I know I prefer 10mm and .45
I find our 155gr. a bit snappy in some platforms, like the G27 but in handguns designed for the .40 I don’t have a problem with it.
Hey Will,
Have you shot the M&P40? It is by far my favorite of the M&P line that I own (9,9c, 40 and FS45). I had teething issues with the 1st Gen G23s, didn’t like it that much due to the grip and recoil control, but was still able to turn out acceptable accuracy. The M&P40 turned it around for me, very controllable recoil and with the new Apex sear installed, it is a very pleasant pistol to shoot. Same as the M&P45, which I much prefer over a 1911.
As far as terminal effectiveness goes we can go round and round on that subject. I think it’s even been done on the internet before…
The only thing I would say is that I want every edge possible but what is of most importance me is getting a lot of rounds where I want them to go quickly and accurately. I shot for what some people would be lot’s of .40 in Glock 35’s for a few years, got pretty good with it, but never really enjoyed it so one day I stopped. I’ve shot .45 since the late 70’s and always liked its push recoil vs the snap of the .40. In the last five years or so I’ve come around to the 9mm being a fine SD round. Took me awhile.
The M&P in .40 screws up my equation though because it shoots a .40 like maybe a +P 9mm. The new Gen 4 Glock 22 seems interesting too. I’m picking one up in the next few days when I get around to it.
I’ll take a 1205 fps 155 gr. .40S&W over a 147gr. 9mm at 1030fps, any day.
I got the GF the M&P .40 compact. It’s a perfectly fine shooting compact. I found the full sized .45 a great shooter for the $$$$ and if was in the market for a polymer gun, would have it on the short list due to the rave reviews of it by people like Yam, etc. I don’t prefer anything over the the 1911 platform personally.
I would have to agree with your assessment. After spending over 2000 rounds in a month preparing for a qualification shoot, I have determined that the .40 S&W cartridge is something I can live without. To me the trade-off in recoil and pressure vs. the round count and size is not worth it. Of course I am required to carry a .40 S&W in any gun as long as it’s a Glock 22.
I have found the recoil to be more managable in the M&P 40 vs. the Glock 22. It isn’t too bad in my back-up Kahr K40 either aside from the muzzle flip. The vibration is a bit much and is felt throughout the frame making the Glock uncomfortable to shoot. Again, not worth the trade-off.
My M&P 45 literally today, won my heart. I pulled the sear out yesterday to replace it with an APEX sear which didn’t end up working out at all. So I polished the sear face up on the OEM part and put it back together.
I finally was able to make accurate shots with the damned pistol today. I have 370 rounds through it now and it seems like it’s finally won me over.
I specifically bought this gun as a candidate to replace my old G22. And I finally think I feel good about carrying it… if I can only get a friggin decent concealment holster. 
Have you tried the HK45? You might find a new love 
I’m the same, 9mm or .45. I’m a huge fan of the P2000 weapon system and I love my P2k in 9mm. A while ago I decided to buy one in .40 since I love the platform so much to give the .40 another chance.
I just came home from my second range trip. I’m happier with the gun/cartridge this time but I still get tired of it. I have 550 rds through the gun and decided that I’m going to put it through Todd’s 2k round challenge. I’ll make up my mind if I’m going to keep the gun or not after that.
The only two calibers lacking in my handgun stable (that I would actually want) is 9mm and 10mm. When I lived in California, capacity wasn’t an issue… I could only have a max of ten rounds in any magazine. So, I never bought a 9mm, I bought a .40, taking into acount; Larger bullet, slightly faster, not as dependent on platform to shoot well. The only 9mm I was considering was the Glock 19 (we had an approved carry list at work, these were my only options; Glock, Sig, S&W, Springfield, Ruger) and Glocks have never fit my hand. The Sig pointed well for me, I loved the reliability, and I got it for an unheard of price. I had only owned a .45 until that point, and the .40 just seemed like a logical step. Speed of a 9mm, large bullet.
That all being said… After firing my Kimber a lot lately, the Sig has taken a backseat. The .40 just seems so much more… snappy, as stated before. The .45, in a MUCH lighter gun, I get a nice push, and my follow up shots are ten times better. The .40 just seems to lift the muzzle that much more, making follow ups that much harder. I shoot better, faster, and more accurately with my .45. Next purchase will be a 9mm of some sort. The Sig will probably be my only .40.
I used to own 7 Glock .40s of various sizes, carried G22s and G27s, shot my G35s at matches and carried them as dedicated SWAT guns on entries.
Since we transitioned from the .40 back to the 9mm I don’t own a .40 anymore.
Regardless of past literature on the subject, current bullet offerings and a culmination of experience ()in either shooting stuff or seeing stuff shot, including the various shootings I have seen, both criminal/street incidents and OISs, attending autopsies, hunting with pistols, etc., leave me with the opinion that one is as well armed bullet wise with either the 9, .40 or .45
I quit believing in magic bullets when I actually got to shoot the 125gr .357mag into deer. Strangely it wasn’t all that I had been told it would be, just another service caliber handgun round.
I shoot the 9mm better than the .40 at speed, especially one handed, which I believe is a VERY big deal.
FWIW, I know several very accomplished shooters that happen to be police officers who have traded their .40s in for .45s in order to get a more shootable platform.
Hmmm…
At this point in time, I have gotten rid of almost all my handguns. Along with the ubiquitous .38 sp J-frame BUG and a .44 mag N-frame for wilderness use, the only pistols I routinely use are 9 mm Glocks, .40 M&P’s, and .45 ACP 1911’s.
I let the pistol platform I use pick the caliber, as all the common service calibers work adequately: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19887
I like 3rd Gen 9 mm Glocks. 9 mm works well when intermediate barriers are less likely–for example during most CCW encounters, ammo is readily available and relatively inexpensive, 9mm is easy to shoot even with the non-dominant hand, and parts for the 3rd Gen G17/19 are available world wide.
For tactical use where the pistol is backing up an AR15 and precision shots are critical, the .45 ACP 1911 shines, as I shoot them better than any other handguns. Likewise, .45 ACP pistols make a lot of sense in states with ridiculous 10 rd. magazine limits. If I didn’t already have access to reliable 1911’s, I’d want to run a M&P45 or possibly an HK45 if I desired a 45 ACP handgun.
If I ever go back to LE Patrol again, the .40S&W M&P w/ambi safety and Performance Center sear will be the duty pistol I’ll carry; the M&P40 shoots nearly as softly as a G17 for me and 16 rounds of intermediate barrier capable 180 gr JHP’s is a compelling LE duty package. Given the problems we’ve seen with 3rd Gen G22’s, I want to see a lot more shots downrange out of 4th Gen G22’s before I will trust them…
WillBrink, I came to the same conclusion within the past couple years for the reasons you give.
Modern_Pirate’s sense of humor consistently delivers one sentence gold. You missed this one.
Thanks for the insight, Dr. Roberts 
dont and wont own a 40… for carry its the 9mm for competition its the 45. i love single stack because of the low round count and my 1911 is great for that. but for carry i choose 9mm because in reality any sitiuation im in that requires me to shoot it isnt going to matter what the caliber is. any of the 3 would work and the gun i shoot the best is chambered in 9mm. And with practice and competence anything i shoot with 9 will be just as dead as if it was hit with 40 or 45. and anything that i miss or wound with 9mm will be just as missed or wounded with 40/45. that and i like to shoot my carry gun alot and 9mm is cheap to shoot.
caliber doesnt mean anything. its training mindset and luck.
I’m not a big fan of the .40 S&W either but after talking to GotM4 about his new Gen4 G22 I’m slightly more interested.
I carry .40 for one reason. I have a ton of ammo, and it was free.
I swore off .40 but I lucked into a large sum of rounds, so much so that it was worth re-buying a Glock 22 and 35. When I burn through it all (sometime in 2012 is my guess) I will go back to G19s, 17s and 34s that are set up identically.
Barring the above, I would certainly choose 9MM if I started over. With the modern defensive ammo available it’s almost as effective, more controllable, higher capacity, and the gun will generally have a longer service life. No brainer.
RE: The new Gen IV Glock 22-mine has crested 1500 rounds now, all with an x300 light except for maybe 125 of them. No deficiencies noted so far. I would like to shoot it more but scheduling is a issue these days. It shoots softer than a Gen 3 (I equate the recoil on the Gen IV 22 to the Gen 3 17), so I hope this translates to the Gen IV 17 as well…that will be awesome.
You have to add a few more $$$ for that one. 