Recommend some .40 Autos?

N

Nightcrawler

New member
I had never really thought much about a .40. My experience in handguns has been limited to a Charles Daly .45 I had for about a year, but never shot too much. It had reliability problems, and the guide rod broke after about 500 rounds. Ick.

Anyway, .40 seems to be quite popular nowadays. It does seem to be a nice intermediary between 9mm and .45, and is available in a WIDE variety of pistols, including guns I'm currently infatuated with like the Sig P226 and the Browning High Power. (can somebody explain the magazine drop problem with the BHP? Do the magazines not drop free? Why not?)

Sadly, due to laws, I won't be able to take advantage of the higher capacity most .40 pistols offer over .45. It's no big deal, I suppose. The Beretta 96s standard magazines only hold 11 rounds, the Sig P226 only holds 13. See, I know you can find a few pre-ban magazines out there, but I don't think $80 for three extra rounds, or whatever, is a "deal".

So, can anybody recommend various .40 pistols? Before we get started, I will say to the Glock Perfection crowd that I'm probably not going to get a Glock. I'm sure it's a fine pistol, but none of the ones I've handled fit my hand at all, and getting the grip reshaped costs a lot of money.

.40 seems to have a good record. It offers light and fast loadings, as well as heavy and slow loadings. I'd probably prefer 10mm, just to be able to get into the really powerful loads, but with 10mm you're limited in your handgun choices, and I like to keep my options open.

Thanks in advance.
 
Glock 22 (or if you would prefer a compact version, the Glock 23). (How's that for totally ignoring your post!) The BHP and Sig 226 are also excellent, as is the Beretta 96. Try each of these at the local range, and select the one that fits you best. Bottom line: the decision among these models is a personal decision, not a quality decision, as all are first rate.

Oscar
 
I am not much of a 40 fan. I shoot primarily 45 and 9mm. I've had 2 40 s&w guns over the years and have gotten rid of them. But, as a shooting platform, I'd go with the USP compact. Nice package, innovative recoil system and good ergo's. Check 'em out!
 
I have the BHP in 40 and like it a lot. Very reliable. The magazines eject just fine on mine. A friend of mine has a full size HK (don't know the model #) and I realy like that gun. I shoot it better then the BHP. You might want to check that out.
 
I would and have gone with a USP compact in 40. It was a great gun but the 40 was a lot for a compact frame IMO. A have a Beretta 96 in 40 and I have compacts in 9mm.

The Beretta I have is a great shooter. It came with rubber grips with finger grooves.
 
I have a Glock 23 and love it. It's medium size, holds 10 (13)rounds and is good for both range and concealment. I added a set of night sights and some good leather to make a great carry system. When you factor in Glock's reasonable price, reliability and accuracy, you can't go wrong.

"...put away that nickle plated sissy pistol and get yourself a Glock!":D
 
Another ping for the Browning Hi-Power. Offhand 1" groups at 30 feet, low recoil. You don't have to put up with reduced-capacity mags, either, cos they only HOLD 10! They're bigger than the 9mm BHPs (a little thicker and heavier), but they are still wonderfully ergonomic.
 
Another vote for the Browning Practical .40 S&W. I had a Ruger 94DAO and hated it. I like this Browning HP more than my two 9mm ones. Very accurate, recoil is not a factor,looks good, and carries good. Got rid of that darn magazine disconect though.
 
Greeting's Nightcrawler & Other's,

While I adore the Browning Hi-Power's and Sig P226's, I would stay away from any .40
caliber semi-auto's. I believe you are better
off with a QUALITY .45 ACP. Of course,
that's just my opinion, FWIW.

Regards,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.


MOLON LABE!!!
 
Love my CZ75B in 9mm, so much so that I am now thinking about another in .40. But just thinking at this point as I have heard no feedback on the .40 models. The 9s are sweeeeet shooters and priced right.
 
Para-Ordnance P.16-40

Upside:

Its a 1911 style, so a great trigger is just a gunsmith away.
16 round standard-capacity mags are cheap and plentiful.
It can be easily converted to 10mm by getting a barrel in 10mm and a heavier recoil spring and you can play with the heavy stuff if you like, just swap barrels/springs.

Downside:

Big friggin grip.
The pistol isn't cheap to start with.
I've "heard" (FWIW) quality is hit/miss with Paras.
 
I am also one that does not like the .40 round too much. I shoot 9mm the best with 45 being second. In going with the BHP suggestions allow me to suggest the CZ75B. It can be had in either 9mm or 40. It has the High Power design so to speak but with some refinements that make it a more comfortable gun in my opinion. H&K also makes a fine pistol as well as some have said the Taurus PT100 is a good pistol, similar to the Beretta. Another good deal out there is the CZ40. Originally came about thru a joint venture betwen Colt and CZ, Colt did drop out though. The CZ40 maintains the good ergonomics of the 1911 design. Now, did I leave anything out?
 
ParaOrd P16-40

Where does one acquire these "cheap and plentiful" preban sixteen round magazines?

And where does one get the 10mm conversion barrel?

Thank you.
 
GLOCK lovers jsut don't give up do they? Tell them you don't want GLOCK suggestions and look what you get. Almost gives you the idea that they've never even picked up another pistol and don't know they exist.

If I were to get a .40 S&W, I would feel comfortable with a Beretta 96 or Cougar, H&KUSP, CZ75B, Hi Power, GLOCK, SIG, Kahr, Ruger or any other well made gun. Try them out if you can and see what you like. You should have good luck with any reputable brand pistol.

Some will try to tell you that one is better than another. It might be for them, but that may not be the case for YOU. Get what you want.

I've fired all of the above except the Kahr (tried it in 9mm not .40) and thought they were all great. The one I chose was the H&K. I shot it better than any of the others.

Shake
 
I love my Steyr M40. I suggest checking this pistol out before buying any others. Also rumor has it that they will no longer be shipped to the U.S., so it could also become a collectors item(CDNN has them for $369.00).
 
You can buy Para mags from any number of suppliers, including CDNN and the Para factory itself. The new Paras come with a buy one high cap get one free coupon from the factory. Last time I checked they were around $60.

A 10mm barrel can be had from Bar-Sto, Jarvis, etc., or you can buy a spare .40 barrel from Para and have it reamed to 10mm.
 
Nightcrawler:

If I understand your post, you have already eliminated the Glocks from consideration because they don't fit your hands. I believe I can offer a reasonable solution to your problem:

Look into bionic hands. As I understand it, all you need to do is have both of your hands amputated, and then have a good set of bionic prostheses attached.

Your only problem will be in deciding which size artificial hands you want, because all of the .40 Glocks fit differently in most people's hands.

If you can find a really experienced person to fit your new hands, you should be able to simply tell them you want the G-23 size, or the G-27 size or the G-22 size. If they can't fit you based on this info, I would suggest finding a more experienced source with whom to place your order.

Now, assuming you have resolved the problem with fitting your hands, I would respectfully suggest the Glock 23. Small, but big enough to grip. Holds 13 rounds in most of the 50 states in the USA. Every time you pull the trigger (with a round in the chamber), it will go BOOM. If you fail to pull the trigger, it will NOT go BOOM.

Not perfection, but unarguably the most reliable personal defense handgun available.

Stay safe,
Dawg23
 
I am with CarbineKid, check out the Steyr M 40. I'm in love with mine. The Sig would be excellent also, got one of those too. I'm not much of a Glock fan either, as a matter of fact, at the last IDPA match I was in, I had several Glock people shoot my Steyr. They loved it and kept referring to it as a "Hot Rod Glock". Two of the three individuals who shot it, now own one. :D
 
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