Wrong, wrong, wrong.

You could make a list of cartridges offered by the biggest names in the history of American factory ammo production that are no longer offered and effectively "dead" and you'd run out of ink in your pen trying to write them long before you got to .40 S&W.

Random made-up statistic? 75% of the folks active on this forum will have gone on to the next life before Winchester and Federal quit making .40 S&W ammo.

I like a nice 10mm short! Life is short. You can never have too many guns or calibers!

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RIP Shipmate

Is there a need for a 40 is like asking was there a need for all those handgun same models bought with 4", 5", or 6" barrels.
I have owned four .40 handguns and only kept two. A Ruger SR40c and a Sig P226 DAK I still have. I carried the SR40c as my main carry for maybe 2 years before I went to the Ruger LCR 357. I then replaced the LCR with a Charter Bulldog in 44 cal.

Like was stated above during the ammo shortage the 40 was easy to find in stock at the vendors. After shooting the 40 I quit buying the hype that the forty was just to snappy for carry. Whatever trips your trigger go with it is what I say.

I carried a 226 in .40 the second half of my career, with a 239 in .40 on my vest. I have a few, Sigs and a couple Glocks.. I have seen what a quality 165 gr load does to ,er, things. Beats the tar outta 9 mike. The .40 was the cat's pajamas until the FBI weenied out and went back to 9. I have a 229 and a 226 converted to .357 Sig, as well as a Glock 32C, and I love that caliber, a lot. If I can't hit something, at least it will go deaf!!
With .40 on the decline , it's a good time to pick up a great caliber, and a couple different loads, for not much money. I don't believe you can beat a Sig 229 in .40 or .357Sig.

Don't know about "must have," but like others have said, hard to go wrong with the current prices.

I picked up a factory refurbished (red box) .40 cal P229R for $400. Good gun. Great price. Like new condition.

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Vegan by proxy.

Totally disagree... over the years, how many times did we hear that about the 10mm, and look at it now?

In the 90's when the .40 S&W was all the rage, millions of them were snapped up by people because they were influenced by the fact that LE agencies were dumping the 9mm like the morning after a bad blind date.

Many a gun writer at that time declared that the 9mm was going to go the way of the dodo bird due to the .40 S&W.

The same herd mentality is also now in play.... the same gun magazines are now decrying how lousy the .40 S&W is and people are all buying into it.

There are still many, not represented by gun forum posts, nor influenced by such, that still own a .40 S&W firearm and are quite happy with it.

Going the way of the dodo?

Ruger just introduced a .40 S&W version of their immensely popular PCC carbine, why would they make that move if they didn't feel that there was a viable market?

If you think the 9mm becomes a heck of round when shot through a carbine, the performance of the .40 S&W should be real interesting.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

Years ago when I first started shooting, a buddy had me shoot his Glock 23C. It put me off 40 S&W big time with the muzzle blast and zingy recoil from his preferred SD load.

These days with more experience I would buy a longer barreled pistol in 40 to get the blast a bit further away and make the best use of the high pressure it uses. I'm thinking Glock 24, 35, 5" M&P or XD Tactical size, but at the right price, naturally.

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Release the Kraken

I'd like to have a 4006 to compliment my 5906 but I seem to accumulate ones that end up with hard to find ammo, like a 16 ga shotgun, and a 303 British. I don't see 40 cal ammo getting scarce any time soon though.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

Neither have I. Occasionally I've been tempted by a dirt cheap Ruger P94 but that's about it.

Been seeing quite a few SIG P226 in .40 up for sale lately.

Hi all! I don't know where the extrapolation came from that suggested that I didn't want to stock another caliber/cartridge, or the fear that 40 ammo would disappear. I not only "roll my own", I also cast my own bullets. Unless some travesty arises that detonated my supply of primers, I will always have ammo on hand.

I posed my question because, while piloting a plane having redundant systems is beneficial, I question the need/desire to have multiple handguns that produce redundant performance. Essentially, does the 40 S&W excel in any area of performance where any of my handguns fall short?

Yes, my 41 falls short in the capacity role. Yes, it will out perform my 9 except for capacity, and it beats the 45 with capacity, but will it out perform the 45? Toss in the 357 Sig barrel, then it muddies the water by bringing the 357 Magnum into the race.

Bottom line, when you are limited to 10 rounds in the magazine, the capacity argument between the 9-40-45 is pretty much neutralized. You are then left looking at cartridge performance. Presume it was the 40 in a 610, with the capability of handling the 10mm, would it surpass the 41Magnum? There, the capacity argument is neutralized and it is all about performance. That is where I am coming from when comparing against the 9 and 45.

Thanks!

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Judge control not gun control!

The 9 made it's reputation with the BHP and 13 round magazines. Most full size 40's have 12 rounds. You have to love perspectives.

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Front sight and squeeze

I personally don't have a need as I have 9's and 45's and load for both. I am too old to learn to load a new caliber and start acquiring, brass, bullets. dies, etc.

There are many bargains in .40 to be found now. For someone who buys factory and does not shoot much, they might be ok. I don't think they would be a good choice for a beginner.

I bought a used Sig P229 in 40 17 years ago. At the time, the dealer had 5 used Sig P229's in 40, so he dropped the price to move them. I found the one with the best action and left with it.

After a year of shooting .40, I could take it or leave it. Then I found a factory Sig P229 .357 Sig barrel on another forum for $100.

I got, installed it and bought some ammo and began to shoot it.

Wow! This thing came alive. The .357 is more accurate than the .40 and packs the punch of a 125 grain .357 Magnum! I can fire follow up shots quicker and I've broken 2 AR500 steel plates at the range. I'm accurate out 100 yards with it and rarely change back to .40, except to shoot .40 ammo I find dirt cheap as practice ammo.

The ONLY bad thing about .357 Sig is, it's expensive and getting harder to find. If you reload, you are in a great spot. If not, it can get expensive.

.357 Sig has become my favorite auto loader round

The .40 should never have been born. It's an answer to a problem that didn't exist.

But then, that was also true of the .45 ACP over a hundred years ago.

And the .357 Sig much later.

History repeats itself. In 20 years we'll decide that the 9mm doesn't have enough ________________, and invent some new cartridge to remedy an imaginary deficiency.

Is the .40 S&W a must-have cartridge?

No, but then again, what is save for maybe .22LR and 12 Gauge?

Owning a firearm is about making choices based on your own individual needs. Only a fool subscribes to demonstrably false unilateral beliefs like that there exists some perfect, one-size-fits-all, all-purpose cartridge/firearm.

Personally, I think that .40 S&W is exactly what it was designed to be, a reduced recoil version of the 10mm cartridge which manages to duplicate the ballistic performance of the original 10mm load as designed by Colonel Jeff Cooper. Yeah, that's right, all of you folks who complain about how it's a gimped version of 10mm Auto, it's not, it matches the original load that Jeff Cooper himself designed before Norma decided to load it hotter, purely for the sake of marketing hype. The 10mm load you all love so much and curse the .40 S&W for stealing the thunder of, wasn't made to Jeff Cooper's specifications at all, hence why folks use it namely for defense against large, quadrupedal predatory animals nowadays and why it flopped as a law enforcement cartridge. So the "wimpy" 10mm FBI loads you all hate so much and .40 S&W are actually performing as Jeff Cooper intended when he designed 10mm Auto in the first place.

Anyway, as I was saying... .40 S&W strikes a good balance between the 9mm Luger and .45 ACP, offering more power than standard pressure 9mm Luger loads and higher capacity than .45 ACP. Now here's the part where someone will argue about how 9mm Luger is just as good *hooks arm in upward ark* as .40 S&W and .45 ACP because the FBI said so, and that may very well be true...of the overpressure +P+ loads used by the FBI, but not your average standard pressure 115gr 9mm Luger loads. So yeah, unless you're actually loading up your 9mm pistol with 125gr-147gr +P+ ammo like the FBI, then no, your 9mm isn't anywhere close to equaling the terminal performance of .40 S&W or .45 ACP.

Last but not least, .40cal pistols tend to be extremely cheap right now due to all of the police trade-ins and "me too" civilian trade-ins, ammo has never been cheaper nor more available, and even if you don't like the recoil of .40 S&W, you can easily convert it to 9mm Luger, then have the option to shoot both cartridges at a cost which will most likely be less than the cost of a new 9mm Luger pistol.

Oh, and if you couldn't already tell, .40 S&W has the fringe benefit of annoying fanboys of all the other cartridges, so everytime you bring it up in conversation, you'll get tons of angry responses by fanboys of 9mm, .45, and especially 10mm because the cartridge is just so infuriatingly well-balanced, thus making it all the more difficult to argue how their cartridge of choice is objectively superior.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I’ve never been tempted to buy one.

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John 3:16 .

I have 40 in my collection because of the S&W models Shorty Forty, 4040PD and 4054...........


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Desperately wanted a 10mm when they first came out but could not swing the $600 price tag back in the 80s. I had a 4053 and a CS 40...sold them both...just didn't get into them, but then I am more of a revolver guy.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I’m holding out for a Barrett 50 BMG pocket gun. The ultimate ccw weapon. Unfortunately, so far, I can only just barely get a couple loose rounds to fit in my pocket. No weapon. Maybe I need bigger pockets.

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Vegan by proxy.

No, the 40 is not a “must have” cartridge, but for me there is no such thing. Cartridges are a personal preference, it’s whatever makes you feel warm and fuzzy.

Another vote for the 40 S&W. I like all handgun cartridges above .380, but the .40 holds a special place in my heart.
I was about 1/3 of the way through my LE career when the .40 was THE death ray, every department was hitching their caboose to the .40 train.
I initially bought a Beretta 96 to get me into the .40 game while I was waiting for Sig’s highly anticipated P229, the first handgun designed for the .40 and the last to hit the market. Carried it for the last 20 years of my career. If I started over again, It’d be the one I grab.

I also have a factory .357 Sig barrel for it and I wouldn’t hesitate carrying in that configuration.

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Anyone who thinks the 9mm almost equals a 357 magnum needs to watch Paul Harrells video on U-tube on that subject . It proves what I and many others have said all along , " Horse manure " ! I personally have no use for the 9mm . Regards, Paul

I have already weighed in with my opinion, but here's a trivial side note. Had it not been for my P229 and my search for a 357Sig barrel, I might not have graced this forum (some will have mixed feelings I am sure). I was looking for said barrel and the interwebs brought me here. I had to be a member to do anything in the classifieds so I joined. The rest is history.

Another thing that I'd like to add preemptively before someone inevitably enters the thread to spew worthless misinformation...

No, .40 S&W does not "tear guns apart" nor does it wear a firearm out any faster than 9mm Luger +P loads. Perhaps there was some truth to it back in the earliest days of the cartridge when manufactures were basically just reeming out 9mm barrels/chambers to accommodate the larger .40 S&W cartridge, but manufacturers have long since stopped doing that in favor of building firearms specifically for .40 S&W, which may appear to be exactly the same as their 9mm counterparts to the naked eye, but if you actually put some calipers on them you'll find that the slides are slightly thicker around.

Also, ignore folks who prattle on about how .40 S&W is an extremely high pressure cartridge. These people have absolutely no idea what they're talking about because in reality the .40 S&W cartridge operates at identical chamber pressures to standard pressure 9mm Luger ammo, they both operate at 35,000psi, and 9mm +P is actually significantly higher in pressure, landing at 38,500psi. This is because .40 S&W is larger in diameter, ergo the cartridge generates less pressure in spite of being more powerful than 9mm Luger +P ammo.

Furthermore, .40 S&W isn't and most likely never will be dead, no matter how many people may assert it to be so in hopes that if they keep on saying it then eventually it will become true.
Heck, even if it was, we live in a world in which you can still buy ammo for cartridges which have long since faded into obscurity like .25 ACP, .38 S&W, (not to be confused with .38 Special) 7.65x25 Tokarev, 9x18 Ultra/Police, etc. So even if everyone including Smith & Wesson were to cease producing firearms in .40 S&W, then ammo manufactures would continue producing the ammo decades upon decades later. Seriously, if there are still companies making old cartridges like .44-40 and obscure cartridges which never achieved mainstream popularity which very few firearms were ever chambered in like 9x18 Ultra/Police, then I'm pretty sure .40 S&W ammo will still be in production long after we're all dead. Besides, most .40s can be easily converted to 9mm Luger.

It's downright baffling just how much information is spread around about the .40 S&W cartridge, but then again, when people are absolutely determined to hate something, they generally don't bother to actually come up with tangible reasons for their hate and thus opt to merely parrot what other ignorant haters have to say about it without bothering to verify the validity of such statements because blind hatred is dumb.

Last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to state that I am not a .40 S&W fanboy. In fact, I don't even own any firearms chambered in .40 S&W yet. I've been carrying a .380 for years, and only recently decided to start carrying something more, which was going to be a Ruger EC9s because I liked my brother's LC9s, but I ultimately ended up finding a S&W Sigma SW40VE for $199 LNiB at my LGS, so I put it on layaway and plan on using it for Winter carry.
So yeah, by no means is .40 S&W a "must have" cartridge, but then again, neither is 9mm, really. I'm merely pointing out that the vast majority of the negatives associated with the .40 S&W cartridge are gross exaggeration at best, and that at the bottom dollar prices that .40cal pistols are going for these days, you'd have to be a complete fool not to buy one if a good deal crosses your path, because even if you find the felt recoil completely intolerable, you can easily and cheaply convert them to other calibers like 9mm Luger, and once another ammo shortage inevitably hits and you can't find 9mm anywhere, you have another option which may very well still be able to find. It never hurts to have another cartridge on reserve.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

9mm on par with 357mag? Lol...no. unless you're comparing a weak loaded light bullet 357 to the hottest loaded +p+ light bullet 9mm, which is disingenuous at best.

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SWCA 3563
10mm aficionado

Sure. Both .357 mag and 9mm make the same size hole in a vital organ, and will kill you approximately as dead.

Well said.

And the point about the next ammo shortage is spot on.

During the last one when .22LR and 9mm ammo was as hard to find as hens teeth and cost as much as the hope diamond... there was plenty of .40 S&W sitting there unwanted, at bargain prices due to the current disdain for it.

Man, I stocked up like nobody's tomorrow... and was enjoying myself at the range while many others moaned about not being able to find ammo.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

If you have to ask... I think you already know the answer.

And... The 9 mm is adequate (if you hit where you should).

And... the .45 is not too much.

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Expect the unexpected

So will .38 Special or .380 ACP, and with substantially less recoil, meaning faster follow up shots.

Come to think of it, The 9mm Luger should never have been born. It's an answer to a problem that didn't exist.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

The 9mm was designed in 1902 to improve the performance of a .30 caliber, in an semi auto pistol that was developed at the same time the .38 SPL was .

The .380 ACP only came up 5 years after the 9mm Parabellum.


You are talking apples and oranges here.

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Expect the unexpected

Last year I found a SIG P250 (full size) in .40 at a silly-low price. I bought dies and brass and bullets and loaded ammo. I had fun. I considered a compact slide and frame. I nearly ordered a .357 SIG barrel. But I never for a moment considered carrying the thing when I had a smaller lighter 9mm and a similarly sized .45. Then I spotted a vintage big-bore N Frame and reminded myself that I had committed to a one-in-one out policy. I made $25 on the sale of the SIG and my brother inherited a large box of reloading supplies for his M&P .40.

If it had been a 229 or a 220 it likely would have stayed and I either would have foregone the N-Frame (unlikely) or told myself "just this once". A 220 has been calling to me for the past 2 months.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

I inherited a Glock 22 that is chambered in .40 S&W. I don't like or dislike it. I'm not what you would call recoil sensitive and enjoy shooting .357 revolvers so the .40 is not a problem. I also have a number of 9mm handguns and they are just less expensive to shoot. I also have an all metal Sig, the P226 Elite, all stainless steel with Rosewood grips so I can see the attraction to the gun you are looking at so I would suggest that if you purchase the gun that you're doing it because you like the gun, not just the caliber. This being said, my Sig P226 Elite is not my favorite gun to shoot. Also, I have noticed that the same gun in .40 cal doesn't hold its value very well and there are lots of them for sale at deep discounts. That being said there are plenty of lovers of the .40 but I would just as soon shoot my .45. You have said that you don't need a .40 but I learned a long time ago that people don't always buy what they need, they buy what they want. So if you really like the Sig I would say to go for it. I would suggest that if you can, shoot one first and then decide, it might change your mind. Regards, Elliot45

Let me state my prejudices up front: I like revolvers. I like ringing steel at 100 yards+. playing defense at 7 yards is the most boring shooting I do and I've got some of the best high-end, semi-autos ever made. Guns that float in the tub aren't my thing.

Normally my mantra is variety. I handload so I know I can make almost any caliber dance the way I want. Still there are certain calibers that have proven themselves to millions of people over a very long period.

I tend to think the market finds the truth. Not the media and certainly not the forums. The media has attempted to kill my own selection of best all around; the 357 Maximum. Even the fake gun media is not to be trusted. There's money involved.

The media all jumped up for the 40 and political LE departments had little choice but to join in. Now we see that didn't last long. So what did LEO's discover that led to the next Wonder Caliber acquired through some slanted acquisition RFP.

Like Jurassic Park said, there's a reason nature selected the dinosaur for extinction. I feel the same about calibers in general.

I have the most gorgeous BBQ gun in silver and gold from Browning High Power. It's beautifully engraved. I love it. That's how I got into 40 which I handload for. I don't hate anything and I'm not ignorant; however, I have never bonded with the 40. I'm usually fully conversant about why I enjoy one caliber over another, but my feelings toward the 40 are just bland. It doesn't float my boat. Nothing seems to distinguish it from others and I have never found the specialty. My 10mm in a T/C is slightly more interesting; but not much. Given many choices at the bench, I just don't pick up the 40 or the 10.

I stopped years ago buying guns because of price. I have all the old truck, toolbox, fishing guns I will ever need. They all seem like a waste of time and resources now. Dumb purchases on my part I don't enjoy. Now, I search for guns that will make me grin every time I hold or shoot them. What remains of my life is too short for ugly or boring.

Of all the handgun calibers I have, handload, and shoot; the 40 would be the first to go. (Funny though, I'm keeping the gun)
If 40 was all I had, I think I could make it do whatever I wanted and needed. Handloading and calibers are like that. Luckily I have many, many choices after trying each one out.

Prescut
Today the 40's specialty is a very sweet price. If that's your criteria, you may want to consider food and a fork instead.

No, here's where you bump up against physiology.

The .38's a good round, but the .380 (and smaller) lacks the momentum to ensure adequate penetration. Mousegun bullets will bounce off the sternum, be deflected by a rib, etc. where the service calibers will penetrate to the vitals.

Two factors in successful shots: (1) placement and (2) penetration. Everything else is mythology: expansion, hydrostatic shock, stopping power, shocking power, knockdown power, temporary wound cavitation.

I carried .40 pistols on duty for 20 years. I will always have several.

Funny enough, that's exactly why I'm not a fan of the 40. I had one about 8 or so years back and a friend was saving me his brass. Much of it was bulged ("Glocked") and I just decided I didn't want to deal with it.

Nothing wrong with the caliber and nothing wrong with stocking up on cheap handguns.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

Incorrect. The same advancements in ballistics technology which have allowed the 9mm Luger to penetrate deeply with reliable expansion have been applied to .380 ACP as well, so now with proper ammo selection, the .380 ACP is capable of meeting FBI/IWBA specifications by penetrating a minimum of 12" into a ballistics gel block through 4 layers of heavy denim with full expansion. The only downside is that the bullets capable of reaching theses specs don't expand very much and they on average fall between 2-3" less than their 9mm Luger counterparts. (If you need proof, look up some .380 ammo tests on YouTube featuring the XTP bullet, honorable mention goes to shootingthebull410 who has done extensive testing on .380 ammo.)

The point I'm trying to make here is, you're being extremely arrogant and obtuse by making silly inflammatory statements like how .40 S&W and .45 ACP should have never existed just because 9mm Luger is an effective round. .380 ACP with proper ammo selection can be effective as well, does that make 9mm Luger a useless round? Certainly not, and neither does 9mm Luger being an effective cartridge make .40 S&W or .45 ACP useless cartridges.

Sometimes folks just like to carry larger caliber rounds which deliver more energy.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

Check out Youtube for some of the new hot .380 rounds. They're getting 1250 fps from a 4" barrel with 14-16 inches of ballistic gel penetration.

I don't pay attention to ballistic gel blocks or Youtube tests. I talk to big-city ER doctors and pathologists, and study autopsy reports. Those sources tell a different tale. They will tell you that it's placement and penetration that shut bad guys down, not "energy" or any of the other aforementioned myths. The .380, even in its most effective form, FMJ, doesn't reliably penetrate. They will tell you:

1. Pathologists can't tell what made the hole(s), what caliber it was, or what type of bullet it was, from examination of the body.

2. People hit in vital organs with any kind of bullet or caliber die pretty quickly. Those who aren't, don't.

3. Magnum stuff, .44, 10mm, etc. doesn't make humans any deader than the service calibers.

4. Shot failures are failures to penetrate, not failures to expand.

5. Handgun bullets frequently fail to expand at all in people, and those that do, usually just deform oddly rather than make those perfect mushrooms and flowers seen in bullet ads.

6. "Terminal ballistics testing," i.e. gel blocks covered with x layers of denim, etc. are low-order approximations. Human bodies are complex and each shooting is unique and unpredictable.

7. If Agent Dove had been shooting FMJ rather than expanding Silvertip bullets, Michael Platt might (or might not) have gone down in seconds rather than in four minutes and seven shot Special Agents. That was a shot failure due to penetration failure, not some imagined "weakness" of the 9mm caliber.

8. The .40 was invented because agents couldn't handle the 10mm. The 10mm was fielded because Agent Dove's bullet didn't stop Michael Platt quickly enough.

9. The .45 ACP may have been invented because the .38 didn't stop Moros quickly enough, but they don't tell you about the sequel: Moros hit with .45 didn't fall any quicker than they did when hit by .38. Some of them kept on going even after multiple hits with .30-40 Krag rounds.

All this and more upsets shooters to no end. It destroys cherished myths and shakes their confidence in their magic self defense bullets.

But that's the reality of it.

Bottom line: For defense against bad guys, 9mm FMJ is as good as anything out there, and better than many.

Hmmm, have any .40 BHP's collecting dust?

Alrighty then, whatever you say...

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I am a .40 fan. 3 Smith semi-autos and a 610 revolver that gets a regular dose of 40 S&W. Could i live without? Yes, But i don't have to! Not wishing to stir the post to excess: The Forty is everything the 9 wishes it was!

Never carry a gun for self defense in a caliber that doesn't begin with a 4

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

Heh, I found one at the gun shop I go to pay my shooting range fees every year and picked it up a few months ago. It's the first .40 I have ever shot or bought and it's a sweetheart of a gun too.

Some interesting takes on the .40 S&W in this thread. I'll just add that I never thought I'd need or want a .40 until I bought a Kahr CM40. Turned out to be a pistol that I shoot as well or better than any of my 9's or 45's so it didn't take long to become my favorite EDC. Even though it only holds six rounds, I have no worries because I'm extremely accurate with it when practicing defensive scenarios. Probably only need one or two rounds anyway, unless I run into six assailants.

My perspective is this: it is a wimpy handgun round, but the pistols chambering it are cheap right now. And there are some excellent pistols to be had at bargain prices if one is smart enough to realize that 40SW is just another wimpy handgun round.
If I need to get into a fight I'll take my rifle.

Ooh, ooh - Time to go shopping

I have zero 9mm but own three .40 caliber pistols.

My belief is that at least one caliber is absolutely necessary but you need to do the choosing.

I will recommend getting a threaded barrel and suppressor.

.40 caliber suppressors are kind of rare.

Unfortunately, in most states open carry of a rifle is frowned upon and is bound to attract unwanted attention, so we're pretty much stuck with carrying wimpy handguns.
Sure, you can keep a rifle in your automobile, but personally I wouldn't count on always being in close proximity to my car should I need a firearm, nor would I expect an assailant to politely wait for me to retrieve a rifle from my vehicle.

So if you're stuck using a handgun, then it just makes sense to carry one which comes chambered in the most powerful cartridge you can manage and holds as many rounds as possible in the magazine. Personally, I don't subscribe to the belief that there's no benefit to carrying a .40 over a 9mm, so I would prefer to carry a larger diameter bullet over a smaller diameter bullet whenever possible.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I think you missed the point. If I need to get into a fight - I take a rifle.
The wimpy pistol is something I have with me out of convenience, since I'm likely to have it with me when I need it.
All wimpy pistol cartridges are much the same.

I enjoy my M&P compact in 40 S&W but frankly bought it because of the low price of used agency trade-ins right now. Which is the same reason I bought my 4" M&P in 45 ACP a couple years ago, although I've shot 45 ACP for decades. If I was limited to only factory ammo I'd probably pick 9mm over 40 S&W. Since I reload I like 40 S&W better than 9mm. Cases are easier to handle and cost is almost the same. 175gns of lead vs 128gns of lead, a extra gn of powder, everything else is a wash cost wise.

Hope to find out soon, as I just picked one up today. Has the DAK trigger system on it. Something else to learn I guess. But I happen to like the .40 cal and being a reloader, I just might get a 357 barrel for it, just because I don't have one.