I’m kinda out of touch with the caliber debate but most of what I own is chambered I. 40s&w. I love the round and is my preferred choice for most anything handgun. I’ve been reading some lately that the 40 has fallen out of favor with the FBI and Law Enforcement. Im not a reloader so thought I’d ask, are gun companies still producing guns chambered in the 40S&W, or am I at risk of running out of ammo? Thought and opinions please. Thanks.
Are companies still making guns chambered in 40 s&w?
- Thread starter bspillman
- Start date
Kreyzhorse
New member
There is plenty of .40 S&W ammo on the shelves as there are still plenty of guns chambered in .40 S&W in circulation.
On top of that, a quick looks shows that Glock has 5 current models chambered in .40.
Looks like Ruger makes 5 models.
Looks like Springfield makes 2 versions of the XD in .40
S&W looks like they make 80 guns chambered in .40 (although some of those are MA and CA compliant versions).
Looks the .40 will still in business for another year or so at least.
On top of that, a quick looks shows that Glock has 5 current models chambered in .40.
Looks like Ruger makes 5 models.
Looks like Springfield makes 2 versions of the XD in .40
S&W looks like they make 80 guns chambered in .40 (although some of those are MA and CA compliant versions).
Looks the .40 will still in business for another year or so at least.
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There are enough LE agencies going to 9mm that the market is flooded with 40 S&W trade ins. New guns in that cartridge may be more difficult to find for a while, but I don't expect them to completely stop making them.
There are simply too many guns chambered in 40 S&W for ammo companies to stop producing ammo. I don't foresee this as an issue in my lifetime.
There are simply too many guns chambered in 40 S&W for ammo companies to stop producing ammo. I don't foresee this as an issue in my lifetime.
Kreyzhorse
New member
True that. I got a sweet M&P for a song that was a trade in. Fantastic gun as well.
Spats McGee
Administrator
Even with the LE move to 9mm, there are so many .40s out there that ammo manufacturers will keep making ammo.
40s are still very common here for most of the cops.
In fact it's the most used round for most of the guns carried in uniform patrol. I am betting there are thousands of agencies that adopted 40s all over the USA who are not likely to change over and buy all new guns just because some others agencies are. The trend of what is most common takes years to change, and years to change again. I am in my mid 60s and in my whole lifetime I have seen the "standard" go from the 357 magnum to a "blend" of 357 and 9mm, to 40 S&W, and now a blend of 40 and 9MM, with 40 being carried by most still. I know several officers in the S.Os. around here and in 2 police departments. If I were to guess, I'd say 40 is used by about 80% of them and 9MM by 20%. That may swing to the 9MM, but I have not seen it happening very fast.
In fact it's the most used round for most of the guns carried in uniform patrol. I am betting there are thousands of agencies that adopted 40s all over the USA who are not likely to change over and buy all new guns just because some others agencies are. The trend of what is most common takes years to change, and years to change again. I am in my mid 60s and in my whole lifetime I have seen the "standard" go from the 357 magnum to a "blend" of 357 and 9mm, to 40 S&W, and now a blend of 40 and 9MM, with 40 being carried by most still. I know several officers in the S.Os. around here and in 2 police departments. If I were to guess, I'd say 40 is used by about 80% of them and 9MM by 20%. That may swing to the 9MM, but I have not seen it happening very fast.
Kreyzhorse
New member
Good point Wyosmith -
38 / 357 was the standard for a long, long time. I would surprised if any major PD still issued revolvers chambered for either. Doesn't seem to be any shortage of either of those rounds on the market.
38 / 357 was the standard for a long, long time. I would surprised if any major PD still issued revolvers chambered for either. Doesn't seem to be any shortage of either of those rounds on the market.
Of course they do. Honestly, people need to stop believing every sensationalized article declaring the .40 S&W cartridge as dead just because the FBI dropped it and some of the more sheepish PDs with money to burn followed suit.
Besides, if you read most of said articles, they tend to be written by guys who never liked the cartridge in the first place if you look back at other articles they've written on the cartridge in the past, dating back to before the FBI ever dropped it.
Honestly, .45 Long Colt was in and out of service for less time than .40 S&W was before it got dropped, yet firearms are still being chambered for it to this very day.
.40 S&W simply has a lot of haters who wish doom upon it and are happy to spread any negative articles or anecdotal evidence to support it's done for any number of reasons. Keep in mind that there are a lot of folks who blame the .40 S&W for the 10mm Autos lack of mainstream popularity, not to mention the downloaded .40 spec FBI loads. It also ruined decades worth of 9mm Luger vs .45 ACP arguments. Oh, and obviously it emasculated a lot of folks who shot it, complained of snappy recoil, then heard that it's actually not all that powerful of a round. So whether it be due to upstaging its bigger brother, brought it down to their level, made arguments end prematurely, or unofficially revoked their Man Card, there are plenty of folks who would like nothing more than to see it bite the dust, and thus they will cling to any source of information which suggests that its days are numbered.
Sure, less guns are being chambered for it at the moment, but when there are tons of inexpensive high quality police trade-ins as well as being sold on consignment by sheeple who no longer care to carry it because it's not the number 1 cartridge used by Law Enforcement anymore, it wouldn't make any sense for them to do so when obviously they can't compete with those prices.
*sigh* I wonder if there were tons of folks declaring the imminent demise of the .38 Special, 9mm Luger, and/or .357 Magnum after the FBI/LE switched to .40 S&W in the early 90s and there were lots of police trade-in Model 10s, 19s, 39s, and 5906s flooding the market?
Besides, if you read most of said articles, they tend to be written by guys who never liked the cartridge in the first place if you look back at other articles they've written on the cartridge in the past, dating back to before the FBI ever dropped it.
Honestly, .45 Long Colt was in and out of service for less time than .40 S&W was before it got dropped, yet firearms are still being chambered for it to this very day.
.40 S&W simply has a lot of haters who wish doom upon it and are happy to spread any negative articles or anecdotal evidence to support it's done for any number of reasons. Keep in mind that there are a lot of folks who blame the .40 S&W for the 10mm Autos lack of mainstream popularity, not to mention the downloaded .40 spec FBI loads. It also ruined decades worth of 9mm Luger vs .45 ACP arguments. Oh, and obviously it emasculated a lot of folks who shot it, complained of snappy recoil, then heard that it's actually not all that powerful of a round. So whether it be due to upstaging its bigger brother, brought it down to their level, made arguments end prematurely, or unofficially revoked their Man Card, there are plenty of folks who would like nothing more than to see it bite the dust, and thus they will cling to any source of information which suggests that its days are numbered.
Sure, less guns are being chambered for it at the moment, but when there are tons of inexpensive high quality police trade-ins as well as being sold on consignment by sheeple who no longer care to carry it because it's not the number 1 cartridge used by Law Enforcement anymore, it wouldn't make any sense for them to do so when obviously they can't compete with those prices.
*sigh* I wonder if there were tons of folks declaring the imminent demise of the .38 Special, 9mm Luger, and/or .357 Magnum after the FBI/LE switched to .40 S&W in the early 90s and there were lots of police trade-in Model 10s, 19s, 39s, and 5906s flooding the market?
Actually . . . . . no. There are many of us who prefer the 40 over the 9. I handload and don't even own a 9mm anything. 38Spl, .357Mag, 40 S&W, 10MM, 45acp, 45 Super, and 45 Colt but not a 9mm to be seen. My CCW piece is and has been a Glock 23 for 16 years. I shoot 180grn Speer Gold Dot handloads, in Speer brass, to Speer Velocities and I'm not even interested in owning a 9mm.
My 'woods walking' piece is a custom Glock 20L (6" slide and barrel) I developed back in 2004, long before anyone was even considering one. I can push a 165grn bullet at 1,579fps which is faster than the my best 158grn .357Mag load out of a 7½ revolver. Low bore axis means much better followup shooting than with a revolver, any revolver. Best of all, my G20L, loaded with 17+1 rds actually weighs less than a 6" S&W 686 loaded with only 6rds of .357Mag.
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If Sportsman's Guide is any indicator, they show 54 pistols chambered in .40 S&W.
What the FBI or other LEO thinks really makes no difference. All of 'em buy stuff based on the lowest bidder. That bid will usually be for the pistols, ammo, maintenance and training.
"...the FBI dropped it..." Because they bought the things as a knee jerk reaction to poor training and needing a pistol for small hands.
"...prefer the 40 over the 9..." That's a Chevy vs Ford(both of which are girlie now after dropping proper standard transmissions) debate. It's been going on for eons.
What the FBI or other LEO thinks really makes no difference. All of 'em buy stuff based on the lowest bidder. That bid will usually be for the pistols, ammo, maintenance and training.
"...the FBI dropped it..." Because they bought the things as a knee jerk reaction to poor training and needing a pistol for small hands.
"...prefer the 40 over the 9..." That's a Chevy vs Ford(both of which are girlie now after dropping proper standard transmissions) debate. It's been going on for eons.
Rangerrich99
New member
I own seeveral .40s. I was making most of my ammo for them until this past year, now I buy the stuff online it's so cheap, and there seems to be plenty availability. The bright side is that I have a lot of makings for when prices rise again someday.
I bought lots of components for my pistols some years back before the price increases and so I've got plenty of everything (enough components for thousands of rds in each caliber) so I can handload good quality .38spl and .357mag, 40s&w and 10mm, .45acp and 45 Super, and even 45 Colt for stupid low prices for years more of shooting. (Same goes for the 9 rifle calibers I shoot too.) And that's not counting the ammo cans full of handloads I've already got made up in every caliber I shoot. Heck, I'm likely GTG until I'm 80!!!!
Kevin Rohrer
New member
STI makes one model in that caliber.