How many here have shifted to 40sw?

[el Godfather]

Dear THR:
I want to know the following if you can oblige:

1. How many of you shifted from 9 to 40, and why?
2. How many of you shifted from 45 to 40, and why?
3. In moving from 9 to 40, you lose capacity, but whats the meaningful energy/velocity gain that can be quantified with some data/study?
4. In moving from 45 to 40, you can capacity, but, again, whats that meaningful energy/velocity gain that can be quantified?

Thank you

 

[RUT]

I can't say that I've "shifted", but I do have a couple of 40s. (just because)

 

[Pilot]

I have 9MM's, and .45's so never felt the need to get a .40.

 

[HOOfan_1]

The first modern Auto loader I bought was a .40

I had been shooting a 1911 .45 ACP and a P38 9mm.

The last two modern auto loaders I bought are 9mm. I plan to buy another .40, but I am seriously thinking of sticking with 9mm because I can shoot them better..also they are a tiny bit cheaper to shoot.

My two self defense loads are...
Gold Dot +P 124 grain 9mm
HST 180 grain .40

Both of them are rated at 410 ft-lb

 

[scaatylobo]

When my agency did

I went to the .40 when my dept did [ over a decade back ] as we were then using the .9 MM.
I now am retired and still own and shoot 4 .40's.As well as EDC a G-23 that I have owned since we went to that caliber.
I do own and shoot most all other handgun calibers,but having had much trigger time and gone to firearms instructors course with the .40,I am fairly confident with it.
I keep trying to LOVE the 1911's and that caliber,as well as the really effective 9MM's that are very easy to shoot.
But the G-23 is on the belt 95% of the time.

 

[madFive]

Not me, moving away from .40 for the most part. In modern JHP defense loads 9, 40, & 45 are all engineered to have the same terminal performance, so in my mind it comes down to what feels best recoil-wise when fired, and what I am most likely to shoot the most at the range. Most of mine are 45, but currently I'm getting more into 9mm as well.

I will admit I'm a sucker for 10mm though. If you want something harder hitting, skip the Short&Wimpy and go straight for the real thing.

 

[TarDevil]

Still predominantly 9mm and will remain so. I will add a .45 sometime next year, but do not see a .40 in my future.

 

[OARNGESI]

i sold my last 2 40s about a month ago, sticking to 9 and 45 made more sense for me.

 

[ritepath]

I bought a 40 after the last ammo scare. Shot it 15 times...love buying 40 but don't shoot it. I'm debating on a 40 or another 9 in a single stack like the Shield. Or maybe I should just save some more and get an XDS in my favorite caliber 45...

Maybe I should sell my sig and 40 ammo and buy an XDS and Shield.

 

[PistolPete45]

Nope I have had a few 9's . kept one several 45's kept 4 . but prefer a revolver in a tight spot my main carry pistols are snubby 44 special and a kimber 45 .

 

[Charger442]

an old guy who i see frequently at gun shows put it the most eloquently. He was looking at a gun a guy had and it was chambered in .40.

he said " Why do i want to shoot a .40? If i want to take that kind of abuse, ill shoot a 45 instead and get more stopping power and cheaper ammo" (Disclaimer: this was some years pre-obama and 45 was cheaper than 40)

 

[jimbo555]

I shifted to 45acp,don't own any 9mm or 40s&w anymore.

 

[WYO]

The .40 was the eventual response to perceived poor bullet performance of the 9mm in the 1987 Miami shootout. It did bring something to the table in the early nineties because it worked on a 9mm frame and offered a bit more oomph, although at the cost of snappier recoil. Now, with improvements in cartridge and bullet development in 9mm and .45 ACP, and advances in gun design, it has become less relevant. I have transitioned away from the .40 in favor of the .45. I can get equal or better performance with a low pressure round that produces less recoil in my guns.

 

[herrwalther]

I have 9, 40s, and 45s. What I carry depends on weather, when the last time I carried it, last time I was at the range with it etc.

 

[mott]

We shifted in then back out. would'nt want to be on the receiving end of a
.40, but it has a nasty recoil. will stick with 9mm & .45.

 

[jmr40]

The 40 is a slight improvement over both 45 and 9mm. The difference is small, but it is there. It is not a compromise between power and ammo capacity as is commonly thought, and there is a very good reason it dominated in the LE community. That is what I'd carry if I were in LE if given an option.

I've had several 40 cal pistols in the past, but currently do not. With the better loads I'm quite confident in a 9mm's abilites and ammo is a lot cheaper. I own several 45's simply because I like the 1911. I don't believe it is any better or worse, just like them.

After buying a G-20 in 10mm I sold all of my 40's. Figured I had all of my bases covered with 9mm and 10mm. The 45's are mainly for show.

 

[bannockburn]

I had three different .40s over the years but never found one worth keeping around. Didn't really mind the snappy recoil so much but never felt the accuracy was all that great with any of them. Have plenty of 9mm. and .45 pistols (and ammo to go with them), so couldn't see the need for another caliber to buy ammo for.

 

[GRIZ22]

I'm with Pilot on this. I have no use for a 40. Don't own one and most likely never will. If I want more than a 9 I skip the intermediate step and go to 45. Capacity? That's why they make spare magazines AFAIC.

 

[Scrambler]

Had three .40 cal pistols. Selling the last one this weekend. Sticking with a Shield 9mm and Glock 30SF for EDC. Keeping a SIG 1911 and a Glock 19 for IDPA and range fun. A few 38 Specials I can't part with. 44 magnum? Must have for deer hunting! Don't need those 40's around, I'm trying to keep it simple.

 

[BP Hunter]

The only reason why I got a .40 was because I never had one. You must have guns of different calibers, right? Anyway, I have a Glock 22 used primarily as my sidearm when hunting. My GLock 19 is my regular carry.

 

[wow6599]

Sold all my .40s about 4-5 years ago, but during this latest ammo scare I did buy a .40 barrel for my Glock 20 (and .357 Sig).

It doesn't hurt to have the ability to shoot the rd if needed, but I won't buy another firearm chambered for it.

 

[2wheels]

I think more people have shifted away from .40 to 9mm and .45 than have shifted from 9mm/.45 to .40.

I'm one of them, I sold my one and only .40 a while back and never looked back. 9mm gets the job done just as well, and it's a little cheaper and there's less recoil to deal with.

 

[Jitterbug]

I use the 9mm, .40, .45 ACP, 10mm and .44 Mag. Each one serves a purpose in my carry rotation.

 

[ETXhiker]

I bought a .40 when they first came out - the "perfect pistol cartridge for defense", you know? I liked it just fine, but now I have a bunch of 9mm's and a .45. Nothing really wrong with the .40 S&W, just don't see a need for one right now. With a 9mm, .40 or .45 and good ammo, the same hit on a bad guy is likely to produce pretty similar results. I find I can shoot my 9mm's faster and more accurately than a .40, especially with the compacts. YMMV.

 

[beatledog7]

My first semi-auto was a .40 because my research to find the one cartridge best suited to a range of needs pointed to the .40. I thought I'd only ever own one semi.

I don't have to have a one-cartridge-for-everything round anymore. I have others now and use them for specific purposes, but the .40 would still be the do-it-all cartridge for me.