The .40 S&W not so pretty?

I've got a Night Hawk 1911 in 40 and love it . No issues at all , my comp gun is a M&P 40 and love it as well. Best part of the 40 for me is , a lot of guys are giving away there brass by the buckets.
 
From the posts so far, 40 S&W has it supporters and some think it is a meh round. As a cartridge, it does seem to be the bastard child looking for a home. Or as one post stated "the .40 S&W is the solution to a non-existence problem". There is an element of truth in the statement.

I purchased a 1911 in .40 cal to allow me to shoot major in IPSC Classic division and the cartridge is less expensive than the .45 ACP. I will hang on to it for now, maybe the cartridge will grow on me. If it doesn't, I may very well put it up for sale or trade it for a Government .45 or Commander in 9mm. We'll see.
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StoneHorse said:
As a cartridge, it does seem to be the bastard child looking for a home. Or as one post stated "the .40 S&W is the solution to a non-existence problem". There is an element of truth in the statement.
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Certainly...as far as target shooting goes. I'm not a scientist and there are tons of people out there that are smarter or/and more experienced than me, but I've seen first hand that for some LE applications...40 is still a better choice. Will this remain true in 5 or 10 years? I don't know. 9 mm is gaining popularity for sure and in the near future my statement may no longer hold much value, but for now...it's a valid choice for LE applications.
 
I have a M&P in .40 and I like it. Shoots fine. I also shoot 9mm, .45 acp, .50ae, .44 mag, .357, .38spl and 7.62x25 in various handguns I own. All have plus' & minus'. I love them all.
 
I like 40 SW and don't understand the why views on this cartridge are so polarized. It is an accurate and effective round.

Right now, I have only one 40 SW and its a dandy - the CZ Tactical sport (also avail in 9mm). This is a heavier pistol with a 3 pound trigger and makes an average shooter look better than they are. CZ pistols are a joy to shoot (I have a 9 mm Shadow as well).

The tac sport is pricey (around 1300) but it depends on how many rounds you intend to put through it. Shooting 10,000 rounds of 40 cal makes the extra 500 bucks for the pistol look like peanuts - especially if you are going to spend that much time with such a pleasant shooting pistol.
 
Great thread...
Most of the responses "hate" the cartridge for a shortcoming of the platform they bought.
Nothing wrong with the 40, that said it isn't the end all be all either.
To the OP; Did you load it long?
Of the 1911/2011 platforms I've played with in 40 they all liked the OAL long.
Mine works great and if you really want some fun neck it down :)
 
wasrupzuk said:
Great thread...
Most of the responses "hate" the cartridge for a shortcoming of the platform they bought.
Nothing wrong with the 40, that said it isn't the end all be all either.
To the OP; Did you load it long?
Of the 1911/2011 platforms I've played with in 40 they all liked the OAL long.
Mine works great and if you really want some fun neck it down :)
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Some 1911's can be fussy when chambered in the .40 to say the very least. Some people had issues with their 1911's choking on the round. In my case, except for a little tuning with the slide stop (lock back with rounds still in the mag) at the onset, mine has been solid reliable with factory rounds. 165 and 180 grain loads are digested fine and even minor power factor loads have been no problem.

To answer your question, I have not played around with the cartridge OAL. Been no need to.
 
HK45auto said:
If you only had 50-150 rounds to practice with each year, in a pistol that may not be your first (or fifth choice)....would you still say so?
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Stores are selling the ammo. If you are serious about your training, you'll find one and buy as much as you need to stay proficient. If you are not serious about your training, well...there is no issue to deal with...till there is.
 
Nestor said:
Stores are selling the ammo. If you are serious about your training, you'll find one and buy as much as you need to stay proficient. If you are not serious about your training, well...there is no issue to deal with...till there is.
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And how many law enforcement officers do so? Sure some do, not many tho. Many do not even have their R/PAL.
 
...and are you going to blame 40 S&W for that? Cops are just like any other group of people. Some are professional, some are not. You may like your tools or not, but you still are suppose to be getting out and spending time to get yourself proficient with them. If you are not doing that, it's your own choice. They don't need RPAL.
 
They need their RPAL if they want to practice outside of work, even within their work environment it may not be possible to say "hey can I do shoot more? In the Armed Forces you cannot, some only get 49 rounds to practice with a year, and this is for infantry.

And yes I do "blame" the .40S&W as with limited practice (that most of them do/get) it is harder to shoot than 9mm.
 
HK45auto said:
They need their RPAL if they want to practice outside of work, even within their work environment it may not be possible to say "hey can I do shoot more? In the Armed Forces you cannot, some only get 49 rounds to practice with a year, and this is for infantry.

And yes I do "blame" the .40S&W as with limited practice (that most of them do/get) it is harder to shoot than 9mm.
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Harder to shoot. LOL. I guess those fragile and frail firearms owners, do they get scared by loud noises as well.
 
You need to educate yourself before making any statement like that. LEO doesn't need RPAL. His peace officer appointment is enough. He may require his boss approval to take the firearm home for a practice. No need for any STATT as well. Tactical acquisition is a useful skill in this line of work. Even if you suppose to be issued only 200 rounds yearly, that particular skill can change that number significantly. How do I know? Well, 1000 rounds collected over last 3 months alone. Help the right guy and he helps you. If you believe that 40 is so much more difficult to shoot than 9....well, you are not getting enough training. Regards.
 
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