Seems like a lot of USPSA competitors shoot .40 caliber.
What nobody in the current 9mm fad will ever consider is kinetic energy and energy transfer. While it's true that 9mm 40S&W and 45ACP all penetrate ballistics gel practically the same distance, that's because the bullets are all designed and manufactured to all penetrate similarly. What ISN'T equal is the amount of energy each round carries with it. If just poking a hole into a target and penetrating approximately 14-16" (or whatever distance the FBI etc considers to be optimum) was enough, everybody would be carrying a 22LR or 25ACP with a bullet that's designed to penetrate 14"-16" because there's less recoil, you can shoot faster and more accurately, and carry more ammo(which is the 9mm argument). But for some reason, apparently 9mm has all of the "modern bullet technology" but 40S&W and 45ACP are still shooting 30 year old FMJs. If 9mm bullet technology has gotten better, hasn't that technology been carried to all other calibers using the same style of bullets???
In case you can't tell I'm NOT a fan of 9mm as a duty/personal defense etc. round and unfortunately those that do not understand history are doomed to repeat it. While 9mm does have it's place, to me it's better suited as a range/competition gun, or for a small/micro sized gun that's either a backup gun or an ultra deep concealment gun where size is the biggest concern. Maybe for somebody who is extremely recoil sensitive, but that's more of a training (or lack there of) issue. I work with some people who aren't 5' 100lbs soaking wet with a gun belt and vest on, who figured out how to shoot a 12ga shotgun but don't like 40S&W because of the recoil. 40S&W is a decent compromise caliber to have a 9mm size frame gun but to have a round that carries more energy. Personally I'd much prefer either 45ACP or 10mm to keep a decent amount of energy per round. But until the next Miami style shootout when people realize yet again that 9mm is an underpowered round, I'll just be considered "the guy that's overcompensating".
My wife and 12 year kid shoot quite a bit of 9mm.
.40 seems to have become a pariah.
2. That's unfortunate, too. It's a fine caliber. PD's started figuring out the life expectancy on their .40's was less than 9mm's over many years and thousands of rounds. All of a sudden, people who won't shoot 200 rounds a year started flipping their and ditching their .40's. I never thought the recoil in mine were that bad, but I hated the Smith I had and didn't shoot it, and a P226 isn't going to have that much recoil anyway. I'm sure in a smaller platform it would make a difference to someone who really watched their split times. The good news is, with any luck the used .40 market will yield some good deals in the near future.
My wife and 12 year kid shoot quite a bit of 9mm.
.40 seems to have become a pariah.
If it ain't a .45, it's for sissies
I shoot 9's and catch my fair share of cap about shooting a women's caliber, personally I feel like the guys dishing out said crapped are compensating for some of their own short comings, but if you shoot a 40 and feel that they are superior I would like to here your reasons why.