In Praise Of The .40 S&W?

Luis Valdes writes "In Praise of the [Clearly Superior] .40 S&W Cartridge" at The Truth About Guns. He begins:

    The .40 S&W, released to the world on January 17, 1990. It was credited as the Second Coming by some and hated as if it were the antichrist by others. The haters claim that the cartridge is just too snappy with too much recoil. At the same time, many of those same critics make bold statements claiming that it’s short and weak. So which is it, too powerful or too weak?

    The truth is .40 S&W is neither…it’s perfection. ...

After attempting to draw a developmental link between the  .38-40 Winchester and the .40 S&W (which in reality far more attenuated than he describes), Valdes delves into the ballistics:

    The energy of the .40 S&W exceeds that of standard-pressure .45 ACP loads, generating between 350 and 500 foot-pounds of energy, depending on bullet weight. Both the .40 S&W and the 9mm operate at a 35,000 pounds per square inch SAAMI maximum, compared to a 21,000 pounds per square inch maximum for .45 ACP.

    The .40 S&W was originally loaded at subsonic velocity (around 980 ft/s (300 m/s)) with a 180gr bullet. Since its introduction, the cartridge has been marketed with a variety of loads, the majority being either 155, 165 or 180 grains.

* * *

    There are three reasons for the .40 S&W’s superiority:

        1. You can get mild loads that rival 9mm powder puff plinkers

        2. It still has better barrier penetration than 9mm or .45 ACP

        3. You can get loads that rival some 10mm loads

You can get all of the above in a compact, lightweight pistol that’s smaller than any 10mm and .45 ACP chambered gun. With my GLOCK 22 I get 15+1 in a gun that weighs less loaded than an empty 1911. Follow-up shots are easy and the pistol handles like an extension of my body. I compete in GSSF with my G22 and even bring out my G24 for bowling pin matches and hunting.

But is it a clearly superior cartridge? No.

    I'm not saying that the .40 S&W is, ballistically, a bad cartridge because it isn't. But it's always been my position that the cartridge would never have gained much traction in the shooting world but for the coincidence of the FBI adopting it after its failed trial of the 10mm and the imposition of the Assault Weapons Ban (AWB) that limited magazine capacity to 10 rounds--if you are going to be limited to 10 rounds, make them the biggest rounds you can use! I think this is borne out by the rapid return to 9mm after the AWB sunset, eventually resulting in the FBI abandoning the .40 S&W in favor of the 9mm. The reality is that the only reason that the FBI dumped the 9mm in favor of the 10mm (and, thereafter, the .40 S&W) is because the 9mm hollow point bullets of the day could not pass the penetration and performance standards adopted by the FBI in the wake of the 1986 Miami shootout. As soon as the bullet technology improved, it was only a matter of time until the FBI (and the law enforcement community generally) returned to the 9mm. 

    The reason the 9mm is popular is because it hits a sweet spot, when paired with quality bullets, of effectiveness versus recoil and size. The .40 S&W is short enough that size isn't really an issue, but the recoil can be an issue. The best way I can describe it is that the .40 S&W has the recoil of the .45 ACP crammed into the short recoil impulse of the 9mm. Not horrible, but sharp enough to be unpleasant--a combination of the .40's higher breach pressure and heavier bullet. I've read that the recoil of average 9mm loads are about 25% less than the .40 S&W, so it is not a negligible difference. 

    The reason that this is an issue is not just a matter of comfort. As has been discussed over and over by reputable instructor and self-defense experts, the terminal performance of popular self-defense rounds in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP are not all that different, but that it is shot placement that is king. So the best defensive pistol and cartridge combination is, as others have put it, the one that you shoot the best. The one you shoot the best is often the one that you shoot the most. And if the recoil of a weapon is unpleasant, you probably will not shoot it as much. Consequently, the .40 S&W may not be the best for you--or it may be just fine. If you don't already have a .40 S&W, I would recommend shooting a friend's or renting one at a shooting range to try before you buy.