Is the 40 S&W a must have cartridge?

lrrifleman

lrrifleman

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Please believe me, I am NOT trying to resurrect a "which is better" thread, I am trying to spark an informed conversation in trying to decide whether a handgun capable of firing the 40 S&W should be in my future.

I realize that the 40S&W development was somewhat a parody of Goldilocks and the Three Bears: the 9mm was not enough, the 45 was too much, and the 40 was just right! I have the opportunity to get a Sig 229 at a decent price, and it is a metal frame, not polymer. Other than price and the fact that it is a Sig, it can easily be converted to 357 Sig.

Realistically, I don't need a 40, since I have both 9s and 45s which I can handle competently. If I need to make a 40 something hole, I have a 41 Magnum. If a need a flat shooting hotrod, I have 357 Magnums. All of my firearm purchases are mission driven, but I already have handguns in calibers capable of over-shadowing a 40 S&W or a 357 Sig.

While I would like a metal frame Sig, I don't need a 40 S&W or a 357 Sig. Could anyone help me shed some light on why I should purchase a 40 S&W?

Thanks in advance for your opinions!
 
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I'm afraid I'm no help to you. One of the calibers I've never owned since, like you, I've had no issues with the 9mm and the .45acp.

The glut on the market of .40 caliber handguns right now tempts me just due to the number of them and the reasonable price. Sadly, I just can't think of a good enough reason to stock another caliber.

It sure is a buyer's market right now and I'm a long time fan of Sig products, but there are too many other pistols I like better than any forty I have ever seen.
 
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IMHO the 229 Sig is the finest combat handgun ever made

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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.
 
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.
 
I have had a lot of .40 S&W handguns; currently own a Sig P250, P239, SP2340. I gave my son three, a BHP, Sig SP2022, Walther PPS. Ours are loaded with Underwood 200 grain hard cast ammo. We carry them hiking and fishing in north Georgia.

The cartridge and guns chambered for it are dead in my area. There are deals everywhere. There is a good selection of ammo available; it can handle most any situation you may encounter. If you want to try one I would encourage you to do so.

In my area, Sig P250 and SP2340/2022 are unpopular and can be found in the $300.00 range.
 
I'd go for it. In fact I'm looking at a P229 in .40 cal for myself, which I'd convert to a .357 SIG. I already have two .357 SIG pistols, a P320, and an M&P 40c Storm Lake conversion (my EDC), and I love the round. With the P229 in .357 SIG, you'd have more capacity than most .45s, and you'd be firing a round with 50-100 ft/lb greater muzzle energy. And, as 29aholic stated, it's a great gun, so what's not to like?
 
Being a reloader, I am a fan of the .40 S&W cartridge. Many claim it's the "short & weak" substitute for a 10mm, and it is, sotr'a. Believe me, it's not weak. It is a bit snappy when compared to the 9mm, but it also makes much bigger holes.

I mentioned reloading only because .40 caliber brass is almost free everywhere you look. And it uses the same size bullets as the 10mm. And I can use the same dies to load both.

A 14 + 1 round FNX sleeps beside me every night. And I really enjoy shooting it at the range as well. I tend to shoot mostly 45 acp when I do shoot, but the 40 is always there, as is some .357's and some 22's. I have several 9mm's and enjoy them too. In fact, I carry a 6906 90% of the time.

I think you're missing out if you pass on having at least one handgun in .40 S&W. No, you don't need one, anymore than you need a 9, 38, 357, or a 45. But I think you should at least try one. They're practically giving them away these days. :D
 
Is the 40 S&W a must have cartridge?
Click to expand...

Answer: Only if you have a gun chambered for it.

Seriously, a few years back I got a used Sig P226 in .40 S&W because it was available at a good price in all stainless, but looking back it would have been better to get a 9mm.
 
It is a personal taste. I like the .40 caliber also and we have more than a few of them.

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

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Ruger SR40.

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Steyr M40, excellent grip design.

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FNH FS40. Another fine pistol.

Another one. Beretta PX4 in .40.

v4nR9Gf.jpg


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.

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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.
 
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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.
 
JH1951 said:
although you very well may enjoy having one or several. Weigh your reasons for wanting one would be my only suggestion
Click to expand...

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.
 
mckenney99 said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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