Is the 40 S&W a must have cartridge?

[kmyers]

It is a personal taste. I like the .40 caliber also and we have more than a few of them.

S&W M&P with conversion barrels in both 9mm and .357 SIG, popular in TX because DPS used the caliber.

Ruger SR40.

Steyr M40, excellent grip design.

FNH FS40. Another fine pistol.

Another one. Beretta PX4 in .40.

Actually a nice caliber. Not into the whole 9 x .45 or .40 but all have a place. Like in the movie The Color of Money, it's in the way that you use it. Even SWMBO carries a H&K USP in the caliber as a car console companion.

Just another caliber. It is like asking why the .41 Magnum or .44 Special or why the .38 Special since a .357 can do all and more, or pick your own favorite.

 

[JH1951]

In my neck of the woods (S-C PA), the .40 seems to have run its course as a fad and pretty much died on the vine. There is no demand in the gun stores for new ones, and used ones go only at rock bottom bargain prices. Oddly, this last week I asked two gun shop owners how ammunition sales for .40 has been lately. Both replied 'flat'. I see nothing wrong with or objectionable about .40, but it seems to have run short on popularity in the last several years. As many recall, the .40 S&W was the hottest thing on the market several years ago, so there are lots out there. I had one, but it did nothing for me that my 9MM's or .45ACP's couldn't do. Mine went out the door thankfully before the market fell out. For me, there will be no more.40's..... although you very well may enjoy having one or several. Weigh your reasons for wanting one would be my only suggestion, and if you do not rush, a real bargain may present itself.

 

[kmyers]

although you very well may enjoy having one or several. Weigh your reasons for wanting one would be my only suggestion

That is why I made the .357/.38 comparison. Why would anybody own a .38 when you can get the same plus in a .357? Why would anybody own a .44 Special when you can get a .44 Magnum and have both calibers?

Personal tastes and YMMV. It is what makes a horse race.

 

[JohnRippert]

Never felt a need to add another caliber when I already was full up on 9mm and .45 ACP semi's.

 

[richardman1992]

No, and the only reason I bought any now is because I picked up an ex-CHP 4006 TSW


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kmyers]

I realize I am the odd man out here, but I actually like the .40 S&W round. I was first issued a DAO Beretta 96, then a DAO Sig P226 in .40. As a result of my LE duties, I had to dispatch a ton of deer. Never needed to use a shotgun slug or more than 1 - .40 round, just got close enough to put the round where it needed to go and it worked every time. Very first ammo we were issued was typical first generation / low bid ammo that sucked really badly.
When Colt put out a 1911 in .40 I jumped on it and wound up having Novak's customize it to my liking and carried it as my off duty gun for almost 15 years. Bought a Star Firestar .40, Glock 27, Kahr K40 and a Novak custom .40 Browning Hi Power. After retiring also picked up a like new LEO trade in DAO P229 in 357 Sig but quickly dropped a .40 barrel in it and it shoots extremely well.
During the last great ammo shortage I ran a gun shop and like others we struggled to get 9mm, 45acp and most other high demand ammo, but we were generally able to get and keep a good supply of .40 S&W available and sold quite a bit of it.
If you don't mind stocking an additional caliber ammo or just interested in trying a different caliber, I have found the .40 to be a very satisfactory choice.
I also like 22's, 9's, 10mm, 41 Mag, 45acp and 45 Colt so I guess I'm not really picky.

Would say I like them all personally, but that is just me. They all have uses and spots where they all excel. It is no different than the old internet post that every body has the best dog ever, they are all correct. It is just what you individually like. You run with it.

 

[The_Truth]

Correction - 9mm wasn't enough, 10mm* was too much

10mm short is a sweet caliber IMO. That being said, I'd rather carry a 10mm, so that's what I do It is God's caliber, afterall.

 

[RobertJ.]

Is it a "must have"? For me, no. In fact, I bashed it for years.

But then I found a gun chambered for it that I really liked, a 4006 in excellent condition, for a price I could live with. It's my EDC, and has been for close to a year. It's accurate and reliable, has plenty of firepower, and I can't picture trading it for anything.

 

[tlawler]

I wouldn’t say it’s a “must have” cartridge, but it’s a really handy cartridge. I have several .40s: 4013, 4040, 4046, two CS40s, two P229s, and two P239s. I normally use .357 Sig barrels in the Sigs, but I have .40 barrels for both of them. An added advantage of that is being able to use my .40 cal iTarget laser cartridge to practice with those guns and not have to buy the .357sig cartridge. Everything about the .40 is inexpensive. I picked up a .40 Sig barrel for less than iTarget sells the .357sig cartridge. Brass is plentiful. Over the last couple of years, my .40 brass inventory has grown to over 2K from the original 3 or 4 hundred I started with. That’s all range pickup brass too, so people are shooting it. Reloading is easy, especially if you already load 10mm. I find that anything smaller than .40 is harder to handle when loading. I’ve loaded 9mm and .380 and I always end up with a bunch of cases all around me on the deck that I’ve fumbled getting in or out of the press. Longer cases like .38/.357, .32 H&R/.327Fed Mag don’t give me any problems.

 

[Bozz10mm]

Could anyone help me shed some light on why I should purchase a 40 S&W?

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

I've got 9mm, 10mm and 45 ACP. I can't even convince myself that I need a 40 cal.

 

[joeintexas]

I don't think you have to have one but on the other hand I don't think you have to have a 9mm or a 45 or....whatever caliber comes to mind. Personally, I enjoy loading and shooting different calibers and the 40 is a fun one to do. I also load 9mm, 45, 38, 357, 222,and 308. I know lots of folks that only own one firearm and they are perfectly content with that. I only own one 40 and it's an HK USP. Now 45s, that's a different story. Do I have to have a 40, no. Am I glad I do, yes.

 

[muddocktor]

Is it a must have? No, in a word. Would I own one? If you had asked 2-3 months ago I would have also answered no and my reasons were that it doesn't do anything that I can't already do with 9MM, 45 Auto, 38/357 or 44. Then I ran across a decent deal on a .40 Browning High Power and all that changed. That Browning is a sweet shooter and the little I have shot it I have liked it a lot. I've only run 270 rounds through it so far, but that is about to change since I have bought reloading dies for it and right before I took off for the rig I ordered 1000 165 grain JHP bullets from Roze Dist. so I can reload some more for it.

To sum it all up, no, it's not a must have but if there is a pistol you desire in that caliber don't be afraid to give it a try out.

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

I've owned six different .40 handguns, Glock Sig, HK, SW, Glock, Sig, and for whatever reason I'm no where near as accurate as a 9mm or .45.

As I understand it, in LE the pendulum is swinging away from .40 back to 9mm. I may be wrong. In any case I haven't owned a .40 in years...haven't missed it.

Modern 9mm defensive loads are almost on a par with a 357 Magnum and are above 38 Super. That is why the 357 SIG is fading from the scene slowly.

40 S&W is the same.

The magic word is cost. How many fifty round boxes of 40 can you buy versus fifty rounds of 9mm?

 

[Wrangler Rich]

My 4006 comes out as the weather gets cooler. Gets through more layers better and easier to conceal with more layers.

WR

 

[Sevens]

I spent decades being a card-carrying .40 S&W hater. I wouldn't say I have any regret, but my opinion on .40cal has changed. Shortest version I can make:

I hated .40cal because I was a 10mm guy. 10mm guns were .45 barrels and frames made for a smaller diameter cartridge allowing for more steel everywhere that mattered. I didn't hate .40 because it was "weaker", but I absolutely loathed it because ham-fisted/reckless handloaders were blowing up guns with the .40 at a rate out-pacing all other calibers combined. The inherent design of the cartridge AND the fact that these were basically 9mm guns bored out to accept .40 were big reasons. I can go in to deeper detail but it'll turn this in to a volume.

Almost 20yrs later I bought a .40cal barrel for my 10mm Glock and used it for training and organized shoots so that I could use my carry gun without losing precious 10mm brass and that is where I made my most hated cartridge work for me... and that's when I stopped hating it.

.40 brass is almost as cheap/free/easy as 9mm and the mere existence of .40 S&W meant that I always had a good selection of component bullets for 10mm too.

The other side benefit is a small one to most, but significant if you enjoy or take part in shooting steel plates: compared to 9mm, .40cal knocks the snot out of them, the upgrade in power over 9mm is easily noticeable, and in the right hi-cap gun, a good .40 S&W pistol is a fantastic tool for mowing down steel plates.

I've got a lot of handguns, including my Glock 29 with conversion barrel, only a paltry four are chambered in .40 S&W but these are capable guns and especially with my CZ Tac Sport, a phenomenal shooter on range day that gets a lot of work.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Modern 9mm defensive loads are almost on a par with a 357 Magnum and are above 38 Super. That is why the 357 SIG is fading from the scene slowly.

40 S&W is the same.

The magic word is cost. How many fifty round boxes of 40 can you buy versus fifty rounds of 9mm?

Your post is hilariously funny..........And untrue.

 

[Sevens]

The magic word is cost. How many fifty round boxes of 40 can you buy versus fifty rounds of 9mm?

If cost is the magic word, I'm confused by your point here.

Fact: the cheapest center fire handgun round on the planet is 9mm, bar none, zero argument.

FACT: the second cheapest center fire handgun round on the planet without argument is .40 S&W.

So if you are arguing that 9mm is a better choice... okay. But you are de facto claiming that it makes sense to own 9mm guns and no .40's, just as long as you don't own anything in .25, .32, .327 Federal, .380 Auto, .38 Special, .38 Super, .357 Sig, .357 Mag, 10mm, .41 Mag, .44 Special, .44 Mag, .45 ACP and .45 Colt.

 

[growr]

Another way of looking at it would that if you don't already own a Sig...a P229 that just happened to chamber .40 S&W could work well for you.

I have a number of handguns chambered in .40 S&W and enjoy them all...AND I can make MAJOR power factor in USPSA/IDPA very easily.

MY favorite in the world of .40's is still my CZ 40B which was only in produced for a few years, Colt ended up backing out of.

Randy

 

[lrrifleman]

Up to this point, I wish to thank everyone for the informative advice on the 40. I would like to expound a little. I am looking primarily for a range toy, since I currently live in a restricted capacity magazine state that doesn't trust it's law-abiding residents to carry for self-defense (not a political statement, but a statement of fact).

I do handload. Just like Ivory Snow, 99.44% of all my rifle ammo is handloaded (formerly for service rifle matches, now for F class and mid-range prone matches). Before obtaining a non-resident CWP, 99.44% of my handgun ammo was my reloads, now it is about 98%. With the exception of a Glock 17 Gen 5 MOS that is on the horizon for GSSF matches, all of my semi-auto handguns have metal frames. Personally, I find that the extra weight from the metal frames helps to make the shooting more pleasant and successful.

Like many are saying, brass is cheap. Using my brass broom when I go to practice, I have accumulated a few hundred rounds already. I also like switch barrel handguns, and while I can't find a 9mm Sig at an attractive price, I can whet my desire for a Sig by getting a 40 and also purchasing a 357 conversion barrel.

That is where my dilemma lies.

 

[Inusuit]

I used a Casian .40 S&W in IPSC competition because it made major power factor and held 17 rounds. Don't play that game now but still have the pistol and a Glock 23. No, not a "must have" but a useful cartridge. Yes, I reload for it.