When speaking about the 40 S&W Auto cartridge these days, we’re reminded of that famous Samuel Clemens quote: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” While you may think the 40 S&W is dead, it is very much alive. Albeit, it is not as popular as the 9mm is today. The irony is the 40 S&W became law enforcement’s darling when it debuted in early 1990 and nearly eclipsed the 9mm in popularity. The 9mm back then was considered an underpowered cartridge. The FBI geared up with the 40, and other law-enforcement agencies followed.

Smith & Wesson and Winchester designed the 40 S&W, which is basically a shortened 10mm Auto cartridge. As you will recall, the FBI was keen on the 10mm Auto until it was discovered the round had too much recoil, and agents found it difficult to control. So, the FBI had a reduced-velocity 10mm Auto round produced, and that was better until Smith & Wesson and Winchester suggested the same velocity and energy could be had in a medium-frame pistol instead of a large-frame pistol. Hence, the 40 S&W Auto was developed, and the S&W Model 4056 and the Glock G22 and G23 were the first pistols chambered in 40 S&W. By 2007, the pendulum was swinging back as the FBI changed from the 40 S&W to the 9mm due to advances in ballistic technology. So long 40 S&W, hello 9mm.

There still are a number of LE departments that use the 40 S&W, and what improved the 9mm also improved the 40 S&W, as well as other cartridges. Regardless, gone are the days of 9mm pistol introductions followed by the same pistol chambered in 40 S&W. In fact, there are fewer 40 S&W-chambered pistols these days. Still, we think the 40 S&W has a lot to recommend it for self defense, and three manufacturers apparently agree because we found three new pistols in 40 S&W: the Glock G23 Gen5, S&W M&P40 M2.0 Compact, and H&K P30. We also picked up a police trade-in SIG P239 to complete this quartet. We last evaluated the 40 S&W-chambered P239 in the November 2003 issue, in which it earned a “buy it” recommendation.

All of these 40-caliber pistols are similar in dimensions and barrel length. The P30 and P239 are hammer fired, and the G23 and M&P40 are striker fired. All feed off a double-stack magazine except for the P239, which uses a single-stack magazine. In general, the hammer-fired pistols were a bit more complicated to operate due to the additional controls. The decocking button on the SIG was initially confused with the slide stop, and that is due to user error and lack of training. Across the board, we feel the Glock and the S&W were simpler to handle and operate. What can we say, we like simple.

We chose these particular pistols since they represent a good variety of proven, reliable pistol designs. Our test checklist included reliability, accuracy, concealed carry, and ease of use. It had been a while since some of our testers fired a 40 S&W, but the snappy recoil of the round brought back memories. Yes, the 40 S&W is still alive, and kicking. A thin-grip pistol can produce more felt recoil in the palm of your hand, and we anticipated that as well as lots of muzzle flip.

How We Tested

Ammunition consisted of training and defense loads. For defense loads, we used Hornady Critical Defense with a 165-grain FTX bullet. For training, we used MagTechs loaded with a 180-grain FMJ-FLAT and a handload with a 155-grain JHP. These bullet weights are the sweet spot for the snappy 40 S&W.

With these rounds, we saw the wider-grip pistols transfer less felt recoil. We anticipated getting rapped in the palm with the P239, which wasn’t the case, but we do have other gripes about this pistol. The G23 offered a totally new 40-caliber shooting experience in the Gen5 variant. The P30 is a good hammer-fired pistol, but it’s more complicated to operate. The M2.0 variant of the M&P40 was a stellar shooter with good accuracy and good recoil management.

We fired the pistols for accuracy using a rest and cardboard targets at 25 yards. For speed work, we moved the targets in to 7 yards and fired many Bill Drills. We started with our gun at low ready and fired six rounds. We found with these guns that following the front sight was easy, so follow-up shots were quick. The average five-shot group for these pistols averaged 1.7 to 2.9 inches, good accuracy for a defense pistol. In the speed test, we found the H&K was a bit snappy with muzzle flip, while the SIG had flip but was more controllable. The S&W and Glock were the clear winners in the speed shooting, with much softer recoil.

We carried the Glock, H&K, and S&W in a Safariland GLS 575 IWB Pro Fit Compact holster ($68; Safariland.com), which is a multi-fit holster, meaning it can be used with a litany of guns. That said, because of the very nature of being multi-fit, it is slightly oversized. Fine by us. The holster shell is nylon and has a bit of flex and does not scratch the pistol’s finish. We like the Grip Locking System (GLS), which is a retention device. When drawing, your middle finger deactivates the lock. We found the retention device did not impede the draw, and we were able to draw quickly and smoothly. The 575 comes with two clips: an over-the-belt and under-the-belt. We thought the under-the-belt design could be thinner to reduce bulk. Other than that, this is a nice holster with the added value of a retention device. We plan on adding this holster to our EDC routine.

Here’s why we think the 40 S&W will be around for the foreseeable future and is better chambered in striker-fire designs.

Gun Tests Grade: A (BEST BUY)

$581

The M&P40 M2.0, in our opinion, offers the best accuracy, grip customization, and recoil management for less money than the other pistols. Happiness does come in a plain cardboard box, along with two steel-body magazines, three different-size grip modules, and a magazine sleeve that allows you to use a full-size magazine in this Compact model. We tested a S&W M&P45 M2.0, and found it was an excellent pistol, and now we’ll add the M&P40 M2.0 to that list. When you pick up the M&P40, you notice that the 18-degree grip angle offers a natural point. Some testers liked the grip angle of the Glock, but most preferred the M&P40. Plus, the sandpaper-like texture of the grip offered great adhesion without any abrasion, even in the snappy 40 S&W. We could also get our averaged-size hand completely on the grip. The new M2.0 grip inserts have palm swells and are sized small, medium/large, and large. The medium/large and large inserts have an extended beavertail. We used the small grip insert for testing as well as the large with the beavertail. To swap grip inserts, remove the frame tool from the bottom of the grip by rotating it a quarter turn in either direction and pulling it down and out of the frame. The insert just snaps out. Then replace the frame tool.

The slide has scalloped slide serrations at the rear and a bit in the front. There are enough serrations at the muzzle to do a press check, but we would have liked a bit more, like on the Glock and H&K. The slide top is rounded, and the three-white-dot sights are dovetailed into the slide. The rear sight can be adjusted for windage; a set screw keeps it in place. We had no need to adjust the sights and thought the sights were serviceable. The edge of the rear sight could be used to rack the slide in case you need to do that manipulation with one hand. The muzzle end of the slide is also slightly chiseled for easier holstering.

The trigger is wide and curved to your finger. As you press the trigger, it releases the trigger safety and begins the firing process. We felt the trigger was a bit gritty feeling, but we found there was a fairly crisp trigger break. It also had a tactile and audible reset. We liked this trigger.

The pistol wears a well-executed matte-black finish, and the barrel and slide have a black Armornite finish. A steel chassis holds the internal mechanism and slide rails in the polymer frame. The chassis is visible through cutouts on the dust cover. On the right side of the frame, one cut out shows a QR code and the other shows the serial number. The chassis helps to reduce the frame from flexing under recoil. The dust cover has a Picatinny rail molded into it.

The slide-release lever is ambidextrous and small like the Glock’s. It is built with a spring-loaded detent to prevent the slide from dropping prematurely when slamming home a full magazine. The user needs to sling-shot the slide or press the slide-release lever to chamber a round after a fresh magazine is loaded. The magazine release is steel and reversible. Our sample came without a manual thumb safety, but there is a variant with an ambidextrous thumb safety.

We found this M&P40 very pleasant to shoot. Our best five-shot group at 25 yards came from the handload with a 155-grain JHP that measured 1.26 inches. The Hornady Critical Defense with a 165-grain FTX was second smallest at 1.60 inches. The best group with the 180-grain FMJ-FLAT MagTech was 2.35 inches. On average this pistol grouped five shots at 25 yards between 1.7 and 2.6 inches. We found the M&P40 easy to use. In rapid-fire testing, we were able to easily get back on target. In our opinion, both the Glock and S&W were tied for recoil management and fast follow-up shots. The magazine release on the M&P40 was a bit smaller than the Glock’s, and there was no flared magwell, but we found we could perform smooth and fast magazine reloads with the M2.0 M&P40 nonetheless.

Our Team Said: The grip angle, trigger, accuracy and price all point to the M&P40 as a very serviceable and comfortable 40 S&W-chambered pistol for EDC. Recoil was easily controllable. While it doesn’t have the flared magwell and extra slide serrations, we think the M&P40 M2.0 is a Best Buy.

40 S&W Range Data

Value Guide: 40 S&W & 10MM Handgun Rankings