Well, first--I am
not going to flame
anybody, so take off the suits when you're around me.
So, now:
I was one who argued that the 10mm was more versatile than the .40 S&W. The reason? The 10mm appears to be capable of being loaded to duplicate and even exceed the ballistics (meaning bullet velocities) of the .40 S&W. Yes, out of a 5" barrel, I suppose, because that is the configuration in which most 10mms have been available up until recently. But with a 200 grain bullet, the 10mm can be loaded to around 1200 fps or better, if I am not mistaken, which puts it a notch above the .40. This appears to make the 10mm capable of taking deer, something which probably would not be recommendable for the .40 S&W. Can a .40 S&W be loaded with 200 grain bullets? Well, I don't know. Someone who plays around with handloads could enlighten us.
As to the superiority of the 40 S&W over the 9mm, or vice versa. I have never said one was "superior" to the other. I just question whether there was any significant difference, if any at all, in their terminal performance. And I say this, not because I am completely ignorant of ballistics, but because I like to study results from real world shootings. Also, while I don't believe they are gospel, I do like to see the results from ballistic gelatin shootings. And the conclusion that I, MCCALL911, have come to is that there is little significant difference in terminal performance between the 9mm and the .40 S&W. In some cases, the 9mm seems to expand to a larger diameter than the .40, but this is probably not because of superiority of caliber but of bullet construction.
Now, I do agree that the .40 S&W has more power "on paper" than the 9mm. And I do agree that the velocities of both cartridges can be similar, but the .40 S&W has a bullet which weighs up to .41 ounces (180 grains), as opposed to .33 ounces (147 grains) for one of the heaviest 9mm bullets. Also, the .40 S&W clearly has a larger bullet: A not-so-gaping difference of 0.045 inches! How significant could any of that be?
But this is not intended to be a put-down of the .40 S&W at all. It's been proven and it works well. If you like it and want it, then buy it!
However, I do find it interesting and not a little ironic that some law enforcement personnel have begun to see the edge of another 9mm (the .357 Sig) over the parent round, the .40 S&W (which, itself, supposedly held an "edge" over the 9mm Luger!) :banghead:
P.S. And as to "what I'm smoking," I don't do anything stronger than Camel nonfilters!