I am sure many of you have read about what some people say is a higher number of kabooms in firearms chambered for the 40 s&w, not just Glocks, than firearms chambered in the 9mm and 45 acp. I wanted to get some opinions on whether or not any of you feel there is anything to this. I have been considering getting a gun chambered for the round as it offers superior ballistics to the 9mm with a higher capacity than the 45 acp.
Are the 40 s&w issues mostly hype?
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If you use a quality factory ammunition, you won't have a problem. LEO's and shooters around the US use the .40 S&W with no issues.
Most (but not all) of the kabooms have been with improperly reloaded ammunition, or cartidges that have been chambered multiple times (without firing) to where the bullet gets pushed too far back into the brass. That causes too much pressure in the casing and thus the kaboom.
Most (but not all) of the kabooms have been with improperly reloaded ammunition, or cartidges that have been chambered multiple times (without firing) to where the bullet gets pushed too far back into the brass. That causes too much pressure in the casing and thus the kaboom.
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The k-booms have also happened to 9s and 45s...look around.
Still, it is VERY very uncommon.
Two things mostly cause this: one is shooting lead bullets through pistols with polygonal rifling. As long as you only shoot fmj bullets in your Glock or HK...you should be fine.
The other problem is poorly reloaded 40 ammo. Since the 40SW is pretty high pressure...the guns don't handle poorly loaded home brewed ammo.
I own three 40s: a Beretta 96, Glock 22 and XD-40 and have never had a problem. In fact, the Glock has been one of the most reliable pistols I have ever owned.
Buy a 40 if they appeal to you...I know I will always have a few in my safe. They are very good if you choose a quality pistol and run quality ammo in the thing.
- brickboy240
Still, it is VERY very uncommon.
Two things mostly cause this: one is shooting lead bullets through pistols with polygonal rifling. As long as you only shoot fmj bullets in your Glock or HK...you should be fine.
The other problem is poorly reloaded 40 ammo. Since the 40SW is pretty high pressure...the guns don't handle poorly loaded home brewed ammo.
I own three 40s: a Beretta 96, Glock 22 and XD-40 and have never had a problem. In fact, the Glock has been one of the most reliable pistols I have ever owned.
Buy a 40 if they appeal to you...I know I will always have a few in my safe. They are very good if you choose a quality pistol and run quality ammo in the thing.
- brickboy240
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I have an XDm40 that runs great on reloaded ammo. Kabooms can happen with any caliber reloads. That's why you work up loads; starting low and seeing where you need to go to get the desired results. Finding the right load data and powder to use can't be stressed enough. I only know of one kaboom with a Glock 35. Done by a new reloader with no real background in reloading. Double charge of Titegroup ruined that one. .40's or good to go with factory or GOOD reloads. No fear.
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I think the biggest issue w/ the 40 is pushing heavy for caliber bullets w/ uberfast powders & running the ragged edge of pressures. There is just zero room at the top of the 40's pressure scale for errors. So run say TG or Clays at the top end, then get a bullet setback w/ a 180gr bullet, bang! Yes it happens. Feed any gun factory ammo, it's not likey in any caliber. The handloaders that don't have the experience or push powders to do things they are not meant to do, they are the ones that get into trouble.
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most 40sw guns are just modified 9mm guns, designed around the 9mm round, but modified to fit the bigger 40sw shell.
when glock did this, they left the chamber partially unsupported. this lead to many of the problems, especially if you reload. Guess what happens when the shell happens to align itself in roughly the same position as it had in a past firings?
another problem is that 40sw has a whole lot more snot than 9mm. As an example; a 135gr 40sw bullet will have more muzzle velocity than a 9mm+p firing just 124gr bullets.
One reason I went with the XDm is that it was designed from the ground up to be a 40sw weapon, so the problems associated with many guns chambered for 40sw should not be a problem with the XDm. the XD was designed to be a 9mm, but it at least has a fully supported chamber in 40sw.
when glock did this, they left the chamber partially unsupported. this lead to many of the problems, especially if you reload. Guess what happens when the shell happens to align itself in roughly the same position as it had in a past firings?
another problem is that 40sw has a whole lot more snot than 9mm. As an example; a 135gr 40sw bullet will have more muzzle velocity than a 9mm+p firing just 124gr bullets.
One reason I went with the XDm is that it was designed from the ground up to be a 40sw weapon, so the problems associated with many guns chambered for 40sw should not be a problem with the XDm. the XD was designed to be a 9mm, but it at least has a fully supported chamber in 40sw.
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The Gen 2 & beyond Glocks fixed the unsupported chamber issue. I have never heard of a 40 going KB w/ factory ammo, but lot's of reports of guys blowing them up trying to make major w/ uberfast powders. Just don't, use a medium burner for all bullet wts & load to the book data & you'll be fine.
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I knew they fixed it, but I was pretty sure it was after they unveiled the 2nd gen.
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I am pretty sure the XDm is the only gun designed around the 40sw shell. look at the Mags. The XDm is designed to have an efficient double stack of 40sw sized shells, that is why there are ribs on the 9mm mags. Just because the others were launched in both 40 and 9mm does not mean that they were are were not designed around 1 or the other.
The M&P may have been designed from scratch to be a 40 (I don't know for sure) but the other were designed to be 9mm and modified to shoot 40.
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I don't know if I would go that far. The 4006 was designed around the 40. SUre, it is a sim design as their 9mm, but they didn't just stick the 40 into the 9mm, same for USP & I am sure others, even Glcok. Few manuf did nothing to their guns but add a stiffer recoil spring. Most added slide weight, obviously mags would be slighlty diff, even the Glock mags are slightly diff.
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The H&K USP was the first handgun that was designed to be a .40 first, a 9mm second--or, as you put it, around the .40. The USP9 was released at the same time as the USP40. The USP's 13-round capacity was pretty much the standard at the time for .40 handguns (and higher than several others).
The M&P is the same way--intitially designed (and released) as a .40.
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