.40 S&W Ammo

The story of the .40 S&W cartridge development begins with a tragic incident. In 1986, a shootout took place between bank robbers and FBI agents during which two agents were killed and five were wounded. Such a horrible turn of events was blamed upon the .38 Special revolver lacking stopping power. It took 6 and 12 bullets to take both criminals down. Toxicological reports showed that several bullets entered vital areas but didn’t make it to the vital organs. Besides, revolvers have two major disadvantages compared to semi-auto pistols: less capacity and slower reloading.

.40 S&W was developed from the 10mm cartridge. Powerful and effective as the conventional 10mm is, it gives stout recoil which makes a handgun hard to control. After some testing, the FBI concluded that a 10mm round with a 180-grain bullet and velocity of 1,000 fps was perfect. Smith & Wesson was contracted to create such a cartridge, and the result was .40 S&W having reduced (from .992 in to .850 in) case length.

.40 S&W makes a middle point between the other two popular pistol rounds - 9mm Lugar and .45 ACP. Its overall length is slightly less than that of the 9mm cartridge which allows for use with a 9mm handgun. Compared to 9mm and .45, .40 falls right in the middle providing greater capacity than .45 and greater stopping power than 9mm.

However, due to higher velocity and chamber pressure, the .40 S&W cartridge gives a shooter a more felt recoil. At the same time, it produces a quicker recoil impulse which can ensure better control to some shooters.

One more thing worth noting. Many producers use a 9mm frame for .40 S&W pistols, and as it is not designed to withstand the recoil force of .40 S&W rounds, it causes the spring to wear faster. So be sure to check your handgun systematically.

Though not widely used in law enforcement anymore, .40 S&W ammo is still one of the best for self-defense. With a handgun fed with rounds that hit like .45 and carry like 9, you’ll feel safe.

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