I was born and bred a .45 ACP fan. I choked on my first purchase of a .40 S&W. I have since converted. I do consider it a shame the 10mm never caught on. It was initially entertained by the FBI who insisted on some watered down loads...About the same time, the .40 came along, and offered similar performance to the weakened loads, in a shorter case, and subsequently, available in smaller, and more concealable weapons. I'm not trying to imply that the .40 is a pipsqueak, I certainly would not want to be shot with one! Simply that the 10 is a great design, limited only by the fact that it has not caught on, and that has resulted in a dearth of factory ammo, and commercial ammo development. That is not a problem with the .40, as a very large number of civilian law enforcement agencies have embraced it, and it has, in its short life, proven itself time and again, under real world circumstances...
IMHO, one of the best factory pistols on the market today is the...
...chambered in .40S&W.
I have my eyes on the 45 GAP round right now. If it lasts and gains market share in the next year or so, I may embrace it.
To be able to have a 45 caliber handgun in the size of a 9mm one is certainly an attraction. I think the GAP round is beginning to have a decent rep in street shootings too. So, we shall see.
I have no use for the 40 short and weak. I saw one Kaboom a couple of years ago, and that was enough for me.