Any reason for a 40?

[crabo]

This will sound a little strange, but can anyone give me a good reason for buying a 1911 40?  I already have a 38 super and a 45 acp.  Both guns have been extensively worked and shoot really well.  The only reason I think about a 40, is because I have about 3000, once fired brass and a set of dies for my Dillion.  I no longer shoot IPSC.

Can anyone give me a real good reason to buy a 40, or should I trade the brass and dies and move on?  I am considering buying an STI Escort in 45 acp.

Thanks,

Crabo

[KN]

I can't think of any.   KN

[Heavy C]

Nope.  I think you already have two of the best rounds for a 1911.  JMHO

[canon6]

I can give you at least two.One you do not have one and two they ARE a effective round and a hoot to shoot.   Doug

[rbwillnj]

I had one and sold it.  Probably the only gun I have ever sold.  It just wasn't different enough from a 45 to warrant keeping it.

[Mikey]

Nope. 

[SHOOTALL]

so you would have the option of a different ammo if for some reason 45acp became hard to get , you wanted to teach someone to shoot a colt or similar gun  that was recoil sensitive ,
I guess I can't reall come up with a good one !

[Savage]

A year ago, I would have had trouble finding a niche for the .40. I own more than a "few" pistols in 9mm and .45. Then, I found a .40 at a really good price, and bought it in spite of the caliber. I already had 10mm dies, and a friend had given me a thousand or so .40 cases, and somewhere back in the dark recesses of my cabinet I had 1000 bullets (180gr SWC) that I had bought for the 10mm, so----------------------------------! Well, anyway I ended up with 1k of reloaded ammo that I naturally HAD to shoot up. Sorta grew to like the slightly bigger holes the .40 SWCs made over the 9mm. (Helps a little with scoring) I load the low volume stuff on a turret press, and the .40 cases are easier to handle than the nines. The .40 bullets are a bit cheaper than the .45s. Not to mention the availability of .40 brass. I can go to the local police ranges and pick it up by the bucket. Almost as much available on the public range near here. If I shot USPSA, I'd shoot a .40, it's the cheapest way to make major power factor. Naw, there's no compelling reason to own a .40 if you already own 9mms and .45s, other than these.
Savage

[John R.]

Not as long as they make the 45 ACP.

[corbanzo]

Just a preference thing, I like the pop of the .40 over the .45 acp.  I don't own any .45's, but I know if I do get one, I won't stop shooting my .40.

[K.K]

As far as application goes, then you are probably all set. If, like myself and many others out there, you like to buy guns that you don't "need" or don't necessarily do things that others in your arsenal don't, by all means go for it! Far be it for me to give anyone a reason not to buy another gun!

[Lloyd Smale]

never owned on but would like one. Brass is everywhere for about free if not free. It can be loaded down to alot lower recoil levels then the 45 darned near to a light 9mm level for shooting ppc and it puts a bigger whole in the target then a 9mm to give you a few of those near the line 10 counts. Loaded up it will give alot more power then a 9mm and near 45 acp power levels. Allways seemed to me to be a very versitile round to chamber a 1911 in. Made more sense to me then the super

[rbwillnj]

I don't have any problem with 40 S&W, I have a Beretta Elite in 40 that I use for IDPA, and the holes it leaves in IDPA tagets are a lot easier to see than those you get with a 9mm.  With most 40 S&W guns, (except 1911s) you can still load 10 rounds in the magazine for ESP or SSP.  Also, we have a lot of cops who do their qualification at our range, and they leave behind tons of  40 S&W brass.  I just think that if you have a 38 Super and a 45 ACP 1911, there is no advantage in having a 40.

[Questor]

I like the 40, just not in a 1911. There are so many modern designs that make best use of it that it is a really compelling alternative to the 9mm and 45acp.

The only thing I don't like about the 40 is that the brass looks too much like 45acp brass and I have to look at headstamps when picking brass up at the range. Of course, that's not much of a problem.

[a45gunslinger]

No, Not if you don't shoot IPSC anymore..

[williamlayton]

Now I admit that I don't care for the .40 in the Sig 239 variant I own.
Well, what I don't care for is the recoil. The .357sig in the 239 is a better recoil--sharper but better--than with the .40 barrel.
Now the game boys like em a lot but most of them shoot a larger frame than the 239 and since I don't/haven't shot a larger platform I can't comment.
I like a .45, and the recoil, in just about any platform over the recoil in the .40 thru the 239 platform.
The best---disregarding the games that people play---is the .45 then a 9x23 and a super .38, IMO.
Blessings

[Questor]

The flip side of the question is whether it's worth using the 1911 in anything lighter than 45acp. I don't think it is. If you're going to carry that much weight and bulk, it may as well be powerful and make a big hole. I like the 40s in more compact guns.

[SHOOTALL]

 A 1911 with a wide grip in 40 you get a round count around 18-19 , a mag in the gun and 1 mag ya got alot of ammo on hand !
if you like that sorta thing !

[drdougrx]

I've got one in an HP.  I like it sooo much better than a 9.  I'd buy another ina 1911 platform just because I wanted it....