40 s&w what so much hate for this round!

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  • Jbow

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    Feb 9, 2014
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    Been doing a lot of research on hand guns lately to figure out the best all round cal. Have noticed there is a lot of people that hate the 40 s&w. What is the opinion on why this is.
     

    x10

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    Apr 11, 2009
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    In general people don't like to be wrong and if there is an opinion that negates theirs the feel like someone is calling their decision wrong

    Don't take someone else's opinion go to some shoots or buy a 9 shoot it for a while, sell it or buy a 40 and shoot it for a while make your own decision

    Nobody can deny that 45 hits harder than 40 and 40 hits harder than 9 and since you can count you can figure out how many rounds are in a magazine and if those are worthwhile,

    But why some people get loud and spit froth in the corners of their mouth when they want to discredit the 40, I can't figure that out myself. Other than they went to a bowling pin match and the 40/45's ate their lunch
     

    actaeon277

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    In general people don't like to be wrong and if there is an opinion that negates theirs the feel like someone is calling their decision wrong

    Don't take someone else's opinion go to some shoots or buy a 9 shoot it for a while, sell it or buy a 40 and shoot it for a while make your own decision

    Nobody can deny that 45 hits harder than 40 and 40 hits harder than 9 and since you can count you can figure out how many rounds are in a magazine and if those are worthwhile,

    But why some people get loud and spit froth in the corners of their mouth when they want to discredit the 40, I can't figure that out myself. Other than they went to a bowling pin match and the 40/45's ate their lunch

    Somebody can deny it. But then there is an argument on the whole "bullet energy" thing.
    The .45 was developed 100 years ago. Metallurgy of the guns, not as good as today.
    the .40 could be put into guns with better metallurgy, and have more pressure.
    The .45 makes a bigger hole.
    The .40 goes 300 fps faster (approx.).

    Bullet%20energy%20of%20various%20cartridges.jpg
     

    actaeon277

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    I'm not advocating one round over the other though.

    Pick one you like, and can shoot.
    Who cares what everyone else says? (Unless they say something that makes sense to you).
     

    Jbow

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    Feb 9, 2014
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    I have not understood it myself. I would thing that the 40 would be the best middle of the road round out there. Don't know much about ballistics but more rounds than a 45 and more power than a nine makes scence to me but like I said just new to the handgun world and learning everyday.
     

    Dosproduction

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    Aug 25, 2013
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    45 acp is the god of bullets. BOW u mere 40. The rock from Davids sling that took Goliath down, it was actually a 45 acp bullet. Yes they are older then Jesus never mind that 100 yr old stuff. Speed of light, yep based off the speed of 45 acp. Shot heard round the world during Revolution, yep u guessed it 45 acp. That little meteor thing that supposedly wiped out the dinosaurs, 45 ACP. Big Bang theory actually 45 acp theory. And there you have it 45 acp is the very best at everything. Only reason it is not widely known that 45 acp has done all these things is cause the liberal media is trying to keep the bullet down.
     

    boogieman

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    under your bed!!!
    The reason I'm not particularly fond of the 40 is the snappyness of it. I have fnp's in 9, 40, and 45. The 40 is the hardest to shoot. It has more recoil due to case pressure. I just prefer 45 then 9 over 40
     

    rdb700

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    Feb 2, 2014
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    I'm new to handguns but I bought a 40 and I like it pretty well. Im still practicing but pretty accurate. My son and his buddy have 45's and I like them as well but since they are bigger I don't think I would like carrying one. Just my .02
     

    U.S. Patriot

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    Jan 30, 2009
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    I don't think it offers anything over 9mm, considering the extra felt recoil, (snap). Bullet size does not mean much, ballistics are very similar.
     

    Jbow

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    Feb 9, 2014
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    Thanks for the replys. I like my 23 it seems to fit my hand good and shoots well. It is snappier than my 19 but I just expected that.
     

    Jbow

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    Feb 9, 2014
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    Yea but ten mm cost a arm and a leg and super hard to find. But have entertained a glock 20 from time to time.
     

    BehindBlueI's

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    I've posted longer version of most of this, so if you want more feel free to search them out.

    If you and I shoot at each other with nothing in between, there is very little difference between the 9mm, .40, and .45. If there is something in between us, then the .45 starts to prevail. The heavier, slower bullet holds its integrity better. That means better retained mass and better retained sectional density. The lighter faster bullets fragment easier, reducing penetration. A 9mm that strikes a forearm before going into a chest makes a big mess in the arm but begins to expand and/or fragment and doesn't have much penetration into the torso. A .45 will, all things being equal, penetrate deeper into the torso in the same situation. Bonded ammo can help in this, but simply physics tells you a lighter object loses momentum easier than a heavy object, and the edge remains with a heavy projectile.

    Capacity is often overrated in the decision making process and hits diminishing returns quickly. 5 rounds is much better than 1 round, but 10 rounds is only a bit better than 5 rounds, and 15 rounds is only a tiny bit better, etc. etc. Why? Because people tend to run out of time before they run out of ammo. Competition shooting is one thing. More ammo is great when you have 10 targets and none are shooting back. In self defense shootings, 3 rounds tends to end the fight one way or the other. Bad guy is down, he's running, or you lost. In this same vein, the first shot is more important than the second, which is more important than the third, etc. There are very few shootings where a 15 round magazine comes into play, and even fewer in civilian self defense carry.

    The .40 is a snappy round, although this can be countered with a properly designed gun. Glock makes every gun the same, so yes, its going to have more muzzle flip than a 9mm when comparing Glocks. A manufacturer who is willing to vary their designs and tailor them to a round can overcome this with spring rates, low bore axis, etc. Granted, that's a trade off as well, but outside the scope of our discussion here.

    In the end, find a gun you shoot well, and carry it. I carry whatever I can pull and put 3 rounds in the "A" box at 7 yards with the fastest. That replicates the most common self defense shootings I see, its a good measure of the effectiveness of both you and your equipment, and is by far a better metric than what a given caliber did in ballistic gel from a given barrel length or how others perceive the recoil.
     

    throttletony

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    The reason I'm not particularly fond of the 40 is the snappyness of it. I have fnp's in 9, 40, and 45. The 40 is the hardest to shoot. It has more recoil due to case pressure. I just prefer 45 then 9 over 40

    I agree with Boogieman here, it's the recoil impulse. That's just ME and how I shoot it. I still shot it well, but prefer a 9 or 45. I sold my last .40 Glock to get a revolver, but still have a Shield in 9mm for carry.
     

    8th SPS USAF

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    I think the recoil of the 40 is heavy , in most guns. I have owned many 40 cals and shot others. With the "new" 9mm CCW ammo out now , the 9mm is as good as the 40 ,with less recoil
     

    Disposable Heart

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    Apr 18, 2008
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    BBI, solid. If all we had was ball ammo, the argument about weight is valid. With today's modern service ammunition (quality bonded ammo, not the 50 round box of Magtech JHP that wouldn't expand even if God willed them to), the caliber differences become minute and the training issues begin to appear.

    It's not an issue of ".45 is the expert's round, .40 is the intermediate and 9mm is the beginner's round", that's horsepuckey. .40 and .45 have alot more recoil than 9mm and if you run splits with a shot timer between all of them, you will notice a MARKED difference in your times.

    .40 was born from a knee jerk reaction (Miami FBI shooting) and even then, .40 wasn't .40, but 10mm. Even today, with technology trumping diameter, the FBI is considering and beginning to move BACK to 9mm, along with ALOT of police departments. They are not only saving money in training, they are allowing their officers to have more rounds in their magazines, more training, and more rounds on target in a shorter amount of time. They are doing their officers a mitzfah by doing so. For those who don't think 9mm is enough, you need to get out more, read beyond INGO and realize that OIS shootings involving 9mm, using quality ammo, have similar outcomes as .40 and .45.

    That being said, if we were relegated to only ball ammo, I would take .40. Most if not all of it is truncated cone (cuts tissue ALOT better than even .45 round ball), more rounds in the magazine than .45 and less barrier deflection than 9mm. But, I will and always will carry 9mm.
     
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