.40 Caliber Sucks

Story time with Buck Yeager:

When I see Buck Yeager video titles like this “.40s suck” one I roll my eyes.  Poking the beehive makes him rich though so I suppose he will continue to do it.

He’s convinced himself his reasons to not like .40 caliber are valid though, so good for him.  I’ll agree with him on the fact .40 is harder to shoot than 9mm or .45… in the short time I owned a G22 I noticed that immediately.

The 1986 Miami shootout story he told about the reason the FBI switched to 10mm, and not .45 was interesting.

Thoughts?


Comments

94 responses to “.40 Caliber Sucks”

  1. Hmmm yet it is still one of the most common calibers used in law enforcement

    1. nikonmikon Avatar
      nikonmikon

      That’s because law enforcement has to deal with situations the average person doesn’t. Shooting through intermediate barriers being one of them. As such, they choose 40 S&W because that is something it is good at. They sacrifice capacity and better recoil control to gain this feature because it is more or less a necessity in the law enforcement field to be able to penetrate intermediate barriers.

      1. IDK I can shoot just fine with my .40 and my .45’s I guess skill depends on the man/woman.

        1. nikonmikon Avatar
          nikonmikon

          Dude get your fucking head out of your ass. A g19 (9mm) holds more rounds than a g23 (40 SW) being identical pistols in dimension. How does skill play into that? Nice passive aggressive jab though. It doesn’t change the facts. Any 40 or 45 that you can handle you’ll be able to handle a 9mm AT LEAST as good, if not better.

          1. I never once stated I couldnt handle a 9mm I dislike them for other reasons however. As for the head in ass jab same at you internet tough guy… blah blah blah…zzzzzzz

            1. nikonmikon Avatar
              nikonmikon

              Yeah, blah blah blah. Get defeated on all fronts, resort to saying you didn’t say something and it was something else.

            2. PS feel free to respond with douchebag replys

              1. nikonmikon Avatar
                nikonmikon

                Everything I said is factual, I might have been abrasive but it’s still true and objective.

                Everything has a pro and a con. Once you figure that out you’ll see why people choose different calibers for different jobs.

                1. I rest my case.. time to go do important real life shit..

                  1. nikonmikon Avatar
                    nikonmikon

                    Be sure to use your ability to decipher objective vs subjective during your import real life shit you’re about to go embark on.

                  2. Holy Shit both of you shut the fuck up! my phone won’t stop beeping from your incessant replies. I’m trying to sleep!

                    1. nikonmikon Avatar
                      nikonmikon

                      I love you dawg! SLEEP WELL!

                    2. Poppy u have no friends so u love our replys it makes you feel special.. lol night

                    3. Thanks guys, appreciate the courtesy. Time for some shut eye.

        2. theblackknight Avatar
          theblackknight

          Define “just fine” in a objective sense.

    2. when the FBI changed to .40 a lot of local jurisdictions followed suit just to do so…

  2. Any gun is better than none.

    There are times that I carry a .32 pocket pistol, not because I think that i’m going to win a shootout with one, but because that is the biggest gun that I can carry without people knowing. Same reason that I own a Beretta 84fs, although I love my 92 much much more.

    1. Similar situation. I carry a .380 because it is small enough to be well hid on my small frame. Big guns stay in the vehicle or come out when the weather is cold and the layers are on.

  3. I once bought a G23. Eventually I just got a barrel swap, and now it is a 9mm.
    My G26 is the best pistol I have ever owned.

    40 cal is far too snappy. I was raised on .45 but I grew and matured as a 9 man.

    1. Andy,

      I have done exactly the same thing :-) When I was shopping for my first handgun, I was living in California. Since I was limited to 10 round magazines I decided to go with the .40. Now that I’ve escaped California, it makes more sense to go with 9mm.

      I love my G26 too. I can shoot it almost as well as my G23 with 9mm conversion barrel.

      -Mark

  4. I was hoping for some Buck Yeager 3rd Party endorsement commentary.

  5. I enjoy the fact that, at the beginning of the video, he makes a case that the differences in ammunition from 9mm to .45 are irrelevant, yet makes an entire video about how having a .40 caliber pistol is atrocious. May want to sync up the message for future videos.

    I have a hard time believing that a caliber that is hard to control (for the muscle-bound idiot) and wears out guns (allegedly) a lot more quickly, has no benefit on the terminal ballistics end. Isaac Newton was apparently wrong when it comes to ballistics when he stated that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

    1. elephantrider Avatar
      elephantrider

      I can’t beleive I’m defending James Yeager, but I completely agree with him on this one. There are alot of folks out there that share this view as well.

      Re your first statement: His criticism of the .40 S&W is that is is a high pressure round (more recoil, muzzle blast, wear and tear on gun), not that it is ballistically inferior. His statements do not contradict each other.

      Re your second statement: Isaac Newton is not wrong and Yeager isn’t really saying that he is. The gain in terminal ballistics from a high pressure cartridge is so minimal that it really isn’t worth the negatives that it brings along.

      With regards to wear on the gun here is my experience. I’ve attended one three day pistol course with a total of 24 students and a 2,000 round count. There were two Glocks that went down at various times over the three days with broken locking block/trigger housing pins. I’ll give you one guess as to what caliber they were. Also keep in mind that Glock went from a 2-pin design to the 3-pin design because the high pressure rounds were breaking their pins.

    2. Teknobenji Avatar
      Teknobenji

      seeing many GSW’s in our ER department – handguns, aside from .22 seem to all be similar wound channel and destruction – a .45 may break a femur vs other rounds – the real differences are rifle vs handgun….not handgun caliber vs handgun caliber…..as I started seeing that I made the best choice I have ever made – carry and shoot 9mm – he is correct, although there may be some slight advantages ON PAPER compare handgun rounds to any real rifle round and you will see he states fact (that said – I am not talking about a .50, .454 etc….but we never see people shooting each other with those) but a 9mm has easy to manage recoil and usually a capacity advantage (though that can be argued as well, statistically 3-4 shots are all that ever are fired defensively)

  6. why do you bother posting videos of this doofus? He doesn’t allow comments on his vids, so it’s only a one sided Opinion, and a Poor one at that.

  7. He’s probably right. There are some good shooters who deal with .40 no problem. There are a lot more who have all kinds of problems with it. The fact that it’s popular with law enforcement certainly is a point in it’s favor.

    1. I’m actually going to side with Yeager on this one. The round’s very existence was an overreaction. And they do burn out guns faster. I carry a 9mm. It came down to the math behind it for me. A freind of mine who is a firearms instructor at a law enforcement agency worked it out. The .40 produces nearly 45% higher felt recoil in firearm comparable in size to a 9mm *to the untrained hand* while only providing around 10% higher realized stopping power. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the time to sink in as many hours at the range as the guys I know in LE. Also, I pay for my rounds — and .40 ain’t cheap.

      His argument was also that engaging individual targets, the higher velocity creates slightly smaller wound channels than a comparable 9mm, despite the fact that the .40 is a wider round. It was an issue of expansion. This isn’t to say the hole was bigger than the 9mm hole, obviously. The percentage of expansion in the hollowpoing (both were hornady critical defense I believe) was just higher.

      The .40 really does shine when we’re talking about barrier penetration, though. He noticed less deflection and better stability / mass retention. But as a previous poster said, that’s not normally something an civillian carrier will need to be worrying about.

      1. God my spelling and grammar suffer on Mondays.

  8. “.40 Caliber Sucks”? More like “Chuck Yeager Sucks Fat Dicks” if you ask me.

    COMMENT OF THE WEEK AWARD PLEASE.

    1. +1

        1. nikonmikon Avatar
          nikonmikon

          you gay wad. lol

    2. hnl.flyboy Avatar
      hnl.flyboy

      It MAY have made comment of the week, however, Chuck Yeager is an 89 yr old former test pilot, first to break the sound barrier on Oct 14, 1947. Attention to detail ;)

      1. I know, Chuck Yeager is so fucking overrated. Yuri Gagarin FTW!

  9. TomThumb Avatar

    funny how SAAMI pressure specs out 9MM and .40 S&W at 35,000 CUP and 9MM +P @ 38,500… Yeager did no research… “high pressure round” retard… .45 is much less pressure @ 21,000 (big surprise…)

    Page 23 (for 9MM specs) and page 24 (for .40 S&W)
    http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/205.pdf

  10. James Yeager is more than welcome to stand downrange of a class full of .40s and see if his opinion still stands afterwards; after all, he has his photographers do the same thing.

    1. Yep. Does he “compare resumes” with his photographers? I think if I were one, I’d LOVE .40, since the reduced magazine capacity means I won’t get his as often.

  11. I enjoy my .40 S&W. Extremely easy to shoot. PX4 storm if anyone wonders or cares. I’ve practiced with it long enough that I can take some really long shots and still hit the target. Up close I can do just fine. Reloading my own rounds makes it very versatile.

    I’ve stayed out of talking or bashing chucky but with statements like this he can pound sand.

  12. I’m not a fan of .40 just simply because the cost benefit ratio just isn’t there.

    G20 is a really underrated pistol. I’d rate it right up there with the G17/19.

  13. i dunno, but i like .40 cal. seen a number of bad guys killed stone cold, shit eating dead with it. i guess Bucky needs his viewers and he’s entitled to his opinion, of course. maybe his soft, dainty hands can’t take the 40% greater recoil impulse?

    also, that James Yeager Approved foto above make him look gay.

  14. John Fritzed Avatar
    John Fritzed

    Bust his balls if you want but I just leaned a few things. So there’s that.

    As far as the .40 cal gun wearing out faster, he doesn’t really qualify this statement. What constitutes ‘worn out’ or ‘faster’? For the average OFWG shooting a forty, I don’t see where this would be an issue.

  15. M-cameron Avatar

    “.40cal wear out faster”…….meh, its possible, i havent seen any studies done on the matter so ill remain dubious until i see actual proof.

    “.40cal are harder to shoot”……that im callin BS on. i dont know if its just that im used to shooting my snub nose .357, but the recoil on damn near all autoloading pistols feels the same to me, and i have not yet found an autoloading pistol i would call ‘hard to shoot’…..

    if Yeager is finding .40 cals difficult to shoot, perhaps he needs to hit up Costa for some of his magic arm tape…

    i also had to chuckle when he was bragging at how many people hes trained…..hell, i could go find a few thousand people and ‘train’ them too…..doesnt mean i know what the hell im doing.

  16. I love .40 bullets….. on top of my 10mm cases. :-)

  17. jeff wins…

  18. I’m kind of on the fence here – this video was one of the least obnoxious or just plain retarded of his that I’ve seen. I’ve had a Glock in 10mm, a Walther P99 in .40 S&W, Sig P226 in 9mm, and a Springfield 1911 in .45. I don’t think I could tell you a dime’s worth of difference between the 9mm and the .40 S&W, except for the cost of the rounds. And there’s probably some bias in there because I love the Sig much better than the Walther. There’s probably some valid point about high pressure rounds though – the 10mm and the .45 both hit hard, but the .45 is naturally subsonic, so I’d think it stands to reason that it’s not causing the same amount of wear and tear on a gun as a higher pressure round that’s both exiting the barrel at a higher velocity and exerting more pressure in the chamber.

  19. Crunkleross Avatar
    Crunkleross

    Jeff Cooper liked the Centimeter but who the hell is he compared to Yeager.

  20. The best caliber for a handgun is the one you happen to have in your hand when you need it. If for some reason, due to work or something else, you can only carry a .380 or .25, that is much better than no gun.

  21. paul kimble Avatar
    paul kimble

    10mm or nothing

  22. 10mm is best mm Avatar
    10mm is best mm

    .40 S&W is not a bad cartridge, but it’s not good enough compared to 9mm to justify the extra cost.
    And when it comes to ballistic performance, it doesn’t even come close to matching it’s big brother the 10mm.
    I don’t have enough experience with .45s to make an informed comment about it, but from what I hear they are bulky, kick disproportionately hard, and seriously lack penetrating power.

    1. I with you on this. Nothing really wrong w .40 cal, but it adds nothing to justify cost of higher ammo prices and reduced capacity.

      I do find .40 “snappier” than 9 (and certainly 45).

      I use a 40-9 conversion in my G23 for normal carry.

      I use the 40 barrel for “in the woods”; I dropped a 130 lbs wild pig with a Glock 23 shooting .40 Hornady TAP.

  23. I kinda have a problem when people resort to taking a gun’s wear into consideration. Unless there’s something seriously wrong with a particular gun (like the beretta slide breaking or the soft metal on llamas) most will fire more ammo than the gun is worth.

    He says most people have not fired 50k rounds through a .40, that the .40 pistols cannot make it to the 50k round count. 50k rounds is friggin $10-13k. I’ve bought a new pistol by then, .40 or 9mm or .45

  24. I’ve yet to add to my collection anything in .40 simply for the space in my safe but also so I have more arms that share each others’ ammo. It’s just much easier to do with 9mm and 45. Eventually I want a 10mm, but the desire for the .40 just isn’t there for me…

    1. I feel the same way. I’ve shot 9mm and .45 pretty exclusively since I’ve been an adult. A buddy of mine has a Glock 23. I didn’t think the recoil was unmanageable, just different. .40’s just not there for me either.
      Personal anecdote regarding recoil: Recoil’s never really bothered me per se (again, just gotta figure out how to manage it), but my dad had Dan Wesson revolvers in .357 and .41 when I was a kid. I gotta say those were a bit much for me when I was 12 years old. I hadn’t shot a revolver in years until he (dad) recently picked up a S&W .357 with a 2 1/2″ barrel (don’t know the model #; not that I don’t like them, just never studied on revolvers that much). Even with his fairly hot reloads, I had no trouble controlling the gun and could easily shoot well with it. I told him my surprise at that because I’d remembered that cartridge being a beast when I was little.
      His response was “Well, you’re about 2 feet taller and weigh about a 100 lbs more than you did then. That’s probably it.” We both got a big laugh out of that.

  25. Owning a Sig P250, I felt the compulsive need to multiply unto myself the conversion kits… I have 9mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, all in the full size variant of the platform. In one range session I moved up through the calibers (124gr 9mm, 124gr .357, 180gr .40, 230gr .45). The thing that surprised me the most is how little difference I actually felt from one to the next. Jumping from 9mm to .45 was a big difference in feel, but I didn’t notice that there was a tremendous difference between the 9mm and the .40. Sure, the recoil is heavier, but it wasn’t as snappy as I’d expected.

    IMO, there’s just not any point in trying to fight the caliber wars. Pick the one you want based on the size of the hole vs. magazine capacity and go shoot it.

  26. Have an XDm in .40 & definitely notice a difference between mine & my buddy’s XD tactical .45. Mine seems crisper & has a little more muzzle lift which could be explained by high pressure or the fact my buddy’s has an extra .5 inches of barrel. The thing is, that is why we train. Every handgun I’ve every fired reacts differently or feels different while firing. Choice of ammunition affects how the guns responds as well.

    So he doesn’t like the .40, good for him. I do.

  27. mutantpoo Avatar

    If you can’t handle the ” massive recoil” of the .40 then you really need to evaluate your skills or your wrists. Why not get a .22 ? All these new light weight polymer guns are raising a generation of wimpy complaining kids. They pick up my 35 oz .357 wheelgun and you think they were asked to try and pick up a train. I packed it daily for years and is my spine broken, no ! Of course the 9mm is easy to shoot it’s meh…… The 40 in medium and light weight bullets at their given speeds gives .357 performance with GREATLY reduced recoil. Real world performance matters not x cartridge looks just like Y cartridge on paper so why not carry X since it recoils less in my girl like hands. America…. whaere men used to live.

    MAN UP people before your pair shrivels up and blows away like dust in the wind.

    1. Pft. 50AE through an all steel Desert Eagle ftw. :p

  28. enfieldem2 Avatar
    enfieldem2

    I used to own a 40 S&W cougar automatic pistol, loved it wish I still had it. I would have happily used it in a crisis. But I would have preferred to use my EAA witness 10MM, loaded with buffalo bore rounds.

    And the 40 S&W is not a derivative of the 10MM, the inventors of what became the 40 S&W were working on it before the 10 was invented. I would recommend reading the book, “Bren ten, the heir apparent” if you would like to know more. If you can get your hands on a copy.

  29. Maybe his defective shoulder cant handle it. But in all of these cases i say who cares, its your gun, shoot what you like and are best at.

  30. 40, 45, 10mm, = recoil?
    wth?
    i had 2-5 gallon buckets of brass left over from my 10mm glock back in the dark ages before the 40sw came along, recoil?, control-ability?…
    what alternate universe are these people in?
    what has happened to shooters in this country?
    ok, an 11 oz 357 mag i could see a problem, but the 26 and 27 do not present a problem for any ‘normal’ person…
    i just don’t see the problem…V

    1. nikonmikon Avatar
      nikonmikon

      10mm can be loaded very weakly and usually is from commercial sources like Winchester.

  31. I love my .40 S&W . Replace the word snappy with limp wrist, JMHO. Don’t hate me!

  32. 5.7
    That’s all I’ve got to say to that. =win.

    1. nikonmikon Avatar
      nikonmikon

      everyone should watch this

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg9ok2_nM9Q

      if you aren’t shocked by how horrible 5.7 is after this video i don’t know what to say.

      key points
      1. bullet is GLUED into the case
      2. case has polymer coating REQUIRED for functioning. cases can’t be tumbled
      3. a buncha other bullshit.

      1. Gluing bullets in to a bottlenecked pistol case is not uncommon. Triton had to do this for 40 Super to prevent issues with bullet setback.

        1. nikonmikon Avatar
          nikonmikon

          Okay but did you even watch the video?

  33. So… you should rebuild your pistol after like 10k rounds? So fucking what? Who fucking shoots that much with one gun? You’ve more than payed for the gun, you’re probably getting payed to shoot it or you reaaaaally love the gun. $300 isn’t a fucking issue after that.

    What else you got Buck? You don’t like WHY it’s made? I don’t like why lots of things were made, that’s not relevant to the conversation. Put your man pants on and get over it.

  34. The 1986 Miami shoot out was the impetus for the 10mm, which of course got cut down to the .40 S&W. I remember having to watch a 30 minute video on the event during the FBI Special Agent Selection process.

    The real issue with that back then was less the caliber and more about the training and tactics used in failure to stop situations. The suspects were shot multiple times, yet still continued to fight. This becomes the classic NSR situation. Gun fighting and training in the past 26 years have changed dramatically. Modern expanding rounds have little terminal ballistic effects. Don’t confuse downrange kinetic energy with actual terminal ballistics. Accuracy and volume of fire are far more important than depending on the statistics of a single round. .40 is perfectly controllable and usable, however having the benefit of better recoil management through 9mm is an advantage.

    1. EDIT: *little difference in terminal effects.

  35. theblackknight Avatar
    theblackknight

    Unless you guys have actually compared splits on a timer with a 9vs40vs45, your comments like “well I seem to shoot 40 just fine” mean nothing.

    1. Exactly!!! People go shoot on a timer and then form your opinions. Never seen a person that shoots .40 faster and more accurately than a 9mm in the same platform. It just doesn’t happen outside of a flukes.

  36. I do .45 or 9MM from the simple thought that rounds for both are relatively cheap and readily available. I think .40 and 10mm suck for that reason.

    Anybody who is carrying a handgun needs to be able to handle and fire it accurately. The ballistics, in the civilian world (i.e. no ballistic vests, probably no cover, under 30 feet, physiology of adrenaline, etc.) mean that the X FPS vs. the X FPS of a different round generally don’t make a spit’s worth of difference.

    1. theblackknight Avatar
      theblackknight

      finally a sensible post.

      1. nikonmikon Avatar
        nikonmikon

        It’s true but .45 costs substantially more than 9mm and more than 40…..

        Other than that I agree but there are still benefits of the smaller round

  37. I have a FNS 9mm, a Colt and RI 1911 .45 and an HK .40. That being said, I don’t like shooting the .40 much. Not that the recoil is terrifying or anything…It’s manageable…But harder than any of my other pistols. I get what he is saying about high pressure round trade offs between ballistics and recoil management. I frankly will not shoot my .40 unless I have absolutely run out of bullets for everything else I own. Hell.. I haven’t bought .40 cal in years, nor have I carried my USP in years. It’s just not to my liking.

    As far as wearing out faster…..I suppose, if the gun wasn’t initially designed for the round or was designed poorly. Physics are physics, and higher pressure anything generally equals more wear and tear. Whatever. After learning my lessons I really just carry the 9. Can’t beat 17 + 1, it’s light weight and ease of shooting.

  38. liquidflorian Avatar
    liquidflorian

    12 year old girl used her Mom’s .40 Glock to fend off and intruder…

    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/12-year-old-girl-home-alone-uses-family-gun-to-shoot-intruder/

    1. so bucks wimpier than a 12yo girl? I’d believe it.

      1. Crunkleross Avatar
        Crunkleross

        FTMFW

  39. I love my USP 40, and I have carried it in real world combat situations. I think that its funny that the ad Im seeing at the top of the page is for a .40 SW Springfield EMP…LOL

  40. Yaeger is a freaking joke. Has been, will be.

    Why do we all pretend we’re the exact same person? I shoot .40 just fine, in fact my Beretta PX4 Storm is my nightstand piece. I don’t mind my LCP, I don’t mind .357 snubbies. We’re not all that recoil sensitive.

    9mm is fine, .45 is great, but it seems like if proponents of those rounds were really confident in their choices, they wouldn’t constantly need to bag on ,.40.

    I trust my life to my .40, and I can hit my target with it. If you can say the same, shut the hell up and shoot your stuff. People like this “tactical training” clown who can’t just have an opinion without insisting that everyone else share it are the worst part of the internet.

    1. nikonmikon Avatar
      nikonmikon

      Except your PX4 holds less rounds than my G19. How can you argue an objective fact like that? More recoil, less rounds. It’s pretty plain to see. If you’re capable of blasting mega ass with high precision using your 40 like a boss tactical operator, great. I guarantee you that you will do it better with more rounds using a 9mm. I believe this is what people are trying to “get across” when they talk about calibers. You know what I mean? In the end, all rounds perform damn near the same when it comes to terminal ballistics. They penetrate around 12-14 inches and leave a puny wound cavity compared to any rifle. Which I think begs the question: Why would you want less in your gun?

      1. Yes, wanting people to go with what works for them, and disliking people who refuse to accept other viewpoints or opinions is very “tacticool” and “operator” of me.

        Your G19 holds 15+1 to my PX4’s 14+1. That’s not extra rounds. That’s extra ROUND. If you’re counting on that one extra cartridge to be the difference, you’re doing it wrong.

        After all, no one has ever protected themselves using a 7+1 1911 or a 5-shot .38 Special snubbie, right?

        Focusing on round count to the detriment of any other element is misguided. I use my PX4 .40 because of everything I shot when shopping, including the 9mm PX4 and, in fact, a Glock G19 (and G23), for some reason the PX4 .40 worked best with me.

        I’d better switch, though, you’re right. I can’t have a guy on the Internet disapproving of my choices, now can I?

        Then again, you’ve been trolling like an alpha douche this entire 70+ comment string. If you’re that insecure of your choice in 9mm that you need to constantly and rudely go to battle for it (see your “tactical operator” comments to me and your “get your head out of your fucking ass” up top), then reconsider your choice. Otherwise, respectfully state your preference and respect other peoples’ as well. I’m not advocating carrying .22LR here, I’m saying I prefer a round that is infinitesimally different then the one you like. You’re getting bent out of shadow over what is essentially French vanilla versus vanilla bean. Let it go. The world is not obligated to share your views.

        1. nikonmikon Avatar
          nikonmikon

          I think you missed the point entirely. I’ll try one more time, copy pasted verbatim:

          “If you’re capable of blasting mega ass with high precision using your 40 like a boss tactical operator, great. I guarantee you that you will do it better with more rounds using a 9mm. I believe this is what people are trying to “get across” when they talk about calibers. You know what I mean?”

          My comments about tactically operating were hyperbole emphasizing weapon handling effectiveness. It was not a personal jab. Who’s insecure now? Are you a gear queer? Sup with that sensitivity man?

    2. If you are good with a .40, you will be better with a 9mm in the same platform.

      I didn’t even watch the video. I have heard all of these same arguments before. .40 is a niche cartridge that caught on for some reason. 99.44% of people would do better with another caliber for their use.

  41. Erm dear author, if you owned a Glock 20 then you owned a 10mm, the big brother to the 40 S&W unless you bought one with a .40 conversion barrel. Or else you meant the 10mm was also a .40 cal round in which case you are correct and I got my 10mm fanboy boxers in a bunch.

    .40 has be described as ‘snappy’ I honestly don’t notice it and shoot it just as fine and just as quickly as my 10mm and my .45 and even yes the 9mm. Only difference I notice is the .40 seems…well crackey-ier? Sharper report to my ears through double hearing pro, then again any firearm is gonna be loud but really thats about the only difference I notice.

    Carry and play with what feels right and what shoots well, I sure as heck don’t want a .22 pointed at me, much less a .40 short and weak (sorry…10mm fanboy again). Until this fellow starts disallowing .40 caliber pistols in his classes I will consider it his opinion and show him the repsect of letting him have em just like I, and other commenters, have their own.

    1. ENDO-Mike Avatar

      Oops I meant G22.

  42. .40 cal is fine. The only problem I have with it is the brass. It nests nicely in .45 cal cases, sometimes in the tumbler, and then fails to feed in my case feeder when I’m reloading. I sort brass and try to be attentive but they are similar enough in size that one sneaks past occasionally.

  43. I own a glock 19 and a sig p229 .40. The recoil on the sig is greater but only when using 115 gr 9mm. When I use 147 gr. the recoil feels almost the same as the .40 165 gr. therefore I rather use a larger more powerful bullet for self defense.

  44. And by the way, it holds 12 rounds. Only 3 less than the glock.

  45. Check yourself before you wreck yourself Avatar
    Check yourself before you wreck yourself

    I hear all this non since, individuals talking out their asses imposing personal oppinions verses factual knowledge. “side walk commandos” I own multiple handguns in multiple calibers, Semi autos and revolvers. I have spent my whole life shooting and training with various firearms and calibers. I’m retired military and currently a law enforcement officer. Through my experiences and historical facts/evidence WOULD NOT want to relie on a weak handgun round. 9mm DOES NOT have a GOOD REPUTATION in Law enforcement or military. For law enforcement it’s just about obsolete. 40Cal is by far the most used and popular of all. Every federal Agency except TWO have adopted it. Secret Service Adopted the 357SIG in (P229) and the CIA still using the 9mm (Glock19) their using this round do to operations over seas and their close working relationships with Military assets. “NATO”. The FBI does intense research and testing on firearms and calibers the Glock is the most popular do to reliability and cost. I witness an individual shot 5 times with a 9mm all shots were in the upper torso and head and live to talk about it and in return was able to kill the police officer who shot him. Is this the scenario you want? To me 9mm are fun to shoot like 22LR low recoil and cheap to shoot, doesn’t take much to destroy paper. Do your research and look at the results of police action shootings vs kills & no kills situations. You’ll be impressed!! The FBI HRT team “SWAT” are issued their own verson of the Springfield Armory 1911 45ACP and H&K MP5 “10mm” Sub Machine Gun. These weapons & calibers were decided on historical events througout the world. When it comes to shootouts “bullets flying & people dying” bigger bullet bigger holes, bigger holes bigger the damage!! Just speaking from experience. If your somebody that has a light wallet, and training is something that’s not high on the priority list with self or family then I guess something is better than nothing. If your someone that makes self defense a priority in life and your a serious shooter that’s shooting an excess of 500 to 1,000 rounds a month then the recoils of something bigger than a 9mm won’t hurt your feelings.

  46. john of sparta Avatar
    john of sparta

    +1 for .40 ammo:
    .40’s available when 9mm and .45 are sold out.
    it’s expensive, but at least it’s on the shelf.

  47. Turner Humphrey Avatar
    Turner Humphrey

    So all he is saying is it’s harder to shoot and the gun wears down faster.

  48. I hate them too brother. I have a Glock 37 .45gap, and love it but I wanted to try something more compact so I wanted a G19 because my M&P Shield is 9mm so I wanted something different. I went with the Glock 23 .40. Big mistake. The recoil was obnoxiously bad putting my shots all over the place. One round actually hit the damn ground under the target. Now, I’m not that bad of a shooter but im not the best either. So I had had it. I got a 9mm conversion barrel for it and now it shoots like a champ (not as well as the m&p though).