I'm just gonna say it... .40 recoil isn't bad at all.

This thread is clearly wrong, everyone knows the .40 recoils so much that at the least your split times might be a horrible .01 seconds slower if you even make it that far because from what I hear, the .40's recoil may shatter your wrist completley leaving you permanantly disabled.

I must either be special or maybe too many complain about something not worth complaining about.
 
Ruger45LC said:
This thread is clearly wrong, everyone knows the .40 recoils so much that at the least your split times might be a horrible .01 seconds slower if you even make it that far because from what I hear, the .40's recoil may shatter your wrist completley leaving you permanantly disabled.

I must either be special or maybe too many complain about something not worth complaining about.
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It is all because of the "snappiness". I thought I shattered both wrist and suffered a concussion from all the blast. Glad I'm not the only victim. [emoji12]
 
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It's too late for me. The otherworldly recoil of the 40 has caused irreparable brain damage to where I now think 40 is the reason I do very well at IDPA and very very well at bowling pin matches and very very very well at steel shoots. My shattered wrists have gone numb so they don't bother me any more. Get help while you still can,you people who are being forced to use this devil of a cartridge. We need a government study of this problem and a government solution. The tears of the limp wristed can no longer be ignored.
 
In full sized service pistols I can fire 9mm or 45 and the recoil doesn't bother me a bit. I hope that 40 will be the same. I found one of those S&W 40ve's in barely used condition for $231. It should arrive by next weekend. I have never shot a 40 before and am eager to try it.

The semi-auto that hurts my hand is my little Kel-Tec 380. I have very large hands and am basically holding onto it with my thumb and one-and-a-half fingers. I can still hit a paper plate every time from seven yards, which is enough accuracy for SD imho, but I know my hand is gonna take a beating when I practice with it.

A medium or large framed 357 doesn't bother me as longs as the grips are decent. I have a big single-action 44 with grips that are a bit too thin for me. Shooting 44 specials out of it is fun. Shooting full-power 44 magnums out of it feels like getting smacked in the hand with a stick.
 
It is not bad. I shoot much larger calibers and a .357 11 oz. snub nose. I like recoil. If there is no recoil, I do not enjoy shooting, like a .22 for instance. Boring tome. The problem I have with a .40 is the recoil is snappy, especially in a small gun. I can get faster back on target with a 9mm or .45. I am sure that everyone times themselves but if you did, time your splits with various calibers. I always consider how fast I can get back on target because is a state of panic or high stress, I cannot count on making the first shot count.

I am an old timer and if I want bigger than a 9mm, I go with a .45. It does not need to expand to work well and I find the recoil more suitable to my needs. Go with what you like.
 
I did an experiment with a few of my coworkers. We shot a Glock 26/27 and then a 19/23 while blindfolded. None of us could tell the difference in recoil and 2 thought the 26 recoiled harder than the 27. All factory standard pressure was used in the test. Interesting, to say the least. I am a big fan of the .40 S&W cartridge and feel it is well suited for our law enforcement use. I have seen it get the job done many times.
 
Shotgun Slim said:
It's too late for me. The otherworldly recoil of the 40 has caused irreparable brain damage to where I now think 40 is the reason I do very well at IDPA and very very well at bowling pin matches and very very very well at steel shoots. My shattered wrists have gone numb so they don't bother me any more. Get help while you still can,you people who are being forced to use this devil of a cartridge. We need a government study of this problem and a government solution. The tears of the limp wristed can no longer be ignored.
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Rofl!!! [emoji23]
 
Shoot the same size and model gun with 9mm and 40SW with a timer and see how fast/accurate your follow-ups are going to be.

Most of the guns that come in 40 are small, compact to subcompact carry pieces that perform better with 9mm.

If you shoot 40 out of a tank like a P226 (which could probably handle 10mm) then it's nowhere near as bad.

Since ballistics render any "advantages" of pistol calibers irrelevant, 9mm is clearly the best choice for capacity and ability to do quick and accurate follow-ups.
 
I don't own a 40 and likely never will, since I've had 9mm and 45acp for decades now.

Shot a 40 once through a buddy's Glock. Didn't notice the recoil as being anything memorable. Seemed like a good caliber for someone who didn't already have 9mm and 45acp, though.
 
i agree that its going to have a lot to do with which gun you are shooting it out of, but when it comes to glocks, the difference between shooting a g26 in 9mm vs a g27 in 40 is so small its almost hard to tell which is which.
 
thedudeabides said:
Most of the guns that come in 40 are small, compact to subcompact carry pieces that perform better with 9mm.
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:confused:
Most guns that are chambered in 9mm are also chambered in .40. So going by your theory then most 9mm guns are compact or subcompact carry pieces.
Actually there are quite a few compacts and subs chambered in 9mm and NOT available in .40
 
Choose a fast powder like n320, 200gr bullet at 800+fps (makes major) and a .40 will feel like a cream puff. I've never shot a 9mm, that made major, that was anywhere near as soft shooting.
 
Very sorry to be off topic, and at no offense to the thread,but since it was just mentioned could someone please clarify what is "making major"? This is a new term for me.
 
I just want to stop the attacker; not explode him into a thousand pieces. That's why I choose 9mm over 40!:D Plus, with 9mm, I can stop the attacker a fist-full more times than I can with the fat 40 cartridge.:D:D:D






(Yes, this makes about as much sense as any other comment that claims one of these cartridges is superior to the other for XYZ reason.)
 
In some of range games being able to shoot 5 rounds .5 seconds faster and hit tiny targets can mean the difference between winning and 2nd place. Not sure that is relevant in the real world.
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You're not seeing how the ability to put more rounds into a target in a given piece of time is not relevant?

1. Unless you're a one hit wonder you're going to need to amek follow up hits.

2. You only may have a glimpse of a target as the BG may be behind cover too. Is it better to hit that target twice or once?

3. Recoil may be extremely important to some parties. My wife cannot shoot a .45ACP where she can comfortably and reliably rapid fire a similarly sized 9mm.

4. Each to his own. Try multiple calibers. Whatever works for you should be the driving factor, not what other people think.
 
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I agree with the fact that it has alot to do with the model of gun you use. I had a SW40VE and didnt like it. I had a 3rd generation S&W auto that I didnt like, but for some reason I enjoyed shooting my Glock27.
 
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