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Sharper recoil, heavier larger guns (in general), less capacity in the same sized gun. I have 9mm, .40 and .45 ACP. I find the .40 a good compromise between 9mm and .45 ACP. Closer to power/penetration to the .45 ACP than the 9mm, closer to 9mm capacity than the .45 ACP. In between with recoil.

Also, I can swap back and forth between 9mm and .40 with a simple barrel change with my SIGs. Can't do that between 9mm and .45 ACP.

I find the .40 sharper recoil impulse compared to a 45acp, the 45 may recoil "harder" but it's more a push than a fast rap, just my perception.

I've also had the major calibers along with 10mm and a couple mouse guns thrown in the mix, (not to mention revolver rounds), decided I didn't want to all those calibers to feed. NineMM and 40S&W are too easy to mix up so 40 went away, 44 won out over 10 and I've never looked back. Anymore if it's not a 22LR, 9mm, 45acp, 38/357, or 44mag I'm looking away when it comes to handguns.
 
.40 S&W is about the only non-'mainstream' caliber I have handguns for (beside 5.7x28)

I don't need it, I have the standards; .45 ACP, 9mm, .357, .45 Colt, etc. - I pretty much stick with the standard mainstream stuff.

I do have .460 mag and .454 Casull, but only because I got the 460V which shoots those plus .45 Colt - the latter being what I wanted a revolver for and decided the magnum and Casull were a bonus.

I got the .40 conversion kit for my 226 (originally 9mm) thinking that for ~$200 I now had a less popular but useful chambering in case I come across the ammo if SHTF. Then I shot it and liked it, and then did some research on it while getting some ammo to test it. The more I looked into it and shot it, the more I liked it. So now I've got four SIGs in .40, a conversion kit and barrel for .357 SIG (which I have not shot yet - maybe trade/sell those off?)
 
.40 S&W is about the only non-'mainstream' caliber I have handguns for (beside 5.7x28)

I don't need it, I have the standards; .45 ACP, 9mm, .357, .45 Colt, etc. - I pretty much stick with the standard mainstream stuff.

I do have .460 mag and .454 Casull, but only because I got the 460V which shoots those plus .45 Colt - the latter being what I wanted a revolver for and decided the magnum and Casull were a bonus.

I got the .40 conversion kit for my 226 (originally 9mm) thinking that for ~$200 I now had a less popular but useful chambering in case I come across the ammo if SHTF. Then I shot it and liked it, and then did some research on it while getting some ammo to test it. The more I looked into it and shot it, the more I liked it. So now I've got four SIGs in .40, a conversion kit and barrel for .357 SIG (which I have not shot yet - maybe trade/sell those off?)

.40S&W is anything BUT a "non-mainstream" caliber. In fact, I would estimate that law enforcement all across the USA remains more .40S&W than any OTHER caliber.

.40S&W IS standard, main-stream stuff!

Of course, use whatever caliber makes the most sense to you. No surprise that you find forty to be such a great caliber. For me, I've got plenty of .357mag, .45auto, .40S&W, 9mm, and the ideal, all-around would be .40S&W.
 
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But when buying new guns many department revert back to 9mm.

Yeah... and you know that's all about reducing agency expenses and moving toward a caliber that even the weakest, least-firearms oriented personnel can handle, effortlessly.

Yes, there's a place for 9mm!

But for many of us who are experienced shooters, and who don't place the lowest cost at the highest priority, .40S&W makes more sense.
 
Yeah... and you know that's all about reducing agency expenses and moving toward a caliber that even the weakest, least-firearms oriented personnel can handle, effortlessly.

Yes, there's a place for 9mm!

But for many of us who are experiences shooters, and who don't place the lowest cost at the highest priority, .40S&W makes more sense.

Agreed. I do own and carry 9mm from time to time since I get a lot of it for free. Some guns, like the P226, 9mm just makes more sense. Flush fitting and easily obtainable magazines are 18 rounds. Capacity in 40 for flush fitting magazines is quite a bit less. But for the Glock 22 and M&P40, we are only talking two rounds.
 
.40S&W is anything BUT a "non-mainstream" caliber. In fact, I would estimate that law enforcement all across the USA remains more .40S&W than any OTHER caliber.

.40S&W IS standard, main-stream stuff!

Of course, use whatever caliber makes the most sense to you. No surprise that you find forty to be such a great caliber. For me, I've got plenty of .357mag, .45auto, .40S&W, 9mm, and the ideal, all-around would be .40S&W.

I am looking at it from the perspective of SHTF availability.

There is a LOT more 9mm ammo and guns out there than there is .40 S&W. The latter is not rare, but it is not as ubiquitous are 9x19. If SHTF, .40 S&W will not be near as easy to find as 9x19, LEOs not-withstanding (they won't be selling or trading their ammo I can assure you). Only a few military outfits use .40 S&W.

So 9x19 is far more popular. Popular doesn't mean it is better, except for the fact that it is and will be more available. If at some point, by some fluke, .40 is adopted by the US military (outside of their SF and LEO units) as their general pistol round, and then by NATO, then, it will replace 9x19 as what I consider to be 'mainstream'. I doubt that will happen - but I certainly would applaud it if it did happen.

I have not started stocking up on .40 S&W ammo yet (too busy spending $$$ on buying SIGs), but I will. First I am going to get 9mm conversion barrels for every .40 gun I have - just in case.
 
I am looking at it from the perspective of SHTF availability.

There is a LOT more 9mm ammo and guns out there than there is .40 S&W. The latter is not rare, but it is not as ubiquitous are 9x19. If SHTF, .40 S&W will not be near as easy to find as 9x19, LEOs not-withstanding (they won't be selling or trading their ammo I can assure you). Only a few military outfits use .40 S&W.

So 9x19 is far more popular. Popular doesn't mean it is better, except for the fact that it is and will be more available. If at some point, by some fluke, .40 is adopted by the US military (outside of their SF and LEO units) as their general pistol round, and then by NATO, then, it will replace 9x19 as what I consider to be 'mainstream'. I doubt that will happen - but I certainly would applaud it if it did happen.

I have not started stocking up on .40 S&W ammo yet (too busy spending $$$ on buying SIGs), but I will. First I am going to get 9mm conversion barrels for every .40 gun I have - just in case.

This is kind of why I like the M&P line. They all fit in the same holsters and you can just carry what you have ammo for. If you run into 9, use it. 40? Use it, same mode of carry, 45? Use it!

Same with P220 and P226. Same holsters, just use what you have.
 
This is kind of why I like the M&P line. They all fit in the same holsters and you can just carry what you have ammo for. If you run into 9, use it. 40? Use it, same mode of carry, 45? Use it!

Same with P220 and P226. Same holsters, just use what you have.

My 227 fits the same holster that my 226 uses that my 229 uses that my 224 uses. The only SIG that I own that doesn't fit that holster is the 2022.

What I like about all of them is that they all have the same manual of arms. Of them all, only the 224 and 2022 have a somewhat different feel to them; the 224 because of its size, the 2022 because it has a polymer frame. But train on one and you have trained on them all.
 
I"m not at all worried about SHTF scenarios. Could happen, but not likely.

In any event...if you have an adequate stock of 9, 40, and 45 put back... how many rounds do you really expect you might need to actually LAUNCH in a SHTF scenario?

I don't think you will need to be firing thousands of rounds. Less than a hundred, perhaps two, probably - in a somewhat prolonged SHTF scenario.

Put back a couple thousand rounds of premium defense ammo now and you'll never have to buy any more in your lifetime.

For practice, shoot the cheap stuff and/or reload.

Beyond that... don't worry about it.
 
I"m not at all worried about SHTF scenarios. Could happen, but not likely.

In any event...if you have an adequate stock of 9, 40, and 45 put back... how many rounds do you really expect you might need to actually LAUNCH in a SHTF scenario?

I don't think you will need to be firing thousands of rounds. Less than a hundred, perhaps two, probably - in a somewhat prolonged SHTF scenario.

Put back a couple thousand rounds of premium defense ammo now and you'll never have to buy any more in your lifetime.

For practice, shoot the cheap stuff and/or reload.

Beyond that... don't worry about it.

The SHTF scenario I prepare for is slowly but surely evolving now - has been for a while - there is little doubt in my mind that it is happening.

I prepare not only for myself, but for my daughter and her husband too. Maybe for certain members of my family if they can make it to my BOL. Also, maybe for my neighbors - most of whom have firearms themselves, but I doubt they have the ammo stocks I do.

As for handguns - I generally have much less ammo for them than I do for rifles. Handguns have the following purposes in a SHTF scenario:

1) To always have within reach of your person.
2) To be able to use to fight your way to a rifle.
3) As a last ditch defensive weapon when your rifle malfunctions or you run out of ammo for it.

So for each person, maybe several hundred rounds of defensive at least, more of practice/training ammo.

My plan is to avoid firefights as much as possible - beyond a little LE training in the USCG, I don't have the training or the experience to think that I would last very long in a firefight, plus I have maybe 10-20 years left before I won't be able to lift a gun and shoot it.
 
Boy been watching a lot of videos on Glocks and M&P. It seems as though in some or most the shooter has to shake the glocks to get the mag to start to slide out of the mag well. And the M&P fly out. I know the Glock mags have a polymer coating. Do they have a more positive release once they have some wear. I would think in a defensive situation every second counts or fraction of a second. Not knocking Glock by a means just inquiring.
 
Now I'm torn went to gun range but didn't rent anything to shoot didn't have time. But handled several mostly Glocks and M&P. Had a Glock 22 very bulky in my hand the first time handling a 19 it was the Gen 5 felt really good in hand as did the 23. And the M2.0 M&P felt good also. When asked what I was looking for I said I have been thoabout going back to the 40. And several people wow most everyone is going back to 9mm. I was at SafeFire in Camas. As a matter of fact the had no 40's in the show case. Although that can order it if you want one. I ask why 40's the sales guy said because most everyone is going to 9mm very few people are buying 40.
 

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