9mm in 40 Caliber? Mmmmm....

[Hick]

Went out to the local range today and found a small pile of 9mm cases. Different headstamps but same primers-- so presumably a handloader. Looks like the shooter put the wrong ammo in the magazine and didn't notice right away. A couple of examples below (the case mouths measure at 40 caliber, but the brass is 9mm luger)
299713

[johnsonian09]

How would that even line up to fire?


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[Bmi48219]

Used to see this frequently, the extractor grips case holding for firing pin to strike primer. Case always swells off center. A .380 loaded in a 9mm is pretty common to.
One time a couple kids showed up at the range with a box of 500 pcs. Berry’s 9 - 115 plated round nose bullets they were sold when they asked the gun store owner for 9 mm bullets.

[lar45]

That's a perfect opportunity for some education...

[Texas by God]

They were so silly. The 357 Sig works better.[emoji848]

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[reddog81]

How many cases were there? You’d think they’d notice after 1 or 2 at most.

[Bigslug]

Seen it many times. Inadvertently done it more than once. One of the hazards of an "industrial" setting with a lot of different pistols around needing to be fired. Scarier is when the round jumps the extractor and sits in the bore waiting for one of the proper caliber to be fired behind it after the "malfunction clearance" is performed. Seen one bulged .45 barrel from this

There's no mistaking a 9 for a .45, visually, or by feel, but since the .40 is right in the middle, the smaller rounds can end up in the bigger guns with fair regularity. Throw in all of these homebuilt pistols on which 9mm and .40 components can be largely interchanged, and the barrels may or may not be marked - - - I think the OP's photo is something we'll all be seeing a lot of.

[la5676]

IIRC, the specs are close enough that nearly all the die makers use the same shell holder for both 9mm and 40, so there’s that.

[Sasquatch-1]

I have seen this also. The thing is it is never 1 or 2 cases. It is 10 to 20 laying on the ground.

[DDriller]

IIRC, the specs are close enough that nearly all the die makers use the same shell holder for both 9mm and 40, so there’s that.

That is an incorrect statement. RCBS uses #16 for 9mm and #22 for .40 s&w

[Jaaymar]

I have seen this also. The thing is it is never 1 or 2 cases. It is 10 to 20 laying on the ground.

Will the 9mm generate enough rearward thrust to cycle the action in a 40?
It would make sense to me that it would not.
That would mean all those rounds would be from tap and rack clearances.
I would think after the second round not cycling the action they would investigate.

But maybe the lil 9mm will cycle the action even with so little contained pressure.

Jaaymar

[Hick]

How would that even line up to fire?


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The firing pin marks are right at the very edge of the primer--- like BMI says

[Hick]

How many cases were there? You’d think they’d notice after 1 or 2 at most.

I saw five-- just picked up the worst and another that was like most of them. Yeah-- you'd think it would be noticable after awhile.

[Mal Paso]

I heard put, put as I was passing station 15 and noticed they were keyholing at 10 yards with a 45 Single Action. I had a chat with the RO and he had sold them, what they asked for, 44Mag ammo. He went over and had a chat with them

We had another guy who just inherited a beautiful Browning, saw the 308 on the side and bought 308 ammo. He missed the Norma Magnum part. The cartridge fired and the bullet exited the barrel amazingly enough.

[la5676]

That is an incorrect statement. RCBS uses #16 for 9mm and #22 for .40 s&w

My shell plates for my progressive are for both 9mm and 40 S&W. Just sayin.

[ReloaderFred]

I've got samples of .22 LR fired in a .22 Magnum chamber, .380 ACP fired in a 9x19 chamber, 9x19 fired in a .40 S&W chamber, 357 Sig fired in a .40 S&W chamber and .40 S&W fired in a 45 ACP chamber. I've also got samples of .270 Winchester fired in a .30-06 chamber and .308 Winchester fired in a .30-06 chamber. These were all in brass that I purchased from the range.

Sometimes you really have to wonder.........

Hope this helps.

Fred

[stubshaft]

Darwin candidate...

[poppy42]

You’d be amazed at how many people think it’s ok or even a good idea to shoot 380 ammo out of a 9x18 Makarov! .380 uses a projectile with a diameter of .355. A 9 x 18 Makarov uses a projectile with a diameter of .364! Not quite enough to get a 380 case stuck in a Makarov chamber but it’s close!
I guess it’s not a bad as shooting a 300 blackout out of your 5.56 AR! That could have a Potentially fatal outcome!

[Rich/WIS]

Years ago two older gentlemen on the firing point down from me were having ejection problems with a 38 SPCL revolver. When ejecting the rims would slip over the extractor star. Checked what they were doing and discovered they were shooting 38 Super Auto in their 38 SPCL. Definitely a lot hotter load than 38 SPCL.

[Bmi48219]

I had a new to our range shooter and his girlfriend show up on a Saturday afternoon. I gave them the nickel tour and kept my eye on them for a while. Everything was going well until he cased the revolver and brought out an AR. Then the problems started. Fresh mag, bolt wouldn’t close the last 1/2”. He ejected and did it again, then again. I noticed the trouble as I approached. It’s nearly impossible to chamber a 300 BO in a 5.56 AR. Good thing too.

[Texas by God]

Depending on the bullet seating depth on the Blackout; it is VERY possible to chamber and fire a .300 BO in a .223 with bad results guaranteed.
ALL my .300BO magazines are painted camo and marked "300" in a very visible manner.
ALL my 5.56/.223 magazines are black.

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[Hick]

One of the few situations where wrong ammo is OK is 30-30 in a 32 Winchester Special. I have one of each, Both Win 94's, and must confess to a couple of times when I had both rifles at the range and picked up the wrong rifle for the ammo. What do you get when you shoot 30-30 ammo in a 32WS? Newly converted 32 WS brass of course!

[fixit]

After a range mishap shooting 41 mag in a 44 mag revolver, (never put more than one type of ammo on the bench.....too easily distracted) I did some checking, and found 41, 44. And 45 all have approximately the same rim diameter, and so the next smaller will chamber and shoot, just won't hit the target. Thankfully, the windage means the rounds won't reach full pressure!

[Electrod47]

I own and shoot quite abit with my Sig 228 in 9MM and Sig 226 in 40MM and yes I have managed to pop off a 9MM in the 40 a couple times.
But, just the one round. There's a noticeable difference in muzzle blast and recoil impulse.

[Bmi48219]

Depending on the bullet seating depth on the Blackout; it is VERY possible to chamber and fire a .300 BO in a .223 with bad results guaranteed.


Having only seen it attempted once that could very well be the case. In the instance I mentioned some guardian angels must have been working overtime.

[rintinglen]

The oddest "wrong caliber" oops that I ever saw came at the range where a couple of gang-banger looking fellows were shooting a S&W model 10 pencil barrel. What attracted my attention was the peculiar noise of the shots. They were firing at a target 25 feet away and seldom hitting it and the bullets were tumbling. After a bit they packed up and left. I wandered over to scrounge their brass and was amazed to see that they had been shooting 32 S&W long cartridges from their 38. The cases flared out starting just a bit in front of the case head, and the primers were indented way off center, so much so that I would have doubted they would fire had I not seen the evidence with my own eyes.
I wish I had kept a few for a reminder.

[pertnear]

A few years back a good friend gave me 5 gal bucket of brass from a police range. As I sorted through the brass I found 5 or 6 9mm cases & a couple of .380's that had obviously been fired in a .40 S&W. This was all from factory new Speer ammo. I'm sure officers know very well the deference so it goes to show you that you can't be too careful when several pistols & ammo boxes are laying around. None of the cases were ruptured & my friend who is also an officer just laughed it off.

[Bmi48219]

Another time I came back from lunch break and noticed a 45 acp case ruptured just above the extractor groove on the range floor. The longer I looked the more I found. I stopped counting at 26 cases, all ruptured the same. I pointed them out to a coworker. He said some competitive shooters will intentionally go to extremes reloading to achieve an advantageous power rating.
IMO that practice is bound to result in a Darwin Award sooner or later.