Is the .40 dead?

[686-380]

With the August 2015 (He's Dead, Jim) article in Guns n' Ammo sounding the .40 caliber death knell, it's not surprising this question came up.

My wife has a Glock 19, she loves it. I have an FNS 40 that I love to shoot as well. I don't think we have to worry about the .40 going away anytime soon.

 

[gen3guy]

The .40 S&W serves the purpose for which it was intended. It's been around for about 25 years now and some still see it as some 'newfangled gimmick' that is currently only in vogue for 'hipsters' or 'whipersnapers'. It's effective. It allows for smaller pistol frames. It's reliable. What's not to like? Actually, it was a brilliant compromise as nobody really needed the more powerful 10mm for personal defense.

 

[JMichaelTX]

Well, Guns & Ammo shot this video/survey about a year ago, and most NRA members asked responded with a .40 or .45. Only a few preferred 9mm.

What’s the Best Cartridge for Self-Defense?
by G&A Online Editors | May 18th, 2014

From this survey, it sure looks like the .40 and .45 are not only alive and well, but also very active.

I doubt it is a highly scientific survey, but it does provide an interesting perspective. The question one has to ask is does Guns & Ammo producer/publisher/editor have a bias?

 

[DFM914]

I like 40 s&w, my P239 really loves it!

[/IMG]

 

[Captain O]

My 10mm Auto handguns (four pistols and one revolver) seem to shoot rather well, thank you!

9mm/40 S&W/.45 ACP... blah, blah, blah...

WHO CARES?!

(Shoot what works for YOU and to #ell with everyone else)!

 

[muzzleblast]

It seems that some folks assume the technological improvements in bullet design and manufacturing of the past 20 years have only benefitted the 9mm.

I like the 9. Almost as much as I like a 40 caliber 180 grain HP with ~1000 fps MV.

MB

 

[THEWELSHM]

Personally, I do not trust these new fangled self contained cartridges, what with their "smokeless" powder and loading from the wrong end. Solemn nod.

I like wheel guns to o but my 40cal sig with crimson laser grip takes the guess work out of it at night... Of course magnum wheel gun back up

Thewelshm

 

[Kframerbluvr]

No hate for the "fotay" in my house. I own three .40 Glocks and am issued a fourth. My work provides reasonable amounts of practice ammo and I have buckets of .40 brass at the house. I am actually considering getting a non-Glock .40 of some sort, either a SIG or HK..maybe a Shield....

 

[MJFlores]

My opinion only...and I do own several models in .40 S&W. The .40 has been dying for the last several years. It was all the range until the end of the 90's, then stabilized in the law enforcement market, and now is declining. I think that in 100 years or more, people will look back at it as a failed cartridge even though at this point in it's life it seemed popular. It hasn't had a great performance track record and has blown up more guns than the .45 and 9mm combined. From the beginning, it was chambered in too light a model gun and it's snappiness was more than most want to endure, or can absorb and get back on target quickly. It's day is numbered, and I don't mind too much seeing it go. It'll never disappear. but the love affair is over.

 

[McE]

I look forward to the day that we move past the narrative of "how a single 9mm bullet that underperformed in Miami doomed the entire caliber"

The bullet passed through an arm as well as making it through ribs and a lung. Saying it underperformed isn't really fair. Anyway, that whole narrative would qualify as the biggest overreaction to anything I've heard of in the gun world. One bullet of 9mm stopped an inch short of a guy's heart, therefore create a whole new caliber and cost a buttload of taxpayer money to equip PDs with new guns in that caliber.

 

[Vorvon46]

Love my PPQ M1 .40 S&W. Also have a S&W SD40VE that is great also. Not any snapper than my Tarus PF92 9mm or Shield 9mm.
I have confidence in all of them to do the job if needed.
Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice

 

[tattooo]

90% of my handguns are .40 ...... It's my favorite caliber

 

[forrestinmathews]

.40 is a ridiculous waste of 10mm brass. They should all grow up and move on with life.

I have one .40 pistol and one .40 revolver. Everything else in .40 bore is chambered in 10mm. When the going gets tough, I lose no capacity to the longer cases and find them more comforting to my delicate sensibilities.

A 180 gr JHP pushed at 1000fps is nice, but 1300 fps is a world of difference. Imagine 18+1 of that kind of intervention spitting out of a 1911...750ft-lb beats 450ft-lb every day.

I will add one final note, the .40 is a dog for the reloader. Pressure worries and intolerance of magnum primers in a pinch annoy me. 10mm is safer even with the volume turned up. That said, they're a good steel load and major paper puncher.

 

[686-380]

I LOVE my FNS 40

No hate for the "fotay" in my house. I own three .40 Glocks and am issued a fourth. My work provides reasonable amounts of practice ammo and I have buckets of .40 brass at the house. I am actually considering getting a non-Glock .40 of some sort, either a SIG or HK..maybe a Shield....

You might give FN a try, just sayin'...

 

[Wyatt Burp]

BREAKING NEWS!! The F.B.I. just announced that they are dumping the newly reacquired 9MM for the new Springfield Model XYZ in .44 Russian Rimless cartridge. Leave all your now obsolete 9mms in a box out by the cub by your recycle bin for pick up.

 

[Arik]

.40 is a ridiculous waste of 10mm brass. They should all grow up and move on with life.

I have one .40 pistol and one .40 revolver. Everything else in .40 bore is chambered in 10mm. When the going gets tough, I lose no capacity to the longer cases and find them more comforting to my delicate sensibilities.

A 180 gr JHP pushed at 1000fps is nice, but 1300 fps is a world of difference. Imagine 18+1 of that kind of intervention spitting out of a 1911...750ft-lb beats 450ft-lb every day.

I will add one final note, the .40 is a dog for the reloader. Pressure worries and intolerance of magnum primers in a pinch annoy me. 10mm is safer even with the volume turned up. That said, they're a good steel load and major paper puncher.

Eh 10 is for girls and men with blue hats! If you're going to do that caliber may as well go with 40 super. 135gr 1800fps @ 971 ft-lbs

 

[hardluk1]

I don't see a problem with the 40sw in lite or mid weight handguns if well designed and tested or the cartridge design in general . I do see a problem with the design of some handgunthat causing those Kabooms do to bad design and limited testing that have brass exposed and sloppy chambers and maybe some timing issues .

There with other makes you just don't see the kabooms in unless its maintenance or ammo issue no matter if its a 17oz handgun or a 36oz pistol .


10mm fan guy ?? Bet than 18+1 10mm is lite right , maybe 40 to 64oz like the DW titan and it makes a sweet easy to carry concealable handgun . Funny . Ridicule the 40 like your 10mm's all that . About the same power level as the 45 super so why not step up to a 460 Rowland as it makes a 10mm look like a red headed step child on a bad day . And if you push the 10mm in a colt delta . Gota have a little fun with 10mm die hards.

Oh the might 10mm's not so mighty after all. Just a longer heavier harder to conceal 40. Guess you don't want to talk revolvers since the 357 I hunt with most often push's a 180gr at 1400fps .

Think I'll go out back and run some 9mm on steel .
hehehehe

 

[John R]

I hope this causes everyone to dump their 40's, I'd like to find a "Shorty 40"
I sold a "Shorty 40" years back regretted it ever sense

 

[Captain O]

.40 is a ridiculous waste of 10mm brass. They should all grow up and move on with life.

I have one .40 pistol and one .40 revolver. Everything else in .40 bore is chambered in 10mm. When the going gets tough, I lose no capacity to the longer cases and find them more comforting to my delicate sensibilities.

A 180 gr JHP pushed at 1000fps is nice, but 1300 fps is a world of difference. Imagine 18+1 of that kind of intervention spitting out of a 1911...750ft-lb beats 450ft-lb every day.

I will add one final note, the .40 is a dog for the reloader. Pressure worries and intolerance of magnum primers in a pinch annoy me. 10mm is safer even with the volume turned up. That said, they're a good steel load and major paper puncher.

I've been shooting the 10mm Auto since 1991 and have never looked back. Oh, sure, "the .40 S&W fits in a 9mm sized frame" and "it recoils less than your 10mm". When I worked as an Armed Security Officer, all the men around me were qualifying with their 9mm and .40 S&W pistols. They laughed at my Glock Model 20. However, the smirks ran away from their faces when my qualification scores were higher than everyone elses!

I'm not a big man, (5' 7 1/2") and I have relatively small hands. I never could understand the "hue and cry" about the "abusive recoil" concerning the 10mm's recoil (It is akin to a .45 ACP +p) load in every platform known to humankind.

People need to stop whining and "soiling themselves" over recoil. I know of children that learned to shoot the .44 Remington Magnum effectively... and enjoyed the challenge!

Effective concentration, front sight focus and intestinal fortitude win out over fear and trepidation every time!

In short, get over yourselves.

 

[forrestinmathews]

Guess you don't want to talk revolvers since the 357 I hunt with most often push's a 180gr at 1400fps .

Let's talk revolvers and loads. Namely what revolver and load is pushing a 180 at 1400 in a .357? I remember getting 1400 out of a 581 with 125's and a grain under max load of 296 so please educate me.

I have a .460 S&W so most other things are child's play. The 10mm is a fun time reloading and is concealavenient.

Bottleneck handguns cartridges do not appeal to me. So no 9x25 or .40 super in my future.