4o S&W 1st timer

[tuckerdog]

I've not loaded for a 40 smith before and don't own one. I came into a thousand pieces of brass and now I have to go out and buy a pistol, a mold, sizing die, top punch, loading dies, and so on.

I've heard about chambers that are not fully supported and guns getting hurt. Any suggestions on which one to buy. I would like to get something in a 1911 pattern w/ 5" bbl.

Any input would be appreciated, suitable powders on hand are unique, red dot, and bullseye

[Ewald]

It's the Glocks that have unsupported chambers. Tales of them KBing abound on the internet. Those stories are largely exaggerated urban ledgend. Not that is can't happen, but use some common boolit sense and you'll be fine. The Glock sticky on this board is a good source of info.

Much of the KB myths started with LEOs who switched to Glocks from revolvers. They would come off shift, clear their chamber, and put that round back on top in the magazine. Having come from revolvers they didn't think much about ammunition rotation and bullet set back.

I own a M&P 40, have owned a Ruger P94 in 40S&W, and shot a whole lot of others; Springfield XDs, Sig 229, Glock 23, FNP 40, CZ 82, Berreta, HK USP, and so on. If a major manufacturer has a reliable model in 9mm, they probably have the same in a 40 version.

The XD has 1911 style grip angle. The Glock is a fine pistol, but doesn't sound like what you are looking for. They all went bang and put bullet more or less where it needed to be.

The only 5" barrel 40 S&W I have shot was a Beretta based on their M9 series. There are 1911s out there chambered in 40. I shot a Springfield compact 1911. It didn't run very well. I think it was a mainspring issue with that particular gun, not the design or make. I'm told STI has a great 1911 in 40 S&W if you have the bank for it.

With the major manufacturers it all boils down to what you like, what you can afford, and good sense.

[Breadman03]

I've not loaded for a 40 smith before and don't own one. I came into a thousand pieces of brass and now I have to go out and buy a pistol, a mold, sizing die, top punch, loading dies, and so on.

I've heard about chambers that are not fully supported and guns getting hurt. Any suggestions on which one to buy. I would like to get something in a 1911 pattern w/ 5" bbl.

Any input would be appreciated, suitable powders on hand are unique, red dot, and bullseye

You brought tears to my eyes! You are the true example of an addict, justifying those purchases because you have the brass.

P.S.
Don't tell my wife that I've been collecting .45 ACP every time I go to the range because I want a 1911 in .45 someday. I'm going to use the same excuse.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I have been developing a load for 40 s&w

i found 6.3 gr of power pistol to work well under a 170 gr lee truncated cone
i use a .57 lee auto disk , it drops at 6.3 very consistently

but i had leading , i could see it after 5 rounds starting on the edges of the lands, i figured brass was swagging down the boolit , it scrubbed out fairly easily

i changed my configuration since i don't use the factory crimp die , i put it back in the box

my turret is now set up with the decap/size then lee universal expander set to open the brass up nicely then the powder thru with the auto disk measure on it , then the bullet seating die

the seating die takes the flare off , the round chambers fine , i have shot a few and so far it looks like the leading issue is solved , i need to load up 50 or so and get to the range to really check out it's performance and be sure i am past scrubbing

[cabezaverde]

I have had good luck with HS6/Winchester 540.

[Cmemiss]

+1 on the HS 6. I use 7.1gr under a 175 Lee TC that cronos major in as STI Trojan.

[cabezaverde]

I believe that is the same as mine. Except I use Win 540 because I got about 6 lbs for $5.00 per can.

[robertbank]

I have acquired over time a rather large amount of .40cal brass all shot from Glocks. The early Gen 1 & 2 Glocks didn't provide the support needed. Glock in their Gen 3 & 4 models provided a fully supported barrel. Never- the-less, my Dillon dies seem to eliminate most if not all of the infamous Glock bulge and once I fire the cases in my Tanfoglio or M&P the problem is solved. Nothing to worry about.

Take Care

Bob

[Alan]

I think Hornady or CH makes a push-through sizing die that will iron out the fishbelly.

[garym1a2]

So does Lee.Buldgebuster kit.


I think Hornady or CH makes a push-through sizing die that will iron out the fishbelly.

[scattershot]

i use 4.0 Red Dot under any 170 - 180 grain bullet, for around 950 FPS. Red Dot spikes considerably in pressure if you increase the load, and I was told by the manufacturer not to exceed 4.5 grains, although I have seen published loads that do.

[161]

I'm a Glock guy, but I had a Para Ordnance P 16 Limited once. Very nice 911 should have kept it.

[tuckerdog]

thx for all the input, i'll probably go with the sti and 170 grn swc over reddot, now to find a good deal on another reason to buy a new toy

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

i recently tried the swc in a 180gr , unless i seated them below minimum it was a jam o matic and this from the gun i thought would feed everything it was the first 40 cartridge that ever jammed up the gun

[9.3X62AL]

The Lee 175 grain truncated cone design is one VERY GOOD boolit. Like all of Lee's autopistol TC designs, seat them with .015"-.020" of the boolit's front drive band outside the case mouth, and they will feed. No need for a Mongo taper crimp, either--just straighten the flare out, and good to go.

I speak here of the Lee designs with conventional lube grooves. No experience with the tumble-lube critters.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Tuckerdog: There are several long running threads on Loading the .40 S&W here.

There are lots of miths about Glocks, unsupported chambers and other BS that many of the the posters really don't understand.

I hear the unsupported chamber barf everytime the Glock pistol is mentioned. These people don't know what they are talking about. They do not understand the concept of what constitutes an unsupported chamber but since it has been trumpeted by so many gun writers they figure it must be true.

All auto pistols have a section of the chamber that does not support the round fully, It is necessary for reliable feeding

It is the area where the feed ramp intersects the chamber. First gen Glocks had a little more in that area than they needed and that coupled with a big run of brass from Federal that had weak case heads contributed to many blown up guns. Hot reloads also contributed to these problems.

Also the Glock bulge you here about is not peculiar just to Glocks, many other pistols bulge cases as well, in fact MOST production guns in this caliber do it. There are several threads on dealing with this problem here too.

The .40S&W cartridge is one of the least forgiving rounds to reload simply because it is a high pressure round. A similarly designed chamber for the .45acp is fine becasue it is a low pressure cartridge.

There is literally reams of data here on how to load this cartridge safely. Do a search and do your homework you'll be fine.

Oh and you can shoot cast in a glock as well, and plenty here will back me up on that issue as well. But you will still hear about the danger from those who trumpet that which they do not understand. Once again there is reams of data available here on that subject.

As far as you being cuckoo for buying a pistol to use up brass. I suffer from a similar affliction. I bought a .45 because I had so much brass I had to . Since I already had a Glock 35 in .40S&W, I bought a Glock 21SF in .45 ACP. It runs great. Also it is starting to look like I'm going to need a Glock 17 or 19 just to use up the thousands of 9 mm cases that I keep picking up at the range.

Buying more guns is not a bad thing. It is directly in keeping with excercising your second ammendment rights.

As far as your choice of an STI pistol, I applaud your choice. Some of the best guns made period!!! I just wish they could ship to CA, but we have idiots in our govt that think if a gun is a different color than it's clone that it is unsafe. So many fools so little time.

Randy