Is the .45 ACP round more powerful than the .40 S&W or are they equal in power.?

Question

I heard that some of the most powerful 40 S&W ammunition had the power of a low powered 10MM. so can some of the 45 ACP cartridges have the same power of a 10MM? Is the 10mm cartridge just a rimless 44 magnum? Is the 40 S&W round comparable with the 10MM?

Answer 1

The .40 comes close to the the .45. Some of the hot .40 loads do reach very close to the .45. But if you got a .45 +P it's not even a contest. The .45 is slightly larger than the 10mm and so is the .44 Mag. But their power is almost the same.

Answer 2

in overall performance the two are actually very similar. the 45 has the advantage of heavier bullet weight, the 40 has a smaller projectile at a higher velocity.

on the receiving end there is very little difference.

the forty was originally claimed to be the equal of the 45 in performance and allowed the user to carry more ammo in the magazine. this was the main reason so many police officers chose the 40 s&w.

Answer 3

I like both of theswe cartridges equally,  they are both a very functional and practical cartridge for Law Enforcement and Armed Security Service Officers to carry.

I have fired both and own pistols for both.  Though I am not a fan of the 1911A1 Style Pistols.  Just have never liked the way they feel in my hands.  But that is a personal prefrence, so please do not consider it as anything more.

As the other folks have pointed out, there are .40 S&W Cartridges that come very close to the power range that the .45 ACP has to offer.  But as with anything there is a balance in power for capacity.

I am not a huge proponent of the heavier is better theory either.  In fact most of the ballistic gel testing says the opposite.

When I am on duty and carrying my .45 ACP, (H&K USP).  I normally have it loaded with 185 Grain Cor-Bon that shove that fishing weight out at about 1050 Feet Per Second.  I promise you, with nearly 1/2 inch of copper jacketed lead poking a hole in your body, its going to get your attention.

The other sidearm that I carry on a different contract is a Glock 22 in .40 S&W., (this is for a Government Contract), though I own this particular pistol, I carry on duty 135 Grain Remington Golden Saber Cartridges.  

In either case, their energy delivery is pretty close to one of my favorites the .357 Magnum 125 Grain JHP.  

Many of the gunnies here are going to be saying I am full of bullSH-T, but they need to have a look at their ballisitc data tables, and they will see what I am talking about.  

Its about the bullet strike, and its ability to deliver its initial shock into the intended target.  The only other pistol cartridge that even comes close is the .357 Sig.  Its Data is frighteningly close to the .357 Magnum.

As for making a compairison to the 10mm?  That cartridge is in a class by itself.  I have fired a 10mm and was not that impressed.  But then few pistols impress me after discharging a Thompson Contender loaded with a .300 Winchester Magnum.  If you think the new Smith & Wesson 500 is impressive, it has nothing on the Contender, I promise the 416 Rigby Barrel is quite the shocker.  In fact I have no volunteers from the 500 Smith & Wesson guys to come and shoot it.  I wonder why?

Maybe its the 400 Grain Bullet @ 2400 Feet Per Second.

I have fired it.  Its big, loud and ugly, and yes it hurts!

Anyhow, I hope I answered your question, and gave you a few laughs too.  Good Luck and Happy Shooting!  

Ahh, Rifle Cartridges in a Handgun.  What could be more powerful than that.

Answer 4

.45acp has more power but a greater drop rate and you can't fit as many into a magazine as a .40S&W. It's a trade of power for control.

Answer 5

.45ACP: Slower, but heavier gain bullet.

.40S&W: Faster, but slightly lighter grain bullet.

Sort of a equal trade-off.

Most law enforcement and police agencies choose the .40S&W. Don't know exactly why though.

Answer 6

The .40 S&W is a shortened version of the 10mm.,

and is less powerful.

(You can handload the 10mm down to .40 'Smith levels

if you wish, and some makers do offer 'softball' loads.)

The .45 ACP is a bit slower than the .40,  but throws

a heavier bullet and has more hitting power.

The 10mm is the most powerful of the three.