.40 cal reloading "coward"

[kerncat]

Well I thought I'd open another discussion on .40 loading...I've been loading for a long time...loaded most everything both handgun and long gun...been very cautious and never (yet) had any issues. 

I have a CZ 75b in .40 cal (as well as a 9mm and a 97 in .45)...I have never loaded for high pressure handgun cartridges...I load all the lower pressure stuff and enjoy it...I love the .40...it shoots like a dream and of course the question comes up "should I buy some dies" and load another caliber.

Over the years I've read the  tales of the Glock bulge in the early guns...the KB's that result from bullet set back...the sensitivity to powders, etc etc etc.

I'd like to load the .40 but being an old man that is both belt and suspenders cautious I continue to see things that say ....the .40 is just too touchy for home reloading.  I know it's loaded all the time on everything from a hand press to a full production Dillon...I load everything on a single stage press (always have) ....I'd not shoot "once fired" or "range brass" ...only the stuff I fired in my pistol....but the fact of set back and touchiness with powders still has me goosey about the .40.

Just wonder if others have waded through this same issue and what you ended up doing.  Seems to me there are places the "amateur" need not tread..example...for years I flew a private plane in business...I flew a Beech Bonanza which was lovingly called a "fork tail doctor killer" because so many wealthy folks wanted a really high performance plane and got in way over their heads....I loved the plane and never had an issue but I worked hard at keeping my  profeciency up and practiced extreme caution about weather and conditions as well as airplane condition.  Loading the . 40 sort of reminds me of the tales about the Bonanza...it was often said that the Bonanza goes into a territory where the professionals are at work and it's not a good place for an amateur. 

If the .40 has too many negatives or potential negatives and is so touchy as to be "on the edge" all the time...I'll stick to loading my other stuff...If there are questions about the fired brass being able to handle pressures in subsequent loadings to the factory first load I might avoid it...

Any comments or thoughts appreciated...i've read the "search" threads on it here and other places and it's a caliber that get's lots of comment.

Thanks
Kerncat

[IDescribe]

I have loaded .40 in ages gone when I knew a lot less than I do now, shot with a .40 Glock, and somehow I survived.

I do not load .40 currently because I don't own a .40.  If I owned .40, I would load it without worry.  It's no higher pressure than 9mm Luger.  I don't see why it would be more prone to setback than 9mm luger.  I don't see why a larger case capacity at the same max pressure would be less forgiving than 9mm luger.    I think the incredibly widespread use of the Glock and the popularity of .40 in Glock has far more to do with the .40's reputation for being sketchy to reload than any inherent danger the cartridge itself.  If you have brass with the Glock bulge, use a push through die to fix it, or don't use it.  If you load responsibly, there shouldn't be a problem.  If you say "Let's see how far I can push this puppy," you're going to have problems, but you'll have that problem with a lot of other high pressure cartridges, as well.  Remember that the chamber contains the pressure, not the brass. 

If you follow your plan of loading for a CZ, and you're using brass shot only in that CZ, I can't see worrying about it at all.

[painter]

I don't load for .40 either because I don't have one.

I completely agree with ID....40 is no more of a high pressure cartridge than 9 x 19.

I say use your caution and experience and have fun with it.

[ReloaderFred]

I load for the .40 S&W, as well as 30 other rifle and pistol calibers.  I find it no more difficult than any other handgun round to load.

There are a couple of things that will keep you out of trouble, though.  One is that R-P brass is slightly thinner in this caliber, and unless you have a sizing die that reduces the diameter enough, combined with an expander that doesn't expand it too much, there "may be" setback issues when using .400" diameter bullets.  I confine R-P brass to cast bullets that I've sized .401" diameter.  That solves that problem for me.

Another issue, which you've already mentioned, is "Glocked" brass.  Just recycle it if you run across it.  There's a plethora of .40 S&W brass, and there's no need to labor over bulged brass.  I've got so much of it, I take any additional .40 brass I get to the recycler, since I can only store so much of it......

The bottom line is, it's no big deal.  Just use the customary cautions and you'll be fine.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[larryflew]

Another no longer own one (see a trend here?) but did not hesitate to load it when I did.  GO FOR IT!

[IDescribe]

In my case, I bought a pre-ban Glock 23 right after the Clinton AWB was passed.  Sold it to a friend because I didn't shoot the Glock well.  He still has and shoots it.  And he still has all his fingers. 

[bugboy]

I just started loading some .40's and didn't know it was any different from loading anything else.  My loads seem to work pretty good so far. 
The whole process seemed pretty similar to loading for any other pistol cartridge.  I've loaded .38/.357, 9mm, .40/10mm, .44 special/mag, .45 auto, .223/5.56, 6mm Rem, 6.5 Grendel, .260 Rem, .308 Win and maybe some others.

[noylj]

Where did the myth of the .40 being high pressure come from? It is the same as a 9x19.
The problem is that the case is not as strong as 9x19.
Reloading is find. Recommend NOT using fast powders. AA5 is the most accurate, but Silhouette and True Blue are excellent and "safer" according to many.
Would recommend not trying for max loads and inspecting the powder in every case (applies to all cartridges, but more so for the .40).

[kerncat]

Couple fo things..as to the .40 not being more of an issue than the 9mm loading..I don't load 9mm, 9mm Mak or .380 so the comparison to .40 loading doesn't have much bearing on what I load..My handgun loading is mostly big bore stuff...I shoot a lot of big bore single actions along with a Ruger .30 carbine revolver and some "odd ball" older stuff....

The comment about the R/P brass being thinner....I went through a period where I could not get RP brass to have enough neck tension to be reliable at all..this was in 38 special loading....I use Lee dies...I sent the sizing die some brass and the bullets I was loading to Lee...they measured and checked everything out and the upshot was the brass was indeed thinner than "other brass" (that was no surprise) but the Lee sizing die was at the high end of the spec...it was in spec but at the very high end so the cumulative issue of thin brass and a sizing die that was "marginal" gave me problems...Lee replaced the die with one that was a bit "tighter" and I've not had issues with  any 38 special loading since..and I load a lot of 38 special. 

Turns out I'd given my original 38 special die set to a new reloader so he could get started (I'd used it for years)..and ordered a new set...it was the new sizing die that was at the top of the spec that caused the issue....to double check I took some of the offending R/P brass and put it through the original dies I'd had and given away and bingo...no problem...I've heard lots of stories about R/P brass being a bit thinner and that is a pretty common thing I guess.

I'm still thinking on loading the .40.  Went to the range this morning and shot the .40...kept all the brass so that's a start....Like so many things in my life...I get involved with stuff and it keeps on growing and growing...I load 6 calibers in handguns and 4 rifle calibers right now....I guess one more might not hurt...Sure do like the .40 CZ 75B...just feels like a glove.

[M1A4ME]

I haven't been loading .40 S&W for long, maybe 3 years.  First for my son's Beretta 90-Two and then for my P07 and finally a P09.

I've stuck to the lighter bullets.  140 grain lead and 135 grain hollow points.  I've used AA#5, Herco and Blue Dot powders.  No issues so far.

Follow the reloading rules/practices.  Don't try to make a 10MM out of it.  It should be okay.

I reload for the .40 using the same methods I use for the 9MM, the .45 acp and others.

[2morechains]

I load and shoot a fair amount of .40 for USPSA competition, probably in the neighborhood of about 10-15K per year.  In Limited division its probably the most common round used.  It even has its followers in Single Stack division, especially among those that also shoot Limited so they can use the same rounds. 

However I tend to not load super hot.  Major PF in competition is 165, and my rounds are averaging 172 PF for a little cushion against the vagaries of different chronographs one runs into around the country.  172 PF with a 180 gr bullet is 955 fps.  I also shoot those bullets thru 1911's or 2011's that allow a longer OAL of 1.180" as opposed to factory loads which are a bit shorter.  However even when I was shooting Limited with a Glock 35 I was still loading longer than factory at 1.140" (the Glock mag was the limiting factor for OAL).

I've never has a case separate, go kaboom, or anything unsafe.  I have had some jams caused by irregular bullets, but that's why I case gauge all my match loads. 

When working up a load, start low, use a chrono, and be methodical.  Test and weigh periodically, and stay within manufacturer's recommendations and you shouldn't have any issues. 

[jameslovesjammie]

I've been reloading the .40 since 2008.  Personally, I really like the cartridge.

As others have mentioned, it really isn't any more difficult to reload for than other semi automatic cartridges.  One thing you will notice is that it will push test quite long.  CZ .40's seem to have a generous throat length when compared to their 9mm counterparts.  You will most likely be limited by magazine length, not chamber length when reloading.

Stick with bullets 180 grains and lighter.  Heavier bullets designed for the 10mm will intrude too far into the combustion chamber and can raise pressure quickly compared to bullets of lighter weight.  Follow load guides and you will stay out of trouble.   

It isn't rocket science.  If you can safely load any other cartridge, you can safely load the .40 S&W.

[painter]

<snip>

It isn't rocket science.  If you can safely load any other cartridge, you can safely load the .40 S&W.

[DDeslaur]

I read the same thing about high pressure in the .40 but like a few others pointed out if the 9mm can take high pressures then so can the .40.
I juts bought an FNH FNS 40 Long slide and I intend to reload it just like all of my other calibers. I don't reload maximum loads so I've never been afraid of anything blowing up in my face or hand. The loading information is out there just use it and if you're really concerned use the minimum load or one between min and max.

[bigedp51]

The initial problem with the Glock bulge was caused by thin cases and the feed ramp being relieved to much. Glock fixed their barrels and the ammunition companies made the cases thicker in the base.



My four year old Glock .40 shoots fine "WITHOUT" any bulged cases for a 65 year old shooter with chronologically gifted eyesight that wishes he had braille sights.



The only Glock bulge problem we have today are caused by people who do not reload and don't care about the bulge. Or by reloaders too lazy to send their older Glocks back to the factory to be fixed for free.