.40sw ???

[Handyman]

Why isn't the .40 more popular ? A lot of police depts. now use it . But most gun owners here seem to prefer the the 9 mil. or the 45acp for a carry weapon . What's wrong with the .40 ?

 

[dralarms]

I can't figure it out either. I like the 40 round. I use it as my daily carry. I can tell you that from 15 yrds it will go through a pressure treated 4 by 4 with NO problem.

 

[RNB65]

9mm ammo is cheaper.

 

[Surefire]

Nothing wrong with it.

I just like the other rounds better.

The .45 ACP IMO has a great balance of power and low recoil. Best balance of the three rounds IMO.

The 9mm has low recoil and cost IMO.

The .40SW IMO has the sharpest perceived recoil of the three, but doesn't offer a big enough power edge over the .45 to justify the greater perceived recoil.

Again, nothing wrong with the .40, its just not my first choice.

I WOULD trust any of the above arounds though, and have used all three in the (if) SHTF home defense role.

The .40 IMO shines the most as a pocket rocket. You can get it in smaller (thinner) packages than a .45. If you need maximum power in the smallest package available, its hard to beat something like a Kahr MK9. However, I'd rather sacrifice a little power for controllability and go with a slightly larger gun in either 9mm or .45.

 

[mavracer]

9mm works using velocity to expand,45 uses momentum. 10mm has both.40 gives up both.if you look at what the trend has been most 40 SD ammo is of the lighter end of its range.

 

[Banta]

Probably price and also some people seem to find the snappy recoil uncomfortable. I really enjoy my .40 and now that I have begun reloading, I wouldn't even bother with buying a 9mm myself. All I do is adjust my load depending on whether I want full power or a light recoil. I think it's a great and very versatile round when you reload.

 

[CWL]

Nothing good or bad.

The .40SW came into being as a powered-down version of the 10mm cartridge. Law enforcement agencies embraced the round as the latest Magic Bullet solution to every problem in the world and adopted them for carry. Gun manufacturers had new 'sexy' caliber gun to sell, private shooters got excited and jumped aboard.

Turns out that you still have to know how to shoot accurately in order for the .40SW to be effective. Same as for any other bullet caliber.

 

[shadowalker]

9mm works using velocity to expand,45 uses momentum. 10mm has both.40 gives up both

9mm, 40 S&W and 45 all have velocity and momentum, in fact velocity is part of the equation for momentum. Momentum explains why 45 ACP has solid penetration even though it uses a slower bullet than the 9mm.

Energy = (Velocity * Velocity) * Weight / 450400
Momentum (ftlbs/sec) = Weight (grains) ÷ 7000 x Velocity (fps)

A +p 9mm 115 grain traveling at 1250 FPS has 395 ft/lb of energy and 20.53 ftlb/sec of momentum
A +p 9mm 124 grain bullet traveling at 1150 FPS has 364 ft/lb of energy and 20.37 ftlb/sec of momentum
A 165 grain 40 S&W bullet travelling at 1150 FPS has 484 ft/lb of energy and 27.10 ftlb/sec of momentum
A +p 45 ACP 230 grain bullet traveling at 950 FPS has 460 ft/lb of energy and 31 ftlb/sec of momentum

As you can see the 40 S&W has plenty of energy and good momentum.

As to the original question it seems most people here are informed enough to have a favorite caliber, I've found that in the general population where people are not as informed 40 S&W is very popular, partly because the police use it so heavily which gives the gun salesmen leverage in selling people it.

I like and carry both 40 S&W and 45 ACP.

 

[browningguy]

I think it's very popular. I've got 4 of them, and know many people that have them. I use a BHP in .40 as my carry gun.

Now in IDPA I shoot 9mm most of the time, lighter recoil, and no scoring disadvantage.

It's really tough to convert a .45 shooter, 230 grains makes a powerfull statement. I think I'm one of the few converts, for me 10-15 rounds of .40 outweighs the 7-8 round of .45.

 

[PPGMD]

if you look at what the trend has been most 40 SD ammo is of the lighter end of its range.

Huh? Most of the ballistic tests that I have read show that quality SD ammo in .40 produces the same wound size as the .45.

Anyways .40 takes the stopping power of the .45 and puts it in the cartridge size similar to a 9mm. With a .40 you get the same stopping power, but in the same size gun more rounds. I think the best example would be comparing Hk models.

USP 9mm 15 rounds
USP .40 13 rounds
Hk45 .45 10 rounds (the USP 45 larger then the other USPs)
USP Compact 9mm 13 rounds
USPc .40 12 rounds
Hk45 Compact 8 rounds

 

[wally]

Factory 9mm ammo is much cheaper than .40S&W. Reloading .45ACP is much easier with larger safety margins than reloading .40S&W.

So IMHO the only place .40S&W really shines is in sub 4" barred guns. Love my Kahr PM40.

--wally.

 

[Croyance]

Well let us turn it around - why should the .40S&W be more popular? After all, the 9x19 and .45 ACP have been around longer than we have been alive. There was a large following to begin with.
I mean, there is something for everybody and I have no issue with the cartridge or its adherents. But having found solutions I like, I have no reason to change.

I handle the .45 ACP fine, I handle the 9x19 fine. No issues with the .40 S&W, but no need for yet another caliber either (though I do own one).

I didn't like the initial marketing either, with one gun writer repeatedly insisting that anything that begins with a "4" is a large bore pistol. Well I don't doubt its effectiveness - or rather lack of it, since it is a pistol - but the repetition was a turn off.

 

[Lonestar49]

All 3 work for me

...

I have, well, almost, all 3 calibers and, as mentioned, the 45cal is IMHO, really the most forgiving in the recoil issue, pure and simple.

And the 9mm is IMO the easiest recoil to tame and feel super comfy with.

Leaving the 40cal, which I love it, but it is IMO the least forgiving in the recoil, and takes, at least in my case, the longest to get tamed and honed in with, aprox: 800 rounds to hone in with it, and TRF to-date, 1650 rounds, and appreciate its power, and accuracy

The 45cal takes far far less

The 9mm takes maybe 200 rounds to get honed in with

Also, from what I have read, and believe, different makes of the 40cal have what I think is termed, lower barrel profiles, reducing the snap/recoil of both the 40cal's and 9mm's IIRC.

So, do your reading, shoot a variety of rental guns and find out which caliber, and what make gun, give you the best, most comfy, bang for your buck.


LS

 

[tnieto2004]

I prefer the .40 cal .. Just takes a little getting used to

 

[BBsteel]

+1 for what Lonestar49 said!!

 

[Eyesac]

I think it's plenty popular for a round invented in 1990. Only time will tell, but I think it's doing just fine.

 

[Seminole]

Your post asks two very different questions. In reverse order:

1) Q: What is wrong with .40?
A: Nothing

2) Q: Why isn't the .40 more popular?
A: Popularity has to do with taste, which varies from one individual to another. A search for a single answer is therefore futile.

My main CCW is a .40 that I carry for a combination of reasons: I like the platform and the .40 was the caliber available the day I was buying, it is more powerful than 9mm, its smaller size means more rounds than a .45 in the same-size weapon. Others have considered the same issues from a different perspective and come to different conclusions. Ain't freedom grand?!

I don't judge others for their decisions on the matter of caliber and I don't expect them to judge me for mine.

 

[CZ223]

I think that the 40S&W is very popular. As you noted, many police agencies carry them. Every major manufacturer offers guns in this caliber. Despite the "make mine a 45" Wiley Clapp mentallity of some shooters the 40 short and weak has become one of the most popular calibers for self defense. One of the best indicators of its popularity is the fact that you put it in the big three of self defense calibers, as many do, without thinking about it. I think the only reason that the 9mm is still in there is its popularity as a military round. The 45 is a "cult favorite" among many shooters. When you do pry the gun from their cold dead hands it will be a 45. The only short coming of the 40 is that it has made no inroads into the military. I think that it is disappointing that our miltary went from the 45 to the 9mm and now seems to be headed right back to the 45. It seems like the 40 wasn't even considered. I don't think that the 40 is a majic bullet by any means but, it is better than a 9mm and compact enough that many pistols have nearly twice the capcity that the government 45 had.

 

[hotpig]

I have always been surprised that the civilian market did not follow the Police into embracing the 40. I still sale more 40 than 357Sig but it is way behind the 9 and 45. I think the 40 has peaked in its sales and always will be around as a LE caliber.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

Interesting discussion. For me, I'm amazed that anyone would think that the .40 S&W isn't popular. Let's see, have the manufacturer's been ignoring building platforms for the round because of it's unpopularity? Don't think so. In fact, taking a look at the various maker's offerings, it would seem that some very major money has been spent by them to do the R&D to produce, in some cases, several different .40 platforms from the same maker. Why did these successful firms put forth those dollars? To support an unpopular cartridge? Don't think so.

And hard to reload for? I haven't found it to be so. There's plenty of good information out there to allow any person who cares to, to turn out .40 S&W rounds in any amount they wish, safely. All it takes is the ability to read and understand a reloading manual. Admittedly, with today's NEA educated young entering the reloading room, there's some trepidation concerning the ability to read and understand. But, putting aside the state of education in this country, if you can indeed read and understand English as put forth in Speer #13, Hornady #7, et al, it's entirely possible to safely reload the .40 easily.

900F

 

[jeff-10]

People ask this question from time to time on this board. The 40 S&W is indeed very popular, just not on Internet gun forums, where the tastes tend to be old school.

 

[FieroCDSP]

And hard to reload for? I haven't found it to be so. There's plenty of good information out there to allow any person who cares to, to turn out .40 S&W rounds in any amount they wish, safely. All it takes is the ability to read and understand a reloading manual. Admittedly, with today's NEA educated young entering the reloading room, there's some trepidation concerning the ability to read and understand.

I found no real issue learning to reload the 40, but that's because I have a bit of common sense and took a 10% reduction on new loads to heart. Is the less tolerance? Yes. Is there still room to play? Yes. What's the problem?

I started out handgunning on the 40, with a S&W Sigma. This probably prolonged my learning curve quite a bit. I even took up shooting with gloves because the grip was better and it didn't hurt my hands. I immediately found the need to have a fully-supported chamber for reloading and a better grip, so I went with the M&P 40. I love it, and have no regrets. Given the choice, I don't think I'd start with the 40 again, though, and if I weren't so stubborn, I probably would have switched out to a 9mm. I'm still looking to get one, and a 45. Honestly, you have to have at least one of each.

 

[10-Ring]

At one time I had the 10mm in my collection and a few 40's. Then in the great Collection Consolidation of '96, I sold them all off to concentrate on 9mm and 45 acp. More subjective than anything else, but I just prefer these calibers.

 

[possum]

i love the .40s&w and i own more of that caliber than the others combined. both of my carry guns are .40 and my xd sevice model. i like the fact that there is a little more performance terminally with the .40 over the 9mm and higher capacity than the .45 plus having small hands, most double stack .40 frames fit me perfect as they are often the same frame size as the 9mm models. the ammo prices are a plus as well, again in the middle, more expensive that 9mm but less than that of the .45

 

[md7]

+1 possum