Its OK slick, if the .40 is a compromise - its a GREAT one. Capacity, caliber, cost, power, expansion, selection, availability and AWESOME results all help make it #1.
The 32ACP is actualy the most used cartridge in the world capturing about 35% of the usage. The 9mm is by far and away the second most poplar cartridge at about 30%, and the 45ACP gets about 25% of the usage in the world. The 40 cal cartridges are only popular here in the states, they have about 9 or 10% of the usage. This assumes that the 9MM in question is the 9MM Luger. The 9x18, 9x21 and so on have very low usage.
The 9x19 and .45 ACP are pretty much no-brainers for one and two. I had a hard time picking three because there are two possible contenders: .40 S&W (present) and .380 ACP (historically). (Of course, if we considered revolvers, the .38 Special would trump them all by a large margin.)
"Compromise" is a good description for the .40 S&W. It was designed to package a larger (calibre) bullet in 9x19 size handgun and to increase capacity over the .45 ACP. Perhaps, it would do well to point out the 10mm was adopted by the FBI as a compromise between two opposing camps: one which wanted more capacity (9x19) and one which wanted a larger calibre (.45 ACP). BTW, it's not accurate to attribute the failure of 10mm with FBI to recoil--size, weight and early reliability problems were the culprits.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
