9mm vs 40 S&W pistol --- pricing

[TTv2]

I think it's just a fad thing because all the LE departments are dumping their .40s.

Not all, but the big ones are. Pretty sure all federal LE is and large municipal police depts are, but the rural communities are sticking with .40 because that's what they've had for near 3 decades and they're not looking to dump everything they have in .40 just to spend 50 grand on new guns, mags, and ammo so they can save a few cents per round on 9mm.

Again, it's not that 9mm performs better than .40 with the advancements in ammo, it's just no longer a questionable ballistic performer like it was decades ago. .40 is still going to be around in LE for many years.

What I wonder tho is if something like 5.7x28 or .22 TCM will ever get noticed by LE for its much lower recoil and soft armor defeating abilities.

 

[TTv2]

Everyone already explained why the price difference. It's great that the .40s are significantly less in price because what it means is even metal framed pistols in .40 are lower in price, so stuff like the Kahr K40 and the S&W 4006 are very affordable and those are all great guns.

Even the mid range polymer pistols in .40 are coming in well under 300 used. For people who don't have much money and only want something for the house, they can pick up one of those .40s and about any box of US made .40 hollow point ammo and it's going to work and cost less than a comparable gun in 9mm.

 

[huntsman]

It’s a conspiracy, both .380acp and.40S&W are priced higher than 9mm.

Because the ammo manufacturers only want one caliber to make. with two lines, cheap promo ammo and buck a piece magic bullets.

 

[FL-NC]

Popularity. Used Glock 19's fly off the shelf here. LGS can hardly give away a Glock 23.

 

[cougar1717]

This thread reminds me of one of those motivational posters from middle school - "Just because something is popular doesn't mean that it is right." Haha

 

[Waveski]

The prices of some pistols chambered in .40 is quite attractive , but not enough to sway me. I've invested significant effort and $$$ building up a panic shortage-proof supply of 9mm ; not going to start with an additional caliber.

 

[stillquietvoice]

I only have limited experience with the 40, but it's a real good balanced round between 9mm and 45 acp. I've shot alot of 9mm and 45, always liked the 40 ballistics.

Would like to get one myself.

 

[WVsig]

I today's market the only advantage 40 S&W has over 9mm is up front cost of the gun which in the long runs does not matter as much as people think it does.

• You get less capacity. 12 vs 15. 15 vs 18 in compact and full-sized guns.
• Zero terminal ballistics advantage. At one time 40 S&W one could argue the 40 S&W round was more effective but with today's modern 9mm JHP bullets the data does not support it.
• It has a higher per round cost.$.29 for 40 S&W and $.19 for 9mm based on today's brass cased pricing. That is a 34.4% premium on 40 S&W. This is a major factor for long term ownership if you actually shoot your guns.
• 40 S&Ws have a heavier recoil impulse which is snappy and makes them "harder" to shoot accurately vs their 9mm counterparts. This goes up exponential as the size of the gun decreases. Growth in the gun market today is in sub-compact and mirco concealed carry guns.
• The wear and tear on the gun is higher than 9mms in the same platform.

At one time it was the answer to the 9mm problem but this is no longer the case. Now the technology around 9mm has solved the 40 S&W "problem".

 

[briansmithwins]

I today's market the only advantage 40 S&W has over 9mm is up front cost of the gun which in the long runs does not matter as much as people think it does.

• You get less capacity. 12 vs 15. 15 vs 18 in compact and full-sized guns.
• Zero terminal ballistics advantage. At one time 40 S&W one could argue the 40 S&W round was more effective but with today's modern 9mm JHP bullets the data does not support it.
• It has a higher per round cost.$.29 for 40 S&W and $.19 for 9mm based on today's brass cased pricing. That is a 34.4% premium on 40 S&W. This is a major factor for long term ownership if you actually shoot your guns.
• 40 S&Ws have a heavier recoil impulse which is snappy and makes them "harder" to shoot accurately vs their 9mm counterparts. This goes up exponential as the size of the gun decreases. Growth in the gun market today is in sub-compact and mirco concealed carry guns.
• The wear and tear on the gun is higher than 9mms in the same platform.

At one time it was the answer to the 9mm problem but this is no longer the case. Now the technology around 9mm has solved the 40 S&W "problem".

All excellent points from a practical point of view.

The only reason I have a .40 is because the pistol was too good a deal* to pass up. It’s just nice to have some variety in the mix instead of just shooting the 9mmP pistols.

BSW

*Ex-police HK USP with two mags for $400 shipped.

 

[Trey Veston]

.40 S&W is for more proficient and skilled shooters... The increased recoil and snappiness requires a more experienced and skilled shooter than 9mm.

Therefore, .40 S&W shooters are more tacticool and professional than 9mm shooters.

 

[jonb32248]

Caliber means nothing if you can't put the bullet where it makes a difference. Shoot the caliber that you can handle and accomplish the goal. If you can handle a 9 but a 40 is too much then guess what, etc. for all the rest. When it comes right down to it all hand guns are about the same your better off with a rifle as far as making a devastating wound that stops the threat. Obviously we can't hid that AR inside your pants.

 

[mgmorden]

I too prefer 9mm over .40S&W, but frankly the deals on .40S&W guns lately have been too good to pass up - particularly used and police surplus guns. I've added quite a few of those lately.

 

[WVsig]

I too prefer 9mm over .40S&W, but frankly the deals on .40S&W guns lately have been too good to pass up - particularly used and police surplus guns. I've added quite a few of those lately.

I guess I don’t really understand this mentality. Take a Glock 22 vs a Glock 17. You can get a good deal on a used LEO Glock 22 for about $300. You can get a similar condition Glock 17 for about $370. If you plan to shoot the gun the difference in ammo cost is going to negate the cost savings on the pistol in less than 1000 rounds. After 1000 rounds the 40 S&W is going to cost you more than the 9mm.

 

[Zerodefect]

The prices of some pistols chambered in .40 is quite attractive , but not enough to sway me. I've invested significant effort and $$$ building up a panic shortage-proof supply of 9mm ; not going to start with an additional caliber.

9mm and 556 are all that I store in huge quantities. You don't need to hoard ammo for every calber. My .45 's can wait until after the panic.

I want to grab a FN long slide 40 while they're dirt cheap, but that's a case of .40, and I'd like to stock up and save the brass to reload. Brand new FNS-40L are only $280! Tough decision.

Great time to be a newb on a budget. I had to start off with a Ruger p95dc, and it was $425 used, IIRC. Any of these budget .40's will walk all over the junk that I started with.

Apparently, 40 is cake to reload.

 

[JDR]

IMHO, a lightly used Walther P99 AS in .40 S&W is a great used gun value, and a really great shooting pistol. I’ve seen these under $400 and I’m sorry I didn’t buy the last deal I saw like this but the next deal follows me home.

 

[Robbins290]

9mm and 556 are all that I store in huge quantities. You don't need to hoard ammo for every calber. My .45 's can wait until after the panic.

I want to grab a FN long slide 40 while they're dirt cheap, but that's a case of .40, and I'd like to stock up and save the brass to reload. Brand new FNS-40L are only $280! Tough decision.
View attachment 911752
Great time to be a newb on a budget. I had to start off with a Ruger p95dc, and it was $425 used, IIRC. Any of these budget .40's will walk all over the junk that I started with.

Apparently, 40 is cake to reload.

do it. I picked up the fns40L for 299.99. Amazing pistol. They also had 10 round mags for 4.99. All brand new. I shoot 9mm the most, but for prices i had to pick one up.

 

[LNK]

Don't know if this applies to the pistols you are looking at, but could you buy the 40 cal version and then buy an aftermarket barrel and magazine to convert to 9mm? Then you would have both, for the same price as the 9mm or at least pretty close.

 

[mgmorden]

I guess I don’t really understand this mentality. Take a Glock 22 vs a Glock 17. You can get a good deal on a used LEO Glock 22 for about $300. You can get a similar condition Glock 17 for about $370. If you plan to shoot the gun the difference in ammo cost is going to negate the cost savings on the pistol in less than 1000 rounds. After 1000 rounds the 40 S&W is going to cost you more than the 9mm.

Mostly I buy guns because I'm interested in their design and to be familiar with it. I've got a select 3 or 4 that I shoot a lot (eg, I've got nearly 16,000 rounds through my M&P 9L), but outside of that core few most of my guns see a box of ammo every other year.

So yes, if you just need "a gun", it's worth paying more for a 9mm. If instead you want an example of say, a SIG P226, and already have your carry needs covered, then picking up a surplus .40S&W to shoot every now and then is nice.

Plus I reload pretty much all rounds that I shoot so it takes a bit longer for the cost of .40S&W to outstripe 9mm.

 

[WestKentucky]

Tooling has been bought and paid for. Might as well use it to make .40 guns if they will sell. Manufacturing expense should be very similar, actually perhaps ever so slightly more expensive since the hardened tools used to make barrels are slightly larger for .40 as opposed to 9mm. Cost SHOULD be the same, and for years they were.

Now, almost all of the agencies that had been using .40 suddenly swapped back to 9mm and many have dumped their used guns to offset cost of replacement. With a huge volume of used surplus guns functionally identical to brand new guns, and still in good shape selling at 2/3 the cost of what a new gun costs, it’s really hard to sell the new guns unless they sell at a deep discount. So you now have 2/3 priced used guns selling against 3/4 price new guns all fighting for sales volume against the more favorable (right now) full prices 9mm.

What all this tells me is that the gun makers could sell 9mm guns for the same price as a .40 currently is and still make a profit. They need to do that.

 

[WestKentucky]

It's great that the .40s are significantly less in price because what it means is even metal framed pistols in .40 are lower in price

let’s hope so. I really want to replace my Taurus 405 that I traded away about 8 years ago

 

[mgmorden]

Now, almost all of the agencies that had been using .40 suddenly swapped back to 9mm and many have dumped their used guns to offset cost of replacement. With a huge volume of used surplus guns functionally identical to brand new guns, and still in good shape selling at 2/3 the cost of what a new gun costs, it’s really hard to sell the new guns unless they sell at a deep discount. So you now have 2/3 priced used guns selling against 3/4 price new guns all fighting for sales volume against the more favorable (right now) full prices 9mm.

Heck, right now CDNN has used FNS .40 S&W upper/slide assemblies for $99 and all the lower parts for $39. The rumor I heard is that the frames were all destroyed basically to prevent them from flooding the used market and devaluing the sales of new guns.

 

[Wildbillz]

Prior to the virus a local shop took in a bunch of G22's. They were selling them off for $260 ea and $10 ea for extra mags. They had so many that at one point they were braking them down and selling the parts. They also took in pallets of ammo. Fore a while I could get FMJ for $10 a box and Ranger Bonded 180 Jhp for $13 a box of 50. I went in early March and they were wiped clean on that 40 S&W ammo that had not been move much at all prior.

WB