.40 S&W Loading

[gene10pntr]

New to loading .40 cal and other than load data in manuals,I don't see many posts about loading these. Isn't it that popular of a caliber any more?

I usually load 9mm and have an old Glock I thought I'd play around with. Any help or suggestions are welcome.
Oh ye...I do know about the Glock buldge too! :)

Thanks!

[Omega]

New to loading .40 cal and other than load data in manuals,I don't see many posts about loading these. Isn't it that popular of a caliber any more?

I usually load 9mm and have an old Glock I thought I'd play around with. Any help or suggestions are welcome.
Oh ye...I do know about the Glock buldge too! :)

Thanks!
Many say glock doesn't like cast...I wish someone would of told my G-23, it's sent many a cast bullet downrange. I started with Lee carbides, used red dot, green dot, unique, bullseye, etc glock ran fine with them all. I always practiced on combat targets so never really went for "MOA" loads, but they always went where i sent them.

[glockfan]

i'm loading for both a G35 and G22. my go to load with jacketed is 3.6 grs of vv 320 at coal 1.135. very mild load.

with casts, i've lowered my load and it goes at 3.4 grs at same coal with the lee 40175tc resized to .401

. i'm waiting for a new accurate mold to be delivered ,it is a 180 groovless boolit and i don't expect any changes in my load.

it is a consensus that glock 40's like the 1.135 coal,and this is the lenght i use without any feeding gremlins. i always recoupe .2-.3 grains with my casts as rule of thumbs.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...

I don't see many posts about loading these. Isn't it that popular of a caliber any more?

Oh, I think there are many posts.
Try using the google custom search box, type in "40 S&W load".
there is over 100 threads...or just click this link.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/google.php?cx=partner-pub-6216953551359885%3A1942134700&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=40+S%26W+load&sa.x=0&sa.y=0&siteurl=castboolits.gunloads.com%2Fshowthread.php% 3F357536-40-S-amp-W-Loading%26p%3D4327457%23post4327457&ref=castboolits.gunloads.com%2Fforum.php&ss=3208j1401360j12

I can't help with Glock specific info, but I have loaded the 40 for 5 different guns. Taurus 24/7, Baby Eagle (with polygonal barrel), Ruger, Hi-point pistol, and a Hi-Point carbine. I've used the Lee 175gr TC and also the NOE 160gr RN.

[RPRNY]

40 S&W is as easy to load as any strong brass straight wall case mouth headspacing cartridge. There is absolutely nothing unique or tricky about it. Other than charge and bullet weight differences, there is nothing to discuss...

[Jniedbalski]

I load the 40 S&w for a high point pistole and carbine. I use and cast the lee 175 tc and the 145 swc. I tried a lot of different powders all worked good.the best out of my carbine was with the lee 175 tc And the plated ranier 165 gr plated hp with HS6. The 180 gr from Missouri bullet co also was good. It seemed the hs6 load worked decent at the starting load but improved as I went up. I thank I went up to .2 grains lower than max in the book where I found the sweet spot.

[rond]

I have found that Longshot works very well in the 40.

[glockfan]

40 S&W is as easy to load as any strong brass straight wall case mouth headspacing cartridge. There is absolutely nothing unique or tricky about it. Other than charge and bullet weight differences, there is nothing to discuss...

this.....powder choice is probably the only factor to thinker if one is looking for a smooth recoil perceived feel. the faster the powder, the easily managed recoil is.

for example; at the games is it really common to see guys shooting majors, loading with clays international...it is so fast that the gun doesn't even muzzle flip. this said, this powder shouldn't be used by someone who don't really know what he's doing doing. a double charge is easy to miss with such low density load.

otherwise, anything goes. i've used VV340, VV3N37, VV320.....from slow to fast powders with good results. i found like many that VV320 works great for either minor and major loads. it's more a matter of finding the felt recoil you can live with.

the mighty fourty is my favorite caliber for handguns by many lenght.

[Beau Cassidy]

I am having excellent results with Super Target and my cast/coated bullets. Much less recoil when shot side by side with other loads.

[MT Gianni]

Power pistol and a lee mold 175 gr are your friends.

[dubber123]

Power pistol and a lee mold 175 gr are your friends.

That's the first combo I tried and it was a winner for me too.

[Cleatus]

Arsenal mold 403-180 TC-PC bullet over 6.8gr of CFE Pistol works well for me in P320. Originally tried them seating them at 1.130 but had a few feed issues. Started seating them at 1.140 and haven't had an issue since.

[Jniedbalski]

I have always wanted to try longshot but haven’t yet. I thank it will be really good in the longer barrel of the carbine

[gene10pntr]

Thanks for all the replies and loads to try. What does it cost to get started casting you're own boolits? I have plenty of lead from decoy weights I can melt down. Do they make beginner kits for this too like reloading kits?

[3leggedturtle]

The 38/40 New Improved Rimless Short, aka 40 S+W. Get a Lee 175gr boolit mold and Lead Melter and have at it. I use Red dot, Blue dot, Unique and HS7 with mostly 180gr boolits. Great cartridge and since the FBI switched back to 9mm’s they can be had for cheap. Todd/3leg

Friend had some 165gr HP defensive loads with Longshot made up that were just below max, they were pretty stout and accurate. Hope to chronoed them soon.

[Walks]

It will be a lot easier to start casting from a bottom pour pot. Learning to cast by using a dipper is a lot harder. Especially if you don't have someone to show you how. Get the LEE 10lb bottom pour & their 40-175-TC 2cav mold. A Lee size die in .401 with some LEE ALOX & the GREAT LYMAN DIPPER should be everything you'll need to start. Some odds & ends from around the garage & and old Ice-tea spoon for skimming into a metal " 1lb" coffee can and your set. Check on you-tube for FortuneCookie45LC. He has some of the best casting VIDEO'S out there.

And get to you-tube quick before the Libturds force their removal.

[rsrocket1]

Love the 401-175-TC with the 4-20. I usually cast 25-50 pounds in a session, powder coat them and shoot them with my new favorite load of 5.6g BE-86 for 1006 fps pleasant shooting out of my M&P 40

https://images.imgbox.com/e1/d2/5TnbsTme_o.jpg

https://images2.imgbox.com/8b/08/Z3WMuUnT_o.jpg

https://images2.imgbox.com/21/0f/QhTNNhJm_o.jpg

[stubshaft]

I use the same boolit as rsrocket1 but after PC I load it ahead of 5.9 AA#5. Couldn't tell you how fast it is but it is a pleasant shooting accurate load.

[Root Jr]

I just got my Arsenal 180gr WFN mold at the beginning of the week. Hoping to get to try it out as well as a couple JHPs and plated bullets with Longshot soon. I want to see what kind of velocity gain I get with my 6” barrel!

[Moonie]

I load 9.5gr of AA#7 under a 155gr Mihec HP for my XD subcompact mod.2. I've also loaded this boolit over about 3.5gr of Clays for a very light recoiling load.

[LAKEMASTER]

4.6 great of unique was extremely accurate for my gun, wife's gun, father n laws, brother n laws....

Needless to say, it was a fun light accurate shooter

[Plate plinker]

Easy to load for and as others have said there is tons of info available.

[jonp]

4.0gr Promo under a 180gr plated in my M&P.

[trails4u]

I shoot a lot of 165g plated over W231. Never had any issue......and it's by far the most common pistol round for me to load.