40 s&w - which guns can handle it?

[Biggfoot44]

I know this is a S&W Forum. But to get all hypothetical , angels dancing on pinheads , I'll throw out that the strongest .40 is a Glock 20 , with an aftermarket conversion bbl detuning to "only" .40 .

But seriously , pretty much any major brand , of more or less service size will stand up to multiple 10's of K of full power ammo , with routine care , and spring replacements. Unless your employer or sponser gives you an unlimited supply of free ammo, along with having a private shooting range in your yard, wearing one out should be of little concern.

Yes , in subcompacts ergonomics become very important. But you can only streatch the laws of physics but so far. There are certain firearm / ctg combinations that are now possable from an engineering standpoint , that to be charitable are far beyond the curve on diminishing returns. 13oz full power .357mag , 18oz Elmer Keith .44spl handloads , 6lb .458 WinMag , 5lb 3in 12ga , and ..... Sub16oz .40 .

 

[Oldsalt66]

The full size M&P pistols were designed from the ground up for the .40 S&W round and, in fact, the M&P .40 preceded the M&P 9.

I've got over 10,000 rounds of FMJ, 180 grain HST and 165 grain Ranger T through mine and it's been 100% reliable although it is an early production example.

It's an extremely soft shooting pistol as well, and has proven to be very durable.

I carried the pistol for in a horsehide SuperTuck every day, year round, for 4 years in South Florida and the finish has held up exceptionally well.

I have to admit that I don't bury it in sand or shoot it without cleaning or proper lubrication.

In fact, to the contrary, I am fastidious regarding maintenance.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of those torture tests that try to duplicate fantasy TEOTWAWKI scenarios rather than real world use.

 

[MajorDude]

Been watching this thread with interest. I have a G23 for which I bought a barrel and mags years ago in 9mm because I found the .40 so obnoxious. Last year though, I picked up a G20 in 10 mm and really like that caliber! It seems to have less felt recoil and great accuracy at pretty high velocities. I am just getting ready to load some new .40s to give them a chance again. You would think that the 10 mm would be at least as stout as the .40 but doesn't feel like it to me. Thoughts?

 

[NYresQ]

Been watching this thread with interest. I have a G23 for which I bought a barrel and mags years ago in 9mm because I found the .40 so obnoxious. Last year though, I picked up a G20 in 10 mm and really like that caliber! It seems to have less felt recoil and great accuracy at pretty high velocities. I am just getting ready to load some new .40s to give them a chance again. You would think that the 10 mm would be at least as stout as the .40 but doesn't feel like it to me. Thoughts?

full size frame vs mid size, large 45/10 frame vs 9/40/357 frame. Longer slide means more mass moved over longer distance means less felt recoil.

Add the fact 90% of factory 10mm ammo is so downloaded it is just a fraction of what the original 10mm was meant to be. get some of the hot loaded stuff like buffalo bore 10mm and then you will see the recoil increase a little.

I enjoy shotting my G29 with winchester silvertips, but if I move up to the hot stuff it becomes a little snappy in the smaller frame.

 

[daveuspp]

I have a Glock 23 with about 20,000 rounds fired through it and no malfunctions. Replaced the slide lock spring and the slide stop spring, the latter just a couple months ago.

Same here with a G22

 

[dla]

I would love to be rich enough to wear out a 40sw-chambered Glock, M&P, Sig, FN, Ruger, etc. using factory ammo.

 

[Chino74]

I know the OP Was not asking specifically about Glocks however my G27 is easy to control, shoots well & has thousands of rounds thru it...I don't count rounds...so can't give an exact number. It's snappier than 9mm but hardly enough to make a difference for me. I like the .40. I actually like the snappy recoil too, LOL.

 

[Farmer17]

The CZ 75 is a great platform for the .40 and I can't imagine ever wearing one out and it is pretty soft shooting and shouldn't bother anyone that can handle a 9m/m. It's one of my all time favorite guns.

 

[78bagger]

I like my Sig 226, but where are the 10mm trolls?

 

[swsig]

When this Zombie thread was started, my M&P 40 compact wasn't even a gleam in my eye. I purchased it in December of 2014, and using only factory ammo, I've put over 13,000 .40 cal. rounds through it. I clean and lube it after every use. Around 10,000 rounds it started to have occasional failures to fire. Smith & Wesson took it back and replaced every moving part, except the extractor and the barrel, at no charge, and sent it back good as new.

Earlier this year, I added a Storm Lake .357 SIG conversion barrel (works great!) and I now have a total of 14,600 rounds though my 40c, 13,300 .40 S&W, and 1,300 .357 SIG. It is reliable enough that it is my primary carry gun. Infrequently, it may need a tune-up, but S&W's lifetime service policy will ensure that it is always in excellent working condition.

 

[rsrocket1]

As a reply to the zombie threaders, I am approaching 60,000 rounds through my 1.0 M&P40. 99% of the loads are 180g bullets at 1000 fps. I've tried everything from 700 fps to 1100 fps.

In terms of accuracy with 10 shot groups I think the most important thing is to maintain the same recoil from load to load. My greatest improvement came when I was shooting the same load with the same gun and only that gun over a long period of time (over several weeks shooting only the M&P40) I usually shot 3-5 guns each session. Switching loads or switching guns is probably one of the worst ways to gain proficiency with handguns.

Anyway, the M&P40 still looks nearly new and operates better than new with no gritty trigger take up and ultra reliable.

 

[gunny4053]

This is a way, way old thread, but if this was ask today, I'd say the following.
Beretta PX4 Storm FS... Probably the softest shooting .40 ever, and rock solid. I honestly don't know if you could wear one of these out.

S&W M&P .40 FS...Very comfortable shooter, accurate, and reliable as well. I truly believe you'd have to put many thousands of rounds through one to get it even remotely close to wearing out.

The Glock 22 and 23 have done alright for themselves over many years, though not the softest shooters. JMO

 

[Tubbsy]

Never heard a bad thing about a hi power in .40, if you can find one I'd imagine it'd serve you well. Don't think they sold alot of em though.

 

[oddshooter]

I have the Browning Hi Power in 40 and love it. It is my BBQ gun in gold and silver 2nd Amendment commemorative.

Shoots great!

Prescut

 

[Tubbsy]

Love me a hi power, probably be the next big thing i pick up..... though I'm not fond of .40.

 

[Racer X]

anyone who can fully wear out a S&W 4006 fully stainless full sized double stack .40S&W will be the first to do it. Same with a 5906 9mm.

 

[Cellar Hound]

Springfield

I have a Springfield XDm 3.8 .40 and enjoy shooting it. Very well built, accurate, and reliable (I have had it for 7 years and have never had a failure of any kind). It was built for .40 with a Match Grade barrel and handles the round just fine.

 

[glengarry]

longevity of 40 cal handguns

Glocks run 40,000 rounds and crack across the ejection port.I have had that happen in the vicinity of that round count with three 40 cals with lots of continues firing. Would think all the polymer. pistols about the same. Al three slides were replaced by the Austrian for nothing apart from shipping the guns back having disclosed the round count. They then continued on with minimal trouble

 

[URIT]

I bought a lightly used FNH FNS40 from an auction and found it to be a great choice. I don't believe I have enough money to buy the quantity of ammo I'd need to wear this gun out.

I don't like sub-compact 40s. I have a Walther PPS40 which can become hand punishing after a few mags. A nice PD choice but it is not a range gun.

A Smith & Wesson CS40 is my choice for a smaller than full-sized .40S&W which I conceal carry in a Bianchi Professional 100 holster size 11.

 

[dla]

Let's see, I shoot an average of 50 rounds a month. 50x12monthsx30yrs = 18,000.
Not sure why I should worry about 40sw pistol longevity.
I think mall ninja wannabes fret over irrelevant stuff.