.40 over 9mm

[Alexx1401]

The 40 S&W was still too much for ALL of the agents to handle. It's essentially the rule of "lowest common denominator." If even only a few agents couldn't qualify with the 40, the FBI reverted to the 9mm. By then, the 9mm rounds had been improved, too, which made the move a bit more logical. If you have to provide everyone in a law enforcement unit, be it FBI or your local sheriff's department, with weapons and ammo, budget considerations come into play big time--why a lot of people (not me) go to Costco for the bulk savings. The decision didn't have much to do with the effectiveness of any particular caliber, though the ammo still had to pass certain minimum tests. [Which, not to get diverted here, is why Hornady offers Critical Duty ammo--which passes the auto glass barrier test--as well as Critical Defense, which is a better personal defense round as it performs well against soft targets but with less concern about penetrating apartment walls.]

It has LONG been a problem when some department wants everyone to carry one gun. This is not nearly as bad as it once was but still happens. When I lived in the SW one city started to let women be actual Cops. They were at that time carrying .38's Some of the women asked to use different grips on the gun they were issued as smaller grips fit their hands better. The people in charge said no. Everyone had to have exactly the same because "I say so".