Availability of .40 S&W.

Generally good availability on 40. Looks good here:

https://www.ammoman.com/40-smith-wesson

FlSwampRat said:

No, it's because there weren't any shootings.

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Yes I know. It was sarcasm. My bad. I've carried a glock 27 for probably 20 years. I have 10 or so .40s. And I shoot 10k or so rounds of .40 a year. Usually reloads but trade in ammo had been so cheap I've burned it the last few. Until this year the .40 was our county (and local city department) service caliber. I'm a fan actually

As far as ammo if you can buy online look at LAX and at sgammo. Recoil gunworks is another good one but has less trade in or over run ammo Both have constantly revolving supplies and I've ordered thousands from both.

crestoncowboy said:

I've carried a glock 27 for probably 20 years. I have 10 or so .40s. And I shoot 10k or so rounds of .40 a year. Usually reloads but trade in ammo had been so cheap I've burned it the last few. Until this year the .40 was our county (and local city department) service caliber. I'm a fan actually

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I kinda guessed. LOL
I've never shot a .40, just never had the occasion to do so, nothing against the round.

As far as ammo if you can buy online look at LAX and at sgammo. Recoil gunworks is another good one but has less trade in or over run ammo Both have constantly revolving supplies and I've ordered thousands from both.

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All of our distributors are out of .40 and .380, as I said earlier. I've had no problem getting in 9mm, which, due to it's ubiquity you'd think would be bought up before all the .40 and .380 would be.

We’re nearing the end of the ammo shortage here and I’m waiting out the price bump. I keep a good supply of ammo on hand by way of loading my own but realizing I’m down to 1,500 rounds of .45ACP and just 900 rounds of .40 S&W means cutting down a bit till I can put in a few days at the bench.

I’ve got a 9mm on order for my father who managed without trouble to pick up 500 rounds of mixed fmj and hp with no trouble. I’ve got another 300 rounds loaded with XTPs for him to try but that will put me at 3k and I’ll probably lighten my practice until I can restock bullets. Loading on single-stage presses is finally got me thinking of either case buys on factory fodder or a new progressive set up.

I don’t frequent the Handgun Forum much and didn’t realize my .40 is no longer capable. Guess I’ll polish up the .25 and start carrying a real round.

Last year I was going crazy trying to find one of those used 40 S&W pistols locally. Yet in every other state, you all said they were growing off trees.
Yea it's a very weird mismatched supply&demand I guess. Maybe there were lots of people who bought a gun over 10 years ago (in .40) that just now are stocking up again.
Someone I know only has one adequate self defense pistol, a full size XD in .40 S&W that he bought a long time ago. So maybe there's a huge handful of said people who are stocking up now.
I finally have that .40 S&W pistol (had to go online) and am looking for a .357 Sig barrel for it. Anyone know where to find a threaded 357 Sig barrel for a P229?

I do not shoot alot of 40 S&W but since I reload, ammunition supply for me is not an issue. Reloading components are available at this time even if factory ammunition may be in short supply.

But, I'll agree, reloading is not for everyone.

Thought about getting something in a .40 S&W during the last ammo shortage when there wasn't a whole lot of 9mm. and .45 ACP available but .40 S&W could still be found on gun shop's shelves. I have had three guns chambered for the .40 S&W but for whatever reason I just didn't care for the cartridge.

I had a Springfield Armory P9 (sort of a copy of a CZ 75), an HK USP, and a Kahr CW40. All three were decent enough guns than ran fine but none of them were particularly accurate with any ammo I tried and had more felt recoil and muzzle flip than a comparable gun in 9mm. Since then I have stocked up on 9mm. and .45ACP and I also reload both of them. Even with the surplus of affordable LE guns being out there I think I will sit this one out on the .40 S&W yet again.

I'd say the scarcity of 40 SW, at least in part, loops back to the big manufacturers changing those machines over to other calibers due to low demand (LEO and civ). While folks may have been buying up cheap 40SW, the facts seem to be that they weren't taking them to the range (still cheaper to shoot 9mm if you wanted to get some range/plinking time in). And since 40SW ammo is likely bit of a "dog" for gun stores to stock (low margin, higher cost, and weak turns), they're hesitant to put inventory dollars into the caliber (safer to stick with 9mm/45ACP/223/556). That said, while there may be some localized demand for 40 SW while the manufacturers catch up, I'd say it'll come back pretty quick.

The price of ammo has little to do with the amount of raw material. It is almost entirely based on mass production. For example, 32 ACP ammo is a lot more expensive than 9mm even though it uses less metal and powder. 40 S&W guns are not in demand so the ammo companies have probably cut back production which has raised the price for a box.