Which .40 NOT a S&W, Beretta, BHP, or Glock

[crestoncowboy]

All .40s. I prefer the Glock. By a good bit these days. And I was very much a Glock hater.

The 229 can use 226 mags btw. I use 226 mags for the range in my 229. Not the other way around though, 229 magsare too short and fat. The USP does use polymer mags. They are also ridiculously expensive. But ive never seen any issue with one. Id choose the 226 or 229 over my USP. Id have to think hard between the Beretta and the USP. The Beretta feels much better to me. But 11 rds isn't a plus.

 

[mavracer]

I have a Sig P229, XDm 5.25 and 3.8 compact both have PRP trigger which is sweeeeeeet and a FN FNS they're all keepers. I also have a STI GP6 which is a Grand Power product I'd have no issue recommending one of their guns

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

Looking for 1 more .40 to add to BHP, PX4, and S&W.

Prefer DA/SA but would consider a striker fired. Wadda ya think?

Price would be a consideration and so is used (most of my pistols were purchased used).

Don't need a carry gun, prefer "full size." What's a nice under-rated 40s&w for a range toy?

Can't go wrong with a Heckler and Koch USP! They were built around the 40 smith cartridge and are tough as nails.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Sig 226 or 229 would be the easy choice for me. My 229 aims itself.

Well that's scary and unsafe! Get rid of that thing!

 

[jeff-10]

If your willing to go striker fired HK VP 40. If not Sig 229. It’s the most iconic 40 that’s not a Glock.

The VP 40 is really a great handgun though. I would definitely give it consideration.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

The HK USP was originally designed as a .40 S&W and does a great job. The HK P30/P30L pistols are also great. Just recently I lucked into a used P30 in .40 that started out as a V2 LEM but got the Bill Springfield LEM done. Amazing trigger! Of course the gun can be had in DA/SA with a safety & a decocker or just with a decocker. Lastly if you go striker the VP40 is a fine sidearm as well.

 

[gunlaw]

I’m probably going to hear about this but I’ve fired and carried a S&W Sigms 40 VE since 2004. Not sure of the round count but it’s well into the thousands. No repairs. Just clean it and shoot it. Jacked,plated.cast doesn’t matter it feeds them all. Once you stop whining about the trigger it’s a good reliable pistol.

 

[axeman_g]

Sig 229 LEO trade in. Carried much, not shot alot. Parts galore, magazines are plentiful and upgrades from SIG (triggers, grips, sights) are cheap and plentiful.
This is the original. .40, solid steel slide and designed with the round in mind. Not a hopped up 9mm. I recently purchased my 3rd from CDNN for $350. It was in better shape than expected and appears to be fired very little. Such a high quality firearm.

 

[Crazy Horse]

Sig 229 LEO trade in. Carried much, not shot alot. Parts galore, magazines are plentiful and upgrades from SIG (triggers, grips, sights) are cheap and plentiful.
This is the original. .40, solid steel slide and designed with the round in mind. Not a hopped up 9mm. I recently purchased my 3rd from CDNN for $350. It was in better shape than expected and appears to be fired very little. Such a high quality firearm.

I've been looking for one, but it looks like I started midway through the pandemic, so they've been difficult to find. Maybe eventually when all this is over, I'll find one. I did get an M&P 40 LEO turn-in. It's not as good as my LEO 45acp, but I'm doing some work on it to hopefully get it as good as the 45acp LEO.

CH

 

[bluecollar]

I know you said no S&W but this one is iconic. One of the originals. Still a great pistol and hard to top. Still on my shopping list.

 

[gnappi]

For carry the P229.

 

[golden]

I would go with either the SIG 226 or 229R or the BERETTA/STOEGER 8040. I was issued an H&K P-2000 .40 caliber and it broke after about 11 or 12 years of shooting. It was swapped for another one till my agency went over to GLOCK 19's. I never warmed up to the H&K the way I did to the BERETTA 96 Brigadier's that we used to carry.
I also had a GLOCK 22 that I sold. The recoil was more than I liked.
I worry that most plastic framed guns will be too light for the recoil of the .40 S&W.

My complaint with the BERETTA 96 is that they are BIG and were not up to the high velocity .40 caliber ammo we used. They wore out in 10 years of shooting the 155 grain jhp at 1200 fps, that we used and that was with the Brigadier model which had a reinforced slide.
The regular 96 would probably fail sooner if you used anything but the lower recoiling ammo

On the other hand, the SIG 229 seems to hold up ok in .40 S&W. I had one, but sold it when I shot it side by side with my BERETTA 96 and found the BERETTA had the smoother trigger.
I have a SIG 229R now, but it is a 9m.m. and I really like it.
If concealability is not an issue or it is just for a range or house gun, then the 226 may be a better choice. The extra weight will help moderate the recoil.

I also have two STOEGER 8040 pistols. They are Turkish made clones of the BERETTA 8040, made on the same machines as the BERETTA pistols as BERETTA owns STOEGER. They seems to do just fine with the .40 S&W round. I have shot them with 135, 155, 165 and 180 grain ammo and they are completely reliable and the recoil is not harsh, though you really know that you touch one of the 155 grain rounds off when you shoot. The flash, noise and recoil are considerable in the 8040, which has a 3.6 inch barrel.
The 135 grain jhp has a brighter flash than the 165 and 180 grain rounds and is louder, but is not as harsh as the 155 grain ammo.
Now I use the 180 grain FEDERAL HST jhp in my .40 S&W pistols and with the 8040's, I even carry them concealed at times, instead of my GLOCK 19.

The negative of either the BERETTA or STOEGER 8040 pistols is that they are no longer in production and have been going up in price. I paid under $300.00 for each gun, with one being in near new condition and the other having lived a much harder life, but proved to be just as reliable and accurate. This also makes it harder to find factory or MEC GAR mags, the only ones I would use for carry. I have PRO MAGS and 10 rounders for the range.

Jim