Yep. That's the discussion. A man I like and respect believes so much in the 40 that the 41 and 44 mags just aren't as good at stopping bad guys. Guess why? Because all that extra power just zips through and is wasted.
I feel a little like the bureacrat who just lowered the LA Police Academy training wall so the female applicants could climb it. Just don't tell me the wall is as high.
Anyone here ever shot a deer with a 210 gr Hornady 41? Busted ribs on one side, destroyed the lungs and several organs, severed the spinal column and busted ribs on the other side before 'zipping through' and 'wasting' all that energy and bullet weight.
Personally, I like many cartridges and handguns. I like semi autos though I favor the revolver. All will do the job. But if you're asking about ultimate, hands to the ground performance?
Saying the 40 SW is a better stopper than a properly loaded 44 mag is like saying don't fear the 50 Browning because it'll 'zip right through'.
The 40 is the latest incarnation of self defense and police philosophy. It is not new. A wonderful approach; moderate velocities, large diameter, controlled expansion round will do the job. Current practise with controlled expansion rounds makes it rely upon the energy dump to do it's job. We first saw the anemic 38 Special rejuvenated by modern bullet construction. Police cannot afford the litigation and stiff recoil of a mag round penetrating Bad Guy and flying across the street through another wall or two. That does not mean that a modern big bore magnum round will not kill better than a 40 SW.
It does not have to rely upon 'energy dump' to do it's job. It has energy to spare- twice as much. And it has a better chance at a permenant wound cavity and CNS hit. You could view the departing projectile as a 'waste' of energy, but that would be to ignore the more violent and destructive path it took breaking through, where it had much more energy to impart.
All things being equal, a properly loaded big bore mag cartridge can exceed the destructive power of a 40 SW any day.
Is it the right tool for the job? It may not be for a modern City Police force, but for a home owner, especially one living in the country as I do, it is often a better choice.
I say all this with just a touch of sadness. I never thought it my task to defend the laws of physics from revisionism. I've carried semi wad cutters, hard cast, HP's, Hydra shocks and the like, in revolvers and 1911's for over 20 years and never felt inadequate. I would feel fine with a 40 SW. But I've seen fads and 'current thinking' change, come and go over the years.
That the 40 is a marvelous cartridge could not be denied. That does not make it 'best' or even the ultimate in final terminal performance. There is no deader than dead. But we are talking about probabilities. I'll take my chances with more bullet weight, more velocity, and much more power. That this would not be my choice living in a Condo in Florida does not mean the 40 SW is better.
munk
I feel a little like the bureacrat who just lowered the LA Police Academy training wall so the female applicants could climb it. Just don't tell me the wall is as high.
Anyone here ever shot a deer with a 210 gr Hornady 41? Busted ribs on one side, destroyed the lungs and several organs, severed the spinal column and busted ribs on the other side before 'zipping through' and 'wasting' all that energy and bullet weight.
Personally, I like many cartridges and handguns. I like semi autos though I favor the revolver. All will do the job. But if you're asking about ultimate, hands to the ground performance?
Saying the 40 SW is a better stopper than a properly loaded 44 mag is like saying don't fear the 50 Browning because it'll 'zip right through'.
The 40 is the latest incarnation of self defense and police philosophy. It is not new. A wonderful approach; moderate velocities, large diameter, controlled expansion round will do the job. Current practise with controlled expansion rounds makes it rely upon the energy dump to do it's job. We first saw the anemic 38 Special rejuvenated by modern bullet construction. Police cannot afford the litigation and stiff recoil of a mag round penetrating Bad Guy and flying across the street through another wall or two. That does not mean that a modern big bore magnum round will not kill better than a 40 SW.
It does not have to rely upon 'energy dump' to do it's job. It has energy to spare- twice as much. And it has a better chance at a permenant wound cavity and CNS hit. You could view the departing projectile as a 'waste' of energy, but that would be to ignore the more violent and destructive path it took breaking through, where it had much more energy to impart.
All things being equal, a properly loaded big bore mag cartridge can exceed the destructive power of a 40 SW any day.
Is it the right tool for the job? It may not be for a modern City Police force, but for a home owner, especially one living in the country as I do, it is often a better choice.
I say all this with just a touch of sadness. I never thought it my task to defend the laws of physics from revisionism. I've carried semi wad cutters, hard cast, HP's, Hydra shocks and the like, in revolvers and 1911's for over 20 years and never felt inadequate. I would feel fine with a 40 SW. But I've seen fads and 'current thinking' change, come and go over the years.
That the 40 is a marvelous cartridge could not be denied. That does not make it 'best' or even the ultimate in final terminal performance. There is no deader than dead. But we are talking about probabilities. I'll take my chances with more bullet weight, more velocity, and much more power. That this would not be my choice living in a Condo in Florida does not mean the 40 SW is better.
munk
