40 S&W-If you already have 9mm/45auto

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MyDads38

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Was going through my misc. brass and found 600 + pcs. of 40 S&W brass. I have had no desire to own a 40 cal. handgun; as it appears to be the "middle child" of 9mm and 45 auto.

Some of the threads I've seen here; seems some folks have issues loading this caliber. I don't have issues loading 9mm or 45 auto.

So I have 2 questions:
What would be the benefit of having a 40 cal. as opposed to the 9mm and 45auto I already have?
And what are the issues of reloading the 40 S&W cartridge?

I'm sure I could sell/trade off the 40 cal. brass; but may also consider a handgun for future purchase if there were benefits. Comments anyone?
 
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Hey Dads38,

I see you're dilemma. Been shooting hunting revolvers (Blackhawks/Super BlackHawks) most of my life, so when shopping for a SD pistol, I opted for the M&P 40. I felt it offered the best of both worlds, near 9mm mag capacity and approx. .45 Oomph. After near 2000 rds, 1/2 of that reloads, I absolutely love the gun and the caliber. Also, no issues reloading the 40 for me. That said, I probably would not spend the $$ to get one if I already had a 9 & 45. JMO ;)

Be well
 
Thanks for comments so far. I carry a full size 1911 for SD, I've never really liked smaller/pocket guns. I am not recoil shy, but a non-magnum caliber is easier to control for follow up shots (for me anyway) and I've always liked the 45acp. I have no issues carrying a 38 Spec. revolver (4" HB Mod 10) or 9mm (Ruger P89DC). Just wondering about the benefit of a 40 cal. since I already carry the 45auto? It does seem to be pretty "snappy" from a semi-auto.
 
You can buy a .40 S&W handgun in the same size package as many 9mm handguns. A .40 S&W can throw a heavier bullet.

I have owned several .40 S&W pistols; Sig P239, BHP, Star Firestar, Glock 22. I gave the BHP to my son qnd sold the others. I have shot various S&W, Kahr, Glock, AMT, and Sig pistols in the caliber and find it difficult to shoot. The recoil is snappy to me. I prefer a 9mm. I also like the .357 Sig cartridge.

I considered a Shield in this caliber for hiking until I put a box of ammo through one. The recoil is stout.

I can put you on an inexpensive S&W 4013 if you want to play with a pistol in this caliber.

Here is one of them.
Photo603.jpg

Photo602.jpg
 
I got all 3 so that I can shoot regardless of what caliber becomes unabtanium. Last panic 40 was the last to dissappear and not completely

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
Arik said:
I got all 3 so that I can shoot regardless of what caliber becomes unabtanium. Last panic 40 was the last to dissappear and not completely

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I have noticed that 40 cal. seems to be on the shelf more often than some other calibers. Since I reload for all my calibers; I'm able to shoot when others may not be able to find store bought. ;)
 
I have 2, 45 ACP pistols and 2, 9mm pistols. If I wanted a 40 caliber I think I'd go with a 10mm, as I'm not sure a 40 has anything to offer that my 45s and 9mm doesn't already provide (I'm definitely not recoil shy, and from what I've read, recoil is the main reason for the LE agency's favoring the 40 S&W).
 
Best of both worlds I converted my 40 M&P to 357 Sig using a KKM barrel the difference seems like that between a 38 and 357 mag the power of a 40 cartridge pushing a 9 mm bullet and using the same magazine too. And more accurate then shooting 40 cal rounds
 
Can't say I'm a big fan of the .40, but I wound up with a couple thousand cases for it and figured that I might as well "bite the bullet", so to speak, and get a .40 caliber pistol. Haven't had any problems reloading it at all. Until recently it was about the only caliber I could count on the local shops having in stock, so at least I knew I could get ammo if I needed to. Aside from availability, I don't know that it is any better than a 9mm or .45ACP, but I do like the 4006 that I bought to shoot all my reloads with. :cool:
 
Two questions, two answers;)

There is no real advantage to having a 40 SW. Most LEO Agencies went with it for the abaility to carry a few more rounds and more "stopping" powder than a 9mm. (that is a debate not discussed here:))

As to loading it, it's no different than any other round.

Perhaps you are thinking of problems with non fully support chambers like Glock and bulged brass?? For normal loads that really is not an issue. Most guns other than Glock and Browning HP 40 SW have supported chambers.

It's a high pressure round but so is a 9mm. The 45 is a low pressure bigger bullets but less of them.:)

The 40 SW recoil is as they say "snappy" the 45 is more of a push.
 
If I had pistols that I liked in 9mm and 45 ACP, I would not buy a 40. The round is more expensive to shoot than the 9, not as accurate as the 45 and recoil is not uncontrollable, but it is certainly more than the 9 and the "snappiness" makes it a little slower to get back on target than with the 45 in my hands. Not a bad round at all, but not "needed" if you already have the other 2.
 
I have to agree...

Mac1184 said:
If I had pistols that I liked in 9mm and 45 ACP, I would not buy a 40. The round is more expensive to shoot than the 9, not as accurate as the 45 and recoil is not uncontrollable, but it is certainly more than the 9 and the "snappiness" makes it a little slower to get back on target than with the 45 in my hands. Not a bad round at all, but not "needed" if you already have the other 2.
Click to expand...

I do like both my 9mm and my 45auto; and also my 38 Spec. Revolver :D The 9mm is the most inexpensive to shoot, the 45 is definitely more accurate and neither cause any issues when reloading. I watched 2 young guys shooting 2 different 40 cal. pistols (Hi-point & Glock) and noticed how "snappy" the recoil was. It's hard to judge accuracy, when watching someone else shooting; but the targets weren't very impressive. :(

Guess I'm just thinking out loud. I hate seeing good brass go to waste! :) Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate the feedback.
 
I have all 3 and reload for all 3. I have had no problems loading the .40
I do like the "Oooomph" the .40 has and i find it as accurate as my 45
and i also carry a .40 shield and a mod. 638 38special
 
I have a CZ75 in 9mm and a Kimber 45 ACP. I also shoot and own a S&W and a Kahr 40. Both sold for under $325 on gunbroker. I find the Kahr CW easy to shoot and accurate with factory and lead cast. Each does a separate task similar to owning a 223, and a 375 H&H. A 308 fits nicely in the middle.
 
This discussion made a decision for me. I have match-grade 1911s in .38 Super and .45ACP and was considering another 1911 but thought I wanted a different caliber. I was going to buy a 10mm but learned that it is a high-pressure, high-recoil round and my main use of a 1911 is target shooting, so I was thinking about a 40S&W. However, you guys have convinced me that my next 1911 with be another .45ACP. New guns in .38 Super are real hard to find.

Ed
 
Rule3 said:
Perhaps you are thinking of problems with non fully support chambers like Glock and bulged brass?? For normal loads that really is not an issue. Most guns other than Glock and Browning HP 40 SW have supported chambers.
Click to expand...

If I had a .40 it would HAVE to have a fully supported chamber. I don't want to shoot anything that does that to my brass.:(
 
To expound on Rule3 - there are reports of folks picking up range brass that has the so-called "Glock Bulge", a deformity near the base that a normal resizing die won't iron out. Lee sells a special die called the "Bulge Buster" that makes these cases usable. (That Richard Lee - he has something for everything, don't he?:D)

A visit to the sub forum on the M&P 40's and the various "kaboom" threads is somewhat enlightening. A few of these threads discuss the reloaded 40 case being the possible cause of the mishaps due to a weak spot caused by the bulge.
 
IMO the 40 S&W gets a lot of undeserved bad press. First, the operating pressure isn't "High", it's in the same range as the 9mm and the 357 Magnum. One positive aspect of this is powders that need some pressure to get a good burn run very clean when loaded to mid range and above.

Then there is the "Snappy" recoil. This one really drives me bug eyed nuts. I consider a fully stoked 357 Magnum with a 125 grain pill to be a bit snappy, in comparison a range load for the 40 S&W is a powder puff. Now, I will admit that the 40 S&W can use ammunition with results every bit as "Snappy" as that 357 Magnum. Use a 135 grain bullet in the 40 and drive it to 1400 fps and you will have a semi that feels like you are shooting a light and fast 357 Magnum. It will also sound a lot like the 357 Magnum with those rocket loads.

What isn't widely circulated is just how versatile the 40 S&W is. As noted you can load 40 caliber Magnum equivalents but you can also load it with 200 grain Hunting loads. My personal favorite for SD practice is a 165 grain Extreme Plated loaded to 1150 fps with 7.5 grains of Longshot. This produces a practice load that is an exact match for the 165 grain Speer Gold Dot HE load I carry with. My favorite for range plinking is a 180 grain plated loaded over 5.4 grains of SR7625. This produces 950 fps in a clean shooting load with less muzzle flip and felt recoil than the Federal Champion I used to use. BTW, I do NOT understand why the SR7625 is so soft shooting because in external ballistics this load is a dead match for that Federal Champion but it is noticeably soft shooting. BTW, it's also a real soft shooting powder in my 45 ACP's.

As for loading, I think it's as easy to load as a 45 ACP. Clean the brass, flare the cases, insert and press bullet to length, and crimp the cases. That aint exactly rocket science and I am NOT a "rocket surgeon".
 
I like cartridges with a proven track record. I tend to shoot things like 45 Colt, 32 WCF, 38 Special etc. My last carry gun purchase was a CW40. Looking at the ballistics I figure 40 S&W is just a modern 38-40, which had a good reputation as a defense round back in the day. I've not had any trouble reloading for 40 S&W.
 
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