.40 cal bastard child?

[CCF]

I have a good friend that I hunt with and have since we were teenagers. He is an ER doctor in the Philly area. We talked about modern defense ammo as we were skinning a deer.

His take on the whole modern bullet design topic: "I have pulled more bullets out of bodies than I care to remember and I can say that the most consistent thing about modern bullet design is their inconsistency. Sometimes they do as advertised, and sometimes then fold in on themselves and hardly expand at all".

FWIW

 

[Chewie]

BehindBlueI's hit it.... The whole reason the .40 exists is for short-barrel handguns. It has similar muzzle energy in a 3" or shorter barrel to a .45 out of a longer barrel, with the added benefit of more rounds on hand.

The trade-off being the recoil and muzzle flash.

I tend to have shorter-barrel handguns, so have .40s. If I had more "full-sized" handguns, I'd likely choose .45. But that's just me.

I thought I read somewhere that the .40 S&W was in response to an FBI complaint that the 10mm was too dififcult to control so they took the 10mm and shortened the case and Voila' the .40 S&W. I could be wrong and I assure you I have been accused of that more than once.

 

[VERT]

I thought I read somewhere that the .40 S&W was in response to an FBI complaint that the 10mm was too dififcult to control so they took the 10mm and shortened the case and Voila' the .40 S&W. I could be wrong and I assure you I have been accused of that more than once.

I think the case was shortened so that the cartridge could fit the 9mm sized pistols. I do remember reading that full power 10mm was hard to control. Of course the 10mm round could be loaded lighter. The .40 S&W is sort of a 10mm light for lack of a better comparison.

 

[mdmayo]

Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not watching me...

"My Ford owns Your Chevy"...pfffthpt. This is such a non-starter. Purely opinion and not based in any more fact than the last time this silly topic came up.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/286606-anything_gained_40_over_9mm.html#post4062219

 

[drgnrobo]

I love my 40's ,I advocated from 9mm for a couple of years cause I could make to a comfortable recoil load for recreation & could find factory defense loads everywhere when 9mm was scarce.I have several calibers now & still find favor for the 40 cal.

 

[Classic]

Looks like a fawty love fest. This is the one cartridge I do not have a handgun for because I don't like the sound of them and it seems like those that own them are in some kind of cult, trying to sell everyone else on them.

 

[LEaSH]

If a person can shoot well and master their own pistol, I don't see how any caliber can be negative.

I got into the 40S&W caliber for the purposes of ammo availability and variety. I'm not disappointed with the caliber and still have lots to learn about it.

If there weren't so many gadamned experts on here, I'd think that everyone that posts that "glawks rule" and "my caliber is the best" actually have an 8th grade education.

 

[Trigger Time]

I've never liked the .40 round myself for all the reasons that people now are dumping it. I've never blindly added any caliber to my collection based solely on others opinions.
The people who have a .40 based on what someone else recomended only, might listen to facts and reason. But The people who like it will like it no matter what and won't be convinced otherwise. Kind of like trying to convince a drunk friend that the girl he is hitting on is a fat ugly troll. He's thinking with the wrong brain.

 

[yotewacker]

I have several Glock 40's and a AR15 in 40 that takes Glock mags. works great on coyotes. The 45 is to much bullet for the amount of powder pushing it.

A 380 is like the 45. With a good backdrop I can watch them fly, there so slow.

 

[superjoe76]

.22LR to 50 BMG! I dont care what it is, I dont want shot by any of them.

 

[INDYFAN]

I have an 8th grade education. And a High School education (back when that meant something). And a B.S. And a MBA. I own a Glock. 9mm.

 

[mdmayo]

Any caliber, in any gun that is reliable and that you shoot well is the best one for you to carry. All are superior to a pointy stick. I don't believe in pointy sticks...

 

[Tactical Flannel]

FYI, the 9x19 has a higher operating pressure than the .40...


......On calibrated ballistics gelatin testing, there's virtually no difference in penetration between 9x19, 10x22, or 11.42x23.

More noise, more recoil, nothing gained.

I'll stick with my puny 9x19.

-J-

I believe that the caliber arguemnet is much like the Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge and so on.... everyone has their personal favorites and the facts they hold true and dear to support it.
From my experience, I've seen the difference in gelatin testing that supports that their is more to a 40 than 9mm when comparing rounds produced by the same manufacturer. I.E... 9mm HST vs 40 HST or 9mm Gold Dot vs 40 Gold Dot.

The the 9mm vs 40 debate was resolved for me several years ago when three local police agencies were involved in a shoot out with a bad guy. Long story made short, one agency's 9mm didn't penetrate several different common barriers that were encountered where the 40 did nearly 100% with little deflection. That sold me on 40.

But as I said in the begining, everyone has their own beliefs and evidence as to why. That was mine.
Regardless, as long as someone is confident in their abilities and that of their weapon/ammo...thats a big portion of being prepared in my opinion.

Stay safe

 

[Ngdonut]

The only experience I have ever had with a .40 was with a Sig P226. I have nothing but good things to say about that firearm and that caliber. It was my father's Sig and I became a Sig Sauer fan almost instantly. In the end, its shot placement. Heck, a .22 can kill someone with the right shot placement, although that requires a lot of skill in a high stress situation. My point is a .40 is more than effective enough to kill someone if the situation were to arise.

 

[Trigger Time]

The only experience I have ever had with a .40 was with a Sig P226. I have nothing but good things to say about that firearm and that caliber. It was my father's Sig and I became a Sig Sauer fan almost instantly. In the end, its shot placement. Heck, a .22 can kill someone with the right shot placement, although that requires a lot of skill in a high stress situation. My point is a .40 is more than effective enough to kill someone if the situation were to arise.

And your point is correct. no one has ever argued it wasn't effective at killing.
Also you could run rusty ammo through a SIG and get golden results because they are some of the finest guns made.

 

[subtlesixer03]

You all are the experts,I am just a country boy that has put a lot of holes in a lot of things..And anybody that calls .40 SW "short and weak" is a little misinformed. I double tapped a pig a while ago with a Beretta 96G that had once been carried by an Indiana State trooper,then butchered the hog for the freezer. 40 works well!

I call it the short and weak because that is what it is compared to its parent cartrige. The 10mm is far more pwerful when loaded as it should be. Recoil in my 10 mm 1911 is not much different then in my 45acp. Not only do I get more power the a 357 mag or 45acp I also get 9 rounds in a mag.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Rule #1: It is just a handgun. You carry it because it is portable not because it is powerful.

You can shoot someone 7 times and then still have to tase them:

View From The Porch: "He was turning his life around!"

 

[SaintsNSinners]

I love my XDm in 40...

 

[Glock10MM]

To each his own. At least I'm not carrying a 10mm.

Maybe you should.

 

[patience0830]

I'd avoided the .40 for many moons but I bumped into a CZ2075 Rami in .40 and now I'm jonesing for a set of dies for it. Anybody want to sell a set?

Hoping Sideguard comes through with my holster soon.