I'll be back to you later with some figures, but of all the adjectives I can think of to describe the .40 round 'ferocious' isn't one of them, not even if it's moving faster than 1100 fps.
Recoil and 'muzzle blast' are functions of the weight of the firearm and the length of the barrel, so I don't know where the authors of the article you read came up with their data. A .40 cal fired from a small gun can have the felt recoil of a .357 mag fired from a gun which is heavier. That part's simple physics.
I have no doubt you got your info from a trade publication written for the LE industry back in the early 1990s which described the .40 being capable of incapacitating someone with a single torso shot. It is possible, it's just not bloody likely in the real world.
L
It's also dependent upon the powder used in the round.
I have seen the results of a number of gunshot wounds from a .45 ACP.
One solid hit generally ends the game, even with hardball.
I don't mean it kills them, it just stops them from doing what they are doing instantly.