40 S&W
40 S&W Ammo is developed by Smith & Wesson and Winchester, popular firearms manufacturers in the United States. The weight of the bullet ranges from 115 grains to 180 grains. The speed of the bullet is over 1000 fps which is faster than the 45 Ammo and a bit slower than 9 mm ammo. This ammo offers good accuracy and stopping power. Manufactured specially for semi-automatic handguns, 40 S&W Ammo is fast, powerful, and proved to be a better option for law enforcement. It operates at 240 MPa (35,000 psi) SAAMI maximum.
40 S&W Specifications:
Cartridge case: 10mm Auto
Case type: Rimless, straight
Bullet diameter: 10.2 mm (.400 in)
Neck diameter: 10.7 mm (.423 in)
Base diameter: 10.8 mm (.424 in)
Rim diameter: 10.8 mm (.424 in)
Rim thickness: 1.4 mm (.055 in)
Case length: 21.6 mm (.850 in)
Overall length: 28.8 mm (1.135 in)
Case capacity: 1.25 cm3
Rifling twist: 406 mm
Primer type: small pistol
Maximum pressure: 35,000 psi (240 MPa)
Designed in 1990 as per the specification of FBI, 40 S&W Ammo holds a similar construction of a 10mm cartridge. The accuracy, drift, and drop of this ammo are almost similar to 9mm ammo. This ammo offers deep penetration and good expansion. Jacketed hollow point (JHP) 40 S&W ammo is considered good for self-defense. Remington’s Golden Saber, Federal’s HST ammo, and Winchester’s Defender series are good for defensive ammunition. 180 grain is the standard weight for this ammo. 165 grain 40 S&W Ammo travels faster than 180 grain and delivers a lighter recoil.
Developed in the late 1980’s and introduced in 1990, the 40 S&W was created at the FBI’s request for a pistol that would use a lower powered version of 10mm Auto. Because of the empty space in the 10mm casing, Smith & Wesson teamed up with Winchester to shorten the casing and still produce the ballistics requested by the FBI and chose an overall length that allowed it to fit in a pistol frame commonly used in 9mm.
.40 Smith & Wesson History
.40 Smith & Wesson Usage
.40 Smith & Wesson Usage
While developed for the FBI, many Law Enforcement agencies also adopted the 40 S&W as their primary duty pistol cartridge until they started switching to 9mm Parabellum pistols in the 2000’s. The 40 S&W is still a choice for self defense by some civilians and some law enforcement departments globally and is used for IDPA competitions.
.40 Smith & Wesson Trivia
The 40 S&W was developed after the “1986 FBI Shootout” in Miami, FL, in which FBI agents armed with .38 Special and 9mm handguns were involved in a shootout with 2 bank robbers resulting in the deaths of 2 FBI agents and the wounding of 5 of the 8 agents involved. Both bank robbers sustained multiple hits from the agents’ duty weapons and continued to fight, which led to the quest for a better cartridge for standard issue.
.40 Smith & Wesson Trivia
.40 Smith & Wesson Design
.40 Smith & Wesson Design
The 40 S&W is a rimless straight walled cartridge with an overall length of 1.135”,and a case capacity of 19.3 grains (H2O). It uses small pistol primers and fires a .400” diameter bullet with maximum pressure of 35,000 PSI.
.40 Smith & Wesson Types
Ammunition options for the 40 S&W range from 130-200 grains and with bullets offering full metal jacket for training, hollow points for self defense and duty, lead free and hard cast, gas checked lead for wilderness defense.
