PistolPete Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 I'm curious what the major benefits of using .40 over .45 for IPSC are? My thoughts would be: 1.) an extra few rounds per mag 2.) Cost of reloading components What are some other reasons? Just curious because the .40 cartridge is very snappy. Recoil is very sharp compared to most .45 loads. Plus, isn't it harder to make major in .40? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choltmeier Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 I actually like .40 more than .45. Sight moves more straight up and down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Only advantage is more rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbear38S Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 Only advantage is more rounds. Not the only advantage. .40 brass is free or real cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 .40 brass is free or real cheap. so is .45... cheap is retorspect. The only real reason in IPSC to use the .40 is mag capacity. Everyone has to shoot the same size magazine...the more rounds you can get into it the better. Therefor use the .40 Now if were in L10 I would prefer to use a .45 for the feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddjob Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 I have a SV 40 I use in limited. In L-10 I use a SS 45. As far as I can tell mag capacity is the only real advantage in a 40. I do get 40 brass for free. Brass is cheap for a 45 though. My only complaint with the 45 is that the first time I carried my bag with the ammo in it I thought I was going to re-injure my hernia.........It's heavy!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 40 is way better for most mortals... the front sight tracks straight and doesn't lift as much. If 45 were better, everybody would be shooting it in Limited 10 at the Factory Gun nationals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 Recoil is the same but 40 has a shorter pulse and is back on track sooner. Makeing major is easy, controlable recoil at major may be easier to get than with 45. Now that Ive made half the shooters in the world mad, its just my 2 cents worth. I miss my 45, but if I had it back I would shoot my 40. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 Every 1911-ish .40 gun I've shot has had significantly less muzzle flip and felt recoil than a .45 at the same power factor, probably for the reasons listed above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 All us real men who don't wear spandex and a feather boa, carry and shoot .45. You hear what I'm saying, Rhino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoNsTeR Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 .40 barrels are a bit heavier. If 45 were better, everybody would be shooting it in Limited 10 at the Factory Gun nationals. That would be true IF the top competitors had seperate L10 guns instead of downloaded Limited guns doing double duty. Aside from TGO I don't think any of them do/did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 if i were to use L10 all the time i'd shoot a .45, bigger holes will get you more points on those egde hits that just barely miss the A zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choltmeier Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 Skeeter, If that's the case I'll shoot a 50 AE. Even bigger holes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 Had a SV in .45 and it was a great gun, ran all the time and was accurate. The sight does track to the side a little rather than the straight back track from my .40. Also you might get 16 in a .45 and those 8 round arrays with steel don't leave much room for mistakes. If I could afford to keep them both I would like to have it back. TL, are you asking Rhino for fashion advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadetree Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 I find that the 40 returns to the target much quicker than the 45 on close targets. On the other hand I like the feel of the 45 better on targets further away. It just feels a lot smoother too me. I will end saying that I shoot my45's about 70% of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 All us real men who don't wear spandex and a feather boa, carry and shoot .45.You hear what I'm saying, Rhino. Oh, I hear you! You're sayin' I'm a Girly Man! Wait! I do carry and shoot a .45! Of course, that doesn't prove I'm not still a Girly Man . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 I use an SV in 45 and have done so for the past 6 years. Before that, Colt SS pistols in 45acp. You couldn't GIVE me a 40. Seriously, the 40's sights track a bit easier than a 45 but it's nothing you couldn't overcome. I'm just a stupid "big bullet" fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 There was a time I thought real men drank wiskey and shot 45s. Well I still drink JD. But Rino dude the feathers gotta go, wont even talk about spandex. I think the front sight comeing back to the A zone quicker will get more points in one match than that .005 on a edge hit will get you in a year. But I think in some places and times there is something about a 230 grain JHP that just feels good. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 I like the fact that it has done a great job for 92 yrs. When the .40 has that much time in the field, we'll take another look to see which one is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 I have 2 STI .40's that are the most accurate iron sighted guns I have ever shot. Neither has ever stopped running with all oal ammo, service pistol reliable. Also less expensive to reload than .45. They also hold a lot of rounds, which matters to some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 I did a lot of research on this. these were my conclusions. More rounds (yes, it makes a difference, you have more choices in where to reload in a stage) 22 in my para, v. max of 18 in a like equipped para.... thats 8 extra rounds in 2 mags (7 if you down load the second mag) that could cost you another reload in the match. Less recoil or sight movement. some will say recoil is the same, but in the end the 40 is the one that makes the sights move the least. i could say cheaper but since as someone pointed out cheap is relative 40 brass $8 per thousand 45 brass $45 average price cheapest i've seen $30 40 less powder. 40 less expensive bullets bottom line for the same $$ amount you can shoot more ammo. That said i LIKE the 45 more. but i don't shoot it hardly ever. How many of the top 16 shoot 45? yeah, we aren't there ... (yet) but shouldn't we presume that they are using the BEST possible gear on the market? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasag93 Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 I shoot a 40 in matches but I love my 45. I like the 40 for mag capacity. As for recoil, I can't tell the difference. But...I am just a lowly sand-bagging C shooter so I wouldn't know about that. TXAG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 At the 2002 Factory Gun Nationals, I had the privlege of shooting in what was referred to as the "Wanna-be Super Squad" (due in no part to my inclusion). Many of them were shooting single stack guns (to mean that these were not their "downloaded Limited Guns"). They were all in .40 caliber. Yes, Rob L did win with a .45, but ... he's Rob! So, given a choice most top shooters still pick the .40, even when capacity is not an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choltmeier Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 Yes, but are they shooting .40 because they like the feel or just want to simplify things at the reloading bench? I love .40 in a widebody but don't like it in a single stack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 People at this level generally do not take short cuts. I am sure they shot what they felt shot the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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