About .40 Smith & Wesson
Table of Contents
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to talk about
.40 Smith & Wesson. The cartridge has been one of the most popular and commonly used handgun rounds in the United States for decades. Our goal with this blog post is to provide a brief overview of the cartridge while delving into things such as traits, features, and use cases. Without further ado, let’s talk about
.40 Smith & Wesson.
What is .40 Smith & Wesson?
The
.40 Smith & Wesson cartridge was introduced in 1990 as part of a collaboration between Smith and Wesson and Winchester. The round is typically denoted by its full name, as
.40 S&W, or simply as
.40 cal. The cartridge’s development was driven by the desire to duplicate the performance of the FBI’s reduced velocity
10mm loading for use in midsize handguns. The resulting cartridge would be a shorter than the
10mm Auto, optimal for use in midsize handguns.
While effectively a shorter and milder version of the
10mm Auto, the
.40 Smith & Wesson is often compared to the
9mm Luger and
.45 ACP. The round boasts a greater overall length and projectile size over the
9mm Luger. The
.40 Smith & Wesson is capable of higher velocities than the
.45 ACP and is ultimately slower than most
9mm Luger loadings. Due to its velocity to projectile size ratio, the
.40 Smith & Wesson cartridge is capable of imparting a greater amount of energy on impact. As far as recoil goes, the
.40 Smith & Wesson is noticeably snappier than the
9mm Luger and
.45 ACP while recoiling less than
10mm Auto.
The round is utilized by many end users for a variety of purposes. Recreational shooters often utilize the
.40 Smith & Wesson for range use. The plentiful nature of
ammunition and firearms in the caliber makes it a great choice for recreational shooters. The cartridge is also utilized by many competition shooters in a variety of shooting disciplines. Numerous race guns are available in the caliber which are suited to many types of shooting and divisions. Reflective of the cartridge’s origins, the
.40 Smith & Wesson is a popular choice for concealed carry, self-defense, and duty use.
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Law Enforcement Use
The cartridge has notably been utilized by law enforcement agencies and personnel since its introduction in 1990. The cartridge saw widespread use in the United States soon after its introduction, eventually losing some ground to
9mm Luger chambered handguns with modern loadings. Beyond the United States, law enforcement entities in countries such as Canada, Australia, and Brazil have also utilized the round. A variety of handguns and subguns have been utilized in the cartridge since its introduction for law enforcement purposes.
Is .40 Smith & Wesson Good for Self-Defense?
The
.40 Smith & Wesson cartridge is more than adequate for self-defense use. The variety of specialized self-defense loadings help optimize the loading for defensive use. These loadings are purpose-built to facilitate efficient expansion and achieve desirable levels of penetration on target. Essentially, these loadings take full advantage of the larger projectiles and high velocities to ensure good effect on target. In short, high velocity projectiles coupled with expanding projectiles are conducive to self-defense.
The fact that the cartridge is utilized by law enforcement personnel speaks to its efficacy in self-defense and duty roles. The cartridge has served in this capacity for over 30 years and has proven itself to be a capable round for these purposes. The cartridge can be counted among reliable and proven service calibers such as
9mm Luger and
.45 ACP. Simply put, if the
.40 Smith & Wesson cartridge is good for armed professionals, it will be good enough for use by armed citizens.
How Available is .40 Smith & Wesson Ammunition?
At this point in time, one will find a wide range of
.40 Smith & Wesson ammunition for sale. These loadings are available in standard full metal jacket (FMJ) form and as specialty offerings optimized for use cases such as competition and self-defense. A number of companies across the globe produce
.40 Smith & Wesson ammo for commercial and professional use. These companies include
Sellier & Bellot,
PMC,
Remington,
Winchester, and
Magtech to name a few.
As far as specialty loadings go, one will find that companies such as
Federal,
Barnes,
Hornady, and
Corbon produce
.40 Smith and Wesson ammo of this type. One can easily find
ammunition of this type at most places where
ammunition is sold. Additionally, one’s
.40 Smith & Wesson options expand if they choose to
buy ammo online. Simply put, you won’t have an issue finding a variety of loadings as far as .40 Smith and Wesson goes.
How Available are Firearms in .40 Smith & Wesson?
Currently, there are many firearms chambered in
.40 Smith & Wesson available on the market. These firearms are available in the form of new production and modern production firearms. An overwhelming majority of these firearms are going to be available in the form of handguns. These handguns are available in a variety of sizes and form factors, catering to many use cases.
Companies such as Glock, Sig Sauer, Beretta, and Heckler & Koch are among the companies who produce handguns in this caliber. Additionally, one will be able to find old production models in the caliber in the form of used guns and police trade-in pistols. There are also a fair number of PCCs available in the
.40 Smith & Wesson cartridge, allowing users to utilize the cartridge in larger firearms. Simply put, one will have zero issue finding a
.40 Smith & Wesson accommodating firearm if they are after one.
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Caliber Interchangeability
Notably, firearms chambered in
.40 Smith & Wesson are often able to accept components which allow them to accommodate different calibers.
9mm Luger and
.357 Sig. These components are generally found in the form of barrels and magazines. Sometimes, additional recoil assemblies are necessary depending on the factory assembly, firearm, caliber, and specific loading. There are even some companies which offer complete caliber conversion kits such as Sig Sauer.
Conclusion
All in all, the
.40 Smith & Wesson cartridge continues to persist in common use to this day. The caliber is still employed by shooters of all types, appealing to multiple use cases and preferences. If you are after
.40 Smith & Wesson ammo, we here at True Shot Ammo have you covered. We stock everything from range loadings to defensive options as far as
.40 Smith & Wesson ammunition goes. Regardless of whether you want to stock up on this caliber or are looking to
buy ammo of another kind, we can help. As always, happy shooting.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options.
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