Thoughts on a new 40 Cal handgun.

Namerifrats

Namerifrats

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I have a few 9mm handguns and a 10mm. Thinking about a 40 cal. Looked at the Glock 22, but read a lot about pressure issues and case bulge due to the unsupported chamber. So I'm between a Springfield Armory XD40 and a H&K 40 cal. Any thoughts?
 
I have a FNX40 and like it very much.
 
Yeah I reading the 40 is kinda going out of style with a lot of people. Ammo for it still priced fairly low. I have four 9mm handguns. I have the 10mm, just thought of maybe getting another caliber in between. Mind isn't dead set on a 40. May just end up with another 9mm. I have the Springfield XDM 10mm. Not bad. So I was thinking on picking uo another Springfield at some point. Like the H&K guns too. So kinda brought me to find an excuse to get another one. I was going to use the "I don't have a 40 yet" as a reason to get one. Lol
 
Got a FNS .40 long from King's $250, shoots and looks great. They also have many .40 Glock police trades available.
I also have the Glock 22, Sig 229, M&P, S&W 4006 and Px4, it's buyers market.
Check it out, you will NOT be disappointed with this FNS pistol.

https://www.kingsfirearmsonline.com/pages/usedguns
 
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What type of pressure issues have you read about? What Grain weight? I was just curious.

I have a G22.2, G23.3 and G27.4.

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The 9 mm is overshadowing the 40 S&W for sales. In fact the prices on 40 S&W pistols is very low compared to the smaller caliber. Many police departments are switching back to 9 mm, also.

But ammunition is still inexpensive, relatively speaking.

I also recently acquired a Keltec Sub 2000 (Sub 2K) in 40 S&W . I think it is complementary to the other Glocks that I own. But I also have several 9 mm and 45 ACP Glock pistols.

What brought a 40 S&W back into my radar was when I was shopping for ammunition. I noticed that it was subsonic. Having just gotten into the world of suppressors, I wanted to suppress everything. 40 S&W is an excellent caliber to do so. I have a lot of ammunition.

I’m not sensitive to recoil, though, and I have a collection of revolvers from 22 WMR/Magnum up to the 500 Magnum .


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Seems to be cheap enough these days. All things .40 seem to be on sale. I considered it but I don't want to add a new caliber. I also don't want to feel the need to save every single spent shell casing for when ammo isn't cheap or isn't there. I am starting to feel that way about all my ammo. Feeling the need to buy a reloading outfit anyway. If I do, I will consider it.
 
TripleO7 said:
Seems to be cheap enough these days. All things .40 seem to be on sale. I considered it but I don't want to add a new caliber. I also don't want to feel the need to save every single spent shell casing for when ammo isn't cheap or isn't there. I am starting to feel that way about all my ammo. Feeling the need to buy a reloading outfit anyway. If I do, I will consider it.
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Reloading is a must since I feed these guys. It’s not cheap to shoot these regularly.

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I like to save all Brass. I reload quite a few cartridges, these days: 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum , 9 mm, 45 ACP, 454 Casull , 460 and 500 Magnum . Mind you I am only reloading 9 mm for subsonic ammunition since I suppress pistols.

But I collect all of the rifle brass, too. I recently acquired an RCBS Turret press.

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Guess I'm one of those rare fans of the .40 s&w. I have an M&P Shield 40, a Glock 22, and I have had two full-size M&P 40s. The M&P is well made and relatively inexpensive. I love the grip angle... natural point of aim for me.
 
I reload myself. One of the issues with looking at the Glock 22, was the Glock Bulge issue on the 40. Google will bring up lots of posts about it. Seems to mainly be a problem on the Glock 22 and 23. Not sure if the Gen 4 corrected the issue or not. So I steered away from those guns all together. I had a 500 Magnum myself about 10 years ago. Thats what got me started on reloading and casting. Sold it when I got out of guns after losing my place to shoot. Back into it now and another 500 is on the list, but not for a while.
 
Darkhorse said:
To be honest my first thought is you don’t want a .40 it’s become very unpopular
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Namerifrats said:
Yeah I reading the 40 is kinda going out of style with a lot of people. Ammo for it still priced fairly low. I have four 9mm handguns. I have the 10mm, just thought of maybe getting another caliber in between. Mind isn't dead set on a 40. May just end up with another 9mm. I have the Springfield XDM 10mm. Not bad. So I was thinking on picking uo another Springfield at some point. Like the H&K guns too. So kinda brought me to find an excuse to get another one. I was going to use the "I don't have a 40 yet" as a reason to get one. Lol
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Get a 45 ACP instead. That cartridge isn't going anywhere.
 
I like the .40
Of all my carry guns (7) the Gen 3 G23 is my favorite. It's not the pretty one, the trigger is bone stock. But for some reason me & this gun get along real well. It does everything I want a carry gun to do; draws fast, balances well, softball size accuracy, has a helluva sting and indestructible. It's like an extra finger.

Have gun-will travel said:
Get a 45 ACP instead. That cartridge isn't going anywhere.
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Oh yes it is. Just like 9mm. During the next ammo scare 45acp will be rarer than hens teeth like it was last time. Better have plenty of stash.
But there was still 40 on the shelves. I think this is an excellent benefit to the round. The unloved child that nobody wants. No worries I love you and lets go shooting.
No, our friend can't come, he's looking online for 45 acp. :D

"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
-Mark Twain.
 
The P229 or 226 in 40 are sweet shooters. All that extra mass makes them much tamer in 40 than most, although I don’t find the recoil of .40 bad at all. The 23 is a good choice if Glock’s are your thing. 40 ammo isn’t pricey, is always available, and likely will be for a while longer yet. You can also usually find any of the Sigs or the G23 on the secondary market for a good price. Buying something in 40 these days gets you a little more bang for your buck, as they are usually lower priced compared to handguns in 9 or 45. If you aren’t super picky about cosmetics, there is a absolute crap ton of police trade-in pistols in .40 for fantastic prices.
 
I think that the decline of Police departments using the 40 S&W round is a reason that 40 ammo is more plentiful. I have built up my ammo supply over the years and during the ammo shortage a couple years ago you couldn't find 9mm or 40 S&W but you could find 45 ACP. I had several folks that I sold 9mm and 40 ammo to so they could compete in their local idpa matches. I personally don't like the 40 but I have a Sig P229 ,a Sig P226 all stainless and a alloy frame P 226 and a Glock 23 all in 40 S&W. I have plenty of ammo for them but dislike the round so they just sit in the back of the safe . I take them out 2 times a year to clean and relub them just in case I need them:rolleyes:
 
As I understand it the Glock bulge issue was solved by Gen 3. I've scrounged a lot of range brass and I've only seen pictures of it.
Trade in Glocks and M&Ps in 40 are pretty common and cheap right now.
I am pretty taken with the M&P ergos, I have a 40 barrel for my M&P357, it is a pretty soft/flat shooting gun. The factory M&P40 never suffered the accuracy issues of the 9mm.
I also like the XD, have shot a couple in 40, including one I got my dad years ago, same as every other XD boring reliability and quite accurate at a reasonable price.
That 2.0C is a smoking deal if you want to get into 40.
 
Beef15 said:
As I understand it the Glock bulge issue was solved by Gen 3. I've scrounged a lot of range brass and I've only seen pictures of it.
Trade in Glocks and M&Ps in 40 are pretty common and cheap right now.
I am pretty taken with the M&P ergos, I have a 40 barrel for my M&P357, it is a pretty soft/flat shooting gun. The factory M&P40 never suffered the accuracy issues of the 9mm.
I also like the XD, have shot a couple in 40, including one I got my dad years ago, same as every other XD boring reliability and quite accurate at a reasonable price.
That 2.0C is a smoking deal if you want to get into 40.
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The M&P was originally designed as a .40, the other calibers were added later.
 
I am pretty sure SAAMI spec pressures are awfully close to the same with 9mm or .40, but I could be wrong.
I reload 40, and shoot it through my G22 carry gun, and haven’t had issues with bulged brass.
40 is great as long as you are a reloader. If I wasn’t, I would stick to 9mm.
 
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I have never had any interest in .40 at all, until trying USPSA Limited Major, where it is required to make power factor (no 9mm).

After loading and shooting a bit of it I have come to really enjoy the extra challenge of shooting it, over 9mm. It's a fun round. I feel like if you can shoot/compete with .40 well, you can shoot anything well. It exposed stuff that I was weak on. It's also super flexible for reloaders. Bunny farts all the way up to BOOM rounds.

I only have interest for it for that though, and if I didn't need to make a power factor I'd sell the foety stuff and go back to just loading 9mm for everything! Would make it easier for all the different guns and matches I shoot.

But, if I just liked to collect guns and load for fun and enjoyment, I'd have at least one .40.
 
I really like 45’s because...duh. JMB! But 40 ammo is affordable and available. If you are looking at HK’s they seem be be priced lower in 40 than is 9 or 45 which is a nice bonus. Seems like the S&W M&P’s are priced decently too.
 
I like my 40's, have G23, G27 & a Sig P229.
The case bulge was only an issue for reloading/multiple firings of the brass. I shoot reloads in a Wolff barrel and don't run full pressure. My understanding is the bulge is/was due to Glock choosing to open up the feed ramp area to increase feed reliability.
Also have in 9mm a Kahr PM9 and a G34. The 9mm feels like I'm handling a 22lr. after 40 & 44 mag.
 
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Regarding Glocks and .40 problems.

When the 22 and other .40 models of the Glock were introduced, the barrel design was the issue -- as the chamber didn't fully support all of the cartridge case. People who reloaded didn't realize that the cases expand (and sometime returned to their original size) and the unsupported area of the cases could fail with repeated us, but still look right. That led to the internet sensation called "Kaboom reports." Glock improved the barrel designs about 15 years ago, and it's no longer considered a big problem. (Glocks weren't the only guns with chambers that didn't fully support casings.) I think a lot of handloaders were also pushing pressure limits. I only shot factory ammo in the ones I owned and never saw any problems.

I've now got two FNS-40s and they're the first .40s that I can shoot well. (The nice thing about FN handguns is that the FNAmerica warranty covers the gun -- even if you're the 6th or 10th owner.) They just had a recall for an obscure striker-related safety issue, and I sent all THREE of my FNS guns (one an FNS-9c) in on their $ and got them back about 12 days later, upgraded.

You should be fine with any of the newer Glocks, and you might really like the FN line of .40s. As noted above, the prices are very reasonable. (When I got mine in trade, the prices were almost double what you can find them for, now.) I think FN is learning how to sell guns in America. They are good guns.

I've had several Glocks, and still have two (in .45 Gap, one with a .40 conversion barrel), but I prefer the FN .40s to all of the other .40s I've owned, which includes CZs, Witnesses, several SIG P226 models (including a .40 P226 X-5 Competition) and a variety of S&W semi-auto, in steel, alloy, and polymer frames.

(I also had a CZ-40B which I should never have sold -- it was great!. But someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I'll get another one, one of these days.)
 
I have a G23 as well as a G27. Have carried the 23 since 1989. I recently got the 27 and am impressed with this weapon. It rides much nicer on my right hip IWB. Mine was a used Kentucky police from Buds, The trigger is a bit strong but its a typical glock trigger, You cannot go wrong with a .40. Yes I understand it is becoming less popular. 10mm just has to much power and the recoil is more than snappy. This makes follow up shots difficult. My 23 is also a bit snappy. A box at the range is usually all I can take. I usually practise with my G17. BUT, this 27 is not as snappy as the 23 and follow up shots are easy to get on a man sized target center with all 9 rds. The 9mm has a higher capacity -usually, Ammo can be had that matches the velocity of the 40 cal. The 40 still has a larger bullit and packs a good punch. I struggled for years with the 9v40 issue. As the 9 started getting results the same a 40 I questioned my decision. I decided to stick with my 40 as I was already invested in that rd.
 
Just for research, I asked an expert panel of middle school girls what you should do. When they heard that .40 s&w was not as popular as it once was, that was all it took! They assured me that regardless of how effective .40 s&w had proven to be over the last three decades, that using it would be hari kari for your popularity. People will glare at you at the gun range and the ROs will giggle when you walk by, especially if your caliber is showing. You won't get invited to any of the gun-range dances, and you will NOT be allowed to eat with the cool caliber kids at lunch.

Bottom line, if you use .40 s&w, you will either have to move, or have your mom and dad set up a range at home so you can be "home schooled" in shooting. Cool kids rule! :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
I have liked the .40s I have owned and shot. 165gr is where it's at, as far as living up to it's potential. I reloaded for my SR40C and felt completely confident in that pistol, as well as my bro in laws Shield 40 PC edition.
If I owned and reloaded for 10mm, a .40 would be a no-brainer as they use the same powder and many of the same projectile weights.

Don't believe the reports of it's demise, it's good stuff. And as far as being a compromise, in 165gr it's a man-stopper. And it runs the same pressure as 9mm so the only thing inducing more recoil is more lead in the pointy end.
 
Not only are Glocks in .40 much less expensive than other calibers, you can pick up conversion barrels in 9mm -- and unless you're planning to carry and use hollow-point ammo while carrying, you might not even need to get 9mm mags, as the .40 mags will often work with 9mm rounds.

You can also pick up Glocks in .45 GAP for lower prices, too, and there is at least one .40 conversion barrel for the Glock 37 that gives you a gun with two calibers that is about the same price as a 9mm Glock. (I've done that, and shoot both .40 and .357 Magnum out of my Glock 37. (The vendor sends a new ejector* with the barrel kit fore when you use the .40 barrel but I've found that either ejector works with both .40 and .45 GAP, so an extra step of slide tweaking is of switching isn't needed.) I've also upgraded the trigger system, and it addresses what I consider the biggest drawback of shooting Glocks -- the trigger. (Glock triggers are OK, but I generally want more than an OK trigger.)

*I reread what I wrote earlier and saw that I wrote "extractor" when I meant "ejector." I changed it.
 
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Skeeter190 said:
If you reload 40 is a fantastic round with so many options. I have been jumping on some of these great deals on 40 weapons lately. Its not going anywhere.
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The only time it's NOT is when you have mixed 9, 40 and 45 brass and they nest inside each other like one of those Russian eggs / dolls.
 
bulged brass can be cured with an appropriate non chamfered die or a small base die and proper die and press set up. Having said that Ive seen 2 glock 40's have issues live action (as turtleman sez). One just blew the F up at a USPSA match, injuring the shooter slightly and scareing the s#it out of a bunch of people. Unknown cause. At another USPSA Area 6 match, RO was unloading to show clear and KABOOM. Trip to ER for stitches. Having said all that, 40 slow and weak guns are cheap right now and so is the ammo. At one time the caliber ruled USPSA Limited class. My good friend who is a retired surgical nurse saw his share of gunshot wounds in Durham. Lots of 9mm and lesser calibers. What about the larger calibers you ask, they all went to the morgue according to him.
 
I've got a gen 2 G23, circa 1993, purchased new by me and it used to split brass all the time. Major bummer for reloading when a large percentage of the brass coming out of your gun was ruined. Ended up sending it back to Glock after a few months, they replaced the barrel, and now it just bulges the brass a little. So, if you're a handloader I would avoid the Gen 2, it's gotta be a design thing... the odds I get two bad barrels in a row seems kinda low.

Someone already mentioned it, but they do make 9mm conversion barrels for the G23. I've got one for mine and it works well even without swapping the ejector, extractor or recoil spring. Just field strip, drop in the barrel and away you go. I was using G19 mags, didn't try loading 9mm in the 40 mags. I also have a 357 sig barrel. Why? Because I can. :)

Find one cheap and if you tire of 40 S&W you can make it a funky 9mm to match the rest.

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If it weren’t for USPSA I wouldn’t own a 40
 
Butter said:
If it weren’t for USPSA I wouldn’t own a 40
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Kinda the same thought. But now I wonder why I even fool with 9 or 45.

40 is the "do all" caliber
 
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jimmyjames8 said:
bulged brass can be cured with an appropriate non chamfered die or a small base die and proper die and press set up.
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I only quoted a part of your response, but know you went on to say that there were still problems with the .40 rounds in Glocks. The following summary may explain part of the issue.

Bulged brass can be reformed, and it will look right, but folks who are familiar with the nature of brass have told us on other forums that some bulged brass is changed brass, and the bulged area, when reformed, can be very different.

Metal that has not been pushed past it's elastic limit (also called its "yield point") will return to something like its starting position or shape, and will be as strong as before. The steel in a gun frame or a spring will give but return to its original position or shape on its own because its internal structure is undamaged.

Brass is more ductible, more easily changed, and brass that has been pushed past it's yield point -- as might be the case with brass in a Glock chamber that doesn't support the case fully -- will suffer metal fatigue and undergo all sorts of internal changes, such as very small micro-fractures. After a big bulge, the brass is often permanently changed and is no longer as strong or resilient as before. It may look the same, but it isn't.​

Depending on where the reshaped area in the brass is positioned when a once-bulged but reloaded round is chambered, that "reformed" area of the case may be properly supported, or NOT. If the previously bulged area is positioned over an unsupported spot in the chamber, things can get ugly -- as that area is very weak. That may explain some of the .40 issues in Glocks, if the shooters involved loaded their own and also had the older barrels with unsupported areas in the chambers.

It's my understanding that most Glock barrels, since about 15 years ago, offer better case support -- as do nearly all of the after-market barrels available.
 
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I run a 9mm Lone Wolf Alpha in my G22 when used in my Roni SBR.
 
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