The .40 S&W not so pretty?

StoneHorse

StoneHorse

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So late last summer I purchase a 1911 in .40 S&W. I like 1911's and have another in 9mm and owned .45's in the past. This is the first pistol chambered in .40 cal that I have purchased and it turns out I don't like the cartridge. The pistol is fine and no issues but I can't seem to shoot the .40 well. I do great with the 9mm & .45 in a 1911 but I just don't feel the love with the .40 cal. Something about the recoil impulse that doesn't sit well with me. Others are able to shoot it better than me.

I've tried a slightly heavier & lighter recoil springs without any noticeable difference in the feel. Tried 165 grain, 180 grain loads and even some 'light' loads that cycled without a hiccup but still no joy. I'm beginning to think the .40 S&W is like a woman I've met in a dim pub after I've had a couple of drinks. Waking up next to her in the morning and thinking, she was much prettier the night before!

Has anyone else tried out the .40 S&W and don't care much for it? Me thinks I've should have picked up a .45 instead. Live & learn.
 
I'm mostly shooting .40 and never understood the whole "recoil" issue really. In my hands .45 has much more recoil and I can hardly notice a difference between 9 and .40 out of the same pistol to be perfectly honest. I'm rather skiny, so if anything I should be able to feel "ugly recoil impulse" of .40 S&W. Nope. On top of everything else, ammo supply is plenty when both 9 and 45 are more difficult to find around (most of the times anyway).
 
I wouldn't shoot .40 if it wasn't the best cartridge for making major PF in IPSC Classic/Standard. If it wasn't for competition, my handgun shooting needs could be satisfied with 9mm.
 
I never cared for the 1911 platform. You should shoot a 9mm and 45 in a 1911.

40 S&W is best in a service pistol that it was designed for, Glock/M&P/USP/Sig P series/etc. Just my opinion. I got rid of my 45's in favour of 40. It's a personal decision and one caliber may not work for some. I just couldn't shoot 45 well.
 
I had a 1st. Gen. S&W Sigma that was one of the first pistols in .40 S&W. Simply put, I disliked the gun and the cartridge. The 15 lbs. trigger pull, the fact you couldn't squeeze the trigger without getting light primer strikes resulting in misfires. It had a decent grip but little stippling to keep the gun from jumping out of your hands under recoil. Furthermore, I couldn't hit anything with it due mainly to the horrendous trigger pull.

I sold the gun a few years later and never shed a tear for doing so. I still have dies, reloading components, and some ammo from way back in the mid to late 1990's. Don't know if I'll ever try another .40 again.
 
My first venture into polymer pistols was a G22. Hated it! Never again will I go the S&W40 route, or Glock for that matter.

M
 
I've got a G22 and an M&P40 that I like shooting a lot. Like Nestor mentioned upthread I don't find that much difference between 9mm and .40. Never tried a 1911 in .40, though.
 
I'm not a fan of 40 but I'm actually looking for a good deal on a 1911 in 40 so I can put my Delta Elite barrel into one. Either that or I'll sell the barrel, haven't really made up my mind yet.

I don't know why but the 40 has never done anything for me.
 
My .40 is a CZ75B, trigger job, comp hammer, 16# Wolff and SS guide rod.. shoots like a dream. The recoil isn't much different than my 9mm CZ, and I find it less than my CZ in .45
 
no use for 40 myself. When asked, i always say, 9mm snaps, 45 rolls, and 40 does both at the same time. The only pistol i've ever enjoyed 40 in is my 4016 .... but hardly ever shoot it as i can't be bothered loading for one pistol when i have so many in 9, 45 or 38 that i actually like.
 
I have a Dlask Pro 1911 in .40 S&W. I like the gun a lot. I have a Glock 22 that with the stock bbl I totally hated. I now have a conversion bbl and a Lone Wolf 40 bbl for it and it is better. I have a Ruger P94 and it is a nice gun to shoot. In a heavy revolver the .40 S&W is not a bad round at all. I prefer the .45ACP and .45 Colt rounds due to different feel but the .40 S&W is OK. I think the .40 S&W is a good compromise between the 9mm and the .45. Little cheaper to shoot and brass is easy to find. If your buying ammo the difference between .40 and .45 is significant.
 
gnmontey said:
My first venture into polymer pistols was a G22. Hated it! Never again will I go the S&W40 route, or Glock for that matter.

M
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My first venture into polymer pistols & the .40 cal was circa late 1994. Have shot thousands of rounds of .40 cal in Glocks since that time.

At first I hated the Glock & thought it was ugly. After the first few hundred rounds I developed a respect for it.

These days I still have a couple Glocks in .40 cal & also had a .40 S&W barrel fitted to my blued Colt Delta. And a BHP MkIII in .40 cal as well.

Gotta say I like the .40....... also like the 9mm and the .45ACP, too, though.

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NAA.
 
Of the calibres i shoot, here's my ranking (of how much I like shooting them)

44
45
40
357
22
9

I shoot 40 the most though. 45 next most, then 44.
 
My .40 is a Sig P226 SS Elite (over there, in my avatar). It's a fairly heavy gun, compared to my non stainless, and it is a real pleasure to shoot. I'm guessing the extra weight tames it, but I have shot .40 in a P229 and found it comfortable as well, no problem. I don't mind the bit of extra 'snap' to it over the 9mm. I shoot my 9mm's .45's and .40 pretty equally, and like to throw in wheel gun time with .357, .38, and .44, but mostly I fling brass.
 
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