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Is The .40 S&W dead?

Annihilator

Annihilator

Emissary
Founding Member
Ok, this article is on is the .40 S&W dead, I don’t think so, I rely on this for my CCW and home gun, it may have waned some, but so did the 10mm, but the 10 has come back and the .40 will to.

www.shootingillustrated.com

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Is the .40 S&W Dead?

The .40 S&W had its heyday among law enforcement personnel, but has since fallen from grace. Richard Mann asks and answers the question, Is the .40 S&W dead?
www.shootingillustrated.com www.shootingillustrated.com
 
Hi Annihilator,

The .40 S&W was not a compromise cartridge. The FBI's Firearms Training Unit scientifically determined the .40 caliber cartridges for law enforcement application were at their apex of efficacy with 180 grain bullets at ~1000 FPS. The .40 S&W was not a compromise. It was the product of scientific research.

The .40 S&W was and remains more amenable to double-stack mags.

The 10MM produced diminishing returns for law enforcement use.

Finally, that the FBI has adopted the 9MM does not translate to its cops carrying 9MM handguns. Many law enforcement agencies allow their cops to chose a handgun and cartridge from an agency approved list. My former agency allows its cops to choose between 9MM, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP.

While the FBI's cartridge is the 9MM, its cops might choose to carry either a .40 S&W or .45 ACP.
 
Annihilator said:
Ok, this article is on is the .40 S&W dead, I don’t think so, I rely on this for my CCW and home gun, it may have waned some, but so did the 10mm, but the 10 has come back and the .40 will to.

www.shootingillustrated.com

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Is the .40 S&W Dead?

The .40 S&W had its heyday among law enforcement personnel, but has since fallen from grace. Richard Mann asks and answers the question, Is the .40 S&W dead?
www.shootingillustrated.com www.shootingillustrated.com
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No.
 
I say no.
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I consider articles with titles like "Is the _____ Caliber Dead?" to be clickbait for gun guys. These articles seem to imply that the minute one mainstream caliber is shown to have a statistical advantage over other calibers, the other calibers immediately become irrelevant and begin a death spiral. No caliber that has ever had a significant following is ever "dead".

While it is true that a majority of law enforcement agencies are now issuing sidearms chambered in 9mm instead of 40 S&W, that really doesn't mean much to the industry as a whole. For decades the overwhelming majority of police departments issued firearms chambered in 38 Special/.357 Magnum. Last I checked, both .357 Magnum and 38 Special are doing just fine. I wonder if gun magazines in the 1990's were filled with articles titled "Is the 38 Special Dead?"
 
I don't think the .40 is dead but it is a caliber that I just never got into. I had the 9 mm and the .45 acp and just didn't see any reason to add another caliber. I also had the .38/.357 in revolvers . I have shot a few different pistols in .40 and they were nice pistols but it just didn't catch on with me.
 
papa said:
I don't think the .40 is dead but it is a caliber that I just never got into. I had the 9 mm and the .45 acp and just didn't see any reason to add another caliber. I also had the .38/.357 in revolvers . I have shot a few different pistols in .40 and they were nice pistols but it just didn't catch on with me.
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When I bought my first M&P Shield, they hadn’t yet come out with a .45 ACP. So my choices were 9mm or .40 S&W. At that point I did not yet own or trust a 9mm as a defensive firearm. I have since come around ( to some degree) and I own two German 9mm pistols, one of which functions primarily as a carry gun.
By the way, I bought the .45 ACP Shield as soon as they became available.

That said, my primary ( Work) carry gun is the PC .40 Shield. It’s in my pants right this second in fact.
 
Hi kruchnik,

Springfield Armory's EMP line are phenomenally gorgeous handgun. But they're not too pretty to shot.

An EMP 3 9MM is the same length of an S&W 2" Chief Special, smaller, holds more rounds, easier to control, and more reliable.

I've tried carrying a 4" 586 off-duty. It was like lugging a 90lb bag of cement.
 
wmg1299 said:
I consider articles with titles like "Is the _____ Caliber Dead?" to be clickbait for gun guys. These articles seem to imply that the minute one mainstream caliber is shown to have a statistical advantage over other calibers, the other calibers immediately become irrelevant and begin a death spiral. No caliber that has ever had a significant following is ever "dead".

While it is true that a majority of law enforcement agencies are now issuing sidearms chambered in 9mm instead of 40 S&W, that really doesn't mean much to the industry as a whole. For decades the overwhelming majority of police departments issued firearms chambered in 38 Special/.357 Magnum. Last I checked, both .357 Magnum and 38 Special are doing just fine. I wonder if gun magazines in the 1990's were filled with articles titled "Is the 38 Special Dead?"
Click to expand...

There was a cartridge war. The .45 ACP defeated all other combatants before a single round was chambered.

What I have found to be most crucial is mating a suitable cartridge to a handgun that's easily concealed. I've yet to find a .45 ACP that fits that description. From my viewing angle, the EMP 3 is as close to concealed nirvana as it gets. If I could comfortably conceal carry a full-size 1911-A1 .45 ACP, I would.
 
SATRP said:
There was a cartridge war. The .45 ACP defeated all other combatants before a single round was chambered.

What I have found to be most crucial is mating a suitable cartridge to a handgun that's easily concealed. I've yet to find a .45 ACP that fits that description. From my viewing angle, the EMP 3 is as close to concealed nirvana as it gets. If I could comfortably conceal carry a full-size 1911-A1 .45 ACP, I would.
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Don’t forget, the EMP is not an actual 1911, it’s a scaled down version of the 1911, SA did this to make it more compatible with the 9mm cartridge and easier to ccw instead of using a full size 1911 in a 9mm, so, yea, it would be somewhat easier to conceal, only reason I am saying this, that maybe some don’t know this about the EMP.
 
Hi Annihilator,

Thanks for the info. You are 100% right. I know it's not an exact 1911-A1, but it's more close than close enough for government work ;-)

I love it because it functions identically to a 1911-A1.
 
Annihilator said:
Don’t forget, the EMP is not an actual 1911, it’s a scaled down version of the 1911, SA did this to make it more compatible with the 9mm cartridge and easier to ccw instead of using a full size 1911 in a 9mm, so, yea, it would be somewhat easier to conceal, only reason I am saying this, that maybe some don’t know this about the EMP.
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Still a heavy gun for EDC. 31 ounces. I have a Kimber ProCarryII which weighs 28 ounces unloaded and it weighs on you after a little while. I haven't seen a 1911 that doesn't weigh a ton yet...

Edit: I was looking a the EMP Champion for 31 ounces. The regular EMP is 27 ounces. Still heavy, especially for a 9mm.

I'd say if you want a 1911 style 9mm, go with the 911. At 15.3 ounces, it's much more manageable to EDC.
 
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SATRP said:
There was a cartridge war. The .45 ACP defeated all other combatants before a single round was chambered.

What I have found to be most crucial is mating a suitable cartridge to a handgun that's easily concealed. I've yet to find a .45 ACP that fits that description. From my viewing angle, the EMP 3 is as close to concealed nirvana as it gets. If I could comfortably conceal carry a full-size 1911-A1 .45 ACP, I would.
Click to expand...

🤪
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SATRP said:
There was a cartridge war. The .45 ACP defeated all other combatants before a single round was chambered.

What I have found to be most crucial is mating a suitable cartridge to a handgun that's easily concealed. I've yet to find a .45 ACP that fits that description. From my viewing angle, the EMP 3 is as close to concealed nirvana as it gets. If I could comfortably conceal carry a full-size 1911-A1 .45 ACP, I would.
Click to expand...

The XDS Mod.2 in .45 is small and thin enough to be concealable, but just big enough to provide adequate control. I'd recommend checking it out to see if it meets your standards.
 
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