No love for .40 S&W...?

The first handgun I bought is Glock 22 in .40. I love it, recoil is not bad at all, ammo is pretty cheap and I'm really accurate with it. My main carry gun is my Glock 33 in 357 SIG though, easier to conceal.

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Now if one were to go to a Hi Cap 45acp you have a grip like a Brick. I have owned 2 Glock 21's. I did not like either of them for that reason.

I suppose it depends on what size your hands are. I have a cz 75 sp01 and a P-O 14- 45 and their is very little difference in the grip size . I don't find it a problem.
 
Not much to add. Powerful enough to to generate acceptable energy ( if that is what you measure performance by) or a high TKO ( another popular measure) when using 135 gr. @1350 fps or 180 gr. @1020 fps.
In my own case wanted a full size semi-auto in something larger than 9mm and having a large load capacity, so a Glock 22 filled the bill.
Easy to reload and to buy components for. My choice for a car gun.
 
The 40 feels like a oversized 9mm and why not, they both generate the same pressure and burn at the same rate. IMHO of course.
 
My first gun was a Springfield XD .40 S&W, and to be honest I was not having a good time with it as my accuracy was not very good with it no matter what brand of ammo I was using.

But all that changed when I started reloading.

my accuracy went way up when I started loading 140 grain LSWC with Western Accurate #5 powder, it is now a favorite to shoot.
 
i dont own a .40 and probably wont. i have shot plenty though in several different guns. i just dont really like the type of recoil that it has. its snappier than my 9mm +Ps and my .45s just "push". i carry a .380 in my pocket and my backpack .45 holds 13 in a very comfortable for me grip and the 9 (beretta 92)stays on a shelf for the wife. .38 snubby in a closet for backup. just dont care for it, dont need it, but dont have anything against it other than its recoil is uncomfortable to me compared to 230 grain + Ps.
 
I own them and love them.One of the biggest reasons i have been collecting them was the ammo shortage.It seem that the only thing left on the shelves was .40 cal.

.40 handguns are cheaper from all the haters
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I like a 40... I have shot a few. it has good punch in a small package but I dont or wont own one.

Just because I like to stick with standard calibers....9mm, 45, 38/357,223 etc.
It makes ammo buying/stocking much easier and less expensive for me.
 
My reason for asking is that on forums, at the range, LGS, and basically anywhere else I see guns or talk to people about guns, it seems like nobody shoots or cares for the .40.
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I see people whine on gunboards about how .40 is "snappy". Never had that problem, myself (except for the .40 EMP I test fired once that I found a bit uncomfortable).

Shoot it in a big enough gun.
 
What I'd like to know is do you like .40 S&W? And specifically why or why not?
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Personally, having fired and owned guns in 9mm, .40 s&w and .45 acp, I don't really see enough performance improvement in the .40 (over the 9mm) to justify it as an amazing cartridge. At best, to me, it's a mediocre median caliber between the 9mm and the .45 acp.

The added cost for ammunition and the snappy recoil also tend to sway me towards a 9mm.
 
Ambishot: I had something to say, and I did, until I re-read what you said and realized I was mistaken. So I'll just say: I agree! :o
 
I'm carrying an M&P40 with Crimson Trace Laser Grip right now. It fits me perfectly and packs a nice punch loaded with Federal HST 165 grain JHPs.
 
I'll be 60 years old in a few months, and I've been a .40 fanboy since it first came out in 1991. I bought a S&W 4006 in that year, and I still own it. I have many 9mm and .45ACP handguns, too, but I like the slot that the .40 fills between the two.

I own 4 guns in .40 (no Glocks), from an old Star Firestar to a CZ75B. I love the 9mm and the .45, but I enjoy shooting the .40 and I can certainly understand why so many LE agencies are using it. At my range, .40 brass litters the floor and is almost as plentiful as 9mm.

Speaking of reloading, I've been reloading the .40 since '91, too, and I've never had an issue after thousands of rounds using bullet weights from 155 to 180 grains. None of my .40's get anything but reloads, and I've never experienced any KB's or broken parts.
 
Much love for the 40 S&W

I like the 40 S&W so much I had this made.

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It began life as a 50th Aniversary 357 Flattop Blackhawk, Andy Horvath rebarrelled it with a 4" 1:16 Douglas barrel, line bored the cylinder and did a BP chamfer, did a trigger job, made a new front sight, restamped it and reblued it. It loves my 200gr handloads and is a very comfortable shooter due to the all steel construction. Not many people appreciate this gun, but it's a once in a lifetime build for me, and I had built exactly what I wanted. I am considering having a 10mm cylinder made for it.

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To me, it's a cartridge that meets no need. It's "parent", the 10mm can be (and commercially almost always is ) loaded down to whatever task I might have for the 40 but the 40 really can't be brought up to TRUE, original spec 10mm.
I'm telling you... the 1911 was designed 73 years before the cartridge that belongs in it. There's nothing in the world like a long slide 10mm 1911. The 45acp filled in quite nicely, waiting for the 10 to be developed.
9mm has its pluses. Less blast, less recoil.
40S&W just doesn't do it for me.
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The FBI looked into autoloading pistols to replace their issue revolver. They wanted more punch than a 9mm so they looked into the 10mm. But they found that smaller agents mostly females couldn't qualify with them. The recoil as said was too much (problem solved just load them down), and the grip was too large and not well suited for smaller hands.

So for an individual it's fine. But as a standardized department sidearm, you can't go 10mm because it has to fit everyone which is the only reason really to get the .40s&w because it really is a compromise.
 
It's good enough for the FBI, and many law enforcement agencies across the country. That testament should speak for its self.

Me personally, I love 40s&w. It's the only caliber I reload that has a 3k supply of brass to keep the cycle going.
 
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