Questions/Opinions on .40 cal

[phantom45]

Hello all, first off sorry if this has already been talked to death had trouble searching for this particular topic. I'm seeking some thoughts on this subject, hoping you can help me out as I'm still relatively new to the world of firearms. I don't exactly have extensive experience shooting .40 cal pistols, but so far of the ones I have shot I just never really enjoyed shooting them. For the longest time I simply assumed it was the make/model of that specific weapon, but more recently I'm starting to think perhaps it's the .40 caliber itself that I'm not quite as fond of?

The ones I definitely recall shooting were a Glock .40 and a Springfield XD .40. I never cared all that much for Glocks in terms of how they feel to me, but in that case my main complaint was how it shot. It was very harsh and snappy and I didn't care for that at all. But then my friend purchased his XD, which I'm very fond of its design and feel, and it seemed to shoot in a very similar way. So now I'm starting to think perhaps it's just the way .40 cal shoots that I don't care as much for? Anyone offer any insight into this? Do most .40 cals have a similar feel to them like that? If so I suppose .40 just simply isn't for me. At least that will make determining my next purchase alot easier if I can rule out an entire caliber haha Just trying to determine if it's the specific weapons or the caliber in general that I have an aversion to.

Thanks for any input you can offer, and I don't want to insult any .40 cal fans out there I consider it a fine caliber just possibly not for me.

 

[ZeSpectre]

This has been covered a lot but to summarize my own findings/opinions.

I personally love the .40 S&W round. I come from a long history with the .357 Magnum so a high pressure round that has a lot of "snap" to it doesn't seem at all unusual to me.

That being said, the .40 S&W IS a high pressure round and DOES have a lot of snap. That makes it one of the more challenging rounds to master as far as shooting goes.

The interesting thing (for me) is that if I'm having a particularly good day with my .40's and keeping the groups nice and tight, then I switch to a 9mm I can darn near put all of the rounds through one hole. My point being that if I were shooting in some sort of competition, for a score, I'd probably want a 9mm. However I'm not worried about putting all the rounds into one hole when we're talking my self-defense gun. In fact I WANT to spread the damage out a little in that case.

 

[DogBonz]

well....

You are going to get a lot of conflicting answers on this one.

Warning: The following is just my opinion.

I personally, do not like the 40. I feel that I have a 9mm and a 45, so why bother. I shoot both my 9mm and my 45 much better than any 40 that I have ever shot. I can shoot them faster and more accurately than the 40’s that I have tried or owned. That said, it is likely that I shoot them better because I train with them. So, the question then is, why don’t you train with the 40? Because of what you described. That snappy, almost vertical recoil pulse; it is just uncomfortable, and makes me not want to train. I mean, why train with something that is no more of a “stopper” than my 45, and holds fewer rounds than my 9mm, and is less comfortable to shoot than either one?

In my opinion the 40 was a result of a compromise. More stopping power than the 9mm, but more rounds than a 45, in a 9mm sized frame.

 

[tnieto2004]

I like the round .. if it (ammo) were the same price as 9mm .. I would shoot mine a lot more

 

[phantom45]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'd like to add to that:

I come from a long history with the .357 Magnum so a high pressure round that has a lot of "snap" to it doesn't seem at all unusual to me.

I must be broken haha. I have shot .357 Mag and .44 Mag and despite being strong rounds, they didn't annoy me as much as the .40...not sure why. In fact I'm a HUGE fan of the .357, and I plan on buying one within my next 2 gun purchases at least.

I personally, do not like the 40. I feel that I have a 9mm and a 45, so why bother. I shoot both my 9mm and my 45 much better than any 40 that I have ever shot. I can shoot them faster and more accurately than the 40’s that I have tried or owned. That said, it is likely that I shoot them better because I train with them. So, the question then is, why don’t you train with the 40? Because of what you described. That snappy, almost vertical recoil pulse; it is just uncomfortable, and makes me not want to train. I mean, why train with something that is no more of a “stopper” than my 45, and holds fewer rounds than my 9mm, and is less comfortable to shoot than either one?

That's almost precisely how I feel DogBonz. Right now I only have one pistol, a Taurus .45 1911 (PT1911). I love the .45 round and feel comfortable shooting it in small or larger frame pistols. I've shot various 9mm and I also do fairly well with those, but I don't own one (yet). That helped alot guys thanks for the input. It appears that's just how the .40 round fires that I'm not very comfortable with, not just the specific guns I've shot.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I must be broken haha. I have shot .357 Mag and .44 Mag and despite being strong rounds, they didn't annoy me as much as the .40...not sure why.

Beats me, I'm actually quite recoil sensitive so I can't figure out why the .40 just "felt right" to me but there it is. Really though the debate doesn't matter that much, there are rounds out there for everyone. I suspect you are probably right though in that the .40 is just not your round.

 

[DogBonz]

Me too

I have shot .357 Mag and .44 Mag and despite being strong rounds, they didn't annoy me as much as the .40...not sure why.

I too love the 357. My Python has won me a bet or two. I just think that the 40 has a weird recoil and I just cant get used to it... but hey, there's something for everyone...

 

[phantom45]

And that's a great thing! If I can't shoot the .40 accurately, comfortably, and confidently....then there are plenty of other options for me. And I'm fine with that.

 

[blitzen]

Quick story. Bought a Glock 22 in .40S&W for a steal of a deal and was happy. Two weeks later bought a Browning Hi Power in 40S&W for a song and was happy. Shot them both side by side at the range and promptly sold the Glock. It was just too snappy me. Kept the Browning, it's a thumper but very shootable. All that being said I shoot IDPA and carry a hi cap 9mm. If the 40S&W is uncomfortable to shoot , don't shoot it.Good luck!

 

[CountGlockula]

It may depend on the bullet grain. 165 and 180 grain .40S&W have been good to me and my Glock model 35. The range I go to offers their own reloads when you rent out their guns and shooting their reloads was like firecracker pops.

Maybe it's the way you grip it. Steady, firm and straight strong arm may be the solution. I hope this helps you out...I'd recommend taking a basic firearm course and trying out other .40S&Ws...maybe an Hk?

 

[doubleg]

I couldn't tell the difference in recoil from a Beretta 92 and a USP 40. Gotta grip it firm and focus on the front sight not the recoil.

 

[PPGMD]

I couldn't tell the difference in recoil from a Beretta 92 and a USP 40. Gotta grip it firm and focus on the front sight not the recoil.

I agree, I have shot both the Glock 17, Glock 22, and the USP 40. I would put the USP 40 at about the same amount of recoil as the Glock 17. With the Glock 22 at a much higher amount of recoil.

The recoil reduction system on the Hk's really do work.

For a competition pistol I would likely choose a USP SD 9mm, for a full sized self defense pistol I would take a USP 40, for a compact I would likely go with the P2000SK 40.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

This is my personal experience, is highly subjective and will not apply to everyone. I dislike the .40 myself. It has, not punishing, but sharp/unpleasant recoil in small guns, but is OK in larger guns. I prefer the 9mm Luger most of the time. When I want a larger caliber I step all the way up to the .45 Auto. I sold the Glock 27 I had and have no more .40 handguns or any desire to buy one.

 

[kennyboy]

I suggest a .45ACP instead of a .40SW. The lethality of a .45ACP is much greater than a .40SW.

 

[CPshooter]

Quit being wussys!! They are guns. As men(and women ), we should have no problem lifting the tool(after all, they are tools), and getting the job done. 9mm, .40, .45, .357sig... whatever. They all go bang and they are all loud and noisy. I love shooting all my guns in whatever caliber they are.

In my opinion, the ergonomics and trigger manipulation make a bigger difference in accuracy and shooting comfort than the caliber does. I think alot of you need to worry more about getting accurate with the platforms you already own instead of complaining about the rounds they shoot.

If you are cheap or insist on being a girly man, go with 9mm.. if you want alot of capacity, but still a potent round, go with .40SW.... if you are Mr. Tough Guy go with .45acp and put bigger holes in your target. The point is, you need to choose the right gun and caliber that YOU think will suit YOU the best for any shooting needs you may have .... and don't be so darn sensitive to recoil! If you don't have arthritis or 3 fingers, you don't have a reason to complain about a .40 caliber pistol shot.

 

[PPGMD]

I suggest a .45ACP instead of a .40SW. The lethality of a .45ACP is much greater than a .40SW.

Except you lose rounds.
For example the average 1911 has 7 rounds, the HK45 which is the same size as the USP carries 10 rounds for the full size, 8 rounds for the Compact.

Where as the USP 40 holds 13 in the full size, 12 in the compact, and 9 in the P2000SK. Compare to the 9mm which is 15, 13 and 10.

So you get more rounds then the 45, but for a low amount of loss of capacity you get more knock down power.

Anyways what kills people is shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. With 9mm and .40 you have more rounds to get that shot placement, and with the .40 you get more knock down power, greater wound size with JHP.

 

[RyanM]

Personally, I use .40 S&W in both my primary (Glock 23) and backup/deep concealment gun (Kahr MK40). It's a great cartridge.

Pros: Closer in real world power (actual tissue damage) to the .45 than to 9mm. Higher magazine capacity than .45. Cheaper ammo than .45, though not by much. I find that 13+1 is about the perfect capacity for a CCW piece. If you handload, you can get a pretty good range of performance out of it. Excellent selection of good-performing defense ammunition. Good cartridge to standardize around if you want different size pistols and a pistol caliber carbine (and want them to all be semi-auto, instead of wheelguns and a levergun), as well. .40 loses less velocity through a short barrel than .45, and tends to gain more through a long barrel than either 9mm or .45.

Cons: Lower mag capacity than 9mms. More expensive ammo than 9mm. Definitely much louder than either 9mm or .45. Recoil is worse than both, as well. Even after a couple years of shooting .357 mag and .40, I can only manage about 100 full-power rounds in a row through the Glock or 50 through the Kahr before my hands start shaking, while I could shoot a 9mm or .45 all day (if only I could afford that much ammo). Not that much of an issue, though. I'm not a marathon shooter.

 

[Kitt]

My day-to-day carry is a HK 40 Compact loaded with Double Tap 165 gr bullets. This pistol shoots 100% and is dead on point of aim with the Meprolight nightsights. I have a Streamlight M-6 Laser/Light on it with the laser dialed in at 15 '. I own Colt, Springfield Arms, Para Ordnance but this is my choice and I know how it shoots I'm willing to bet my life on it everyday. Make sure whatever pistol you buy is 100% reliable and take time to find the right ammo for your pistol..then practice..then pratice some more. Its not about "Spray and Pray" its about being able to hit the target when you have to.

 

[phantom45]

Thanks for all the input guys. I would like to get some more experience with other models of .40 cal pistols to see what I think about them. I like variety and I like shooting various makes/models/calibers. And I'd like to get comfortable with most any caliber at some point. Probably just need some more time shooting .40 to get used to it.

Perhaps it could be the way I'm gripping it, I will have to look into that further next time I'm able to shoot my friend's XD. Any further recommendations for hand placement or grip tips? If so I'll try to make note of that and try it as soon as I can.

 

[ZeSpectre]

Shooting an XD you want to have the "web" of your hand jammed up against that top "spur" on the grip so that it makes your skin bulge just a bit. That raises your grip up high enough to give better control.

I have noticed that a lot of people hold an XD way too low and then complain about poor accuracy, some even have a gap between the "web" and that spur.

Go to THIS PAGE and look at Fig 2 and Fig 3 to see what I mean.

 

[shadowalker]

40 S&W is my favorite caliber followed by 45 ACP. I don't find the recoil to be particularly different between my Sig P229 40 S&W and XD 45 Service / Ruger P90.

I shoot 165's around 1100-1200 FPS in 40 and 230's or 200 +p in 45 ACP. 40 S&W is higher pressure but the 45 has a heavier bullet, 40 S&W is a bit snappier but not unpleasant for me.

I found putting Hogue grips on my Sig 229 and Ruger P90 made a difference in comfort, unfortunately the grip safety on the XD makes it very difficult to fit it with a grip sleeve.

Size of the firearm matters as well, my wife's 9mm XD sub compact recoils at least as much as my Sig P229 40 S&W.

I find 40 S&W a good compromise between the capacity and speed of the 9mm and the increased bullet weight / size of the 45.

Factory 45 ammo is more expensive than 40 but I can load 45 for slightly less than 40.

 

[Marshall]

I've never met a caliber I didn't like.

I have an XD-40 and next to my Hi Powers it's probably my favorite semi auto. It's accurate, fast, powerful and easy to shoot. Now I've spent the majority of my handgun life shooting revolvers in 357 Mag and up and I carry a Model 60 J Frame 357 Mag most all the time so, the .40 S&W is a pussycat to me. You're feel may vary. I have nothing but good things to say about the caliber.

 

[Baphomet]

The only thing I can add is that I didn't like shooting .40 in anything either... Until I shot a Sig 229. I think the .40 does have a sharper, snappier recoil generally speaking, but I think what you're shooting it in (or out of) has a lot to do with how it feels. Shooting .40 in my 229 feels a lot more .45 ACP-ish. I'm not sure why.

 

[Lonestar49]

40 Cal

...

As mentioned above, between 165gr and 180gr, to me, makes the difference between front sight just below the target, and with the heavier 180gr, sight obscuring the target. That, and getting back on target, makes for my personal happiness, the 165gr and the 40cal overall, my favorite.

Granted, my last purchase will be a 45cal, and as mentioned, 8 load mags, vs 10, 14, 17, or 10 round mags for the 40 cal's.

The Pro's will say, and are right IMO, that the 45 is the choice of weapons, both in punch/knockdown power, along with, less bullets to do the job.

If one, IMO, ever gets his or her 40cal of choice, tamed, and honed, then either a 9mm or the 45 cal will be, and feel, like a winner from the first shot, on.


LS

 

[Lonestar49]

40 Cal

Double post