I don’t expect .40 to be equivalent to my phaser or ion blaster. But people saying “it’s a useless caliber” just haven’t done the research. Notice nobody saying that ever supplies the numbers on which their opinion is based. .40 sits squarely between 9mm and 10mm, in terms of energy delivered, recoil, and price. It occupies exactly the niche it SHOULD. For many, a caliber is chosen based on the largest or most impactful caliber they can shoot effectively. If you can’t shoot 10mm and keep a 2” pattern at 10 yards, drop to a .40. If that doesn’t work for your recoil management skill, drop to a 9mm. Massively powerful shots that miss your target are worse than worthless, because you will Believe you are prepared when you aren’t. Even three .22 rounds to the face are better than three 10mm rounds to the ceiling. And, yes, all that said, you will consider whether you need a CCW or a nightstand firearm, and cost, and even availability of ammo. But, the basic points stand.