Is the 40 done?

I can still go buy .41 magnum.

Hell. I can still buy .45 GAP and like 3 people bought those and one of them had Glock as a last name.

I don’t think .40 is going away anytime soon.
 
There are literally many MILLIONS of .25 acps out there. Probably outnumbering .40 cals 5 to 1.
Because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not there.
 
How many of these "Is the 40 S&W done?" threads can the world afford? They've become more common than bear threads and "Is Colt going under?" threads. That's saying alot.

No the 40 is not done. It's not even dying.

Now is the time to get yourself a good new or used gun in 40 S&W and pick up a spare barrel in 357 Sig to play with that round as well.

tipoc
 
If picking up range brass is an indication of popularity I would break it down for every 100 pcs of brass I pick up:

80 pcs of 9mm
15 pcs of 45acp
5 pcs of .40 S&W

Is .40 dead ? No
Is .40 unpopular ? Yes.

I shoot quite a bit of .40 for my wife's G22 , and my Kimber 10mm , i'm probably the exception to the masses..
 
I don't have a .40 and I don't see it dying... not in my lifetime. I hope it doesn't either... that will mean all the 9mm, 45 and 10mm will be out of stock more often. lol
 
Bill DeShivs said:
There are literally many MILLIONS of .25 acps out there. Probably outnumbering .40 cals 5 to 1.
Because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not there.
Click to expand...
Who's buying a .25 for serious use and not just to add as part of a collection tho? I have one .25, Raven, bought solely for the low price and history of it. No intention to carry or use defensively and when I saw (and eventually confirmed by buying one) all the positive things said about the Phoenix HP22, I thought maybe the HP25 would be good too. Then I came to my senses and said a 20oz .25 is stupid in comparison to a .32 Kel Tec at half the weight.

Could slap a Beretta 950 in my hand and I would still scoff at the idea of carrying one. Not that .25 is useless, face/head shots will be effective with one, but with a .32, if all that could be done is a body shot, it'd be more effective.
 
There are probably millions of people carrying a .25, because that's what they have. And, they are buying ammunition for them.
If the Raven is the only example you have seen, you should look at the Browning .25s. The Berettas are really nice, too. Astra Cubs are a little heavy, but cool. The Bernardelli .25 is tiny.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
There are probably millions of people carrying a .25, because that's what they have. And, they are buying ammunition for them.
If the Raven is the only example you have seen, you should look at the Browning .25s. The Berettas are really nice, too. Astra Cubs are a little heavy, but cool. The Bernardelli .25 is tiny.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but people aren't buying .25's tho. When people stop buying guns in certain calibers, then the caliber is in trouble. People are buying .40's, they're just used ones on the cheap.
 
It has lost its popularly and will decline, people are releasing that the most popular pistol calibre in history 9MM is still the best all round calibre out there.
 
Most Departments have switched to the 9mm... due to pressure from Administration / equal opportunity, etc. as the .40 was too hard for many to qualify with. I'll leave it at that.
 
I had little interest in the .40, until the cheap surplus pistols wave hit.
Got a like new Gen4 G22 with night sights for $319...
One trip to the range, and it has become my home defense pistol.

I think these cheap deals may lead to a resurgence of the .40 amongst civilians.
 
It has lost its popularly and will decline, people are releasing that the most popular pistol calibre in history 9MM is still the best all round calibre out there.
Click to expand...

The 9mm has been the most widely used caliber in the world coming out of the second world war. It took time in the U.S. though. As law enforcement transitioned from the revolver to the semi, it was 9mm that they went to. By the time the U.S. military went to the 9mm in 1986 it was all over but the shouting. It's been awhile that the 9mm has been top dog.

In the early 90s the 40 S&W rose rapidly in law enforcement based on the FBI pick of it over the 9mm. The 40 rapidly came to dominate in law enforcement, but that time, which lasted about 10-15 years, has passed.

The 9mm is clearly the "best" round for law enforcement and the military today. That has a lot to do with reasons beyond it's terminal effectiveness though.

I think there are few "all around" handgun calibers and the 9mm is not that. Unless, of course, it is all that a person can shoot well. In which case, for that person it is the best "all around".

tipoc
 
AFAIC the recently reissued S&W 610 revolver which shoots 10mm & .40S&W is a good reason to stay interested in .40S&W. Having a Glock 20 with an forty conversion barrel is another good reason.
 
In the early 90s the 40 S&W rose rapidly in law enforcement based on the FBI pick of it over the 9mm.
Click to expand...

To be a bit more precise, the FBI did not pick the .40 over the 9mm. They picked the .40 over the 10mm.

Despite performing exactly as it was spec'd to do, the FBI decided the 9mm "failed" during the Miami Shootout, and cast about for a "better" round. The 9mm was "not good enough"... and after the dust cleared and the fingerpointing was mostly over, they chose the 10mm. (interestingly enough, during this period the FBI re-authorized the carry of the .357Mag and the .45ACP)

The FBI chose the 10mm, and an S&W pistol for it. HOWEVER, the 10mm, and that S&W turned out to be too much gun. The round was too powerful, and the pistol too big. Too many agents could not make the needed qualifications with it. The FBI's solution to this was to request a reduced power load in the ammo, (which came to be called the "10mm Lite" by some folks) and cast about for a different pistol.

As they were looking, along came S&W (who had been doing their own looking) and said "we have this new round, a .40, that does everything you are asking for, AND fits in 9mm frame guns!" The FBI grabbed it with both hands and ran with it. A little later many of the police groups across the country adopted it, as well.

So, the FBI replaced the 9mm with the 10mm, then replaced the 10mm with the 10mm Lite, then replaced that with the .40S&W.

I don't know for sure, but I heard that the FBI has gone back to the 9mm. Wouldn't surprise me, if they had...:rolleyes:
 
Creek Henry said:
I went to a gun show today and saw lots of 9s, 45s, 22, 380, 32s and even some 10s... I didn't see one pistol in 40. Is it baked at this point?
Click to expand...
If you are new to the gun scene, the 40sw might look obsolete. But if you note the comments from those who've been around a while, you'll discover that no cartridge that enjoyed a 30 year run ever really disappears. Just look at the number of folks who shoot 38spl as an example.
 
If there is ever another nationwide AWB with stupid 10 round mag limit, popularity of 40 would increase. IMO.
For many folks, 10 rounds of bigger bullets may be more appealing than the same number of smaller bullets.
 
they made too many guns in .40 S&W for it to die out, decades of use by LE

plus several new pistols in 10mm coming out and the ability to use .40 S&W in 10mm firearms.

many LE agencies still use it , plus recreational owners

GUN MAGAZINES only write reviews on the latest because of advertising & sales, promotion reasons, the .40 is old news thats why you dont hear much about it.
 
I don't know for sure, but I heard that the FBI has gone back to the 9mm. Wouldn't surprise me, if they had...
Click to expand...

They went to the GEN 5 Glock 17/19 in 2016. They were hardly leading the way. Many LEAs had already switched to 9mm over the last decade. The FBI was kind of in the middle of the pack.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top