What's Happened to the .40 S&W

[surjimmy]

Vet, I hate to argue with you. but I go to sit up at just about every gun show on Okc and surrounding area's. You can't give a 40 cal away, I think it's a great round and the 38 Super is about my favorite. The 40cal. may not be dead, but it's on life support.

 

[DRC458]

Ok, when we’ve reached that goal, what’s next?

You let me go through your cache and cull out what you don't really need.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Vet, I hate to argue with you. but I go to sit up at just about every gun show on Okc and surrounding area's. You can't give a 40 cal away, I think it's a great round and the 38 Super is about my favorite. The 40cal. may not be dead, but it's on life support.

If you are giving it away, I will take it.

 

[DRC458]

If you are giving it away, I will take it.

My thought exactly. How many you got to give away, Jimmy?

 

[CorpsVet]

Vet, I hate to argue with you. but I go to sit up at just about every gun show on Okc and surrounding area's. You can't give a 40 cal away, I think it's a great round and the 38 Super is about my favorite. The 40cal. may not be dead, but it's on life support.

So I guess I should sell my 40's and ammo I have on hand and buy 9's and 9mm practice and SD ammo? Don't get me wrong, I think 9mm is fine and I shoot 9mm in competition, in all steel pistols, but to carry I prefer a poly frame.

In my OPINION, .40 is as good or better than 9mm, of course for SD, shot placement makes more difference than size of projectile.

If you have some .40 you would like to give away so you don't have to tote it around, just let me know, I'll be on it like a June Bug on a fly.

BTW, I agree the .38 Super is a great round, I have an all steel EAA Witness in that caliber, .357 mag like performance in a high cap. semi,it's just too heavy to carry.

 

[EKing]

Ok, I’ve surpassed that... now what?
I was in bear country the other day and had a choice of a 9mm with 115 Gr Hornady or a .40 with 180 grain, same manufacture, same model of bullet, just a heavier weight.
Knowing what I do about bears and killing them, which should I have taken? The miracle 9mm with ammo that is the chosen round among limp wristed FBI agents or a round that might just penetrate the skull of a charging bear with the kinetic energy of a heavier bullet?
There is a reason 9mm isn’t used against dangerous game. The .40 isn’t either but I’ll carry the .40 because of the extra weight bullet.

In this instance, the 40 is the better choice but not simply because it is a bigger bullet. The 180 grain 40 has a higher sectional density (SD) than the 115 9mm and therefore has a higher penetration potential. If you had 155 grain bullets in your 40 and 147 grainers in the 9mm, one might be tempted to think "hey, it's still a bigger, heavier bullet; it must be better" Here's the SD numbers
9mm 115 grain 0.130
9mm 147 grain 0.167
.40 155 grain 0.138
.40 180 grain 0.161
Of course SD isn't everything and bullet style, construction and velocity all have a say in this.

If I had to choose between only 9mm and 40 for bear defense, I'd carry this 9mm load from Buffalo Bore https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=388

 

[Handejector]

40 is only still moderately popular because 9mm major isn't allowed in USPSA Limited. I like the cartridge in a heavy steel frame gun, not so much in a light polymer pistol.

 

[lasher]

but to answer the OP question, after 911 the gubmint and police gobbled up all the 40 cal ammo, wasn't much left for the civilian market. and now the gubmint has gone back to the 9 so all the lady officers can handle the recoil. they'll likely pick another caliber of the day in the near future and change the market place again. personally i like that the 40 cal weapons being traded in are going at good prices, just wish there were more 1911 models in the mix. the 165gr JHP at original load power is a hammer. gun show data is not empirical data, just the same guys every weekend with the same old stuff, showing off their "expertise" to one another and other rubes. nothing against gun shows, but unless there is something i specifically want i'll stay home and web buy.

 

[CorpsVet]

As I can still get things like .30-40 Krag, .303 British and .35 S&W Auto, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find this "dead" .40 rounds as long as I'm alive.

 

[Defcon Shooter]

I opened one of my lockers in the gun room and found 1600 rounds of HST 40SW in it. Had forgotten one of my LEO pals had traded it to me when they switched to Glock 17's. Had to buy a 40SW pistol just in case I needed to shoot this stuff. Bought a nice Red box SIG P229 for $399.99 still have not fired a round of if off. If I ever run out of 45 acp I can go to this setup I guess.