Is .40 S&W Dead??

[YukonGlocker]

With that reasoning we should all be shooting .22 rimfire. You can poke lots of holes at the same velocity as a 9mm. What difference does a few mm make in size?

No, that isn't a reasonable comparison. When comparing the common self-defense handgun calibers, they all cause death at about the same rate. .22 rimfire does not.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

I just recently acquired my first 40. It was a Sig CPO model, and all of them seem to be 40 cal. Actually, I like it. The "snappy" recoil isn't really a problem. In the P229, there's only one round of capacity difference between 40 and 9mm.

Have I become a 40 convert? Not really, but there's nothing wrong with it either. I'm pretty sure getting hit by one will ruin my weekend, just the same as getting hit by a 9 or 45.

Of course, I'm already planning on getting a Sig 357 barrel. You know, just in case....

 

[dennishoddy]

No, that isn't a reasonable comparison. When comparing the common self-defense handgun calibers, they all cause death at about the same rate. .22 rimfire does not.

My point is that the heavier bullets have additional kenetic energy to smash through things at the same velocity. The ballistic gel that some tout is a poor method to determine what a bullet will do when it encounters obstructions.

If I throw a pea at you @ 1400fps, it will do little damage. If I throw a rock at you that weighs a pound at 1400fps, you likely won't survive.

 

[Eagle Eye]

My point is that the heavier bullets have additional kenetic energy to smash through things at the same velocity. The ballistic gel that some tout is a poor method to determine what a bullet will do when it encounters obstructions.

If I throw a pea at you @ 1400fps, it will do little damage. If I throw a rock at you that weighs a pound at 1400fps, you likely won't survive.

That may be so but the real difference in weight is 40grains +- 20 ????
1 pea vs 2 peas?

Dont get me wrong, I shoot 10mm and 40. Dont even own a 9mm. Probably will get one just to have... but not cause i think its better

 

[_CY_]

a pea especially frozen at 1,400 fps or about same power as PCP air rifles ... that would hurt!!

 

[rlongnt]

People just need to learn to shoot. My 65 year old Mother carries and shoots her Glock 23 just fine. How my Grandmother ever handled a S&W Model-19 the world simply couldn't understand these days.

Can you imagine how much worse the next 9mm shortage could be with everyone being told they aren't cool anymore for shooting the round the FBI "STILL" uses?

Remember the orders totaling multi-billions of rounds DHS ordered a couple of years ago? Yep... 40 S&W!

 

[YukonGlocker]

My point is that the heavier bullets have additional kenetic energy to smash through things at the same velocity. The ballistic gel that some tout is a poor method to determine what a bullet will do when it encounters obstructions.

If I throw a pea at you @ 1400fps, it will do little damage. If I throw a rock at you that weighs a pound at 1400fps, you likely won't survive.

Nobody is using peas for ammo. It's easier to discuss this topic if we make realistic comparisons instead of using extremes/outliers/impossibilities to try to prove a point.

We can go way beyond gel, and use data from actual shootings, because .40 has been around long enough for us to rely on the power of aggregation...as opposed to anecdotes which are common points for discussion. The data show that 9mm is just as effective as .40 in real-world shootings, on average.

Also, how does the increased cost (and following, decreased training) and decreased shootability of the .40, compared to the 9mm, help the *average shooter* make accurate hits?

 

[dennishoddy]

That may be so but the real difference in weight is 40grains +- 20 ????
1 pea vs 2 peas?

Dont get me wrong, I shoot 10mm and 40. Dont even own a 9mm. Probably will get one just to have... but not cause i think its better

I shoot 180 grain in Competitions and am planning on going to 200 grain. The .40 can fire heavier loads than any 9mm.
Its just my opinion, and others in this thread have alluded to the reason people have gone to the 9mm is that they don't get a lot of trigger time, and it does have less recoil. That's great, and I agree.
Its also been mentioned that proper grip will eliminate a lot of the "snappy" that the .40 has a reputation for. Very few new shooters use the proper grip.

 

[Eagle Eye]

I shoot 180 grain in Competitions and am planning on going to 200 grain. The .40 can fire heavier loads than any 9mm.
Its just my opinion, and others in this thread have alluded to the reason people have gone to the 9mm is that they don't get a lot of trigger time, and it does have less recoil. That's great, and I agree.
Its also been mentioned that proper grip will eliminate a lot of the "snappy" that the .40 has a reputation for. Very few new shooters use the proper grip.

I shoot 180gn's too. I agree that form, practice and the right gun will nullify the snap argument.

This whole 9mm vs .40 vs 45 is just a pissing contest started by those that want to be "right".
I don't care if someone else shoots 9 better than 40. I hope you shoot what you shoot well. I sure do.

 

[Eagle Eye]

Im a little crabby today, my bad. Piss on...