"40 is a dead caliber"

[DownInTheDark]

I get tired of people saying a 9mm is as good as a 40 cal. Yet these same people are shooting +p+ ammo trying to get every fps they can out of their 9mm. I cheat, I carry a 357 Sig.

 

[Capybara]

I reload. No such thing as a dead cartridge.

 

[chanroc]

All this talk of the 40 S&W being dead has made me reconsider shopping for a 38 Super. I mean that round has to be extinct, right? Shoot what you shoot best - .22 LR, .38 Special, 9mm, .40 S&W, .475 Wildey Magnum.... One of the few good things left about this country is that we have a boat load of options. I don't care if your 9mm is better than my 40 and I don't care that your 40 is better than my 9mm. I enjoy shooting them all. Enjoy the variety that we have!
(And while the 40 S&W may no longer be the prom queen, she's far from being out of the dance)

 

[Auto426]

I wouldn't say .40 is a dead caliber by any means. Practically ever new gun that is introduced in 9mm usually has a .40 follow on version right on it's heels. Dead calibers don't have that.

I would, however, be interested in seeing something like sales and production statistics for something like Glock 17/19's versus Glock 22/23's over the past 15 years. My guess is that in the last 3-4 years there would be a measurable decrease in the number of .40 guns produced/sold and a measurable increase in the number of 9mm guns. I'd say the caliber has definitely lost some popularity but I'd also say the same is true of .45 ACP, though I believe that has more to do with the sheer cost of ammunition versus anything else.

 

[Decoy80]

From a reloaders perspective the 40 components seem to be in stock when 45 , 9 mm are out of stock. Ive been thinking of one being the next adoption to the family for that reason alone. I like to shoot , and then even more. The price of purchase is also a consideration in my opinion. Dead not by a long shot.

 

[djont57]

This thread is about as "dead" as the .40.

 

[Zebraranger]

There's too many .40's out there now sold over the years to be dead during our lifetime, it will still be around for as long as we are.

 

[chardin]

I think in the context of this thread, "dead" seems to mean "no longer the beneficiary of a preference cascade on gun forums". In other words, it's not considered all that hip. And discussing the forum popularity of a round on a forum thread seems like Inception gone wrong.

 

[zaitcev]

I think in the context of this thread, "dead" seems to mean "no longer the beneficiary of a preference cascade on gun forums". In other words, it's not considered all that hip. And discussing the forum popularity of a round on a forum thread seems like Inception gone wrong.

The forum popularity is not the whole picture. As PDs follow FBI and dump .40, we're going to have a glut of cheap trade-ins, in the short term. But as the manufacturers stop offering .40 versions, the prices are going to go up. Eventually even the brass is going to be somewhat of a problem. So what we're looking at is the newest and hottest designs not coming in .40 anymore. For example, there never was a Boberg in .40, but there was one in .45; of course Bond are only going to make on in 9, so according to "Boberg Index" both 40 and 45 are equally dead. Not that Boberg/Bond is in any case a trend-setter or an important gun, but it's an example of what we're looking at if current trends continue.

It's a good thing, at least, that .40 cartridge is small, which makes it easier to make versions for it. If you look at Shield and P320, you can see that 9mm and .40 versions are exactly the same in dimensions, while .45 versions are significantly different. And not just the frames: you can't even swap the chassis between .45 and 9/40 P320, what to say about magazines. This circumstance is going to help .40 survive longer.

 

[chardin]

You are more confident in your predictions than I am in mine. Time and events will prove it all out, of course. And by the time any of this matters, I hope to have a phaser.

(Why didn't phasers produce a horrid odor of vaporized human?)

 

[HonorableHojutsu]

You are more confident in your predictions than I am in mine. Time and events will prove it all out, of course. And by the time any of this matters, I hope to have a phaser.

(Why didn't phasers produce a horrid odor of vaporized human?)

They stun at the neuromuscular level like a prongless taser. Tasers never really vaporize flesh so no barbecue human smell either.

As for the disrupters used, they likely vaporized fast enough not to leave an odor.

I have no idea about plasma rifles in the 40 mW range....

 

[chardin]

They stun at the neuromuscular level like a prongless taser. Tasers never really vaporize flesh so no barbecue human smell either.

That's the stun setting. What about the one where the body disappears? Where did it go?

As for the disrupters used, they likely vaporized fast enough not to leave an odor.

But wouldn't there at least be steam?

I have no idea about plasma rifles in the 40 mW range....

Just what you see, pal.

 

[Gun Master]

I think this thread may be "Going where no man has gone before"!!!!

 

[bnolsen]

Sad sad. I have several 10mm pistols that I swapped over to .40 barrels and springs. I wanted the large frame but the cost of 10mm ammo was brutal. Also the 10mm seems just a bit too hot for a semi auto platform, probably because many 10mm were just rechambered 45acp.

 

[Hondo 60]

I reload. No such thing as a dead cartridge.

Well then i guess we reload "A DEAD CALIBER "

Just bought my 1st 40 S&W 2 weeks ago - a Walther PPX
Found it at CDNN for $269

 

[tarosean]

To summarize the entire thread

 

[Lycidas Janwor]

Actually the Marine Raiders have dumped the .45 and gone to the 9mm Glock 19.

As for the gun counter guy, he knows what sells in his store and what doesn't. It's a lot harder these days to sell a .40 than a 9 or .45. New pistol models aren't even being released in .40. The Ruger American and the new Remington RP line are only offered in 9mm and .45 acp.

I can understand gun manufacturers not making new gun models in .40S&W but the reality is there's so many guns out there that are chambered for the .40 that even if no new guns are made for that caliber, it really doesn't matter as the market is already there. Personally, I think the .40S&W fills a gap and is an excellent round for law enforcement or civilian use. Plus, the more rounds/choices, the better.

 

[Badzilla]

That's what I was told by the guy behind the counter at Kentucky's largest gun shop. I was unaware of this: when is the funeral?

This does seem to be making for some good deals in used guns. I picked up a like-new Beretta PX4 compact in 40 for $299.

Sorry to add to such an old thread, but I had a similar experience lately! I picked up a used Sig P226 with 3 mags for $380 because it was .40. I will gladly keep this theory of the dead caliber going for deals like that!

 

[kcofohio]

Sorry to add to such an old thread, but I had a similar experience lately! I picked up a used Sig P226 with 3 mags for $380 because it was .40. I will gladly keep this theory of the dead caliber going for deals like that!

Welcome to the THR!

One man's lose is another man's gain.