Is .40 S&W a dying caliber? Should I even bother buying a cheap police-trade .40 cal if I already have 9mm and .45 handguns?
You'd be the coolest guy in your hood
>>29232607
the only reason for the caliber these days are making major in USPSA Limited
.40cal is more expensive to shoot than 9mm.
Other than that there it is better in every way.
Assuming that is, that you haven't put it in a gun that's too small to hold onto. In a Glock 23 or larger gun, it's perfectly easy to handle and be extremely accurate with it.
I've had no bad experience with .40 but would not recommend it in a very small gun.
I also would recommend 9mm to a shooter on a budget because it makes range trips cheaper and if you are practicing a lot, that ads up.
If you aren't practicing a lot and you are getting a good deal on a decent sized .40cal, then get it. It's great.
If you get a gun in .40 and it's a popular gun you can usually buy conversion/factory barrels in 9mm and or .357sig. So you can have 3 guns in one.
I have a Detroit PD M&P40 I'm planning on getting a 9mm and 357 barrel so that it's pretty much a panic proof caliber gun with the ability to shoot 9mm for practice and .357 for actual defense.
>>29232718
It's not that simple. The only conversion that works well and is that simple is .357sig/.40 and .357sig while neat, actually is a dying round. .40 is not a dying round, too many out there. It'll be one of the "big 3" in autoloaders for decades to come.
The problem with converting .40 to 9mm is that the cases are different a the ass end so in addition to a different recoil spring, you should also get a different extractor for reliable function.
>barrel, extractor and spring... and magazines.
>>29232986
Technically yes. You should get a different extractor and also get a full 9mm conversion barrel. However even with that you still have a gun that can shoot multiple calibers. My main point was that a straight 9mm gun can only shoot 9mm. Whereas a gun originally chambered in .40 has a few options.
>>29232607
no, eben if it does "die out" that could take years. So many LEOs got on the .40 bandwagon and as such a lot of gun stores stock up on them. At least in my area. Its going to be around for a little while linger even if it does fade out, and IMO calibers seldom just vanish completely unless there is something wrong with them or the guns theyre used by. I just bough some .38 S&W last week
get a .40 if you want it, at the very worst you can convert the barrel or hold it for collectors value
>>29232636
>Other than that there it is better in every way.
>>29232636
>40cal is more expensive to shoot than 9mm.
>Other than that there it is better in every way.
No.
It's snappier and puts more wear on components all for lower capactity and only marginally better performance that hasn't actually been proven to statistically increse lethality.
.40 caliber is a foolish attempt to increase the lethality of handgun rounds which are already inherently anemic until you get to the .357 and up range. The reality is that all handgun rounds are weak and only for fighting your way to a rifle, really its no surprise that .40 started to become a thing before every cop car had a patrol carbine in it.
Moreover the FBI is dropping it which means its on its way to special snowflake caliber and that prices will only increase.
>>29233217
>lethality
look i know what youre going for and its understandable but different people have different needs and preferences. one thing the .40 has going for it happens to be the 135-200gr projectile range to play with. For some people thats a good thing. If it were all down to cost and what a bullet does when it hits a torso that would be great, but thats not the case. Yes 9mm does most of the same shit but some people are more comfortable with something a bit heavier for barriers, foliage, animals and even reactive targets etc. Its also easy as fuck to reload for the folks that do. i know it isnt your pet caliber, but it does have merits for those that choose to shoot it.
>>29233113
How do you figure that you can only go in one direction and not the other?
>>29233530
Physics.
Git gud.
>>29233217
>No.
Yes
>It's snappier
So? It shoots just as easily as 9mm for me, no difference. The "feel" is snappier but it is just as accurate or if anything slightly more accurate to shoot.
>and puts more wear on components
We're talking about a Glock here and there is no effective difference in wear what-so-ever. You're talking out your ass with made up arguments.
>all for lower capactity
Like 1 or 2 bullets less on a still more than reasonable capacity but sure, you can have that one.
>and only marginally better performance
Yeah, thats' what I was saying, "better"
>that hasn't actually been proven to statistically increse lethality.
There are situations where a heavier bullet is beneficial. I don't even get your "lethality" statement, that's facile. .40 does better through auto glass and some other barriers.
>.40 caliber is a foolish attempt to increase the lethality of handgun rounds which are already inherently anemic until you get to the .357 and up range.
Prove that .357 has more "lethality" as you put it.
>The reality is that all handgun rounds are weak and only for fighting your way to a rifle, really its no surprise that .40 started to become a thing before every cop car had a patrol carbine in it.
Pedantic dribbling that's actually painful to read.
>Moreover the FBI is dropping it which means its on its way to special snowflake caliber and that prices will only increase.
So you're agreeing with me that cost is the primary drawback? Thanks but you're wrong about the snowflake thing. It has WAY too big a market share to be going into "snowflake" territory any time in the foreseeable future.
You're wrong. You talk out your ass. You're small little shit with parroted ideas.
>>29233577
>justifying dat shit purchase
Lol jk, But seriously, how about you fags stop investing your ego into the caliber you settled on and just make sure you shoot it a lot and become proficient.
If you go out and actually get some significant "trigger time" you will more than likely consolidate to 9mm. If not, who cares. It's preference. We're all on the same team.
>>29232607
If you don't
>shoot uspsa
or
>shoot at dogs for a living
And own a .40, you're doing it ALL FUCKING WRONG
>>29233608
>more than likely consolidate to 9mm
I did in fact do that because it's cheaper to shoot.
If they were the same price, I'd stick with .40 though. The benefits that you get from .40 are not worth the extra cost, they're very small difference.
That doesn't change anything I've said though.
>>29232607
If you don't want your .40 s&w ammo, send it to me.
You know, one thing that could save .40 is that new ruger ammo that shoots a powder copper and polymer mixed bullet that tesults in lighter weight bullets that shoot softer but maintain velocity of lead ammo.
>>29233138
This.
If ".40 dies" it will become the new yokarev/makarov surplus gun and ammo, poorfags can get and since .40 s&w is not officially adopted by any military, does it get around the european pistal laws of not being a military round? Then oddly enough there might be a market for them in europe.
>>29232636
If you wouldn't buy a gun in 9mm kurz why would you buy a gun in 10mm kurz?
>>29233611
I use my .40 s&w when hiking as coyote protection. Do I qualify for the dog shooting label?
>>29232607
It almost seems like it. .40 S&W guns are always cheaper and new models like the Ruger American and HK P30sk aren't even offered in .40.
>>29232607
Worth getting. If you get a glock 23 there are always 9mm conversion kits for like a hundred bucks.
Two guns in one
>>29232636
>.40cal is more expensive to shoot than 9mm.
The same model will always hold less rounds in a magazine. It will beat the gun to death faster. You will have more felt recoil than a 45acp. You will eventually sell your gun, after realizing your mistake in buying the failed copfag caliber.
>>29233973
One of the reasons the fbi(and other alphabetsoups) dropped it is because .40sw is hard to find overseas.
>>29233530
a 9mm barrel is not as wide as a .40s&w. That means the hole in the slide where the barrel goes thru is smaller. That means you cant put a .40 barrel thru a 9mm slide.
>>29235169
I just pulled my .40 barrel out of my Glock .40 and tried to slip into the 9mm hole. The 9mm said no. You're right.
That is of course an argument for .40cal.
You can simply drop in a .357sig barrel and use the same mags even (great for a hiking gun).
Obviously, I own both; EDC the .40 and range toy the 9mm. The .40 is a smaller gun but I shoot it just as well. Literally thousands of rounds through it and no problem. These people talking about "beating the gun to death" are armchair warrior nogun fags who are not basing their parroting on real world experience.
I realize all of you are making great arguments.
I have a question regarding .40 vs 9x19. Which would do better against things like windshields, car windows, car doors, drywall, etc...
I realize a 10mm or 357 sig would be ideal but I carry a glock 19 and don't want to carry a full size handgun, this is what is pushing me towards a .40, I don't believe a 9x19 124 grain jhp will effectively go through those obstacles.
>>29235222
IT will effectively go through those obstacles with the possible exception of the windshield under certain conditions.
Consider this, the cars windshield is designed to stop a rock heading towards your head on the highway at closing speeds approaching 100mph. It's tough stuff. At shallow angles, like if you are low and in front of the car (a bad place to be) there is a strong chance of ricochet. In this scenario the heavier .40cal have been shown to perform better. There's 1 store of a cop who got pinned between a car and another car and was kind of laying on the hood shooting at the driver through the glass and all his rounds bounced off, skimmed over, the glass. .40cal would probably not have done that because like 30% more energy and considerably more mass. There's also deflection where glass can change the poi if you don't hit it square on. You know how a glass of water refracts light and makes it look like a spoon in a glass is at a different angle? Glass also can kind of do that a little to bullets and heavier bullets are affected less.
The differences between 9mm and .40cal are small but there are some marginal gains in those types of barrier penetrations with .40cal.
I personally would not give up the cheaper ammo and benefits of having a caliber commonality between my guns for those small benefits. Not unless you wanted to get a .357barrel and take the .40 hiking or wanted the ability to make use of multiple calibers in the event of an ammo shortage.
>>29234063
Ruger American wasnt designed with that in mind because if the rumors are to be believed, it was intended for US so why make it in 40. as for HK there is still a VP40. Some of this stuff just depends on what was in mind for the gun and the cost involved.
>>29235202
thats only an argument for the glock. some guns like the 92fs/96fs dont give a shit which barrel is in it. with 1911s you just fit the new barrel. What i would like to see more of is pistols with the O-ring like some of the hks.
Still alive and well. No reason to not buy it.
Do what I did and get a cheap m&p 40 trade in and buy the $60 9mm barrel for it
Still cheaper than retail, and you get a gun that can take 2 calibers if ammo availability ever becomes an issue
>>29232607
do you like blown up guns ?
>>29232607
>abandoned by the FBI for 9mm
>police have returned to 9mm or .45 ACP
>no military uses it
Ded cartridge
>>29237419
competition shooting still uses 40sw extensively
>>29237453
They used to use .38 Super too. Look what happened with that round.
Personally, 45ACP and 32ACP do everything I need. The $50 difference between 1k rounds of steel 9mm and 1k rounds of steel 45 isn't worth the hand wringing.
>>29235133
I'm not a fan of the .40, but this statement is absurd.
>>29238229
It's not just absurd. It's downright retarded. The FBI doesn't operate outside of America.
>>29233988
that is amateur dog shooting, at best. you could shoot dogs with similar results from a more affordable caliber. :)
