Why so may fireams in .40

[Tamie]

I blame the FBI. They changed to 10mm because they thought they needed a more powerful round. But a lot of agents couldn't handle the 10mm round, so they got manufacturers to load it weaker. They eventually wimped out so much that someone realized they could make the 10mm brass shorter and still fit all the powder used for the 10mm lite. That allowed them to accomodate shooters with smaller hands and retrofit 9mm pistols to fire the new shorter and weaker 10mm round. So that's what they did. Over time, local police agencies copied the FBI because they think the FBI is cool. Some of the public copied the local police and/or the FBI because they think they're cool. The fad spread.

[OldCannon]

I blame the FBI. They changed to 10mm because they thought they needed a more powerful round. But a lot of agents couldn't handle the 10mm round, so they got manufacturers to load it weaker. They eventually wimped out so much that someone realized they could make the 10mm brass shorter and still fit all the powder used for the 10mm lite. That allowed them to accomodate shooters with smaller hands and retrofit 9mm pistols to fire the new shorter and weaker 10mm round. So that's what they did. Over time, local police agencies copied the FBI because they think the FBI is cool. Some of the public copied the local police and/or the FBI because they think they're cool. The fad spread.

Really? You might want to review the facts of that study and the history of how and why the .40S&W came into being, they seem to elude you. You pretty much lose all credibility when you say that the cops wanted to emulate the FBI and that the .40S&W is a fad. Don't rush it though, I have plenty of time for you to retract your errors. If you want to say the 10mm is great, that's fine, but you don't get to just drop _opinions_ on a caliber, disguised as fact, and get away with it.

[Tamie]

Really? You might want to review the facts of that study and the history of how and why the .40S&W came into being, they seem to elude you. You pretty much lose all credibility when you say that the cops wanted to emulate the FBI and that the .40S&W is a fad. Don't rush it though, I have plenty of time for you to retract your errors. If you want to say the 10mm is great, that's fine, but you don't get to just drop _opinions_ on a caliber, disguised as fact, and get away with it.

Don't get upset. Think of it as the sincerest form of flattery.

[SpringerFan]

I have owned more pistols in .40 than any other caliber. While I like the 9mm and love the .45, the .40 just fits my needs better than the other two. I do have smallish hands which is part of it, but also enjoy the higher round count over the 45 and power upgrade over the 9mm. That said, I carry a .380 more than anything else.

The old joke used to be that guys talked about their .45s or large-frame .357s, but actually carried snub-nose .38s

I guess the new version is guys talk about their .40s but actually carry pocket .380s

Takes one to know one

I'd carry a can of silly string before I'd carry a .380. It would be my hope that the BG would be distracted laughing, rather than furiously angry because you tried to punch tiny holes in his body but they were stopped by his thick hoodie jacket.

Just sayin.

I'll stick with my Glock 23.

A .380 FMJ will penetrate 12+ inches in gelatin, your silly string will not. I know it's not the Hammer of Thor, but the .380 in the pocket is better than the G23 left at home.

[OldCannon]

A .380 FMJ will penetrate 12+ inches in gelatin, your silly string will not. I know it's not the Hammer of Thor, but the .380 in the pocket is better than the G23 left at home.

I know what it can do, but I personally remain unconvinced that .380ACP is a good defensive round. Gelatin != bad guys. I know some studies have shown it's a good round and is great for its compactness and low recoil. Doesn't mean I will ever carry it, even if I have to leave the Glock23 at home

[varko]

I'm probably in the minority but I hate the .40. It's so snappy that it annoys me.

You're not...

Whether out of a steel or polymer gun, I am not a fan of the recoil impulse of the .40 compared to .45 acp. I find it far easier to fall into sync with the .45acp recoil impulse as opposed to .40, which is important for accurate shot strings / clearing plates / defense etc...

Granted, I haven't fired a .40 as extensively as the .45 though...

I completely agree. I simply shoot better with 9mm and .45, and I believe it’s because of this reason.

[Ameer]

If you want to say the 10mm is great, that's fine, but you don't get to just drop _opinions_ on a caliber, disguised as fact, and get away with it.

I know what it can do, but I personally remain unconvinced that .380ACP is a good defensive round.

[OldCannon]

If you want to say the 10mm is great, that's fine, but you don't get to just drop _opinions_ on a caliber, disguised as fact, and get away with it.

I know what it can do, but I personally remain unconvinced that .380ACP is a good defensive round.

Well, it's not a contradiction -- I'm saying that I _personally_ don't like the .380. The other poster washed off the .40S&W as something that was merely "popular" because the FBI liked it. There's a difference.

[A-R]

If you want to say the 10mm is great, that's fine, but you don't get to just drop _opinions_ on a caliber, disguised as fact, and get away with it.

I know what it can do, but I personally remain unconvinced that .380ACP is a good defensive round.

Well, it's not a contradiction -- I'm saying that I _personally_ don't like the .380. The other poster washed off the .40S&W as something that was merely "popular" because the FBI liked it. There's a difference.

Now if you'd said the .380 was "popular" just because James Bond uses it, that would be a contradiction

Incidentally, if you get a moment, go re-watch "Dr. No" ... when M (this is before the Q character) hands Bond his new Walther PPK in "7.65mm" that "hits like a brick through a plate-glass window" - and that's only a .32-caliber.

http://www.imfdb.org/index.php/Dr._No#Beretta_M1934" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Warhammer]

I shoot my K40 better than I do 9mm or .45. Now that could have something to do with how well the gun fits my hand and the fact that it's been my primary HD and carry gun since 1996. I've owned and shot .380, 9mm, .357mag, 10mm and .45's, but I really fail to see why so many people think the .40 is so unpleasant to shoot. The reason I chose my Kahr was because of how well it fit my hand and how naturally it points. I went with .40 rather than 9mm because I got (IMO) a more effective round, and only sacrificed 1 round of capacity versus the K9.

[OldCannon]

Incidentally, if you get a moment, go re-watch "Dr. No" ... when M (this is before the Q character) hands Bond his new Walther PPK in "7.65mm" that "hits like a brick through a plate-glass window" - and that's only a .32-caliber.

http://www.imfdb.org/index.php/Dr._No#Beretta_M1934" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Every time I see Bond whip out that .32ACP PP (not PPK), I just wanna cry.

The Bond, Die Hard, and Lethal Weapon movies have increased gun ignorance and set back gun rights far better than George Soros and the Brady Campaign ever could. Oh, and let's not forget Miami Vice.

[Sputz]

i had a really hard time with the .40 cal till I shot and purchased a gen 4 glock 23. It shoots flawless and is a joy to shoot. My wife and I both agreed it shot better then the colt .45 and was more accurate. I attribute my experience due to the new glock recoil system and mbs grip. My next pistol will be a gen 4 glock 27 when it comes out on the market.

Sputz

[LoneStarWings]

All my semi autos are in .40 (well except for my one .22lr). I have 5 M&P .40's, (2 5", 2 4.25", 1 3.5") and one H&K USP .40. I like the caliber but the main reason I stick to it is that the weapon I'm "issued" to carry at work is in .40 and i prefer to minimize the number of calibers I deal with....it makes stocking up on ammo easier. I currently have about 1200 rounds of .40 S&W 180gr HST's in my safe. I find the recoil to be less than that of a .45 when fired out of a pistol of the same weight. It also doesn't give up much magazine capacity compared to a gun of similar size in 9mm. Plus my favorite pistol, the M&P 40 was designed around the .40 and I have rarely experienced a malfunction in firing 10,000 rounds or so throuugh my M&P's. The USP might've been designed around the .40 too now that I think about it. If I was issued a 9mm pistol I'd probably be a glock/beretta fan instead of a M&P/USP fan.

The .40 does not give me any advantage in IDPA. To the contrary, it's a pretty significant handicap in my division (SSP) especially considering I don't handload at all. I'm probably experiencing twice the recoil of the 9mm bunny farters. I'm not making excuses, but I doubt I'd ever win any competitions anyway since there are usually at least a few masters who show up at my club.

[psijac]

German Police have switched to .40 from 9mm. The driving factor is that 9mm Parabellum is the NATO Standard. Thus when they joined US in the wars fought their 9mm supply got eaten up by their military. That's not just idle fact its cold hard speculation.

[Droshi]

Listen, we all know Q heavily modified Bond's guns....it's why they could shoot through anything, had 1 shot kills, and often had 30 round clips. Personally I think they should have shot rockets...

I've been looking at a lot of different calibers...I'm willing to carry anything from a .380 to a .50AE ....but at the end of the day, if I don't like the gun I'm not going to carry it. Which means the way it feels when concealed as well as shoots. But it seems like to me some people will sacrifice those things just to carry a bigger bullet or a chamber that is perceived to be better in some way. All in all...it really depends on what matters to you in a CCW. I would only guess that .40 overlaps those requirements that many people and agencies define for themselves.