Why no love for the 40S&W?

I grew up with Ruger 22 pistol and my farm buds.We also shot sm bore rifle and on to pistol.At one point I was on a local team and we took State,that team many times.When my son was in Marines I thought he Ill try 9mm,Started shooting again,disappointed in accuracy.Pulled out my ol slab side ruger,wide trigger w/stop at 20 oz.Ya I could still shoot.I always shot revolver and I pack 4'' 629 in bear country.I wouldnt even consider my 9mm,as wieght and how I shoot it.Ive put a large number of round threw it but no way I have the accuracy, I could shot a bear at 100 yrds w/44.But really like the 9mm for truck and nightstand,night sights
 
My department issued wheel guns in the good ol' days but eventually moved to autos with the rest of the law enforcement community. Officers were permitted to select their own pistol but were confined to 9mm or 40 S&W. Nine out of ten officers chose the 40 S&W at the time and none have reverted to the 9mm.

Working in a marine environment I selected a H&K USP40. Several thousand rounds later and my H&K continues to function flawlessly and is still quite accurate. I was shooting my buddy's H&K VP9 the other day and was impressed with how sweet it was to shoot and noticed the slight reduction in recoil. But ..... my USP still consistently outshot it. I won't be abandoning my 40 S&W any time soon. 😁😁
 
The OP asked why no love for the 40. Incidental target practice a 9 much easier to shoot. If LEO you have WAY different perspective of need. Civilian self defense WAY different from LEO. A family friend police chief issued my first cc 45 + years ago. He gave some advice that I still believe today. He told me not in law enforcement nor military. If it isn't one and done, you are probably done. So buy enough gun. Also told me ifI bought a 9 he would rescind my cc.:eek: So I bought a 44 which was interesting to carry. I have a 40 and love it. Shoots really good and with 16 round good backup. But my favorite is 686+ 7 shot .357 4". I really don't understand this recoil thing. Its like the dang 6.5CM versus .308. C'mon man!
 
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But my favorite is 686+ 7 shot .357 4". I really don't understand this recoil thing. Its like the dang 6.5CM versus .308. C'mon man!

I sure cannot argue with your favorite! I Love the .357. But, like everything else, it depends on the setting. I wouldn't have it, for example, as mainly a nightstand gun in an apartment.
 
the 40 is typically built on a 9mm sized frame (sig p226 for example), so it's snappier than a 9 and more conducive to jerking the trigger. The 45 and 10 are built on larger frames (sig p220 for ex) which again, make them less snappy to shoot even though they are more powerful cartridges.

And if you wanted a 40 built on a larger frame to compensate, you'd be better off just sticking with the more powerful caliber, so why bother.
 
I sure cannot argue with your favorite! I Love the .357. But, like everything else, it depends on the setting. I wouldn't have it, for example, as mainly a nightstand gun in an apartment.
You can get frangible bullets that would be safe to use in that setting. I live on 5 acres so I prefer the 12 with 00 and 1-1/2 oz slugs. One and done if needed.

The one thing about pistols and recoil is virtually no one tries the pistol on for size instead of looks and performance. Size does matter in any pistol selection which is huge aspect of recoil control. I am shrek size guy so everything I pick up needs to reflect that. Big hands don't do well with itsy bitsy pistols. They disappear in my hand, are uncomfortable, hard to be accurate with them. SO large frame pistol it is. Which is why a 40 is OK by me.
 
The OP asked why no love for the 40. Incidental target practice a 9 much easier to shoot. If LEO you have WAY different perspective of need. Civilian self defense WAY different from LEO. A family friend police chief issued my first cc 45 + years ago. He gave some advice that I still believe today. He told me not in law enforcement nor military. If it isn't one and done, you are probably done. So buy enough gun. Also told me ifI bought a 9 he would rescind my cc.:eek: So I bought a 44 which was interesting to carry. I have a 40 and love it. Shoots really good and with 16 round good backup. But my favorite is 686+ 7 shot .357 4". I really don't understand this recoil thing. Its like the dang 6.5CM versus .308. C'mon man!
Love your posts and have a 686 although much older than yours, but after Biden if you say "C'mon man" folks will think you're senile...just kidding!
 
Man, seems like everywhere I look people are dogging on the 40 now. People are dumping them for 9mms. I have 2 40's and I love them. A glock 23 and 27. I shoot and carry them way more than my 9mms. I know they have a little more pop to them, but man they hit hard, you can tell the difference at the range. Police agencies are even going back to the 9. I have heard it's because a lot of them can't handle the recoil and don't shoot the 40 very well?


Interesting. The 40 came about because it out performed the 9 mm. It was first introduced as the 10 mm but it became evident that many people could not handle the 10 with full house loads, so the common practice was to down load it.

Then S&W decided to cut it down and produce a more manageable loading so they called it the 40 S&W. it became the standard police hand gun and has a good reputation for performance.

I don't own a 40 S&W because I have a 10 mm and a 9 mm, the 9 mm was used primarily used for CHL qualifying because it was so easy for my wife to handle.

The more people that get into concealed licence carry the more people there are that cant handle recoil. So the 9 mm and the 380 have become very popular with this crowd making ammo sales soar in these cartridges.

Nothing wrong with the 40 and it will be around for a long time because it is a good compromise between handling and power.

J E CUSTOM
 
I never liked the 40. I carry a 9mm and always have for the most part. I shot several 40's and didn't like the recoil. I am a big dude, I can handle the recoil, but it still didn't feel as good as 9mm.

Now with the advancements in ammo like the 127gr Ranger +p+ 9mm is shooting ballistics of a 38 super.

I like 45 acp except it is expensive to practice with.
 
I find both cartridges to be useful. If I am out running I carry a 9mm SIG P938 in a PT One holster. Granted it does not have the power of the .40 but its better than nothing. But if I am out walking I will carry my Glock G27 in .40. The .40 is also good to carry in the center compartment of the car.

I have a P226 but it is a commemorative addition so it does not get shot very often.

If it is in the 90s then I take the P938 in my pocket but if it is cold enough for a jacket then I opt for the G27.
 
I've got a Beretta 96 and a G17... Heck, I don't even load for the Glock; it just gets fed factory ammo. I do load for the 40; she eats 180 xtp's pushed to 1K fps with blue dot... I'd rather carry my 44, but I suspect the 40 will do well enough should I use it on a 2 or 4 legged critter.
 
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