.40 "Short & Weak" or "Short & Wimpy"...does this nickname make any sense anymore??!!

[RustyShackelford]

LOL!

I have not seen or heard that term in about 10 years!

My former co-worker, a federal 083/police officer and part time gun store clerk got me a box of 135gr .40S&W JHPs for my 96D Beretta and called it that, .

He also had an on call/PT gig with a small town PD where he used a Glock 20 10mm, .

He later left the federal job and became a full time LT on the smaller PD. He still packed the Glock 20 too...

Rusty

 

[Ltlabner]

I bet that your fingers are average to long in size. Mine are also, so I also prefer the .45 ACP.

Not every one is blessed with the size of hand that will fit the .45 caliber frames, however. They are much helped by the slight difference in length. They get a cartridge with superior ballistics to the 9mm, in a frame the same size.

This is exactly why I took up the .40S&W. I wanted more omph than the 9mm (allthough the advances in 9mm bullet design mean that I think it's a fine round too) but I can never find a .45 or 10mm that fits my hand. I have small hands and short fingers.

The .40's usually fit my hand...the .45's...not so much.

 

[McCall911]

McCall - thank you for quoting that.

Sorry. I just couldn't waste the opportunity to crack one of my bad jokes, Doug. Not that I've ever cracked many good jokes.



The thing that never totally won me over about the .400 CorBon was the fact that it generally required the lighter bullets (if I understood correctly.) Otherwise, I've never used it, so I can't really criticize it.

 

[DougDubya]

.50 GI necked down to .45 ACP.

That would be epic.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

.50 GI necked down to .45 ACP.

Why not just spring up the ACP for .45 Super and avoid losing magazine capacity to obtain the same approximate level of ballistic performance?

 

[DougDubya]

Because it's not enough tinkering.

Plus, lower pressures could be achieved with the larger powder reservoir.

 

[SDDL-UP]

It's not a 10mm - so what. A 10mm isn't a 41 Magnum either and a 357 Sig isn't really 357 Magnum performance.

Too much marketing hype! If it makes someone feel better for tagging the 40 S&W as "scrawny and weak" you know right off they like to buy into hype... so you know where they're coming from. Take their views into consideration accordingly.

 

[BlindJustice]

+1 for Kilted Cossack statement/comments

ONe of the few who recall the .40 G&A - Championed by
Guns & Ammo magazine editors and Jeff Cooper was drug along
Browning HI Power platform
Bar Sto Barrel
RCBS made the dies
brass case was it's downfall - cut off a .224 Weatherby belted
magnum so it head spaced on the belt. the thick rifle brass had to be
reammed to seat the bullets
Bullets: Rem Peters .38-40 180 gr. JSP hey it was the late 1970s
and it was loaded to be a little over 1000 FPS THe BHP handled it with
10 + 1 cap. Jeff Cooper thought it was a great tweener

I can't comment on .40 S&W or 10 MM as I have yet to shoot them but I
have read about them - seems to me the .40 S&W is purposefully built to be a practical round on platforms that fit a lot of less than large/long fingered hands, the 10MM AUto is perhaps more suited for hunting or bust down a barricade for popeye armed macho whatever.

I like my 1911
I picked up some aforementioned Hornady .45 ACP +P 200 gr. XTP JHPs saturday, did some net surfing - they chrono at 1,055 FPS

I also broke in a CZ 75B saturday - very happy with the 9mm and a
16 rounds mag. got's the Speer GD 124 gr. JHP @ 1280 FPS +P and
obliterated the 10 ring with flyers

I have a friend up in SPokane with a S&W M&P .40 S&W I will shoot some
time soon when I go to visit family. I have read of it's bullet
wight options and velocities - seems reasonable tweener to me - but
firing one and felt recoil is in the hand of the shooter.

I also have a .400 CorBon barrel for my 1911 - I don't have to buy a Delta
ELite or extra mags or all that stuff. just drop it in and check it out and it's rated by SAAMI to the same pressure as .45 ACP +P.

y'all shoot whatever you can hit stuff with the rest of it is

Blowing in the Wind

I will leave you to DOug W's just cuz he can or google a youtube of Dylan

 

[jlh26oo]

Too bad the 10mm wasn't called "magnum" or something, to let the nonenthusiast know what's up. Then 10mm'ers wouldn't have to come up with fauxcronyms like short and weak (the .40sw would however, still be "the answer to a question nobody asked").

I personally prefer .45acp because it's lower pressure yet high performance, like how the recoil rolls, like shape of full size grips in .45, etc knowing I'm compromising capacity. If I wanted to downgrade for capacity purposes, I'd stick with 9mm. Nothing against .40sw, on paper it's the best of both worlds: perfomrance of a .45 and capacity of a 9mm. Rock on!

 

[saturno_v]

I wonder if Smith & Wesson will re-introduce a line of autoloaders in 10 mm Auto with a new synonym: 40 Smith & Wesson Magnum!!!!

 

[Marshall]

I wonder if Smith & Wesson will re-introduce a line of autoloaders in 10 mm Auto with a new synonim: 40 Smith & Wesson Magnum!!!!

You laugh but I imagine it would sell like hot cakes. Not a bad idea.

 

[saturno_v]

Or maybe they will re-name it 40 Remington Auto Magnum

 

[McCall911]

Or maybe they will re-name it 40 Remington Auto Magnum

Given the way some wildcatters (and even ammunition makers) like to reinvent the wheel several times over, I wouldn't be too surprised to see something like that. I'm wondering if there's a rimmed 10mm for revolvers and lever action rifles, which would be pretty much the same as the .400 Eimer of the 1920's and the .401 Powermag of the 1960's.

 

[Hokkmike]

I bet anyone hit by a .40 slug would tell you that the round is anything but wimpy or weak...

I have no doubt that this is true, and shoot a .40 S&W myself. But I am sure that anyone even shot with a .380 would be of the same opinion.

 

[DougDubya]

BlindJustice - not so good at putting youtubage up here. Maybe another board...

As for the S&W's alternate, early nickname, I don't care much for the apellation. Now, Colonel Cooper's title: The 10mm Short (or 10mm Kurz for the Euros) - that sounds a bit neater.

 

[Babalouie]

It might be short but its chubby

 

[Mark F]

Papajohn,

You are way too practical...

I shoot 305 grain 44 Magnums for fun and maximum recoil, and a 40 S&W Home Defense protection. I also keep a loaded Maverick 500 handy too.

I, (like you) would much prefer NOT to be a recipient of what some people call whimpy rounds. There is nothing whimpy about a 40 S&W, regardless where it hits you.