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    onac255

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    Okay like the title says I want to hear from those that have .40 and those that really like .40.

    I don't want to hear "why not .45?" from people so please keep it on topic.

    The reason I started this thread was because .40 is undoubtedly the most popular cartridge out there.

    As much as I like all calibers especially .45, I really want to stay with one caliber for the time being so I can stock up easier.

    I mean I currently own a 9mm handgun however many of my friends own .40s as well as other calibers and although they have nothing bad to say about the other calibers, they feel that .40 is a great compromise and a great all around caliber.

    Honestly when I started shooting, I never even gave the .40 a second thought because I knew I wanted 9mm and .45 handguns, however the reality of how expensive ammo has gotten and how hard it is to find has made me wonder whether I should just start buying handguns in .40 because it is a good all around caliber.

    Again I don't want to start another caliber argument I just want the honest opinion of people who shoot .40 and who prefer .40 over the calibers and why?

    I have shot .40 and although it does feel snappier than both 9mm and .45 to me, it kind of felt "better" i don't know how else to explain it. I guess to me it really felt like a "hotter" round was going down range. Oh and this was WWB .40 FMJ compared to .45 WWB FMJ and WWB 9mm FMJ
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    navyguy

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    First, I do like the .40, and think it's a great SD round. Have had several, and currently have one that is part of my SD scheme. But what is your source that says it's "the most popular round out there"? Because I'm thinking there are way more 9mm being shot and carried by civilians than any other round. With LE, maybe more .40's but I'm not even sure about that.

    But all of that aside, if you like the .40 and shoot it well, don't hesitate on making that your go to round. It is a good performer with a lot of stopping power.
     

    Texas1911

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    .40 is a good round, it has good potential for both penetration and capacity. It's a bit snappy, but with good technique you can work with it just fine.

    One nice thing is that it can be converted to a couple calibers, there are 9mm conversions out there for Glocks and I believe XDs as well, and the second being .357 SIG which is a 9mm bullet in a necked .40 S&W case.

    I tend to stick with 9mm for it's reduced recoil. I can feed more lead to the target faster, and ammo is a fair amount cheaper. It's not going to blow off torsos or cut a moose in half at 500 yards like the .45 ACP, but it gets the job done.
     

    onac255

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    First, I do like the .40, and think it's a great SD round. Have had several, and currently have one that is part of my SD scheme. But what is your source that says it's "the most popular round out there"? Because I'm thinking there are way more 9mm being shot and carried by civilians than any other round. With LE, maybe more .40's but I'm not even sure about that.

    But all of that aside, if you like the .40 and shoot it well, don't hesitate on making that your go to round. It is a good performer with a lot of stopping power.

    At least here in El Paso, most of the brass on the ground is .40 and LE pretty much uses .40.

    To me it just "seems" or "feels" like the .40 hits harder than the 9mm whenever I shoot with friends. It also seems to shoot "flatter" than .45

    I have always been a fan of both 9mm and .45 and just recently started to consider .40 as a good compromise.

    I always felt like there was no need for .40 until recently when stocking up on 9mm and .45 is just not easy to do for me.

    I have been looking into getting an XD .45 however I have just been thinking about sticking with .40 in order to only have to buy one caliber.
     

    Texas1911

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    .40 just has more snap, that's why it feels more powerful. It isn't any more powerful than 9mm or .45, it's just a different way to cook chicken.

    Wait until you shoot a .357 SIG, it's a spicy meatball. I think you'll like it, and .40's daddy is the 10mm, probably like that one too.
     

    wllmwallace

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    I'll go first I guess.

    PERSONAL PREFERENCE. There...I said it. EVERY caliber has its' own variables, people have likes/dislikes. I personally have seen damage done to the human factor in 9mm...it does the job, and does it well. I bought a .40 handgun basically b/c while I enjoy firing the 9mm, and also the .45, I didn't want anything too heavy or too light. I was the "middle bear" and when Goldy Locks comes by, I feel that whether the porridge may not have been to her liking, she would still leave DNA evidence regardless of the calibre.
     

    wrtanker

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    I've always been a .45 guy. I bought my wife a 9mm many years ago because I wanted her to have something that was a little lighter and more controllable than a .45. Back then they didn't have the .40.

    When it was time to arm my daughter I bought her a .40. She could handle the bigger/stronger caliber and I felt like it was a more effective target stopper. Now that my daughter is a FTW cop she carries a .40 as her duty weapon (department issue). She also carries a .40 as her off-duty weapon. She really likes it. I now have her old .40 and have started shooting it quite a bit. In my mind it will never replace my .45 but I do get a kick out of shooting it. It doesn't seem to recoil quite as hard as my .45 but that could be a factor of pistol weight and design.

    Bottom line - there's nothing wrong with the .40 and is a good caliber round with effective bullet types available.
     

    navyguy

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    At least here in El Paso, most of the brass on the ground is .40 and LE pretty much uses .40.


    Okay.... and understand I'm not getting into an argument with you. but the to use casually observing brass on the floor is anecdotal at best.
     

    okie556

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    I agree with all the above quotes about the .40 and it is my favorite SD round. Other good thing is I just came from Wal-Mart looking for .45 ammo for my new Kimber and found overstocked display case of .40 & 9mm.....no .45!
     

    87'vette

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    40 s&w

    I like the .40 round because it is easy to get, reloading is a snap between it and my favorite round, 10mm. Brass is easy to come by. And it is a very effective round. I have a Ultra Carry in .40 and carries light and comfy.
    I just can't bring myself to carry 9mm, and tried .45 but did not like it. Too expensive, if you don't reload.

     

    BurkGlocker

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    The .40 was the answer to the problem of people wanting the power of a .45 ACP and the speed of a 9mm and be able to carry something that isnt 'oversized'. Alot of .45 chambered weapons are too big for people, like myself, that have smaller hands. It had the "stopping power" of the .45 in a more managable 9mm sized weapon. Thats one reason that the nose of the ammo is truncated, to keep the length down to a minumum, so that it will fit in a 9mm sized weapon.

    I like the .40, and have owned several, and need to get another one, because I am tired of searching for .45 ACP ammo, but that is just sickening.

    Rock on!

    Brad L.
     

    onac255

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    See this is exactly what I wanted to hear. In current times I think sticking with .40 would be best because all ammo is hard to find so trying to stock up on one caliber should be easier right?
     

    onac255

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    An answer to a different question I think. If anyone wants to bet on the sales of 9mm vs .40, step right in.

    Hey navy...no one is trying to prove which one sells more.

    If you are going to derail the thread please leave. I merely stated an opinion just as you did by saying "Because I'm thinking there are way more 9mm being shot and carried by civilians than any other round. With LE, maybe more .40's but I'm not even sure about that." ;)
     

    87'vette

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    Just Because.

    40kimber029.jpg
     

    randmplumbingllc

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    Jun 15, 2009
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    Okay like the title says I want to hear from those that have .40 and those that really like .40.

    I don't want to hear "why not .45?" from people so please keep it on topic.

    The reason I started this thread was because .40 is undoubtedly the most popular cartridge out there.

    As much as I like all calibers especially .45, I really want to stay with one caliber for the time being so I can stock up easier.

    I mean I currently own a 9mm handgun however many of my friends own .40s as well as other calibers and although they have nothing bad to say about the other calibers, they feel that .40 is a great compromise and a great all around caliber.

    Honestly when I started shooting, I never even gave the .40 a second thought because I knew I wanted 9mm and .45 handguns, however the reality of how expensive ammo has gotten and how hard it is to find has made me wonder whether I should just start buying handguns in .40 because it is a good all around caliber.

    Again I don't want to start another caliber argument I just want the honest opinion of people who shoot .40 and who prefer .40 over the calibers and why?

    I have shot .40 and although it does feel snappier than both 9mm and .45 to me, it kind of felt "better" i don't know how else to explain it. I guess to me it really felt like a "hotter" round was going down range. Oh and this was WWB .40 FMJ compared to .45 WWB FMJ and WWB 9mm FMJ

    The reason for the .40 being used by LEO'S are that the 40 has more knock down power than the .9mm and has more mag capacity than a .45

    Not in ALL cases is either statement true, but in general..... So, MOST agency's have compromised to the 40, being the best of both worlds, in their eyes.

    That is my take on it anyway. I usually practice with a .9mm, shoot .45 for fun and my CARRY weapon is a .40
     

    navyguy

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    Hey navy...no one is trying to prove which one sells more.

    If you are going to derail the thread please leave. I merely stated an opinion just as you did by saying "Because I'm thinking there are way more 9mm being shot and carried by civilians than any other round. With LE, maybe more .40's but I'm not even sure about that." ;)

    No derail intent on my part. I was just disputing your claim that the .40 was "the most popular round out there" As I said I like the .40, have several and carry one.
     

    GM.Chief

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    My wife and I chose .40 as a compromise. She wanted the .45, size matters...so she says...lol. I was thinking 9mm (price and availability at the time). We settled on .40 as the compromising round (because I wanted calibers to be the same so we could stock up on one round). So we both bought .40's, me an
    biggrinangelA.gif
    SA XD
    newangel.gif
    and her a
    barfy.gif
    glock
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    and stocked up on .40. I also have a .45 and for the most part just don't care for it as much
    eek2.gif
    . That's right. I said it. .40 is mo bettah...lol. Anyways...ummm...where was I... However, I will agree with ole Braveheart in post #6, it's all about personal preference....well, that and availability.



    I know...i got carried away with smilies...
     
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