Why is .40S&W so popular?

[Harley Quinn]

Practise with many different calibers and weapons. They all are good some are better. A rock can be a heck of a weapon in the right hands.

Shoot and practice correctly, be aware of your surroundings and be careful. Go where you want to but be ready. Martial arts are where it is at. Martial=war, art...The weapons of war, as M. Musashi mentions be familiar with all of them. (Book of 5 rings)

 

[wally]

I think since most police departments & law enforcement agencies issue the .40S&W, right or not, a lot of folks figure if the police use it, it must be the best choice. However, while 9mm ammo is at least $2-3/box cheaper at the low end, "police overrun" specials usually makes premium JHP like Winchester SXT available in .40S&W at lower prices than the 9mm or .45 varieties.

I think .45ACP ammo is just too expensive unless you reload, most serious .45 shooters end up being reloaders.

If you go below 4" barrel length, I prefer the .40S&W over .45ACP since it has the same sectional density and 100+ fps more velocity to help insure adequate penetration.

--wally.

 

[kd7nqb]

Here is the chart that explains what I believe to be the benefit of .40 over both 9mm and .45acp.

Also shooting all 3 the idea of stopping power of .45acp with recoil of 9mm is not 100% true but the concept is close

The rounds compared are all Federal Hydra-Shok Jacketed Hollow Points in the low-recoil version

 

[sinistr]

caliber choice is about trade offs,i am one of those that feel the .40 offers the best in that regard.i would also feel secure with a nine or forty five,ten mill,etc.i cannot recall when a person involved in a shooting noticed the recoil during the event.i have personally taken a female newbie shooting and had her comfortably firing a de.50 after one session(300 grain).caliber and capacity are important to a point,accuracy is final.

 

[makarovnik]

I don't know. It's fun to shoot and is quite snappy. I like snappy. You can fit a lot of horsepower in a small package and it shoots a little flatter than the .45acp. If you don't have one I recommend buying one. Get at least one each of these:

.22LR, .22mag, 9mm luger, .357 magnum, .40S&W, .45acp and for some real fun get a 7.62x25. I love the mild recoil and big blue flames that come out of my TT-33. Get them all! What the heck, get a .38 super, a .44 magnum and whatever else that sounds like fun. Woo hoo!

 

[kashton]

the .40 S&W is a great round, all of my CCWs besides my .357 are .40s

 

[Feanaro]

Police departments. I don't think .40S&W would be nearly as popular today if there hadn't been a major trend among PDs in adopting it.

A factor not yet considered, though maybe not a huge one: .40S&W allows you to shoot IPSC in the Major category with more capacity than a .45.

 

[nicki]

40 cal, my comments

I own many pistols, I have several pistols in both 9mm and in 40 cal.

For defensive purposes, I would choose a 40 cal over a 9mm.

Here in California, we can only have 10 rounds, so why not go with bigger bullets.

From what I hear the 40 cal has developed a "nasty street rep" as far as end results of real gun fights.

The 9mm is cheaper to shoot with target loads, but for defense, I am going for either a 40 or 45 cal pistol.

What I choose depends on my mood.

Nicki

 

[Constantine-p89]

45acp Llama IX-A or 40 caliber Glock 22, they both shoot great and serve as home defence weapons.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I can't speak for others but I grew up with the .357 Magnum. It was (and still is) my favorite handgun round. But as someone else mentioned you are generally limited to 6 (or less) rounds in a fairly bulky gun and thus my search for a semi-auto I liked began. Then one day I picked up a gun chambered in .40 S&W (don't remember what make) and that was it, I'd finally found a semi-auto that felt (to my muscle memory) like my .357 revolvers.

 

[golden]

No Compromise

When the .40 caliber auto round was released in the 180 grain weight, it was a compromise between the stopping power of the "LIGHT" .45ACP ammo like the 185 grain jacketed hollow points and the size and capacity of the 9m.m. pistols like the BERETTA, GLOCK, SIG and SMITH & WESSON.

When the high velocity .40 caliber loads in the 155 and 165 grain range became available, the .40 caliber moved from being a compromise to the best combat pistol caliber when not restricted to using ball (full metal jacket) ammo.

The 155 grain load was developed to equal the performance of the 125 grain .357 magnum round and it has proven to do exactly that.

You get the stopping power of a .357 magnum with less muzzle blast, a faster reload and twice the capacity of a revolver.

Increased recoil and and a small reduction in capacity from a 9m.m. seems like a upgrade from either the 9m.m. or .45ACP deal and not really a compromise.

Jim

 

[Autolycus]

I prefer the .40 because it gives me the best of both worlds. A large bullet design, high capacity, and a proven track record.

 

[DMK]

I don't see .40S&W as a compromise.

I can't find it proven anywhere, statistically or otherwise, that 45ACP is a better manstopper or that the three extra rounds of 9mm in a full size gun have ever been of any benefit in a civilian self defense incident.

 

[possum]

i started with .40 in semi auto guns because that is what i knew and that is what my dad raised me on, he always had .40 handguns. and just as of 2-3 years ago did he move to the 9mm. and now i have so much brass, and .40 loads worked up and the components that it would be stupid to not use up the stuff that i had, so isee me working with .40 for a long time. i have recently bought 2 .45 acp handguns and i will shot them quite a bit, but after the .40 and .45acp brass is used up if it does lossing some here and there, then i will probally resort to the 9mm for lower ammo cost. since i train alot and put lots of rds through my guns 9mm is best for me and my situation.

for now and for the majority of the forseeable future .40 will be on my side, and in my safe.

 

[.357 magnum]

.40 Not A Compromise

I own Several 9mm's Several .45's and Several .40's. My MP .40's are the Best, they are tack drivers! The MP has 15 in the mag one in the chamber. I use Winchester 180gr Bonded LE Ammo with Velocity of 1070 FPS and 455 ft-lbs of energy out of the muzzle That is definitely not a compromise.

The Best to All!

Frank

PS-Forgot to Mention Since .40 is a Big LE Caliber. SD Ammo is easier to get and Ammo costs are lower then my .45's.

 

[GTSteve03]

Can someone explain this mythical "stopping power" that the 40 seems to have in spades?

All I see are references to what's actually called "kinetic energy." And from my understanding, there are no physiological effects from kinetic energy due to bullets unless they are at least 1000 ft-lbs. That's the energy level hunters rely on to make clean kills on game. From my research, nothing short of a 454 is going to give you that kind of energy in a handgun.

All handgun bullets rely on penetration and expansion to cause permanent tissue damage. In all ballistic gelatin tests I have seen, the 40 does not penetrate or expand any better than high-quality 9mm or 45 rounds.

 

[SDGlock23]

The only thing guaranteed to give true stopping power is your 1/2 ton pickup truck. Rifles and shotguns do better than pistols, but still nothing is guaranteed. I like the .40/10mm and .45 in pistols, but for the size/capacity the .40 wins out.

 

[hotpig]

Obviously all had guns are a compromise. It would be really inconvenient to carry a long gun around all of the time. So lets throw the comprise argument out of the window.

Modern defensive ammo function well in all size guns. Being less velocity dependant means we now enjoy ammo that penetrates and expands well with a decreased chance of over penetration.

So velocity and other misc numbers are just for reading purposes. So those arguments we can toss out.

Thanks to technology we can carry what ever caliber and bullet grain we want. Add a third generation hollow point bullet and the field between calibers narrow tremendously. I see it as a matter of preference since there is little difference between a 9mm and a 40 or 45.

 

[Feanaro]

.40S&W is a compromise. Otherwise, there would only be 10mm.

 

[.357 magnum]

GTSteve03

The original question is "Why is the .40 so Popular" Also mentioned is the fact it is sometimes thought of as a compromise between the 9mm and .45. I do not see hunting rifles mentioned in the question. They would be impractical as carry weapons. In answer to your mythical stopping power question. I see nothing mythical about the .40's street record. It is Excellent!

The Best to You and Yours!

Frank

PS-hotpig-Thank You for selling Great Ammo and I hope you get some more Winchester Bonded 230gr .45 and Federal HST 9mm 124 + P in soon!