Buffalo Bore?

[Joseph66]

Hello, I bought a .40VE last month and have a question. This is my first handgun purchased so forgive my ignorance. Is it safe to shoot Buffalo Bore Heavy .40 +P 180gr out of a sigma? Buffalo Bore suggests only shooting their ammo from a gun that "fully supports the case head". I couldn't find anything in the owners manual about whether or not the case head is fully supported, although it did seem to discourage the use of +P ammo and said not to use +P+. I've got about 300 trouble free rounds so far and love the sigma. Any info would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

 

[blastfact]

Rule of thumb. If your modern Sigma will chamber it. It will fire it. We as Sigma owners over all don't have to worry about smiley face brass.

 

[Backon4]

S&W does not cover warranty work for buffalo bore. So if id does go boom then you are SOL. There are no definable standards of pressure for +p+ therefore you can not be sure what the pressures are. Also there is no need for +p+ as it doesn't offer a credible difference. Just stick with a standard JHP and you will be ok.

 

[.357 mag]

I don't why you would need to shoot +p's at all. Big hype and more money. .40 caliber is penty without all the extra. The only +p ammo I would ever use is .380.

 

[Titegroups]

Common sense would tell me firing +p ammo in an economy model may not be a good idea. Hey guys...watch this.

 

[Joseph66]

Thanks for the advice. Good point Titegroups. I think I'll stick with standard JHPs for home defense and FMJs for the range.

 

[Quanah]

I've 'known' Tim Sundles, the proprietor of Buffalo Bore, for a good while now. I use the term 'known' is short quotes because that association comes from an internet campfire frequently inhabited by some gunwriters and industry folks whose names you would recognize. His ammunition, while expensive, is well regarded in those circles.

Sundles accomplishes superior ballistics by using special blends of powder which he can contract from the manufacturers- and you & I can't. He has been known to do the same with bullets. He is very pressure cognizant and the whole line is geared toward getting improved velocities at industry-standard pressures. I seriously doubt he markets the highest pressure, factory produced cartridges in any given caliber.

Of course we can speculate on all these things but the definitive answers will come from Smith & Wesson or Buffalo Bore. If you have reservations regarding the use of any combination of ammunition and firearm, your best bet is to contact the manufacturers of both and make your decision based on what they tell you.

 

[pangris]

Physics is physics. There are no magic powder/bullet combos that are going to allow for you to push X weight at Y speed unless you generate Z force.

 

[Quanah]

No, but there are definitely more efficient mechanisms with which to push 'X'.

 

[kenster]

I talked to a tech from S&W and was told I could shoot +P through Sigma.
I have shot Pow'R Ball +P through my Sigma 9mm with no trouble.

 

[Backon4]

9mm is totally different, he was asking about .40 which is already a high pressure round. Introducing even higher pressures is dangerous and can and often will result in catastrophic failure. The very slight increase in velocity is not worth the risk.

I borrowed this next piece from an article but it explains what +p and +p+ mean and why it is not a smart idea to have +p .40, .357 sig etc.

All the major American ammo manufacturers are SAAMI members, and most smaller outfits also abide by SAAMI guidelines, but I have seen ammo from one or two small manufacturers offered in calibers such as .40 S&W and .357 Magnum with the +P designation. Since SAAMI does not specify +P ratings for these cartridges there are only two possible explanations. Either the ammo is loaded to higher pressures than SAAMI deems safe or the +P designation is just marketing hype. Be aware, all comments in this article regarding the safety of using +P ammunition are related to SAAMI-sanctioned +P loads only.