The misunderstood .40 S&W

[jxb]

I'm no pistol expert but I've always been told the 40 S&W has an unsupported chamber so it COULD lead to reloading mishaps. That kept me away. I reload for 9mm, 45acp, and recently purchased a 10mm Springfield that shoots a 180g XTP at 1300fps. It's very manageable.....borderline pleasant to shoot. Blows any 9 or 45 away.

My understanding is it's actually an issue with fully supported headspace in some handguns vs not fully supported in others and not a round issue. I have no idea if this is true.

There's a story behind this that involves a guy shooting handloads in his Sig Pro that blew up while the same reloads were used in H&K P30's. After the incident it was found that the Sig Pro didn't fully support the headspace while the H&K did. Sig replaced the split composite and said don't run reloads in the Sig Pro, none were after that and the H&K's shoot reloads to this day. I can't remember when the Sig Pro came out, but yeah it's been a while.

I like the 40 S&W but after a slug of years with only the 40's I am thinking about adding a 9mm. But that is mostly just cause... why not?

 

[joshb]

My understanding is it's actually an issue with fully supported headspace in some handguns vs not fully supported in others and not a round issue. I have no idea if this is true.

There's a story behind this that involves a guy shooting handloads in his Sig Pro that blew up while the same reloads were used in H&K P30's. After the incident it was found that the Sig Pro didn't fully support the headspace while the H&K did. Sig replaced the split composite and said don't run reloads in the Sig Pro, none were after that and the H&K's shoot them still today.

I like the 40 S&W but after a slug of years with only the 40's I am thinking about adding a 9mm. But that is mostly just cause... why not?

For a carry gun, take a look at the Springfield Hellcat. For a nice target gun, look at the CZ 75 Shadow models.

 

[falconpilot]

I've shoot a TON of .40 cal in USPSA. I was a huge fan while my old man laughed at me, calling it short and weak. One day while river was flooding our farm, my brother and I were pushing the cattle to high ground...one ol crapple cow refuse to go turning on us..in the fray, she ended up with one eye. We decide it'd be best to just put her down where she was so I pulled out the .40, stuck it in her eye, pulled trigger...she just stood there...long store short, 22 rounds later, I think she was finally dead...and I say 22 rounds because that all the damn gun would carry. It took a great number of shots, held in same place to her head to finally get her off her feet. Beside feeling like a complete ass for not killing her swiftly, I was sick to my stomach thinking about carrying a 40 cal for protection. Never carried one since...

 

[joshb]

9mm Xtreme plated bullet fired at approximately 1000 fps. (My mild target load.) It went thru 1/2” osb, 3/4” plywood, then bounced off a chunk of oak firewood and dropped on the ground. It was Texas Oak, tho.

 

[Knotwild]

I've shoot a TON of .40 cal in USPSA. I was a huge fan while my old man laughed at me, calling it short and weak. One day while river was flooding our farm, my brother and I were pushing the cattle to high ground...one ol crapple cow refuse to go turning on us..in the fray, she ended up with one eye. We decide it'd be best to just put her down where she was so I pulled out the .40, stuck it in her eye, pulled trigger...she just stood there...long store short, 22 rounds later, I think she was finally dead...and I say 22 rounds because that all the damn gun would carry. It took a great number of shots, held in same place to her head to finally get her off her feet. Beside feeling like a complete ass for not killing her swiftly, I was sick to my stomach thinking about carrying a 40 cal for protection. Never carried one since...

The eye isn’t the place to humainly put an animal down. It sounds like you are saying the cartridge is weak. Draw an imaginary cross from each horn to each eye and shoot the center of the X. Why did you keep shooting the eye when it clearly wasn’t working? Never mind - I don’t need the answer to that question.

 

[ronsatspokane]

Wouldn't want to get hit by a 9mm, 40 S&W, 10mm, 45, 357 Sig etc etc but I’ve always thought of this discussion as what you gun do you shoot the best? A lot of people just don’t shoot bigger cartridges well, kind of like a guy shooting a 338 win mag who jerks at the recoil and shoots his big game in the butt vs the guy shooting his 7x57 and pierces the heart.

If you have the time and dedication to learn and shoot the bigger chambering well that’s a good thing but if your hitting the A zone with a 9mm and and missing half the time with a 40, 10 or 45 then a 9mm and might make more sense. I own a lot of 9mm pistols and PCCs but I also enjoy my bigger cartridges too. If your a hand loader you can load just about any cartridge to comfortable, fun to shoot, powder and bullet combos, just as easily as you can load stout stuff.

Like mentioned above, to each their own. Shoot what you shoot best when it’s truly meant for self defense.

Hell, I wouldn't want to get hit by a 22. I'm with josh on the smaller rounds. A 9mm short (aka 380) may not take out drugged out violent lunatic but it "should" get their attention.

 

[nakneker]

For a carry gun, take a look at the Springfield Hellcat. For a nice target gun, look at the CZ 75 Shadow models.

Those Shadows are nice, they announced a CZ TS-3 at Shot that looks like a really nice version of the Shadow.

 

[joshb]

I’m going to load some full power 40 loads and practice with my Glock 27. It’s the sub compact version I bought to carry. I’ll see if I can shoot it accurately. I’m also going to load some full power 9mm and do a penetration test against the 40. I’ll do the 380 too, when it gets here. I just always wanted a Walther PPK and I’m not getting any younger.

 

[nakneker]

I’m going to load some full power 40 loads and practice with my Glock 27. It’s the sub compact version I bought to carry. I’ll see if I can shoot it accurately. I’m also going to load some full power 9mm and do a penetration test against the 40. I’ll do the 380 too, when it gets here. I just always wanted a Walther PPK and I’m not getting any younger.

There are no ATM machines in heaven…. That’s all the justification you need, lol. Let us know what you find out!

 

[Knotwild]

I’m going to load some full power 40 loads and practice with my Glock 27. It’s the sub compact version I bought to carry. I’ll see if I can shoot it accurately. I’m also going to load some full power 9mm and do a penetration test against the 40. I’ll do the 380 too, when it gets here. I just always wanted a Walther PPK and I’m not getting any younger.

Be sure and try 147's in the 9mm. That's what our Highway Patrol and Sheriff's Department is using. In a 3.5" barrel carry gun, it's probably not breaking 1000 fps. I have a Sig P365 and it's pretty snappy with 147's and I don't think I want to try them in my P938. My FN 40 is very comfortable with 180 and 165 gr bullets and I imagine it would be a dream with 135's, and deadly too. One chart I just looked at is showing Corbon chronoing 1350fps for a 135 out of a 4" barrel. That site was Ballistics by the inch.

 

[SKWERLZ]

The eye isn’t the place to humainly put an animal down. It sounds like you are saying the cartridge is weak. Draw an imaginary cross from each horn to each eye and shoot the center of the X. Why did you keep shooting the eye when it clearly wasn’t working? Never mind - I don’t need the answer to that question.

^^^^

Poor cow.

 

[John Forrest]

The best thing to happen to 40 was "going out of style". Tons of good deals on different guns the last few years. 357 Sig barrels are easy to switch in and out and make for enjoyable shooting if you reload.

I think I shoot 15 different pistol cartridges and 40 is as fun as any of them.

 

[shoot4fun]

When a handgun is built around a cartridge instead of shoehorning a new cartridge in a gun things don't always work out. I don't know if anyone remembers but the first adopted 40 caliber was a 10MM S&W third generation pistol. The 10MM was a brainchild of Col. Cooper and his "perfect" pistol was to have a CZ75 in 10MM. The early 10MM ammo was made by Norma and performance was incredible. I've seen 1200FPS from the Delta Elite I owned.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I shoot a EAA Witness ported
.40. I love it.

 

[DGP4]

The old Spanish saying seems to apply here: Para los gustos, los colores (For different tastes, different colors). Everybody has a favorite pistol caliber, but for a handgun, mine is the .357 Magnum.