I've had all three major calibers. Nothing wrong truly with any of them.
I prefer the .45. The main thing between it and the .40 is the recoil. Not that the .40 is bad, but the snap that it generates is sharper to me than the push the .45 generates. I just prefer the push. To me it is easier to manage.
Just my 2 cents.
I like it's ability to throw a 135 gr - 155 gr slug over 1100 fps. This is an ideal CCW round. It's diameter is at a minimum, but still seems to get the job done with good hollow points.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zak Smith
10mm was conceived as an ideal pistol cartridge by Jeff Cooper, but it was later downsized for the reasons above - and that full-house 10mm was a "hand full" to shoot.
False.
I take it you are hinting towards the FBI 10mm issue. Let me set the record straight again.
1) The FBI never tested full power 10mm.
2) The FBI never issued full power 10mm.
3) The FBI stipulation for the new cartridge selection was that the recoil of the ammo/weapon combination could not recoil more than a standard GI 1911 using standard 230gr GI ball. The 10mm test ammo was handloaded by an FBI agent to meet those requirements for the test.
4) There is an account on the S&W forums by the FBI agent who was there. Read it.
5) The cancellation of the contract with S&W had nothing to do with the 10mm cartridge (in fact it's still used by the FBI today) nor the weight of the weapon. It had everything to do with politics. The agency was training their agents to prep the trigger, which went against the design of the system, and failures occurred. The FBI whined to S&W, S&W told them to get bent and the FBI canceled the contract. It was politics.
Thank you, sohcgt2. It's odd that a post which didn't mention the FBI at all could be construed as being all about the FBI's history with the cartridge...I'm curious as to how A Marine Col. opinion of a cartridge and its feasability for defensive use turns into FBI conspiracy theory. I'm also curious why it finds its way into a discussion of the favor of .40SW compared to 9mm and .45acp.
It's a poorly conceived round that does nothing that 9mm JHPs don't already do, and .45ACP JHPs still offer more diameter, whether expansion occurs or not.
The .40S&W is still an on paper solution looking for a real world problem, just like the .357SIG and .45GAP.
I'll probably never own another 40. My first and only 40 was a S&W Sigma. Horrible gun. Not the cartridge's fault but after that experience I never want to touch a Sigma or a .40 again.
Fact is, 9mm with +p rounds can hurt a BG just as bad as .40
round ---------in ----Grains -FPS --energy
9mm Para +P --0.356 -115 --1299 ---465
9mm Para +P+ 0.356 -115 ---1310 ---439
40 S&W ------0.4 --155 ----1324 ---524
.45 ACP ------0.452 -200 ---975 ----421
.45 ACP +P ---0.452 -185 ---1250 ---573