I think you should give the Malt Liquor another chance. It's not all that bad.

I hope that for years into the future ammo will be available for all guns still around. .40S&W .45GAP .32-20 and the numerous .38 40 .41 .44 and .45 BP calibers and the various 7.62 and 9mms. Maybe less runs than the more popular but an ample supply nonetheless.

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

Interesting thread. Posts show excellent opinions and one of pure stupidity. Easy to see who has Real Experience and who has No Clue. History is the best Teacher.

Just re-name it .40 Creedmoor and there will be a new generation of fanboys!

My first handgun was a full size M&P 40, sold it right away and bought a M&P 40c. I have a shield and a cz 75b in 9mm and a Springfield mod 2 in 45. love shooting all of them and I believe I can shoot the M&P 40c better than any of my other guns, the CZ might catch up as its new and goes to the range more than any others.
I carry all, even bought a twin to my M&P 40c one for the range and one to carry, the range gun has many thousand rounds through the tube and wanted something with a lower round count to bet my life on.
I love to 40 and have enough brass and bullets that I am sure I will die before MY 40 does.
While we are at it is the ford dead I hear the FBI is going to chev's.
Carry on...

Ain’t that the truth.

It's sort of funny that this old thread should be revived now going on 8 months after it was posted, because wouldn't you know it, the cartridge still isn't dead, yet folks keep right on asking if it is or otherwise asserting that it will be soon.

My favorite bit of "proof" that it's dying -- courtesy of its die-hard detractors -- is that that it's currently less available than 9mm Luger. Generally speaking, lesser availability suggest higher demand, and although that may not be the case in this particular situation, at best it just goes to show you how popular 9mm Luger is that ammo manufacturers are prioritizing it over .40 S&W, nothing more. However, that's hardly surprising considering that, in all fairness, 9mm Luger has always been more popular than .40 S&W. Sure, .40 S&W had a good decade and a half of popularity here in America, but in the rest of the world, 9mm Luger was always more popular and therefore produced in greater numbers.
How that indicates that production of the .40 S&W cartridge is soon to be discontinued is a leap of logic which is only comprehensible to those who so greatly wish to see it go that they see signs of it everywhere.

Furthermore, I think that shortages of particular cartridges are somewhat regional, effected greatly by demand for the cartridge in question within that particular region. And once more, the availability of a cartridge (regionally or otherwise) and how said available relates to demand is generally up to individual interpretation, because one could easily interpret lack of availability as proof of its popularity, considering that in most cases, it's inventory that doesn't move at all that's unpopular. What's more, vacant shelf space dedicated to a particular item does not in any way indicate that said product is no longer being stocked, as shelf space is rarely left vacant, much less with price tags for an item which is no longer being stocked, not in any well managed store anyway, or at least such is my experience having worked in sales.

In conclusion, the ambiguous death of the .40 S&W cartridge remains, but there is no further conclusive evidence to suggest that it's actually happening, and the burden of proof remains at the feet of those who continue to assert that its decline in popularity will ultimately result in discontinued mainstream production of firearms/ammunition.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

Tens of millions of pistols made by every major US and foreign manufacturer over a 25-plus year period, many of which continue showing up on the surplus network at bargain prices. Millions remaining in private hands.

Die? Never. Ammo supply and selection decreasing over time? Probable.

A very good choice for personal defense uses.

I was late jumping on the .40 band wagon, bargain deal on a Kahr P40 about 2008 or so. In late 2018 I caught another super bargain on a Sig P229 DA-SA-Decocker .40S&W, LE trade-in fully refurbished to new condition by Sig-USA with a full warranty, less than $400 (MSRP on a new P229 was $1087 at the time). Exceptionally fine pistol, very accurate and reliable. Still debating the possibilities of adding a .357 Sig barrel (about $140), drop-in installation with no other modifications and using the same magazines.

Perfection is a fine goal, but seldom achieved by humans. The .40 S&W has never been perfect, but it is a very good choice IMO.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

About a month before I won my Sig P320 X-compact in 2019, I had decided that I wanted a Sig Classic, and a P229 CPO in 40 S&W fell in view, so I purchased it via an extended layaway.

The Sig P229 is my first 40, but won't be my last. I have set my sights on a Glock Gen 5 in 40 (not yet certain which exact model), because the GSSF Blue Label program is making it super affordable, but I also have the possibility of winning one in GSSF matches, either as a random or performance prize. Even if I purchase it, current damage for a Gen 5 40 is $425, a price that is easily handled on a fixed income! I'd love to get my hands on a S&W 610, but the prices currently are a bit too steep for my situation.

My rationale is probably convoluted to some, but as long as I have the resources to cast bullets and reload my ammo, I will always be in the game, be it competition or life. We are now facing a dark time when it comes to finding factory loaded ammo, but when I find affordable ammo, I can always buy some in order to build a reserve. In my pursuit of handguns, I'm not looking to replace a given firearm because of the cartridge, I'm looking for the ability to supplement my shooting by adding a firearm/cartridge combination. I'm purchasing a firearm that fits me, not some 110 pound recruit that can't handle the recoil. I know what I can handle, so I really don't need to work within FBI studies and recommendations.

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Judge control not gun control!

‘ I don’t have no problem living, it’s dying that bothers me.’
Mose Allison
I have noticed when I don’t see 9mm, 380, 38 Special, 357 Mag and lots of other handgun calibers I see 40 on the shelf??

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I’ve read the same thing about the .38/.357. I think that the .40 S&W still has a place. For me personally, with newer bullet designs, I don’t think that it offers enough of a performance advantage over the 9mm to justify the cost differential.

Two things about it: first, there are lots of guns out there chambered for it.
Secondly, there will always be new shooters coming to the fold that may choose the.40.

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otis