.40 S&W losing out to 9mm in popularity?

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

What is the deal with .40s? There are a couple dozen of them for sale in the classifieds, but very few 9mms.

Is everyone else doing what I did 5+ years ago - dumping them to simplify on 9mm and .45 - or what? I prefer 9mm, but I figured that .40 is a good compromise round, and would remain extremely popular, and if anything, get even more popular. Guess I was wrong. I don't care for it, because when that larger, high-pressure round is shoehorned into a 9x19-designed frame, it batters it more, and leaves almost no room for error on bad reloads, *particularly* in guns with largely unsupported 6 oclocks. But I sure thought everyone else would continue to badmouth 9mms as puny girlie-man cartridge like they did 5 and 10 years ago, since so many people have magnumitis (including me at times). Particularly since .357 sig largely went by the wayside, I thought that that vacuum would go mostly to .40.

Well, at least it's a bigtime buyer's market if you like .40s.:

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106218

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105957

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105889

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106085

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104643

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106168

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106011

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106058

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104546

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106087

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106032

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105390

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105677

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104597

Those are the .40s on the first 4 pages of the classifieds. Roughly half that many 9mms for sale.

 

[alank2]

Hi,

It ebbs and flows. Sometimes there's lots of 9's for sale and not many 40's.

I truly think the 40s&w offers the better firepower (capacity and capability) than 9mm or 45acp, but only if you can shoot it as well. I was using 40 for my main carry and defense pistols, but ended up going back to 9mm because:

I prefer the lower recoil of 9mm.
9mm is cheaper to shoot and reload.
9mm brass is very strong and can be inspected less carefully.
A little bit more capacity.
Plenty capable of doing the job.

I've never had a 9mm that I hated, but I have had 40s&w pistols that I despised.

Good luck,

Alan

 

[Furious_George]

Hey cool my post made it up here. I'm selling my .40 because I just bought a Walther PPS .40 and I like the way it carries better...but that Springfield feels and shoots much better. I'm getting used to it though. No caliber tradeoff for me.

 

[inactive]

I will dare say more 40s are being traded/bought/sold, as there are more of those in circulation now. I will tell you that when I see deals being made at shops, a whole heck of a lot more 40s are going out the doors than 9mm.

If less 9mms are showing up in the classifieds, it doesn't necessarily mean people are sitting on them.

 

[Soulman]

I'd agree with the above statements. I figure more people have the 40s and are changing platforms to another 40 or maybe selling off one of several 40s they may own to fund other things.

 

[Neil]

I've standardized on 9mm and .45 as well. I don't have much of a reason for doing so, it just happened that way. I really think that any of the three are equally adequate for the vast majority of people and their various situations.

 

[Jwryan84]

I've pretty much standardized to 9 & 45, but still won't let go of my sweet P229 SAS in 357 sig. I love that pistol.

 

[flatwins]

I got out of 40. I enjoy 9mm more and ammo is available for everything from plinking to the serious stuff.

 

[shotty]

After alot of reading and talking with knowledgable people, I decided the 9mm would do everything that I needed a handgun to do. If I need more, I'll grab a rifle or shotgun.

 

[JD8]

I don't think so. During the "ammo crisis" all you could find was 9mm and .40. So much so that I bought a 1911 in .40. You could also find .357sig all day long during the "crisis" aswell.