.40 S+W Best all around round

[BadJohn]

Pistols for the .40 hold more than a .45.Have more stopping power than the 9mm and are also in between in price.A very accurate cartridge with plenty of knockdown.My favorite round.
What's your opinion?Let the flames commence.




.40 S&W,Don't leave home without it.

 

[DeltaElite]

10mm, what the 40 short and weak wants to be.
No such thing as knockdown, unless you hit them with your car.

 

[yayarx7]

You can only have 10 rounds now anyway. Why not 10 of the largest you can fit?

 

[Spackler]

Sound like you have it all figured out. Why muddy the waters with the thoughtful, well-reasoned opinions of others?

 

[BadJohn]

Actually I also like the 9 and 45.I just wanted to see what kind of discussion we could get going on the subject.

 

[Sean Smith]

Counter-troll, er counter-point to the topic starter's statements:

.40 S&W is an enfeebled derivative of the more powerful, flexible, accurate and safe 10mm Auto cartridge.

.40 S&W is the least accurate of the major self defense autoloader cartridges.

.40 S&W is the most prone to case failures of the major self-defense autoloader cartridges... too much pressure in too weak of a case.

.40 S&W has worse recoil than .45 ACP, and in return makes smaller holes in the target.

.40 S&W has almost exactly the same muzzle energy in most loadings as 9x19mm +P & +P+ loads, making its claims of "superior stopping power" compared to 9x19mm seem spurrious.

 

[BadJohn]

Sean,Don't beat around the bush.How do you really feel?

 

[DeltaElite]

Like I said.
10mm, anything else is second best.

 

[BadJohn]

I believe caliber choice is like auto ownership,everyone has their emotional favorites.I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of any of them.I don't find the recoil of .40 to be bad at all and with some of the better loadings you get close to 490 lbs of energy.I think that's sufficient,that's pushing .45 territory..40 S+W in 165 gr. has a 1 shot stop record of close to 90%.Many police departments have gone to .40 for some reason.
I don't think I was being a troll,just trying to get some debate going.Thanks to all who've replied.

 

[Shane]

I prefer the .45 ACP, followed by the 9mm and then .40.

I still own one .40 pistol, but it gets the least use. I've never cared for the sharp/snappy recoil the .40 offers. In my .40 pistol (CZ 75B), the .40 is very accurate though, but not quite to the same level as .45 ACP or 9mm.

Most of my semi-autos are in either .45 ACP or 9mm. Eventually, I'm going to simplify things and stick to mostly .45 ACP. For my needs, it does everything I ask of it.

Of course, my true preference in handguns is for revolvers in .357 magnum/.38 special FWIW.

 

[Handy]

.40, ballistically, is a decent round. But the combined factors of the .40's weak case, overall shape, operating pressures and guns that it can be stuffed into all make for a really questionable cartridge. The noted poor accuracy and strange failures are a testament to its problematic design.

.40 is a packaging success, not a thoughtfully designed cartridge.

 

[Blackhawk]

9mm, 10mm, .45. Trifecta in any order, IMO.

 

[10-Ring]

Let's see, 10 round max capacity in today's mags....I'm going w/ the 45 & the big bullet big hole theory

 

[Blueduck]

Nothing big against the .40 (love my 4006). But personally by the time a gun gets big enough and heavy enough to be comfortable in 40 I might as well have a 45.

 

[Dave Williams]

Blueduck, you wrote:

"Nothing big against the .40 (love my 4006). But personally by the time a gun gets big enough and heavy enough to be comfortable in 40 I might as well have a 45."

I agree totally with you.

Dave

 

[Ala Dan]

Best Caliber In A Self Loader?

.45 ACP, of course!

It's been around for over 90+ year's; and has
proven its-self in battle, as has the 9m/m. Can
the .40 S&W make that claim? I certainly think
not!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Scott13]

i have never liked 40's , they are probably a very good defence
caliber . But for a great all around caliber they just seem imho
not to fun . They are loud about like a 357 , and the recoil is not
as smooth as the 45 acp , it's too jerky . Just my personal view.

 

[twoblink]

.50AE??? Anybody??

I like the .40SW myself; more bullet then a 9mm, more velocity then a .45ACP.

Of course, the correct answer is .308... (See will a 308 do an engine block thread)

 

[FLM]

According to Doc Roberts, THe CHP is very happy with their 40s and the INS is also. The 180 gr Ranger Talons I use are very accurate and recoil is mild in my Glock m23. However, my first choice is Ranger 230 gr +Ps in .45.

 

[mr. e]

I shoot both the 9mm and the 45 ACP more accurately than the 40 Auto. BUT...

I shoot 40 well enough to feel comfortable carrying it. With the mag restriction of 10 rounds, I'd rather have 10 of 40 than 10 of 9 because I think the 40 packs more wallop.

My full-size Kimber 45 is too big to carry, and even at that size it carries only 7 rounds.

I carry either a Sig 229 or the Walther P99 in 40. Lately, I lean more toward the Walther and use the Sig for 357 SIG loads.

 

[PCRCCW]

40 S&W the ultimate...questionable..but possible.
The 9mm is faster..almost as potent in the extremes in both.
The 45 is bigger/heavier....as potent etc.....

The speed of a 9mm is a real issue...what is so great about the 357 Sig...its speed vs weight......the 40 in +P in lighter loads is pretty damn close. Its diameter is close to the 45 as is its weight...with the increased velocity...who knows it could be better.

It did surpass the 357 last year for the best OSS record...Oooh Aaaah!

It has strengths...small size vs energy produced...fits in 9mm frame sized guns..with almost as many rounds. Very potent in its 'hotter loads. Ballistically equal to most def. calibers...except the 10mm....(But those guys are just making up for ....well, other shortcomings...If you know what I mean!...They have sports cars and other .....compensations" also.... Kidding )

It has weakness's ....prone to KB more than other rounds..an inherent design issue...small case/high pressure etc....

Jeez...I guess its a compromise...just like any other round..like the 9mm, 45 acp, 357 sig and mag and 10mm.........

I guess it just goes back to that "placement" thingy.....

Shoot well

 

[Sean Smith]

Glad to see nobody took my post too seriously.

I've actually owned 2 guns in .40 S&W. The caliber is fine, especially if you want a smaller launch platform than a .45 ACP or 10mm can typically give you.

 

[agtman]

".40 ... A very accurate cartridge with plenty of knockdown power."


Well, at least the "very accurate" part gave me a laugh. Thanks for putting me in a better mood.

Let's try it this way: I've shot a number of .40cal pistols over the years, including several Glock 23s and 22s, Smith 4006s, a beautiful two-tone .40 CZ75B, and a couple of Sig 229s.

The Smith 40s exhibited the worst accuracy of all of them - let's be nice and call it minute-of-barn-door - while the Glock and CZ 40s were about equal, which is to say, pie-plate accuracy with flyers at typical "combat" distances, but nothing worth writing Grandma about. OTOH, for many people, pie-plate accuracy may be all they need or desire.

The Sig 229s were decent, and if I was restricted to carrying only a .40 I'd go with a Sig. But none of these .40s can hold a candle to the out-of-the-box accuracy demonstrated by the 10mms I've shot in the last 15 years or which I personally own.

Ironically, when compared to their little brothers in .40S&W, the large-framed Smith 10mms often exhibit - out-of-the-box - the tight accuracy of a hand-tuned pistol. The stock Glock 20s are very accurate, with most complaints centering on grip size (ditto on the G21), but never where the gun's putting the rounds. G29 owners relate the same high degree of accuracy.

Likewise, the accuracy of stock Delta Elites using Colt barrels has generally been well-received, although admittedly many DE owners have been known to take the gun to the next level with a hand-fitted custom 10mm barrel from Bar-Sto, etc.

HTH.

 

[DeltaElite]

I now carry a Glock 22 as a holster gun and a Glock 27 as my ankle gun, magazine and function compatibility yanno.
Good cartridge, good gun, but I would still take a 10mm or a 45acp in a heartbeat.
Glock 20 with a Glock 29 as my back up. *drools uncontrollably*

Funny thing is I carry 10mm's off duty and a lesser cartridge on duty. Glad I have a shotgun available.

 

[bountyhunter]

Wive's tales die hard:

".40 S&W is an enfeebled derivative of the more powerful, flexible, accurate and safe 10mm Auto cartridge."

Maybe, but posted one shot stop data consistently shows the .40SW to be within one or two percentage points of the .45 and one or two above it in some cases.

".40 S&W is the least accurate of the major self defense autoloader cartridges."

This one may never die since it is the .45 lovers refrain. The .40 is just as accurate as the 9 or 45 as long as the ammo is properly made. The published info on this is that the "inaccurate" rap was actually on the first 10mm ammo made way back when (and it was not well made) and it stuck to the .40SW. The reason I know it's a lie" I have managed a 298/300 at 25 yard bullseye league with my inaccurate .40. The gun can shoot 1" groups with cheap reload ammo.

".40 S&W is the most prone to case failures of the major self-defense autoloader cartridges... too much pressure in too weak of a case."

If you: use worn out brass, push the bullet in too far, and shoot in an unsupported barrel, you can get it to fail. If decent brass is used and properly loaded, there is essentially zero chance of failure.

".40 S&W has worse recoil than .45 ACP, and in return makes smaller holes in the target."

All I can say is shoot them both in a full size 1911. The 180-gr factory .40 has about 30% less recoil than a 230-gr factory .45 and returns to target faster.

".40 S&W has almost exactly the same muzzle energy in most loadings as 9x19mm +P & +P+ loads, making its claims of "superior stopping power" compared to 9x19mm seem spurrious."

Perhaps, but I go by the published one shot stop ratings put out by people who have no reason to lie. And, the fact that law enforcement is re-arming in droves with the .40 makes me tend to think they know the 9mm is inferior in stopping power.