what handguns were designed for the .40 cartridge?

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If you're asking about guns that were originallly and solely offered only in .40S&W then I doubt there were any.

Those guns which come in .40 are also available in other chamberings either right away or within a very short time frame. And from what I've seen of the answers so far all of them fit into this multi caliber role.
 
I understand the question. Most pistols that was chambered for 9mm were also chambered for 40sw. It's still a 9mm frame.

The only gun I know is the Sig P250. It's a modular gun but made to handle the 45 acp and available in 9mm and 40sw also. I have one in 40sw.
 
HK USP and P30 were designed around the .40, then adapted for the 9MM. I'm pretty sure the big S&W autos were originally .40 and then also adapted. I'm sure there's others.
 
The main reason that the .40 became the success it has become is when the gun manufacturers immediately realized that the cartridge would fit into almost all 9mm platform guns they really got behind it. You can fit it into a High Power. Or a Beretta. That right there is a lot of manufacturers. AND law enforcement was looking for something better than the 9mm. The timing was perfect. Which then leads us to the huge number of people that think that if the police use it it must be good so they buy one. ( I can't believe how many people still believe that one) Everybody wins. It is a great round.
 
Drail said:
You can fit it into a High Power. Or a Beretta.
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At least with the Beretta, fit is a little different than handle...

96s had a much shorter service life than 92s, and it was for that reason that they were discontinued... until the 90-Two's recoil buffer system was incorporated (which is also in the 96A1).

I don't mind the .40, but wished the 10mm was bigger than it is (can do everything the .40 can, plus a little bit more). However, a gun chambered in multiple rounds, such as 9mm and .40, should be designed around the more powerful cartridge. Going the opposite way doesn't always work out.
 
I was just curious about this since it has been on my mind for the last day or so. I believe with the glock its the same frame as the 9mm but they switched some internal parts between the 9mm and .357 sig/.40 s&w frame. I believe the plunger and extractor set up is also different on the slide.

Im really looking for a .40 in a combat/full sized pistol with a metal frame but I dont know of any specifically designed for the .40. I have been thinking about trying the CZ 75B but I heard they had some problems with the .40 offering in this firearm at first.
 
If you're asking about guns that were originallly and solely offered only in .40S&W then I doubt there were any.
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That's not true for the SIG P229. It was originally designed for the .40S&W cartridge. It was a some time later that the .357 SIG P229 came out with just a change in barrel. The first 9mm P229s also came later and were actually P228 frames, which were different from the P229 frames, with a stainless steel slide.
 
BCRider said:
If you're asking about guns that were originallly and solely offered only in .40S&W then I doubt there were any.

Those guns which come in .40 are also available in other chamberings either right away or within a very short time frame. And from what I've seen of the answers so far all of them fit into this multi caliber role.
Click to expand...
Sig Bill said:
Most pistols that was chambered for 9mm were also chambered for 40sw. It's still a 9mm frame.
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There is a difference between an existing 9mm gun that was later chambered for the .40...like the Glock 17/22 or the Beretta 92/96 ...and one designed from the outset for the .40 and also offered in 9mm.

The most obvious, in my mind is the SIG 229. At the time, the 9mm offering in this size was the 228. When they started offering the 229 in 9mm, it's slide and frame were different than the .40/357Sig models. The SIG 226 went the other way; it was a 9mm platform adapted to the .40 by changing the slide construction.

The most common examples of pistols optimized for the .40 cartridge are the H&K USP/P30, S&W M&P40/9, and SIG X-5. Also don't forget the S&W M-646...the M-4006 was an adaption of the 5906
 
I believe with the glock its the same frame as the 9mm but they switched some internal parts between the 9mm and .357 sig/.40 s&w frame.
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The early .40S&W Glocks were basically modified versions of the 9mm Glocks some additional minor changes to insure proper function. Later there were some changes specifically designed to provide longer service life in the .40S&W/.357Sig guns that were also incorporated into the 9mm guns to keep the designs as similar as possible.

The H&K USP is the first gun that came to mind in answer to the original question. It was designed as a .40S&W gun and then also released in a 9mm version.
 
This is the second time someone has also mentioned the sig p229. I seen the sig 250 mentioned here also. Is that true they were both designed around the .40 cartridge?
 
All the above. Smith 4006 was first, then Sig P229 in .40 came out in 1992, H&K USP in .40 came out in 1993.

Late in the game but wasn't the Smith M&P designed in .40 first then adapted to other calibers? The 9mms use a .40 extractor.
 
theflatlander said:
This is the second time someone has also mentioned the sig p229. I seen the sig 250 mentioned here also. Is that true they were both designed around the .40 cartridge?
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As I understand the history, yes on the P229. Probably not for the P250 as it was designed to be a "modular" gun with interchangeable grip sizes, trigger assemblies, and caliber options with the same frame.
 
Beretta Nano was designed for the 40 S&W, even though only the 9mm has been released so far.

Sent from my Verizon Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 2
 
I mentioned the P250 because It was made to accommodate the 45 acp thus a large frame. It was available in 9mm, 357sig and 40sw at the same time. later they made a 380 but I don't know if it's still the same frame. I think it is.
 
I believe the S&W M&P .40 was designed around the .40 because from what I have heard/read early M&P's chambered in the 9mm had extraction problems because they used the same extractor. Which S&W has sence changed that. I also read the Nano was originally designed for the .40 but for whatever reason they made the 9mm first. BTW I have yet to see one in a .40. LM
 
I would venture to say that almost any 9mm service type handgun designed or redesigned after say 1995 was built around the .40 S&W and then chambered for 9mm.
 
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