.40 S&W bullet weight

.40 S&W bullet - What do you use?

  • 135gr.

    Votes: 6 6.3%

  • 155 gr.

    Votes: 20 21.1%

  • 165 gr.

    Votes: 40 42.1%

  • 180 gr.

    Votes: 32 33.7%

  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    95
40 S&W Cartridge OAL is pretty consistent across all the reloading manuals; it ranges between 1.120 and 1.136 irrespective of bullet weight. So being that the case what is so unique about "Setback" with a 180 grain bullet that would not be an issue with another load configuration that utilizes a 165 grain or a 200 grain bullet.
 
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My personal preference is the 180 load - - -

- - - just because I like the heavier "Standard Weight" bullets in almost any handgun round.

I don't care to download the .40 Auto to what amounts to little more than a +P .38. I might feel different if I were an Air Marshal, but I prefer the thought that the heavier bullet will penetrate sufficiently, in most circumstances.

One shooter's opinion - - -

Best,
Johnny
 
165-gr & 180-gr

I like the 165-gr bullets but occassionally practise with 180-gr. My Hydra-shoks are 180-gr.

The concern over the 180-gr offerings were related to unsupported chambers but also bullet seating depth (OAL). The concern centered around those individuals that carry 180-gr in their duty guns and then the repeated handling of loading and unloading and the rough treatment of everyday carry. The idea was that the overall cartridge length could be reduced thus raising chamber pressures beyond it's specified industry limit. These are just 2 theories about the 180-gr loadings that led to the warning of this bullet weight.
 
I find all these comments interesting, but setback could occur with any cartridge that is being loaded and unloaded from a chamber on a frequent basis and it’s not specific to any caliber or bullet weight.

BTW, I just finished measuring some Fiocchi (Major) FMJTC 170 and 180 grain loadings that were made in Italy and to quote Gomer Pyle, “surprise, surprise!” they both had the same OAL of 1.121. With either one of those rounds, the OAL is towards the minimum requirements so if setback occurred with either load you would probably experience the same failure, since a lighter bullet of the same design/type normally requires more powder to generate the same Power Factor as the heavier bullet when the OAL is the same.
 
ryucasta,

Yes, the OAL of cartridges loaded with a 180gr and (for instance) a 155gr bullet is the same. Which means that more of the (longer) 180gr bullet is down inside the case. Which means less powder capacity. Which means higher pressure spikes @ the same amount of bullet setback as a load with a shorter bullet.
 
Tamara,

I’m fully aware of what happens when a charge is compressed, since I have to make loads for my OPEN gun in 38 Super Comp that far exceed SAMMI guidelines but I needless to say I thank you for pointing it out again as a refresher never hurts. :)

BTW, just ran these numbers through QuickLOAD Internal Ballistics Software, the differences are not as dramatic as the Calibers website paints “SETBACK” to be. The aforementioned website makes a plethora of statements but doesn’t back it with hard facts i.e. Brand and type of powder, Weight of powder charge etc. without this kind of detailed information, it is my opinion that the information provided is simply useless.

OuickLOAD Results
40S&W N320 4.6 Grains
Montana Gold FMJ
155 Grain 180 Grain
PMAX OAL PMAX
29951 1.120 29284
30645 1.110 30666
31793 1.100 32148
33060 1.090 33824
34453 1.080 35703
35955 1.070 37823
37620 1.060 40276
39461 1.050 43004
41506 1.040 46218
43394 1.030 49992
46369 1,020 54489
49290 1.010 59940
52632 1.000 66686


Calibers Website
http://greent.com/40Page/index2.htm

Overall Length Pressure
1.140" 26,195 psi
1.130" 27,521 psi
1.120" 29,079 psi
1.115" 29,924 psi
1.100" 32,900 psi
1.075" 39,641 psi
1.050" 50,954 psi
1.040" 57,926 psi
1.030" 66,890 psi
1.020" 80,345 psi
1.010" 101,286 psi
1.000" 138,744 psi

:
 
Weshoot2,

Simply love your point of view its what makes you unique. BTW, congrats are in order for your results on Quicky II.;)
 
ryucasta,

I’m fully aware of what happens when a charge is compressed,
Click to expand...

Heh.

And if I'd read all your posts in this thread, instead of just reading the first one and hitting "Post Reply" with my knee-jerk reflexes, I wouldn't have made myself look like a doofus. :o

Thanks for being somewhat gracious about it.

(Although I still think that 180gr bullets that have been chambered a half-dozen times are responsible for a bunch of these incidents, along with that early batch of bad Federal 155 HydraShoks... ;) Supposedly there's a bum lot or three of Gold Dot floating around out there right now, also. :( )
 
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