i thinking about the guy who wants his first pistol today. He is better served with a 9mm or 40sw than anything else, all factors considered.
Regardless if the 40sw is a solution no one asked for, it is a viable option over 45acp or 10mm for good reason.
Personally, I ran into 40sw for other reasons. For one, I don't care about handgun calibers because their terminal performance is all the same. I ended up getting a 45acp because I anticipated getting a 45acp carbine to go with it. I wanted a 45acp carbine because 45 is subsonic and I wanted the option of SBR/suppressor in the future.
I realized 40sw can do the same thing and was cheaper, and I no longer liked the sa/da taurus 45acp I had so I bought an M&P40 and knocked out two birds with one stone.
.........Then I realized the 40sw carbines are costly and have quirks about them, so I snagged a 9mm ar15 for a very low price. Now I want a 9mm pistol to go with it.
I'm not debating the caliber war. I PERSONALLY like the 45 ACP more than anything else. If you like the 40, more power to ya. I was merely responding to the OP by stating MY reasons for not liking the caliber as much as the others. It will certainly do the job.