

Leaving the 40cal, which I love it, but it is IMO the least forgiving in the recoil, and takes, at least in my case, the longest to get tamed and honed in with, aprox: 800 rounds to hone in with it, and TRF to-date, 1650 rounds, and appreciate its power, and accuracy

The 45cal takes far far less

The 9mm takes maybe 200 rounds to get honed in with

Also, from what I have read, and believe, different makes of the 40cal have what I think is termed, lower barrel profiles, reducing the snap/recoil of both the 40cal's and 9mm's IIRC.

So, do your reading, shoot a variety of rental guns and find out which caliber, and what make gun, give you the best, most comfy, bang for your buck.


LS

[tnieto2004]

I prefer the .40 cal .. Just takes a little getting used to

[BBsteel]

+1 for what Lonestar49 said!!:)

[Eyesac]

I think it's plenty popular for a round invented in 1990. Only time will tell, but I think it's doing just fine.

[Seminole]

Your post asks two very different questions. In reverse order:

1) Q: What is wrong with .40?
A: Nothing

2) Q: Why isn't the .40 more popular?
A: Popularity has to do with taste, which varies from one individual to another. A search for a single answer is therefore futile.

My main CCW is a .40 that I carry for a combination of reasons: I like the platform and the .40 was the caliber available the day I was buying, it is more powerful than 9mm, its smaller size means more rounds than a .45 in the same-size weapon. Others have considered the same issues from a different perspective and come to different conclusions. Ain't freedom grand?!

I don't judge others for their decisions on the matter of caliber and I don't expect them to judge me for mine.

[CZ223]

I think that the 40S&W is very popular. As you noted, many police agencies carry them. Every major manufacturer offers guns in this caliber. Despite the "make mine a 45" Wiley Clapp mentallity of some shooters the 40 short and weak has become one of the most popular calibers for self defense. One of the best indicators of its popularity is the fact that you put it in the big three of self defense calibers, as many do, without thinking about it. I think the only reason that the 9mm is still in there is its popularity as a military round. The 45 is a "cult favorite" among many shooters. When you do pry the gun from their cold dead hands it will be a 45. The only short coming of the 40 is that it has made no inroads into the military. I think that it is disappointing that our miltary went from the 45 to the 9mm and now seems to be headed right back to the 45. It seems like the 40 wasn't even considered. I don't think that the 40 is a majic bullet by any means but, it is better than a 9mm and compact enough that many pistols have nearly twice the capcity that the government 45 had.

[hotpig]

I have always been surprised that the civilian market did not follow the Police into embracing the 40. I still sale more 40 than 357Sig but it is way behind the 9 and 45. I think the 40 has peaked in its sales and always will be around as a LE caliber.

[CB900F]

Fella's;

Interesting discussion. For me, I'm amazed that anyone would think that the .40 S&W isn't popular. Let's see, have the manufacturer's been ignoring building platforms for the round because of it's unpopularity? Don't think so. In fact, taking a look at the various maker's offerings, it would seem that some very major money has been spent by them to do the R&D to produce, in some cases, several different .40 platforms from the same maker. Why did these successful firms put forth those dollars? To support an unpopular cartridge? Don't think so.

And hard to reload for? I haven't found it to be so. There's plenty of good information out there to allow any person who cares to, to turn out .40 S&W rounds in any amount they wish, safely. All it takes is the ability to read and understand a reloading manual. Admittedly, with today's NEA educated young entering the reloading room, there's some trepidation concerning the ability to read and understand. But, putting aside the state of education in this country, if you can indeed read and understand English as put forth in Speer #13, Hornady #7, et al, it's entirely possible to safely reload the .40 easily.

900F

[jeff-10]

People ask this question from time to time on this board. The 40 S&W is indeed very popular, just not on Internet gun forums, where the tastes tend to be old school.

[FieroCDSP]

And hard to reload for? I haven't found it to be so. There's plenty of good information out there to allow any person who cares to, to turn out .40 S&W rounds in any amount they wish, safely. All it takes is the ability to read and understand a reloading manual. Admittedly, with today's NEA educated young entering the reloading room, there's some trepidation concerning the ability to read and understand.

I found no real issue learning to reload the 40, but that's because I have a bit of common sense and took a 10% reduction on new loads to heart. Is the less tolerance? Yes. Is there still room to play? Yes. What's the problem?

I started out handgunning on the 40, with a S&W Sigma. This probably prolonged my learning curve quite a bit. I even took up shooting with gloves because the grip was better and it didn't hurt my hands. I immediately found the need to have a fully-supported chamber for reloading and a better grip, so I went with the M&P 40. I love it, and have no regrets. Given the choice, I don't think I'd start with the 40 again, though, and if I weren't so stubborn, I probably would have switched out to a 9mm. I'm still looking to get one, and a 45. Honestly, you have to have at least one of each. :D

[10-Ring]

At one time I had the 10mm in my collection and a few 40's. Then in the great Collection Consolidation of '96, I sold them all off to concentrate on 9mm and 45 acp. More subjective than anything else, but I just prefer these calibers.

[possum]

i love the .40s&w and i own more of that caliber than the others combined. both of my carry guns are .40 and my xd sevice model. i like the fact that there is a little more performance terminally with the .40 over the 9mm and higher capacity than the .45 plus having small hands, most double stack .40 frames fit me perfect as they are often the same frame size as the 9mm models. the ammo prices are a plus as well, again in the middle, more expensive that 9mm but less than that of the .45

[md7]

+1 possum

[ozwyn]

.40 appears to be a fine round, it may suffer on the internet only due to the mightly influence of nostalgia.

9mm and .45 has a lot of history and classic designs.

.40 just needs a little more time.

[possum]

oh i forgot, with some .40 handguns you have the option of 3 handguns in one. and 2 in one in other cases. change out the barrel and you have .357 sig and no one can discredit how great of a rd that is especially if they like 9mm so much, and even if they don't. and with the xd line up and a .40 model simply change the barrel and you will have a 9mm handgun, so essentially 3 guns in one.

[MD_Willington]

Ammo price in my area, 9x19 is pretty close to .40S&W...

IIRC ~14.5 VS ~18 for practice ammo.

[Lonestar49]

...

Unpopular, hmmm, just had a thought, again..

Next time your out and about, especially in need of some ammo, out in the rural country, chk out the availability or the 40cal, and the 357 sig, along with price.

I could be wrong, but let's hear some input..


LS

[Scorpiusdeus]

I'm shocked to hear that it's not "more popular". It sure is popular with me. When I go online to buy ammo, a lot of people seem out be out of the brand and weight I require. It's used in many, many police and sheriff's departments.

Heck, I wish it wasn't quite as popular. Maybe I could get a better price on it and it would always be in stock.

I think 9mm and .45 are great, no knock against them, but for me the .40 S&W gets it done.

[RustyShackelford]

I think the .40S&W was considered a fad or "wildcat" load by many in the US gun industry and never really developed the way 9mmNATO/9x19mm or even the bigger .45ACP loads did. The .45acp round had a military background so many US shooters knew it had power. The 9mm had large mags(15-20rds) and a good rep for feeding/function.

The .40S&W was a middle range handgun round that never had much use. The .40 was picked by more than a few US police agencies but was never considered "better" than a .45acp or 10mm. I like the .357SIG over the .40S&W for several reasons but would not feel "undergunned" with a well made .40, loaded with some good .40S&W JHPs ;) .

Rusty

[mavracer]

"9mm works using velocity to expand,45 uses momentum. 10mm has both.40 gives up both.if you look at what the trend has been most 40 SD ammo is of the lighter end of its range"
Sorry I blacked out there is nothing wrong with the 40. all the accepted SD calibers will work well.its the software not the hardware.we all agree a 32 COM is better than a 45 that hits the wall 4' left of BG
I personally never warmed up to the 40 because 9mm and 45 work when 10mm came out I fell in love (somthing about a 200 grn bullet at 1200fps) it mooves stuff like evil bowling pins.but ultamatly the 40 is fine the police are
well armed with them.

[Plink]

The .40 is plenty popular! I like the cartridge just fine, but I haven't invested in that caliber personally, because I'm already invested in 9mm and .45. There isn't enough difference in effectiveness between 9mm, .40, .357 (Sig and magnum) and .45 to make it worthwhile to add another caliber to keep track of and reload for.

My original reason for getting involved with 9mm is low cost, low recoil, ease of training new shooters and availability of platforms I like. I'm not into "cartridges" as much as I am into the guns themselves.

I chose to carry a .45 mostly, not because it's some magical 1 shot manstopping beast, because like ANY other handgun cartridge, it's not. I chose to carry it because it's a low pressure round. If you've ever touched off a high pressure round in an enclosed area, you understand why.

Actually, I did prefer the .40's precursor, the .41 AE. With it's rebated rim, swapping to 9mm was as simple as a barrel change and maybe a recoil spring. Alas, it was treated as a wildcat and never gained much popularity.

[whited]

I can tell you that from 15 yrds it will go through a pressure treated 4 by 4 with NO problem.

This might negatively influence some folks.

[PPGMD]

.40 a fad round? Huh, that might make sense a few years ago, but every gun company offers a .40 handgun as an option, only a few companies offer .45 as an option on most of their handguns.

[JLStorm]

I shoot both .40 and .45, I prefer .45 personally, but wouldnt cry if I was limited to .40. A few things I try to remember when thinking about .40 is:


The police switched to .40 from 9mm for power, but didnt go to .45 because of cost, not performance factors.
The police Downgraded from .45 to .40 again because of the reduced cost, but also so the female officers who get to pass through the academy with lower physical standards then males can control the recoil.
They dont call it 10mm retarded for nothing...its a great cartridge but for the power hungry that would carry a .45 or 10mm, its almost insulting to ask them to switch to this cartridge.

I personally use it in my sub compact because the recoil is controllable and the weapon I wanted isnt made for .45. The price difference I see in .45 vs. .40 ammunition isnt that great, so that wasnt a big selling point for me. The fact is that its a low recoil controllable cartridge and when my only choices were 9mm or .40 it was a no brainer....however, on a standard size gun, you would have to outlaw .45 ammo before I would switch....40 just isnt 45ACP no matter how you cut it.

[PPGMD]

Have you actually looked at the ballistic data on .45 JHP rounds vs .40 JHP rounds? The wound size is pretty much the same, the .45 does it damage via a larger bullet and overall momentum where as the .40 does it via greater expansion because of it's velocity.

If I was limited to FMJ rounds I would want a .45 over a .40, but using JHP rounds if you need more shots a .40 is better choice for you.

Personally I use all three, as a SD round the .40 is a better choice because you get more capacity out a subcompact, but I like the .45 because it's subsonic so I can suppress it a bit more easily.

[Claemore]

From what I've seen, the .40 is very popular. Nearly every LE agency I know of issues it. It is winning converts every day, as well. I was a big .45 fan, and refused to even consider a .40. Then all the reading I've done on the effectiveness of the round, plus the advantage of higher capacity in a smaller weapon switched me over to .40. Plus, I heard the rumor that SOCOM is considering the .40 S&W over the .45 ACP.;)

[MassMark]

I love my .40 S&W, but have to say that the .357Sig feels more rifle-like and I'm more accurate with it. Still, I have a fondness for the round which won't be shaken by internet-hype. I shoot more .45 ACP than anything else and won't get into a "this vs that" about it. The .45 has always felt better to me than anything else when shooting. I was about to say that I'd love to combine the .357 Sig with a .40 S&W, 9mm and .45ACP, but I figured that would be the 10mm... ;)

[kellyj00]

There's nothing wrong with a 9mm, a .40 or a .45... they all have about the same stopping power according to research.

The argument that the .223 isn't nearly as deadly of a round as the .308 has been dismissed by most, and I've only ever heard very old men say that the .223 is just a plinking or varment round that doesn't have the power to stop a man.

Gun folks seem to stick with what is battle proven without considering new technologies or concepts to be a good idea. The marines issue 9mm H&K pistols now and .223 m-16's. They used to issue .45acp 1911's/thompsons and m1 garands/carbines... so I'm thinking the military has done more research than I have.

The .40 is a good round, just like the others...but has the same cost as .45 and about the same recoil. Police shoot the holy snot out of .40 cal as I've seen by the buckets of brass a LEO friend of mine brings to my place from the local Police range, it's about 80% .40sw, 15% 9mm and 5% .45acp. So either the cops that are shooting 45 are taking their brass with them, or there's a lot less of them with .45's.

[Kimber1911_06238]

nothing wrong with it...but 9mm is cheaper and i prefer the recoil of a .45 to the sharp recoil of the .40 That being said, I have come up with a few handloads for the .40 that I like very much. With regular factory loads I prefer the 9 or .45

[Eyesac]

It's one of the big 3. The three most popular HG rounds, what more could you ask?

[Scorpiusdeus]

#2 The police Downgraded from .45 to .40 again because of the reduced cost, but also so the female officers who get to pass through the academy with lower physical standards then males can control the recoil.


Since it is generally agreed upon that the .40 has more snap recoil to it than .45 I find this statement absurd.

[Joe the Redneck]

I think it is all about marketing.

The late Col. Cooper thought the 45 acp was the alpha & omega of pistoll rounds.

Rightly or wrongly, many people felt that Cooper was an adle minded old coot who was totally out of touch. Naturally, to those people, anything Cooper said HAD to wrong. So they felt the 9mm was the end all and be all.

Then came the 10mm. Great round for a subgun, lousey round for a pistol. Much too hot. So it was downloaded. Then the case was shortened, and thus was born the 40 S&W.

It was a larger frontal area then the 9mm, but worked well in hi cap mags. It wasn't as big the 45, but you could have 15 as opposed to seven. And it was bigger than the 9. It split the difference.

Is one better than the other, well, I wouldn't stand in front of any of them. Personally, I think anyone is great. I own all three. Shoot what you like.

Joe

[22LongRifle]

Around here, its annual quailfing time and that means practice at the range. I'm a brass whore! I go and pick up brass at least twice a week. Last couple of years, I could get a five gallon bucket or two of 40S&W, plus alot of nickle pieces when the LEOs did their night and duty ammo shoots. This year, I only got two coffee cans full. Its all 9mm or 45ACP. I'm seeing alot more 45GAP than 40S&W. Seems to be the next "new" thing.

Personally, I like a 45ACP or 45GAP over the 40S&W. The 45GAP in a 9mm size frame is not a hard on the weapon as the 40S&W loads. Plus, its alot less snappier.

Another personal "enlightenment", I noticed the 40S&W loads are getting hotter. This is causing ALOT of problems in the 9mm size frames. I don't know why they have to make the loads hotter, but I noticed alot more recoil and lower scores on my quailifing and others. And I shoot my 40S&W in some "bigger" weapons, like the Glock G35 and the XD40 Tactical.

Between the 9mm, 40S&W, 45GAP, and the 45ACP, I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I like the 9mm for cheap practice (when I don't have a 22lr conversion kit) and the 45GAP for a normal size weapon and low recoil. Its just what you wnat. If you want a normal size weapon with the highest amount of rounds, then go with a 9mm. If you want a normal size weapon with a good amount of ammo and a larger caliber, you might want a 40S&W. If you want a larger size weapon with a proven caliber, when you have a 45ACP. If you want the best of it all, then you need the 45GAP :neener: !

Its the reason there is 31 favors!

Jerry

[BrianB]

Interesting data from this site...

http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs31.htm

[possum]

thanks for the link. by the looks of it the .40 did pretty good.

[Oldskoolfan]

I prefer the .40 myself. My only complaint is that it is more expensive to shoot than 9mm. I wish that the military would adopt it as I think it is easily the best of both worlds. Stopping power and capacity in one package. What is not to like?

[bicyclewrench]

Why when ther's 10mm? :D

[Mortech]

+100 Bicycle

[spyderdude]

The 9mm is also available worldwide, and is accepted by our military, and special forces across the globe, so it must have something good going for it.

[Lonestar49]

...

My BIL, LA Swat, 22yrs, Sgt now, 1 year to go, to retirement said that, in SWAT, they used nothing but 45cals.. period.

When he left SWAT for the rank increase of pay for retirement purposes, he was back on the street, and that LA's Police Policy was that all street cops had to use Glock (for their continued firing, after torture testing, including dropping the same Glock from an 8 story building, loaded, chambered, and no misfires, no damage other than a chip of the front sight and barrel, and scratches, but kept on firing without fail.

But the MAIN reason they went 9mm, was for damage control, in that, a 45 can go thru things, beyond its target, and do damage to other "things".. Where as, the 9mm JHP's did not go thru things and beyond, and therefore, was and is, the standard issue for the street cops.

Bottom line: one Caliber, the 45 is more forgiving IMO, than either the 40cal's or 9mm's more unforgiving, in a near perfect hit, vs the same shot-placement of a larger 45 caliber.

Puppet show:

The 45cal goes < boom------> O

The 40cal goes boom^ ------> 0

The 9mm goes bang^ -------> o

End of Puppet show..

Once he made Sgt., some 3yrs ago, he was, and is, allowed to carry his trusty, best handgun friend, a 1911, Government Issue, 45cal.


Some things make sense to others, but worrying about a street cops self protection, and his missed shots, or shots that go thru, or beyond, at the expense of knockdown power, vs the 9mm that, IMO, needs a better place- shotment, overall, to do the job, as compared to a more forgiving 45cal, with more punch on impact, and bigger holes, for the safety of the 9mm's less carrying power, flys in the face of logic, IMO, when it comes to street cops vs the concrete jungle of mis-fits that roam the streets and cities with their 45cals, semi's and auto's.

A 45cals heavier bullet, means more carrying power, as in inertia of weight, and can go thru doors, car doors, thru a corner wall, where the BG can be, far better, with less doubt, than both, the 40cal or 9mm. And that ends the BG's far faster, and for the better, than not.

To be fair, all calibers mentioned, are GOOD TO GO, with the right shot-placement by the shooter.


my 2 cents


LS


PS.. have you not seen, and heard, all the complaints of SUV's and their tank-driver ways? They do far more damage at 45mph, than any rice rocket coupe going 65mph.. why? Because of the SUV's weight, inertia, it does not slow down nearly as quick as a faster, but lighter, car, in an impact crash, to a complete stop.

[possum]

another reason that i stick with the .40 is the fact that i have approx 4000rds of brass. that depending on how many times i can reload it will have the possibility of lasting me a really long time.

i am starting to shoot .45 and will alot more in the future when i get my 1911, and i will reload both, and i don't think that i will need to go back to the 9mm, well at least not for a while.

[MarshallDodge]

I like .40 and own a couple guns chambered for it. My next 1911 will probably be chambered for it. At the range when I am picking up brass the most popular is 9mm, then .40, and then .45. It used to be that 45 and 9 were all you saw in the early 90's but 40 has grown in popularity with the Glock/Sig/XD crowd.

[lbmii]

If you sat down with a blank sheet of paper in front of you and decided to invent the best all purpose self-defense pistol round. And you decided to take into consideration and balance as much as possible; power verses recoil, diameter verses capacity, energy verses momentum, short barrel performance, long barrel performance, and pistol frame size, you would end up inventing the 40 S&W.

[possum]

i as well have seen a definete trend in .40 and i find more and more of it at the indoor local range which is good for me i guess.

[Redneck with a 40]

I've been a 40 fan since day one, when it came out in 1990. In my opinion, the 40 combines the best attributes of capacity, size (bullet and gun frame), short and long barrel performance, and power. In a short barrel, 3-3.5", the 40 leaves the 45 in the dust, plus it normally packaged in a 9mm sized frame. I'm more then willing to give up 2-3 rounds of 9mm in a magazine, in favor of the 40. The Taurus 24/7 40 has a 15+1 capacity, the 9mm a 17+1 capacity, this is a good trade-off in my view. I've read and heard lots of talk about the "snappy" recoil of the 40 and how its uncontrollable. I'll agree that it is "snappy", but its no big deal to me. I can easily rapid fire my XD-40, its totally controllable. I don't see what the big deal is.

Lots of folks mention they don't have a need for the 40, since most already own a 9mm or 45. In this case, thats understandable. For me, the 40 was my first pistol, I didn't own a 9mm or 45 prior to getting the 40. If someone is shopping for their first pistol, I think the 40 is ideal when it comes to power, capacity, and grip/frame size. However, it does take practice to master the 40, but its worth it, in my opinion.

Ammo cost for my reloaded ammo in 40S&W = $6.25/50.:D

[TexasP226]

.40 a fad round? Huh, that might make sense a few years ago, but every gun company offers a .40 handgun as an option, only a few companies offer .45 as an option on most of their handguns.

If you consider Colt, CZ, Glock, HK, Kahr, Kimber, Para, Ruger, Sig, SMith & Wesson, Springfield, Taurus, and numerous others "a few," then I guess, yeah, only a few companies offer a .45...

[Richard]

I am late to the fray but my opine is the 40 S&W is too popular. I see little that the 40 S&W does that a good 9mm or 45acp round doesn't do as well. I find the recoil of the 40 S&W to be snappy and the 45acp recoil to be more of a push back into your hand. Regards, Richard:D

[PPGMD]

If you consider Colt, CZ, Glock, HK, Kahr, Kimber, Para, Ruger, Sig, SMith & Wesson, Springfield, Taurus, and numerous others "a few," then I guess, yeah, only a few companies offer a .45...

Do all of those companies make a 45 in almost all of their handgun lines? Most companies make A 45, but almost every company offers a 40 in almost all their handgun lines.

[TexasP226]

I don't see what the point of that is? No you cannot buy a Glock 17 in .45, but so what? You cannot buy a Sig P226 in .45, and you cannot buy a P220 in .40. So what? I have nothing against the .40, but I don't see why it matters. In most cases, guns from the same manufacturer are so similar you could pick up a .40 or .45 and use it instinctively if you are familiar with one or the other already. Mechanically there is really no difference between a P220 or P226, a Glock 17 or a Glock 21, any USP, andy XD, any M&P, most any Smith auto that is not an M&P or 1911, etc. Also let's not forget all the custom 1911 makers out there.

[PPGMD]

You didn't see what I was quoting, someone said that the .40 is a fad round. Most companies make a 45, but they make more models of the 40 because they have a 40 in nearly every product line they have a 9mm in. Where as with the 45 often the 45 is contained into a single product line.

[Im283]

I have never shot a .45

That being said I like the snappy re-coil in my .40S&W. It makes a real loud boom and is way fun to shoot. Kind of makes me want to shoot a .45 though.
bigger boom I am guessing. To me going to the range is all about the boom!

As for a defense round, bigger is not always better. I agree with those who talk about shot placement being key.

[Pilgrim]

I owned .45 ACP and 9mm pistols before the .40 came out. I just don't see any need to stock another ammunition caliber. I'm sure the .40 is just fine, but the .45 ACP and the 9mm fill all my needs.

Pilgrim

[jad0110]

With proper placement, all 3 will get the job done IMO, as well as any handgun round can be expected to. Pick the one that is available in the package that fits your needs and that you shoot the best, its that simple. Don't be like the guy I saw at the range last summer: he rented two Glocks (one 9mm and one 40) and shot almost 50% tighter groups with the 9mm than the 40 (roughly 10" vs 6" at 7 yds), but went with the 40 just because it was a bit bigger :scrutiny: .

That being said I like the snappy re-coil in my .40S&W. It makes a real loud boom and is way fun to shoot. Kind of makes me want to shoot a .45 though.
bigger boom I am guessing.

Recoil is highly subjective - what feels good to one person may feel objectionable to another. For me: I never warmed up to the 40. To me, it feels like it combines the quick snap of the 9mm and the heavy push of the 45. As a result, I can't hit the broad side of a barn with the 40 from the inside. With the doors closed :o . So, I prefer 9mm and 45 ACP. Then again, my favorite SD round is 38 special, a much underestimated cartridge that'll get 'er done with the right ammo and good shot placement.

BTW, the 45 to me has only a tad more BOOM than the 40 (see below), but the 45 has a whole lot less snap. That's just my hands talking though.

9mm: BANG
40: BOOM
45: BOOM

:D

[Greg8098]

Consolidations are good 10-Ring. Thinking of doing one myself. Tried it once, but didn't do so well :confused: . Oh well, if at first you dont succeed.................

[mavracer]

Here are official gelatin results for DoubleTap loads!
All of these tests were done using 10% ballistic gelatin provided by Vyse gelatin using all FBI protocols and 4 layers of denim and two layers of light cotton T-shirt in front of the gelatin.

DoubleTap 9mm+P
115gr. Gold Dot JHP @ 1415fps - 12.00" / .70"
124gr. Gold Dot JHP @ 1310fps - 13.25" / .70"
147gr. Gold Dot JHP @ 1125fps - 14.00" / .66"

DoubleTap .40 S&W Penetration / expansion
135gr. Nosler JHP @ 1375fps - 12.10" / .72"
155gr Gold Dot JHP @ 1275fps - 13.00" / .76"
165gr Gold Dot JHP @ 1200fps - 14.0" / .70"
180gr Gold Dot JHP @ 1100fps - 14.75" / .68"
200gr XTP @ 1050fps - 17.75" / .59"

DoubleTap 10mm
135gr JHP @ 1600fps - 11.0" / .70" frag nasty
155gr Gold Dot JHP @ 1475fps - 13.5" / .88"
165gr Gold Dot JHP @ 1400fps - 14.25" / 1.02"
165gr Golden Saber JHP @ 1425fps - 14.75" / .82"
180gr Golden Saber JHP @ 1330fps - 16.0" / .85"

DoubleTap .45ACP
185gr Gold Dot JHP @ 1225fps - 12.75" / .82"
200gr Gold Dot JHP @ 1125fps - 14.25" / .88"
230gr Gold Dot JHP @ 1010fps - 15.25" / .95"

I'm back did some research,seams these balistic tests would indicate my original post correct:neener:

[OnDuty]

I would group 9mm and 45ACP in one group and then 40S&W in another. IMHO I can feel the snap in a 40s&w.

[Radjxf]

I've just never seen the point in it myself. Sold all of mine. I can get the same performance and capacity (or slightly more) with the 9mm, and not suffer the snappy torquey recoil. I may be crazy, but I've never seen a weapon in .40 that was as accurate as the same weapon chambered in 9mm or 45. It's still very popular nonetheless, I think it'll be around for quite some time.