What good is a .40S&W round for? compromise caliber?

[bountyhunter]

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The Thread That Wouldn't Die.........

 

[Heraclitus]

I guess the thread's longevity itself builds a strong case of support for the "mongrel" caliber.

I said it once and I'll say it again: compromise is only a word.

You like the .40 S&W? Good for you. I like it too. What's that? You DON'T like it? Well then, your clod-hoppin', stump-jumpin' granny chews earwax in a pink outhouse!

Give it a rest already.



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[halvey]

In the 1911 platform, I don't see the use for a .40 besides higher capacity. But hey, we dont all use 1911's.

 

[bountyhunter]

I guess the thread's longevity itself builds a strong case of support for the "mongrel" caliber.

The mongrel caliber won't die for one simple reason: law enforcement. They started the whole thing when the FBI tried to develop the 10mm. That round had problems and then the .40 came out of it. Agree or not, LE's are moving to the .40 like stampeding water buffalo. Even out here in the gun-hating capital of the world (Kali), the cops are hauling Glock .40's in nearly all the major PD's in and around the bay Area.

Like it or hate it, they believe the .40 gives significantly increased stopping power over the 9mm and has larger mag capacity compared to the .45. The .45 also couldn't be adopted because it's primary platform is the 1911 and it has the "cocked and locked" bugaboo where people get scared when they see a cop hauling around a cocked gun. I can take a 1911 apart in the dark, and it still makes me a tad nervous.

But even in the 1911, the .40 has a home: many LE's around the world go for the high-cap guns like Para makes, mainly because Para invented the LDA trigger so the gun is carried "cocked" but the hammer rests in the forward position. Their 1640 carries 16 + 1 rounds of .40. As Paul Newman said in the movie Hombre:

"That's enough for most men."

 

[JShirley]

I originally bought my first .40 because the Glock .45 (21) was too fat to comfortably handle. The .40 allowed a similar power level, in a more concealable
package (I gained weight in basic, but for years, I averaged about 145 lbs). With full-size pistols, you get more rounds...and like I said, the grip fits my hand better.

John