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.40: Short & Weak, or just right?

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The Instigator
I've revived interest in .40 S&W. Wish there were more varied loadings; it's one I don't reload.

Who prefers it? In what, and why?


AA
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
I've revived interest in .40 S&W. Wish there were more varied loadings; it's one I don't reload.

Who prefers it? In what, and why?


AA


I prefer it when on duty. Bigger like the .45, but faster like the 9mm. Best of both worlds. Something comforting about 165 grain Gold Dot moving at 1200 feet per second. :) Yes, a 9mm recoils less and is "more" controllable then the .40. But a .22 is "more" controllable than the 9mm.

And the .40 is "more" controllable then a .44 Magnum, so on and so on. Glock 23 on duty, Glock 19 or 43X off duty.
 
Great question, one that I have myself. I keep going back and forth between wanting a .40 and a .45 as a regular carry firearm in the future. Okie's endorsement puts the .40 higher on my list. Unfortunately, one can't rent a firearm in NY to try before you buy. However, since I just purchased a new car for my wife, another firearm is on hold for a little longer anyhow.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

simon1

Self Ignored by Vista
I prefer it when on duty. Bigger like the .45, but faster like the 9mm. Best of both worlds. Something comforting about 165 grain Gold Dot moving at 1200 feet per second. :) Yes, a 9mm recoils less and is "more" controllable then the .40. But a .22 is "more" controllable than the 9mm.

And the .40 is "more" controllable then a .44 Magnum, so on and so on. Glock 23 on duty, Glock 19 or 43X off duty.

^^^What he said. A lot of police departments went to it. Then, after "complaints" from "some" people they went back to the 9 mm for less recoil. I think Jordan, Keith, Skelton, and a few others recommended a .40 or .41 caliber bullet moving at about 900-1,000 fps. I've shot both the Glock 17 and have a Glock 22 and I can't tell much difference in the recoil level.

Also, the old .38-40 was very popular in the Old West days. Even with the black powder loads it had the same ballistics as the .40 S&W. The bullet diameter is actually .40, not .38 as it's a heeled bullet, and with black powder loads it pushed a 180 gr. bullet at about 900 fps.

I usually carry a 14 oz. Colt Cobra .38 Special as it is so easy to carry. But I carry 158 gr. soft LSW HP +P in it. Let me tell you...the recoil of that is much worse than a full size .40 S&W.
 
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Ad Astra

The Instigator
I prefer it when on duty. Bigger like the .45, but faster like the 9mm. Best of both worlds. Something comforting about 165 grain Gold Dot moving at 1200 feet per second. :) Yes, a 9mm recoils less and is "more" controllable then the .40. But a .22 is "more" controllable than the 9mm.

And the .40 is "more" controllable then a .44 Magnum, so on and so on. Glock 23 on duty, Glock 19 or 43X off duty.

What I would call a qualified endorsement!

Thanks.

AA
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
^^^What he said. A lot of police departments went to it. Then, after "complaints" from "some" people they went back to the 9 mm for less recoil. I think Jordan, Keith, Skelton, and a few others recommended a .40 or .41 caliber bullet moving at about 900-1,000 fps. I've shot both the Glock 17 and have a Glock 22 and I can't tell much difference in the recoil level.

Also, the old .38-40 was very popular in the Old West days. Even with the black powder loads it had the same ballistics as the .40 S&W. The bullet diameter is actually .40, not .38 as it's a heeled bullet, and with black powder loads it pushed a 180 gr. bullet at about 900 fps.

I usually carry a 14 oz. Colt Cobra .38 Special as it is so easy to carry. But I carry 158 gr. soft LSW HP +P in it. Let me tell you...the recoil of that is much worse than a full size .40 S&W.

Agree! Seems like this could be the 10mm I've been looking for!

AA
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Price of ammo counts for something, too. Falls neatly in-between 9mm and .45, as with its power, cap, etc. too.

AA
 
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.40 S&W can be a tad snappy in a small frame pistol. I had a .40 S&W Shield once. Nice gun but not the most pleasant to shoot. Replaced it with a FN-FNP 40.
Much improved shooting personality.
 

nortac

"Can't Raise an Eyebrow"
The .40 S&W is a very capable cartridge. No problems with it as far as I'm concerned. I have two pistols in that caliber but rarely shoot them much anymore. A Glock 27 and a SIG P229. I have been toying with sending the SIG in to get the SRT upgrade and begin shooting the .40 S&W again.
 

nortac

"Can't Raise an Eyebrow"
With modern defensive bullets, the difference between calibers has become less a factor in deciding effectiveness. I shoot mostly 9 mm pistols these days, not because I believe it is a superior choice in performance, but you can have more bullets in the gun with a 9mm than you can a .40 or .45., all other things being equal. I still love the other calibers. I'll always have the guns.
 
@nortac
Certainly try the SRT before buying if at all possible. I have one on my P220R
It's more than a bit different. You might not really care for it all that much.
 

nortac

"Can't Raise an Eyebrow"
@nortac
Certainly try the SRT before buying if at all possible. I have one on my P220R
It's more than a bit different. You might not really care for it all that much.

Care to elaborate? I would assume that it could be changed back to the standard DA/SA pull if I didn't like it.
 
Sure.
Indeed the return to an OEM trigger set up is simple and cost free; just a parts swap.
I found the SRT can work almost too well, facilitating and setting off a second shot really quickly. Almost like a bump stock. There is a more than slight learning curve.
 
You should start reloading for it. It’s all I carry. I have 2. One is my edc and the other is under the bedside table and goes with me on hunting trips. I load 180 gr hard cast for the range and use 180 gr JHP for my edc ammo. I feel like it’s the perfect middle ground between 9 and 45. Ammo is readily available and fairly low cost. I have nothing against either of the others. I just prefer the 40.


AoM; B.O.S.S.;Knight of the Veg Table;MFR2019
 
When your life is on the line the last thing you need is a Jam Special & thats why the Leo's in my area carry it. I prefer a 10 guage for home defense myself.
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
With modern defensive bullets, the difference between calibers has become less a factor in deciding effectiveness. I shoot mostly 9 mm pistols these days, not because I believe it is a superior choice in performance, but you can have more bullets in the gun with a 9mm than you can a .40 or .45., all other things being equal. I still love the other calibers. I'll always have the guns.


This is true, but not by much in some guns. My Glock 19 carries 15+1 9mm and my Glock 23 carries 13+1 in .40.
 

simon1

Self Ignored by Vista
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