.40 S&W, pistol, talk me out of it.

[kenemoore]

I do not own any .40 firearms. I could have bought a CZ-75B for $350 a few years back, but did not. Still kicking myself. So...is this a dying caliber? I noticed during some of the recent "panic buying", that .40 was till on the shelf. Both during Covid and SandyHook. A friend of mine swears by it, carries a PM40 all the time. I have been browsing K40's on gunbroker, but they are asking more than I want to pay. My K9 is my favorite Kahr, and I own several including a T9, but the K9 is king. If I bought a K40 I could use the same holsters.

So.. what do you guys & gals think? Buy a K40? Some other .40? OR let it slide as the mistaken fantasy of an old man, who doesn't realize .40 is dead.

[Bawanna]

I have both a K9 and a K40. I sent the 40 into Magnaport hoping to tame the flip some. I think it helped a bit but still a lot of flip. Many have no issue with that at all and love them. I carried it for years, my first Kahr but just never cared for the jolt. It's not uncomfortable and I can shoot it all day, just kind of slow for a second shot I guess.
I use it now mostly for a grip model.
That being said I'd say if the old man wants a 40, he should get a 40. Your correct in that during the ammo shelf panic clearing there was usually still 40, so that's a plus. After accidentally loading a 40 into my brand new Magnum Research 1911 I gave away a ton of 40 ammo, which in hindsight was a terrible mistake.
Years ago I had a Glock 27 the compact 40 and it was a good shooter. For some reason the tupperware must have soaked up some of the recoil. I actually had a few of them, kept selling them to cops and there was another panic of some sort and they were hard to get even for the officers.

[Wlfman13]

I won’t talk you out of it. If you find a handgun you like, and it is a 40S&W, if you like it, buy it.

I wondered the same thing when I bought my MK40. I like shooting it so much, I don’t care if the caliber is a dying caliber, which I don’t think it is. As long as there are 40S&W firearms in people’s gun safes, there will be a demand for the ammo, and the ammo companies will produce it. The ammo might not be as cheap as 9mm, but every bang uses more powder and more lead, and more brass than 9mm, so I guess it should be a little more expensive.

I’ll say this. I already owned a MK9 when I bought my MK40. And I’ve never regretted either purchase.

[yqtszhj]

If I see a mk40 local that I can hold before buying and it’s a good deal I will probably get it.

[O'Dell]

If I see a mk40 local that I can hold before buying and it’s a good deal I will probably get it.

I have a MK40N and it's my favorite Kahr and probably my most accurate pistol. Hard to believe since it's so small and I can only get two fingers on the grip. I think it's the weight and balance of the gun. Because of the 23 oz weight it's not a pocket pistol, but it fits nicely in a holster inside the belt. If you can find one at a halfway good price, buy it.

[jeepster09]

What distance was that at?

[Bawanna]

Says 3 feet on the bottom of the target. Probably more like 125 yards I'd say.

[Wlfman13]

Bawanna, I need to take you fishing. I won’t have to exaggerate for myself. You’re a good man! 😁

[Scott321]

IMO, 40 is a good caliber. However, I am more comfortable shooting 45 +P in my PM45 and CW45 than standard 40 in my CW40 and T40 (recoil wise)... although I usually carry standard or SB factory ammo in my Kahr 45's. On a side note, one of my alternate carries is an M2.0 full size in 40. It was flatter and lighter shooting than the G23 and P229 Compact I rented at the range. Another plus is if your ammo selection changes from one month to the next, Lucky Gunner's ammo tests show A LOT of 40's with decent expansion AND penetration out of a compact pistol.

I'll add... The recoil on my T40 with "value" target ammo is significantly more than my K9 shooting Rem HTP +P. To some it doesn't matter, but you'll know you're shooting a larger caliber. The T40 is close to the weight of my S&W full size 40, but the S&W has less recoil IMO.

[O'Dell]

Of my fifteen handguns only two are 40's - the MK40 and a HK USP 40 HDW. My PM9 pocket gun is the only 9mm. the rest are 45's which is my favorite caliber. I've been begging Kahr to build a MK45 for years.