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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SoonerP226" data-source="post: 3394322" data-attributes="member: 26737">10mm was an answer to a legit question: how can we get .357Mag ballistics in a rimless case that will feed reliably in a semi-auto?.40 Short & Wimpy was also an answer to a question: how can we get 10mm to not hurt so much to shoot?In short, .40S&W was an evolution of the 10mm FBI Lite load, which was developed because of concerns that the full-house 10mm was too much for female and smaller male FBI agents (concerns about the 10mm's reputation for battering guns may have played a role, but this happened early in the 10's history, so I find that questionable). .40 shortened the 10mm's case, thinned the case's web, and switched to small pistol primers--sort of a reverse of the .38Spl to .357Mag evolution. (Incidentally, the different web on .40S&W is why you don't just cut a 10mm down to .40 length; the thicker web results in a smaller volume inside the case, which results in higher chamber pressure.)As to why .40 has fallen out of favor: it doesn't really gain you anything over 9mm or .45ACP as far as "stopping power" goes (and reading Medal of Honor citations illustrates how iffy a notion that is from the get-go); it costs you magazine capacity (you can get 11 rounds of 9mm in the space of 10 rounds of .40); and it doesn't have the economies of scale of 9mm in particular, so .40 costs more to shoot (which tends to be especially noticeable when you're buying large batches).Personally, I don't shoot .40 because I find it to be very unpleasant to shoot, and this is coming from someone who enjoyed shooting 10mm and .44Mag. (Pro Tip: don't shoot bowling pins with PMC 240gr TCSP from a Model 29. After one cylinder, it was shredded...)</blockquote>

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