Best .40 Handgun?

[Mr_White]

No, the Shorty Forty is quite distinct, being a Performance Center offering. The 4040PD, also a Performance Center item, is much closer to the LS & NL 3913 & 3914s sharing the same angled dust cover.

Digiroc

Yeah, I think S&W named the gun well before Shorty meant 'attractive woman.' It would be really funny if it were a Ladysmith and that's how they named it though.

[Digiroc]

... Telling people the best gun is the one you just bought, and haven't fired, is not up to the level of discourse we prefer to see around here. So if people are taking exception to you and your statements, it's not without cause and it's certainly not because you aren't in some imaginary clique.

PFestivus is an annual event where people get a few days to say to ANYONE exactly what they want. You may feel that people have cast "dispersions" at you, but they've actually been quite polite. And before you dig up references and tell me that I'm wrong, please don't.

One can hold an opinion without ownership. I bought the .40 because I felt it was the best compact .40 ever produced for general sale. I still hold that opinion and thats what the topic of this thread is about, the best .40 handgun, not the best one that any particular person owns.

I have outlined the reasons why I feel this way and over in that other forum it is held in very high regard by people who have a great deal of expertise in all things S&W. My post on the purchase in the S&W Forum "Grail Gun found and bought today" received 20 "likes" No one asked me my qualifications to choose that particular model.

I wouldn't think of further denigrating this thread by digging up references to all the dispersions cast my way, I'll save that for pfestivus, when does that start anyways?

Digiroc

[Malamute]

Theres a counter on the top right of the page when youre logged in.

[StraitR]

One can hold an opinion without ownership. I bought the .40 because I felt it was the best compact .40 ever produced for general sale. I still hold that opinion and thats what the topic of this thread is about, the best .40 handgun, not the best one that any particular person owns.

See, here is the disconnect..

Below is the original post, and what the thread is actually about. Now, overlay your experience with your Shorty Forty on each of the qualifiers below (ie. Recoil management, reliability, durability...) and then objectify WHY your selection should be considered by the OP.

I know with the FBI and many police departments switching to 9mm, and many civilian shooters following suit, for many good reasons, that the .40 S&W is falling out of favor. However, I was wandering, if someone wanted to get a .40, what would be the best handgun to use it in?

What would be the best in terms of:

-Recoil management?
-Reliability?
-Durability?
-Aftermarket support?
-Accuracy?

I have read about the problems some guns have exhibited in this caliber(i.e. Glock 22, Beretta 96) and was wondering if their were any that manage to minimize or avoid those issues?

Go into each thread knowing that what is generally being discussed or requested is experience based data. This is why you see posts with "my unfounded opinion" or something similar added in. Having and sharing a baseless opinion is fine, but do so in a way that you and the information are not presented as gospel, or prepare to be questioned and qualify it.

[Malamute]

One can hold an opinion without ownership. I bought the .40 because I felt it was the best compact .40 ever produced for general sale. I still hold that opinion and thats what the topic of this thread is about, the best .40 handgun, not the best one that any particular person owns.

I have outlined the reasons why I feel this way and over in that other forum it is held in very high regard by people who have a great deal of expertise in all things S&W. My post on the purchase in the S&W Forum "Grail Gun found and bought today" received 20 "likes" No one asked me my qualifications to choose that particular model.

I wouldn't think of further denigrating this thread by digging up references to all the dispersions cast my way, I'll save that for pfestivus, when does that start anyways?

Digiroc

The Smith forum is an entirely different demographic. Many here participate there, but its still a different type of people in general. Its more about the guns, collecting and enjoying them, but less about the performance and shooting of them to high levels and as duty or carry guns. Id not have a problem clicking a like if someone found something theyd wanted and liked, and were excited to have found an example of to buy, even if I didn't care much for it, but saying its "the best" in any context meant here by use is entirely different. The expectations of a level of experience with any gun so promoted as the best that youre proposing isn't unreasonable. Many here have much above average experience and, and the entire level of discussion is much above the average forum. When people say it has a higher signal to noise ratio here, this is part of what that means. There isn't so much clutter of contentless chatter that doesn't really add real information to the discussion. Most forums are knee deep in such clutter. Not that things don't get off topic or have some fun here, but I think you may be missing what is meant by "not all opinions are equal" here.

If you want people to respect your input, theyd like some basis for the opinions. Giving some solid information, based on use, shooting with some people that are here, participating in matches, or showing improved times in drills with your favorite over several other known guns would improve the reception to your ideas. As is, you started out making some comments earlier about unaimed shots and such that immediately set many peoples derp alarms off. Its not getting better with some other comments you've made, such as presenting a gun you've never held in your hand as being the best example of a particular type. This sort of things adds to the noise level, not the signal level. Wanting to learn is one thing. Learning doesn't seem to be occurring though. The more noise that accumulates here, the less the higher level folks want to participate. That is part of why derp is confronted, not just politely ignored. Letting P-F become more like the average gun forum would ruin what makes it worth being here.

Tamaras question about your quals to opine as you did about the Smith 40 is entirely on base. She doesn't require any quals to ask that, though she has quite enough. Its a reasonable question in context. Your response didn't inspire much confidence. The "not all opinions are equal" is a real thing. You made a pretty definitive statement. Why would anyone put weight in your opinion on the matter? If youre just some random guy posting on the "everybody's equal" line of thought, then you are probably going to continue to be questioned. You gave reasons why you admired the gun, or at least the theory behind why the gun impressed you, but nothing hands on and a comparison of other known similar guns. Saying you like something isn't the same as it being the best. Keeping the comments in context would help, though still may not be adding true solid content. Ive written something out a number of times here, but thought more about it before posting, and chose not to. Could probably do more of that.

[LockedBreech]

I also just learned what PFestivus is. This may hurt a bit.

[Tamara]

Perhaps it's the Briley spherical titanium coated barrel bushing, maybe the hand fitted assembly by the Performance Center gunsmiths of yesteryear, perhaps it's the Unicorn tears used to lap and hone the action. Most likely it's the $1100 I paid for a 25 year old used handgun. It's a weapon built to a quality standard that today's manufacturers have given up on...

Heh. This is the first time I've heard of a 1990s-vintage Third Gen auto described like it was a Registered Magnum or something.

Ah, those far-off days of yesteryear...I remember them well. I was working for a S&W Stocking Dealer back when the Shorty Forty was still the New Hotness. It weren't all that long ago...

I'm glad you're getting into Smith & Wesson collecting! It can be an enjoyable and rewarding hobby!

[11B10]

I would pay 5 PF dollars to hear Victor's side of the story.

I'll cover that five and add five more.....

[JohnO]

I know with the FBI and many police departments switching to 9mm, and many civilian shooters following suit, for many good reasons, that the .40 S&W is falling out of favor. However, I was wandering, if someone wanted to get a .40, what would be the best handgun to use it in?

A .40 belonging to someone else.

More and more a .40 is a solution to a problem that no longer exists. One could argue that at the time the .40 S&W hit the market it filled a niche between the .45 ACP & the 9 mm. With improvements in 9 mm ammo the .40 no longer offers any appreciable benefit. Unless you are a gamer and want to sling bullets weighing 180 grains for power factor purposes I just don't see it. In order of ascending hen's teeth rarity I see the .40 S&W, .357 Sig and the .45 GAP going the way of the Dodo.

[LockedBreech]

A .40 belonging to someone else.

More and more a .40 is a solution to a problem that no longer exists. One could argue that at the time the .40 S&W hit the market it filled a niche between the .45 ACP & the 9 mm. With improvements in 9 mm ammo the .40 no longer offers any appreciable benefit. Unless you are a gamer and want to sling bullets weighing 180 grains for power factor purposes I just don't see it. In order of ascending hen's teeth rarity I see the .40 S&W, .357 Sig and the .45 GAP going the way of the Dodo.

I think as the gun-literate (read: gun nerd) population we vastly overestimate the amount of informed, intelligent shooters who follow the latest ammunition developments. .40 S&W and even .357 Sig will remain common and available for decades at the minimum, and not particularly hard to find after that. .40 in particular is still massively widespread, and your average stick-it-in-a-drawer gun buyer is going to need ammo and logistical support for a long time yet. A lot of police departments are still sticking with them even in the face of 9mm's improvements due to the 180-grain S&W having a good record against auto glass.

I'm in the process of converting from lifelong .40 defender to reluctant 9mm adherent, so I'm not defending the round, but it ain't going anywhere anytime remotely soon.

.45 GAP is dead though, I agree with that. What did they ever have, like 8 agencies and six Glock collectors?