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Old 11-24-2009, 02:30 AM
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k9870 k9870 is offline
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Default Your opinion on .40 S&W

I think its over hyped and a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. it has sharper, snappier recoil than a .45 with less stoppin power. it is unconfortable to shoot, when a .45 is quite pleasant at the same weight. If you want compact carry guns, go 9mm, contrary to some belief it won't bounce off people s chests and you can control the recoil way better. A federal hst +p in 9mm is about equal to a .40 in mosts gel tests and by muzzle energy. If you want capacity, 9mm, power, .45, the .40 just cant fit in. Not to mention the hih pressure levels (pretty much maxed out) are not that great for your gun if you shoot a lot. Thats my opinion, yours?
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Old 11-24-2009, 04:28 AM
Yournamehere Yournamehere is offline
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The following is a list of factual information mixed in with elements of my personal opinion and deductions.

Back in 1986 they decided hey wanted to ditch their 9mm and .38 Caliber handguns in favor of something more powerful. I'm guessing they didn't switch to .45 because they had abandoned them earlier in favor of higher capacity handguns, or they didn't want to lose..... their high capacity handguns. With this came 10mm Auto. They had something more powerful than 9mm or .38 Special rounds, and more capacity(11+1) than single stack .45s of the era (7-8+1). However, this cartridge is comparable to a fairly hot .357 Magnum, so it had significantly higher recoil than either round. The FBI wanted more power, but they felt that 10mm was a little too much more.

So, S&W jumped at the opportunity, and decided to do the reverse of what they had done in the past. Instead of scaling up the case size (as was done with .38 Special and .44 Special for their Magnum counterparts.), they cut it down, to create the .40 S&W. Their 4006 pistol held the same 11 rounds (still more than a .45 with more power than a 9), but it didn't come out for purchase for some time. Glock, however, saw the new cartridge, and, already having a 10mm pistol of their own, the Glock 20, all they had to do was adapt the 10mm design to the 9x19 sized frames and slides. The gun that was designed and adopted by the FBI, Glock 22 in .40S&W allowed them to stuff 15 rounds into a magazine, the same amount as a Beretta 92F, the 'It" handgun of the era.

On paper it was great, power and capacity all in one. However, as mentioned by k9870, the cartridge is said to have a sharper recoil than .45 ACP which can cause flinch in some shooters and therefore a drop in accuracy. The cartridge is also loaded to very high pressures, which results in no +P loadings as well as cases (not many but more so than other rounds at least) where the ammunition has exploded in the chamber of certain guns, destroying them. For those who can't handle the .40 S&W cartridge, the FBI allows the use of other Glock or SIG designs in 9mm or .45 Caliber.

Nowadays we have modern bullet designs and good factory powder loads, so cartridges like 9mm are comparable to .40 S&W rounds, and we also have more high capacity guns chambered for .45 ACP like the Para-Ordnance P14 and Springfield XD. "Why the hell does the FBI still use .40s, or anyone for that matter?" Very rarely does a large organization like to ditch it's entire stock of handguns in favor of something that might be better. It happened in the early 90s because of a shootout that brought out the weaknesses of their current weapons' calibers. Now, when we have the means to allow "better" calibers to be comparable in terms of power or capacity, they probably don't want to take back every gun they bought less than 20 years ago to issue these new guns to (as well as have to retrain in the use of a new handgun) their personnel. As far as the civilian market goes, it remains popular in civilian hands because..... it remains popular in law enforcement hands. Some people dig having a LE caliber, or think "if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me", plain and simple.

Personally I prefer 9mm as an end all be all handgun caliber, but you better have good hollow points, or a lot of bullets, or both, or it loses it's effectiveness. .45 ACP would be a good choice too but it is about one and a half times the price of 9mm and there are less high capacity designs available, so you have to be comfortable with half the ammunition. In all honesty, caliber doesn't matter if you can shoot whatever you use comfortably, and afford it. Some people hate one and love the other, so there is no "best" or "worst" caliber when it comes to these "Big Three".
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Old 11-24-2009, 04:43 AM
Jcordell Jcordell is offline
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It's a compromise design. Usually compromise designs satisfy nobody and fade away. The 40S&W is the exception to that rule. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. I prefer the 9mm in semi-autos and 38/357 in revolvers. I used to be part of the 45 acp mafia but I resigned from that club several years ago as well.

But the caliber works and if you can hit your target then you aren't underarmed.
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Old 11-24-2009, 02:41 PM
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I like 45 since it has fairly light recoil and lots of power. To be fair though, i have very little experience with 9mm guns. When i turn 21 I probably will buy a 9mm thouh since it is good for self defense and I can afford to shoot it way more and work on my skill. A 9mm you can become an expert with beats a so-so 45 shooter. Then Ill buy a ruer lcp and find a ri to carry it when i go runnin, and ill get at least one revovler.
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Old 11-24-2009, 02:47 PM
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I'm not a big fan of .40. As Checkman said, it's a compromise design. As for its recoil, I actually have never thought it's all that snappy compared to many calibers I'm used to. The main thing I don't like about the .40 is its price. And since I never expect to fire my pistols outside of a range, 9mm is what I prefer because it's cheaper in bulk.

The other problem for me is the unfortunate fact that SIG's .40 magazines only hold 12 rounds (though some people expand their capacity by taking the spring from a 10-round mag and putting it in the 12-rounder).
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Old 11-24-2009, 02:52 PM
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BTW, one other thing I find annoying: Ever notice how many people bitch about how 9mm is a "wuss" caliber? Like that dude S&WShooter? I admit that 9mm is hardly the best cartridge money can buy, but I find it ironic that a lot of the people who think it's for pussies are people who, like S&WShooter, are high school age and don't have to worry about paying for their ammunition because Daddy buys it for them.
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Old 11-24-2009, 03:03 PM
Ace Oliveira Ace Oliveira is offline
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I'm high school age and I like 9mm. I prefer .45 ACP, though.

I'm not suprised that .40 S&W is shit since the parent caliber was 10mm Auto.
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Old 11-24-2009, 03:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ace Oliveira View Post
I'm high school age and I like 9mm. I prefer .45 ACP, though.

I'm not suprised that .40 S&W is shit since the parent caliber was 10mm Auto.
But I thought there are no guns in Brazil? Or at least, not without a zillion miles of legal red tape?

.40 S&W isn't "shit"; it's just a bit overrated and overpriced.

EDIT: I've read that Brazilians can't own pistols in military calibers (including 9mm).

Last edited by MT2008; 11-24-2009 at 03:13 PM.
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Old 11-24-2009, 03:13 PM
Ace Oliveira Ace Oliveira is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MT2008 View Post
But I thought there are no guns in Brazil? Or at least, not without a zillion miles of legal red tape?

.40 S&W isn't "shit"; it's just a bit overrated and overpriced.
Depends. There are legal shooting ranges that are run by cops and soldiers. You can't own a weapon, though. I think those ranges are to educate the population about guns. I live near one. I hear the gun shots almost everyday.
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Old 11-24-2009, 03:23 PM
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As ive said i have very little 9mm experience, but most information on premium defense loadings shows it to be incredibly effective. Modern bullet desighns are more important than what caliber a lot of the time. I think 45 is better for self defense, but then its much more expensive ammo.
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