We found it equal in our use of the .40 s&w
rswartsell,
Sorry for not replying before now.
First, my agency had authorized the .357 magnum, the 9m.m. and the .45ACP in privately purchased guns as well as the issue guns which were a mix of a few RUGER SECURITY SIXES and GP-100's plus a large number of S&W 13revolvers with 3 inch barrels and round grips.
The model 13 was what I was issued and when shooting the 110 grain jhp, it was a nice carry gun, but no more powerful than the 9m.m. +P+ loads I was issued for my GLOCK 17, 19 and SIG 226. It was MUCH, MUCH slower to reload and did not have night sights.
Also, my agency had a fair number of problems with the model 13's. My academy class was issued 47 of them and 13 had problems ranging from screws that had been overtightened to plain NON WORKING and LOCKING UP.
I also bought several model 66's for private puchase and carry. They were better than the model 13, but not a lot better.
The best feature of the 3 inch model 13, was its concealability for plain clothes carry.
This qualifies as second rate to me. I considered the GLOCK 17 and 19 and the SIG 226 to all be vastly superior to the S&W 13.
We were not allowed to shoot the 125 grain jhp in these guns after one blew up. No one wanted to shoot the 125 grain jhp anyway as far as I could determine. Recoil was brutal and many of the shooters who were marginal with the 110 grain jhp, would simply not qualify with the 125 grain.
In the model 19's, I fould virtually the same thing, but to a lesser degree. The 110 grain load was acceptable, but offered no advangtage over the 9m.m. +P+ and the 125 grainer was tough to shoot.
For a while, I carried a privately owened S&W 681 and had a nickel plated 581 as a house gun. These are the 4 inch barreled, fixed sight version of the L-frame from S&W. They were MUCH better when firing the 125 grain jhp and I was allowed to carry the 125 grain load and practice with it in my carry gun. I eventually had the gun converted to double action only and MAGNA PORTED after I retired it. With a pair of HOGUE grips, this is my favorite revolver for home defense and combat style shooting.
Yet, it is a still a six shooter and my issued BERETTA 96D was a 12 shooter. I had to stop shooting to reload, but can do a tactical reload with the BERETTA by swapping mags. The BERETTA also had night sigths, so I did not miss my revolvers at all for carry guns.
Also, I added a light to the rail on my BERETTA VERTEC. That is another feature lacking on most revolvers.
As for the .40 S&W being equal to the .357 magnum, it is! Our experience has been that the .40 S&W works very well. We used the 155 grain jhp and I never heard of any complaints and with the number of times it has been used, their would have been if the .40 did not prove equal to the .357.
If the .40 S&W had not worked as well as it did, we probably would have gone to the .357 SIG round, but no one seems interested.
We have now switched to the 135 grain jhp for our .40 caliber H&K's. I would have preferred to stick with the 155 grain load, but the 155 grainer battered the BERETTA and I am not sure how the lighter H&K pistols would have stood up. The 135 grain also recoils less.
That has been my experience with the .357 magnum, 9m.m. and .40 S&W. It is the reason that I have more or less passed up on revolvers for defensive shooting. I use either a 9m.m. or a .40 caliber.
Jim
Jim
