Looking for advice on loading for the 40 sw. i've been reloading for my rifles for a number of years, but this is my first time with pistols.

i have a sig 2022, chambered in the 40. Couple of questions:

- i've read that you need to be careful with the 40 if using a make of gun that doesn't fully support the case head - such as the glocks. i've not checked with my sig - does anyone have any experience loading for a sig?

- i've got a number of powders currently that i load for shotshell. namely, blue dot, PB, IMR SR 4756, and IMR SR 7625. There is published data for each of these powders by the manufacturer, for the 40, but I was wondering if anyone had any comments or experience on using these powders? i'm looking for mild, reliable practice loads - will probably be shooting 150 grain jacketed nosler. practice will be at 15-20 feet, so i'm not looking for 25 yard accuracy.

any advice would be appreciated - thanks..

I bought one of the first Glock 23's , back when they were kinda vodo plastic guns that would blow up if you tried to shoot reloads through them. Well after thousands of rounds of reloads it's still working.

1911's dont totally support the case head either but everyones been loading them for centuries!

I have not tried the powders you have. I did like clays and AA #5. I settled on #5 because it burns clean and measured good through my lee auto disk measure on my pro 1000.


Importantly!! Get you a case gauge. I got mine from midway I think. It's a metal gauging device that you drop your loaded round into. If your loaded round will drop all the way in with the base of the case being flush with the bottom of the gauge, and then fall back out easy when turned upside down your rounds should be alright.

Your Sig offers more case head support than a Glock, handloads are fine in it (in a Glock too for that matter). The thing to remember about high pressure rounds in handguns like the 40s&w & 357sig, is pressures are often running right at the top & small mistakes in powder charge or bullet setback can spike pressures where you risk a KB. Proper neck tension, crimp & bullet style helps alot. Bullets for the 40s&w are designed for the cart. so not as much a problem as in the 357sig.
I would recommend a med. to slow powder in the 40. It will keep you out of trouble w/ a bullet setback or possible dbl. charge. Of the ones you have, BlueDot works well, fills the case & gives good vel. w/ decent accuracy. It does have a loud muzzle blast though, but some guys like that for range use. I would NOT use Clays, TG, Bullseye or sim. fast powder until you've got the pistol loading drill down pat. They really only offer a slight economic benefit, but risks of pressures spikes & overcharges are too high. Best balance between cost & performance are the med. burners like Unique, PowerPistol, Universal, AA#5 & HS6.
BTW skunk, the 1911/45acp is not a good comparison. The 45acp operates @ 20K max. pressure & the 40 @ 40K. There have probably been more Glock 40s KB than all the 1911/45acp.

I like what fredj338 said about starting out with some of the med to slower powders until you get some experience with reloading for pistols.

I've had good luck with Power Pistol in my Sig 226 and Sig Pro using 135g bullets. Accruacy and velocity have been impressive. After you have some experience I would recommend that you look at giving it a try. Work up the load for your shooter slowly as you know each gun is different. Good luck the .40S&W is a great fun round to shoot.

thanks for the advice, guys..

I know tge 1911 and the glock are working at different pressures. The point I was trying to make I guess is this.

In todays times all gun manf. are going to warn against if not strictly forbid the use of handloads. Does this mean good handloads wont work in the firearm. I think not. It just means in our sue first don't ask questions society gun manufactures are protecting their butts by saying if you shoot reloads were not responsible.

The higher pressure of the 40S&W along with the leading cuased by shooting the lead bullets at higher speeds caused many KBs for the Glock 40s. This is why Glock recommends against lead bullets in their guns. I have never had issues with any of their 9mm guns and I shot competitively with one of the early 17Ls. I put 10,000 rounds through it one year without a hitch.

The advice given for the 40s with medium powder is a good one.

I have 40s in CZ, SIG, and 1911 based guns. The 1911s have ramped barrels. I will not push the pressure in the CZs and SIG guns as far as I will in my very strongly built 1911s.

I like WSF and AA #5 as propellents in the 40 S&W.

Never warmed up to Glocks.

I load for my Ruger in 40 S&W. The gun is picky about specific OAL for consistant feeding for me.

I wouldn't worry about light loads myself, just focus on what will feed and function best. This can become a bigger pain when dealing with cast bullets.

Good luck,

Dan

To measure the case support, take the barrel out of the pistol, put a case in the chamber, and scribe a line with a needle on the case to trace the outline of the feed ramp.

The web is .180" thick.
If the case support line you scribed is at .235" from the rear of the case, then you have .055" of thin unsupported case wall.
That is what the worst stock Glock barrels have.
They will case bulge at 3% more powder than the hottest max published loads.

With case support at .180", the 40 could be hot rodded to beyond the 44 mag book loads, if the recoil could be managed.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tnekkcc:
If the case support line you scribed is at .235" from the rear of the case, then you have .055" of thin unsupported case wall.
That is what the worst stock Glock barrels have.
They will case bulge at 3% more powder than the hottest max published loads.
QUOTE]
That 3% is a bit arbitrary isn't it? Pressures W/ 3% increase of TG is alot diff. than 3% of AA#7?? Add diff. bullet design/depth, just too risky. Stick to book data in the 40s&w, especially w/ Glock's min. supported chambers, you'll be fine.

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:

That 3% is a bit arbitrary isn't it?

I blew up some brass before I modified the Glock 22 barrel.
3% ~ 36% overload is what the load notes say was the threshold from messing with 135 gr and 155 gr bullets, Power Pistol and 3N37.

There is no going back with that barrel now.
I welded and cut the chamber and feed ramp with case support at .180" [to meet the web].




Now it will shoot 15.5 gr 800X 200 gr.


15 gr 800X 200gr is IMR's max load for 44 mag, but the 44 mag has a much larger volume case than the 40sw, so the pressure must be higher in the Glock 22.
It kicks so hard with that load that my hand hurts for hours.

Wow ... that's a stinking hot load.

I run my 1911's in 40 S&W (with Nowlin ramped barrels) almost as long as 10mm because the rounds fit 10mm magazines well. In this configuration, the round can be loaded to very high velocities with the right powder using small rifle primers.

I have gotten Nosler 135s to 1540 fps in a gun fitted with a 4.5" barrel and a 3 chamber compensator. A half inch was milled off the Delta Elite slide to reduce its weight which decreases its cycle time.

Main lesson was that there is no need at all for this kind of velocity from a 40 caliber pistol with bullets built as lightly as the 135 gr Nosler. It kills deer quite well at 1350 fps and is easier on the firearm. Even at 1350 fps the effect on flesh is simply terrifying! The last deer I shot with this round looked like she swallowed a hand grenade ... everything above the diaphragm was literally mush.

Unless you are going to build a pistol that is as strong as a bank vault ... if you want 10mm or a 44 magnum, buy a gun in one of those calibers!

quote:

Unless you are going to build a pistol that is as strong as a bank vault ... if you want 10mm or a 44 magnum, buy a gun in one of those calibers!

The 10mm cannot produce as much power as the 40S&W, as the thin brass under the extractor groove and over the large primer pocket in the 10mm is a weak spot.

After the 10mm, the next weakest cartridge I have seen is the 7.62x39mm made by Win with large Boxer primer.

I have cut down 30-30 brass on the lathe to get more power from a 10mm, by cutting a shallow extractor groove, but it is too much work.

This reminds me of the 9mm American that is basically a 9x19 made from .223 brass. Was used to make 9mm Major in the old days of 175 power factor in IPSC. It took a genuinely deft touch to make it work all of the time. So much so that it was eventually deemed a really bad idea.

Take great care all ye who walk this path!

i decided to pick up a box of 150 grain noslers to start with. is the 135 grain version a better choice for the 40?

I like 200 gr for 40 S&W.

I can send 158 gr at 1187 fps with a .380 and faster with a 9mm.

I can get 110 gr out of a 32acp to penetrate 3" of kiln dried Douglas Fir.

What is the point of throwing 135 gr with a 40 S&W if a mouse gun could get it done.

The 135 is too lightly built for a hunting bullet. I'd go with something between 150 and 180. 200s woul be best at penetration and would be fine for small bear driven at high enough velocity.

For bullets in the 200 to 220 grain range, I prefer the 41 Rem Mag for a hunting round. Have not had any difficulty killing eastern game with the 210 grain Remington soft point. Is every bit as effective as a 44 Rem Mag.

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
The 135 is too lightly built for a hunting bullet. I'd go with something between 150 and 180. 200s woul be best at penetration and would be fine for small bear driven at high enough velocity.

For bullets in the 200 to 220 grain range, I prefer the 41 Rem Mag for a hunting round. Have not had any difficulty killing eastern game with the 210 grain Remington soft point. Is every bit as effective as a 44 Rem Mag.

I've used the 135g hard cast out of my Sig 226 in a .40S&W to take a smaller mule deer buck at around 45-55 yards. It was traveling at 1350 using Power Pistol for the powder. It put him down after about 50-75 yards.I like the accuracy I was getting from a tricked out 226 and the 13 shot capacity works out great for a carry gun in the hills. I was actually hunting chuckars and carrying the Sig when I came across a group of 5 deer with one buck in the group.

Should have specified the 135 Nosler was too lightly built. Detonation is a problem at the velocities I was driving them.

Have shot light cast bullets but still prefer something in the 150 to 180 range for this caliber given that my pistols shoot them well.