Is the .40 dead ? Let's see some !

[cherrypointmarine]

I enjoy shooting my .40's , always will . At least until Arthur visits and I can no longer rack their slides , but that goes for other calibers also . I know there's all sorts of arguments saying the .40 is leaving us , but I don't see it . Look at the 10mm , that was the same way . Let's see those pictures , then at least we can put it to rest , at least here on the best forum around . I only included my PC .40's , but include any you would like .

[ColbyBruce]

My first was a BHP, which I later gave to my son. I also gave him an Sig SP2022 and an armload of magazines and a Walther PPS.

I have owned Glock 22, 23, 27’s. S&W Shields. A Star. Sig P239, SP250 compact and subcompact, SP2340. Sig P226 and Ruger.

[ColbyBruce]

Couldn’t locate photos of the Glock 23/27 guns, but you get the idea.

[Erich]

I was managing a gun store in '90 when Smith & Wesson announced the caliber and their guns . . . and when Glock beat them to the market with what they identified as merely ".40" on the side of the slide. Me, I was a big 10mm fan so I couldn't understand why anyone would want the "Short & Weak" variant.

Comparisons to the .38-40 and so much good data followed. I changed my mind.

Like friend Colby Bruce, my first was also a BHP; a fine gun. Later a 239 SIG-Sauer. I avoided the caliber (for simplicity) for many years, but later found myself buying an unissued San Jose Police surplus Beretta PX4 Compact for $329. It's a fine gun and the rotary barrel mechanism is a terrific mate with the .40 S&W cartridge. It's gotten some carry over the years, but now is mostly used bedside at nighttime with an underbarrel light mounted.

[4T5GUY]

Almost 5 years ago I didn’t have ANY .40’s at all. Why would I?

June of 2019 that changed with me getting a Shorty 40 locally enough, for $460.00. I just wanted it to go with my Shorty .45 MK2. 6 months later an excellent w/everything 4040PD showed up locally and for $427.00 I took it home. I found out I was actually appreciating 3rd Gen S&W .40’s. They are the only .40’s I’m interested in. (Still not enough to reload for them though.)

Except for the Recon, I think I got the others for reasonable if not excellent prices. That’s the benefit in acquiring the “dead .40 cal.” examples.

Oh, Happy Belated Birthday Mike

Jim

[ColbyBruce]

I found a photo of the Star. It was quite heavy, so it went away.

[Well Armed]

I hope in the future everyone will hate 357 magnum or another great caliber so that I can get more firearms for the cheap. I've gotten some NIB $600 +/- pistols in the $300 range in the past. I also have a Sig P239 that's in mint condition for cheap, but I don't have photos.

NIB Kahr K40 purchased online from BudsGunShop in 2019 for $300.


K40 purchased from a LGS used for $330ish


Kahr MK40 purchased from Gun Broker for $329.99.


NIB Beretta PX4 Inox purchased online from Sportsmans Outdoors $319.99.

[BKLooney]

[Hair Trigger]

.40S&W is alive and well at my house. I started with a Ruger SR40c around 2012 or so, sold it when I started getting rid of all my plastic guns. then bought a Springfield EMP4 chambered for it, and then found a BHP chambered in .40. The EMP4 is a daily carry now.

I kind of wish I'd kept the Ruger, didn't need to worry about beating it up and it was a great carry piece. That's okay, though, I live with the small wear marks on the SA.

[cherrypointmarine]

Found pictures of a couple more . The 2 S&W's are both CHP's , I got them both from Summit . He had got a handful of the 4013TSW's from CHP and I jumped on one of them .

The other is one you don't see too often . I think they are more known for their cars than their guns , but it is a well made piece . If you want a laugh , look at the picture of the frame and you'll see who imported them . I bet they would like for that moment in time to be erased .

[Sevens]

I am a mostly somewhat reformed .40 S&W hater. This is the .40cal I shoot most.

[lonestar57]

Got a few 40’s. I personally like the round.

.

[Well Armed]

Originally Posted by Sevens

I am a mostly somewhat reformed .40 S&W hater.

Congratulations! How long have you been clean?

[madmikeb]

I've always like .40's, but then again I like 10mm too!

I have a Springfield EMP and a 4013 TSW. Both are reliable as all get out!

[hoytx10]

It’s a great round, I love shooting my SD-40!

[Sevens]

Originally Posted by Well Armed

Congratulations! How long have you been clean?

Doubt I have ever been clean. My first .40 was a KKM barrel for my Glock 29… maybe 2012 or so…?

It was very easy to hate .40cal when I was an early big fan of the 10mm and my S&W 1006. I have detailed my journey in other discussions where it’s more appropriate. It’s a lengthy post.

[jughed440]

Love that round, and Honestly, I'm ok with people dumping the .40 for whatever reason and selling off the guns and ammo cheap. Spotted a few 3rd Gens for sale at gun shows recently, and ended up buying a pair of them (4043, and PC SD-40). I often carry a G27 (w. G23 mag and X-grip).

Also have a 4053 that's fun to shoot.

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Originally Posted by Erich

... so I couldn't understand why anyone would want the "Short & Weak" variant.

Same here. My Police Department had just approved 45 ACP for on duty carry. It had been approved for several years as an approved off duty pistol.

So why go "Short & Weak" when the legendary .45 Automatic was approved?

[sigp220.45]

I have a Glock 27 and a Glock 22 FBI Commemorative, but this one gets the most use. The rarely-seen Model 646, 4” L frame, full lug, titanium-cylindered, round butt, no-lock (but frame mounted firing pin) .40 caliber unicorn that turned up in a pawnshop just outside the Jicarilla Apache reservation. I love this thing.

My .40-hating buddy shot it and pronounced it the only .40 he could grow to like. Not love.

[Sevens]

I had a 646 and I couldn’t fall in love with it. It was finicky with what brass it liked to jive with the moon clips. Also, while it does not actually have the lock, it is not a pre-lock era revolver and it was THE example that proved the theory I had long held — it isn’t the lock itself that makes the double action on lock guns lousy, it’s the MIM parts.

You could easily see that my 646 had the MIM hammer and the double action was just what I expected from a lock gun… which is to say that you squeeze the long trigger and the weight stacks as expected but then when you expect it to release, it dead-stops against a wall, a very firm wall, and you have to break through that wall to discharge the shot.

And I hated it.

Many folks hate the ILS S&W revolvers and I’m in that group but reason is solely based on the wrecked double action trigger and unfortunately, the 646 has it.

[dsf]

Well, keeping in mind that this is a "40 cal thread" and not a 40 S&W ....

IMG_0983.jpg

Nor a semi pistol thread ...

IMG_0766.jpg

The CZ is a 41AE. A LGS changed hands a few times +20 years back and the gun never moved. I made fun of that and the new owner said "make me a deal" and I said $99.00 and he said "sold!". My boss had a case of Israeli ammo but just to play it safe I bought a 9mm barrel from Numrich. Kind of started my Tanfoglio buying streak of uppers and conversion kits.

[Well Armed]

Originally Posted by SGT ROCK 11B

Same here. My Police Department had just approved 45 ACP for on duty carry. It had been approved for several years as an approved off duty pistol.

So why go "Short & Weak" when the legendary .45 Automatic was approved?

More capacity, better barrier penetration, smaller and lighter platform, the ability to shoot 9mm and 357 sig out of the same gun, will perform better and more reliablely out of smaller barrels, etc.... There isn't really anything "legendary" about 45acp. It's just endeared by some because history and popularity of 1911s.

[CH4]

My favorite 40 is my P229. I carried it most of my LE career. I am looking for a 4053.

[oink]

Originally Posted by CH4

My favorite 40 is my P229. I carried it most of my LE career. I am looking for a 4053.

You must have had it refinished. All of my duty guns look like used duty guns.

[Alk8944]

Originally Posted by dsf

Well, keeping in mind that this is a "40 cal thread" and not a 40 S&W ....

Attachment 676577

Nor a semi pistol thread ...

Attachment 676582

The CZ is a 41AE. A LGS changed hands a few times +20 years back and the gun never moved. I made fun of that and the new owner said "make me a deal" and I said $99.00 and he said "sold!". .

Your gun is a Tanfoglio, from F.I.E, not a CZ. Tanfoglio is one of several companies making copies of the basic CZ design.

Mine cost $125 and had apparently been in an evidence room for years! The blued parts were all rusty. I wire brushed the rusted parts and cold blued them and it is acceptable. My SN is only 17 numbers away from yours!

All my brass is .41 Magnum converted on my lathe so I have no ammunition worries! I had a barrel failure one day but was able to find a man named Carleton in Greeley, Colorado that is a fan and had a source of replacement barrels from both Tanfoglio and IWI, probably intended for a Jerico 941. I bought one of each! The Tanfoglio has conventional rifling and the IWI is polygonal.

It wasn't the load, but a pure structural failure of the barrel! It did damage the slide and frame slightly by spreading them, but those were easy to repair.

Just to keep this legitimate to the original .40 thread, I have owned four, a full size Witness, Springfield P9C. an Astra A-75, and a Shorty Forty. The Shorty Forty is the only one I have now.

[Mike0251]

Dan Wesson SSC and a CZ 75 Tactical Sport

[chief38]

As I see it, new calibers and guns come out in "good gun times" when ammo is relatively affordable, plentiful and easy to procure. Even if a specific caliber will not do anything all that much better than a long time established one, as long as there isn't a hassle getting ammo to feed it, it could hang on. Manufacturers and ammo company's are always looking to market a "better mouse trap" and it is just easier to do it in "good times".

The S&W 40 (as I see it) was probably the best "new comer" to the firearms world over the last 3 decades and one of the very few that was /is a really great round. The 10mm suffered from a bunch of "flaws" such as recoil, muzzle flash, ammo cost & availability and of course not a whole lot of shooters could shoot well, accurate and consistently with it. The efficiency of the 10mm was very high, however in order for it to be effective it must hit said target which it did not do many times! So.... yes the 40 S&W was over all a much better practical round - hence the reason it is still somewhat popular.

In "bad"gun times such as we are now in because of Government gun control agendas, ammo laws and restrictions being introduced every day, sky high prices, etc. gun owners are trying to stick to the smallest amount of caliber variations and pistol configurations and unless the specific "new" caliber is just so so much better, they opt to stick with what they have, what is easily available and of course affordable.

The tried and true century old 9mm is just hard to beat!! It is low cost, readily available, easy to shoot for almost anyone, the guns are all over the world in pretty much any size, shape and configuration and the new crop of 9mm rounds like the Federal HST, Speer GD, etc. are excellent!!

Bottom line here is, yes the 40 is still hanging on, but it is my opinion that most of the guns chambered in 40 are already out here and owned by veteran gun guys. The 10mm is slowly falling by the wayside for many reasons and ammo is not only hard t find it is very expensive when you you find it. Many police agency's and Federal agency's have switched back to the 9mm and now that the prices have skyrocketed I think new calibers will be very slow to come out now. The 9mm will be the King of the Hill for the foreseeable future IMO. So that is my take.

[BLUEDOT37]

I like some .40 caliber too!

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4013TSW pre-rail, CHP turn-in
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[cherrypointmarine]

Thanks Bluedot for reminding me . Here's my 2 tone CS40 I got a while back . I sent it off to BMCM right away to have him convert it to 10mm . Then I got to thinking , do I buy another CS40 so I have one of those ? I decided to but another slide and barrel , I had everything else . So I had it sent to Guzzitaco and he cleaned it up , put an LPA on it and did his PC cuts .

[CH4]

Originally Posted by oink

You must have had it refinished. All of my duty guns look like used duty guns.

lol
Truth be told, just before I retired one of my armorers swapped out the blue slide and small parts for the nickel and factory grips with wood Hogues. It’s good to be eljefe. There’s still wear on the front strap and trigger guard. I probably have put 10,000+ flawless rounds through her.

[Jeppo]

Three of mine are Special(s). 😂

Thanks to a generous participant in this thread for one of these three. Still searching for a black CS40D.

[Fastbolt]

Well, I have as many .40's as I do 9's, and aside from a Glock in each caliber, all of my .40's & 9's are S&W models.

I came to .40 a bit more slowly, having fired my first couple of them in '90, but not buying any of my own until 10 years later. That was only because the .45 I wanted wasn't to be found, but I stumbled across a 4013TSWW and decided to buy it.

Then, a little later I learned my agency was contemplating adopting .40, at least on a small trial basis with a limited number of guns (50 guns?), so I bought a second one which was similar to the model chosen for the pilot program. I took it through a week-long training class, with the ammo provided by my agency, and decided it was a decent gun.

Now I own 5 pistols chambered in .40 ... and have put some tens of thousands of rounds of .40 downrange over the years.

I've been issued both 180gr & 165gr JHP's, and my 4040PD has demonstrated an interesting preference for the 155gr W-W STHP, but if I were going to limit myself to just one bullet weight in .40, for overall use, it would be the 180gr.

[Dparker]

My S&W 945-40 and a S&W 4054 I picked up today for 399.99 (heck of a deal IMO!) plus a S&W 4013 2 Tone Decock only I picked up this week!

I do enjoy all my S&W 3rd gen 40 cals!

Cheers!!!
David

[sigp220.45]

Originally Posted by Sevens

I had a 646 and I couldn’t fall in love with it. It was finicky with what brass it liked to jive with the moon clips. Also, while it does not actually have the lock, it is not a pre-lock era revolver and it was THE example that proved the theory I had long held — it isn’t the lock itself that makes the double action on lock guns lousy, it’s the MIM parts.

You could easily see that my 646 had the MIM hammer and the double action was just what I expected from a lock gun… which is to say that you squeeze the long trigger and the weight stacks as expected but then when you expect it to release, it dead-stops against a wall, a very firm wall, and you have to break through that wall to discharge the shot.

And I hated it.

Many folks hate the ILS S&W revolvers and I’m in that group but reason is solely based on the wrecked double action trigger and unfortunately, the 646 has it.

Sorry you got a lemon! Mine is great - smooth action, accurate, and 100% reliable. I only use the plastic moonclips from Rimz. They don’t get bent and have always worked fine.

[Echo40]

My first .40 was a used Sigma SW40VE that I only purchased because I suddenly felt the need for something with more oomph than my LCP after hogs started poking around in the neighbor's field and it only cost me $199.



However, it was the gun that got me into .40 S&W, and the next one I got was much more attractive...



I keep hearing that .40 S&W is dead, yet it just keeps going bang whenever I pull the trigger.

[robvious]

Ironically.. no S&W's in 40s&w...
Para-ordnance P16-40
Sig P250
BHP Practical

[HOUSTON RICK]

I wondered who would shoot a 40 if you already had 9mm and 45ACP. Then I got this CHP 4006 TSW and found out. Not dead but enough folks think so that you can often find good 40 guns at great prices. Nice round in its own right.

[dsf]

Originally Posted by Alk8944

Your gun is a Tanfoglio, from F.I.E, not a CZ. Tanfoglio is one of several companies making copies of the basic CZ design.

Mine cost $125 and had apparently been in an evidence room for years! The blued parts were all rusty. I wire brushed the rusted parts and cold blued them and it is acceptable. My SN is only 17 numbers away from yours!

All my brass is .41 Magnum converted on my lathe so I have no ammunition worries! I had a barrel failure one day but was able to find a man named Carleton in Greeley, Colorado that is a fan and had a source of replacement barrels from both Tanfoglio and IWI, probably intended for a Jerico 941. I bought one of each! The Tanfoglio has conventional rifling and the IWI is polygonal.

It wasn't the load, but a pure structural failure of the barrel! It did damage the slide and frame slightly by spreading them, but those were easy to repair.

Just to keep this legitimate to the original .40 thread, I have owned four, a full size Witness, Springfield P9C. an Astra A-75, and a Shorty Forty. The Shorty Forty is the only one I have now.

Saw your PM - thanks. Off by 17 - wow!

My "oops" - yes, a TA-90 I think. The "small frame" type. Safety on the frame.

Really addictive, especially in CA where buying slides, barrels and such don't require a wait. I have 3 frames with 22 lr, 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP.

I have the more limited run Shorty Forty - serial #195 IIRC.

[Sevens]

I think sometimes it is worth reminding that .40cal was a very attractive option for folks looking for a handgun during the ten year run of the AWB.

At that time, a .45cal pistol that held more than 8 or so rounds was a rarity and that meant the two other “obvious” choices were a 9mm capped at 10+1 or a .40cal capped at 10+1.

The realities of the times made it a pretty solid choice.

[sheepdawg]

Not much luck with 40s except for this one that I bought 15 years ago. I can't remember a single failure and there's probably 3 to 4K through it.

[Michaelp57]

AR40, 4006tsw vjh serial, p80 glock 35 with extra 357sig barrel, shield40 PC, m&p40 4.25"

Got more 40s than anything else in my collection.

[olds350rocket]

At 399 for the CHP4006TSW , 260 for the Brinks 4046TSW and 310 for the SWAT CHP 4006TSW. I'd buy them all over again in a heartbeat.

[mckenney99]

Like Fastbolt, I have almost as many .40's as I do 9mm's. I got into the caliber when my agency transitioned to its first semi-automatic duty weapon and they chose the .40 S&W caliber. I was very happy with the caliber and still am a fan. I still have my duty Beretta 96, a Star Firestar, Glock 27, Kahr K40, Novak Custom Browning Hi-Power, Duty Sig P226, P226 Tactical & a P229, S&W M&P 40 and a Novak Custom Colt 1911. I found the .40 S&W a good balance between the capacity of the 9mm and the mass of my beloved .45 ACP.

[Fastbolt]

I didn't list it in my previous post, but my .40's are comprised of a G27, 4013TSW, SW9940, 4040PD and a M&P 40C (original compact).

The 4013TSW was an impulse buy because I couldn't find one of the then-new aluminum compact 457 or 4513TSW's. I thought I'd take a chance on the compact .40 model I found. Some few years later I ended up being issued a newer version for work. I really like the 4013TSW with the wrap-around finger groove Hogue grip.

I got the SW9940 because it was similar to the guns my agency was trying out.

The G27 wasn't a planned purchase, but just came my way for a price too good to pass up. It had been a factory demo gun for a gun writer, equipped with NS, and had been NIB before having been used for the article.

The 4040PD was a whim buy of a lightly used 1-time T&E gun.

The M&P 40C was my second M&P, and at the last minute I decided to order a compact .40, instead of a compact .45. It shoots like a full-size .40 and feels fine in the hand during live-fire, but I've toyed with the thought of trading it for a Shield 40. I simply prefer the 4013TSW and 4040PD to the 40C, and I'd not mind having a thinner and slightly smaller .40 in the stable.

I had the opportunity to buy a 1-time T&E 4003TSW or 4006TSW for less than $700, and while I thought about the 4003TSW, it was just too large for my EDC preference. The 4006TSW was both too large and too heavy (which is why I never had one issued to myself for work, and why I got rid of the issued 4566TSW after only carrying one for several months ).

I find the chunky G27 'good enough', having put more than 15K rounds through it over time, but really prefer the 4013TSW or 4040PD for the grip ergonomics and triggers.

If I had to do it over again, I'd probably keep the 4013TSW and add a Shield 40. Well, I'd also probably keep the G27, since it's a decent 'beater' EDC. As much as I've gotten a lot of use out of the SW9940 and 4040PD over the years, I have no need for a full-size .40 nowadays, and I still prefer my 3913 & 3913TSW to my 4040PD, all things considered.

[WCCPHD]

Only one I have a photo of now.

Vector Arms MP5K PDW clone in .40 S&W

[toddimusnimski]

The 4026 and CHP 4006TSW were fine duty guns back in the day and I'm glad to have them in the fold. Can't get pic to stay turned upright but that's ok. I added a lanyard loop and rounded grip to the 4006.

Todd

[Rubone]

Only a couple for me, but I am a fan and would add at any time. Not dead for me.
Springfield Armory XD40 Service model and an M&P Shield 40 2.0.

[CH4]

Originally Posted by hoytx10

It’s a great round, I love shooting my SD-40!

Lube/clean it with WD-40?

[Well Armed]

Bump... No Glock 40S&W??

[toddimusnimski]

Originally Posted by Well Armed

Bump... No Glock 40S&W??

Ok fine, Mister Demanding... LOL

The Model 22 was my first handgun purchase, bought new back in '92 when the round was still fairly fresh. The Model 27 came along used in '01. I added the Trijicon night sights and Hogue Handall to the 22 and finger extension baseplates to the 27 magazines. Both also received a factory extended slide and magazine release. Other than that they are stock.

Todd