40 S&W Choices

[SamAdams]

Since the thread has drifted a little bit into platforms, I thought I'd mention that I have a Sig P239 in 40. This TDA pistol is all metal and much heavier than the compacts favored by most people today. I don't carry it a great deal now, but that extra weight definitely makes it more pleasant to shoot than other 40 compacts I've tried.

[Rich]

There are several versions of the 165 gr loading. I prefer a full power 180 gr loading in .40. However I hate the G23, so my recommendation in your case is to get a 9 mm conversion barrel and call it a day...

word

[Rich]

Since the thread has drifted a little bit into platforms, I thought I'd mention that I have a Sig P239 in 40. This TDA pistol is all metal and much heavier than the compacts favored by most people today. I don't carry it a great deal now, but that extra weight definitely makes it more pleasant to shoot than other 40 compacts I've tried.

I have a non rail P229 in 40S&W and use 180gr HST.

I like how it tracks / sights line up .

Unlike my polymer framed P30S V3 9mm and shooting 147gr loads. It has a funky impulse. Im sure I could get use to it, but prefer shooting 124gr loads .

If 115gr standard pressure loads made the list I would s use them.

[Chuck Haggard]

Only looking at ammo and ballistics, if I had a .40S&W pistol that ran everything like my G17s and 19s run various 9mm ammo, then my pick would likely be the full power 165gr Gold Dot.

Speer tends to load that round rather warm, which is what led to our gen 3 G22 issues. I was getting 1185fps from my G22, a bit over book velocity, which was 1150, which is also still pretty warm. The bullet is well build, and has a sharp edge around the hollowpoint/at the meplat, I like sharp frontal edges on bullets.

[Chuck Haggard]

I have a non rail P229 in 40S&W and use 180gr HST.

I like how it tracks / sights line up .

Unlike my polymer framed P30S V3 9mm and shooting 147gr loads. It has a funky impulse. Im sure I could get use to it, but prefer shooting 124gr loads .

If 115gr standard pressure loads made the list I would s use them.

Try the Barnes 115gr, that one recoils so light I stopped and checked my gun to be sure I didn't have a squib. Less recoil, subjective this is, to me than WWB

[Jeep]

I like sharp frontal edges on bullets.

Exactly.

[Onerifle]

Only looking at ammo and ballistics, if I had a .40S&W pistol that ran everything like my G17s and 19s run various 9mm ammo, then my pick would likely be the full power 165gr Gold Dot.

Speer tends to load that round rather warm, which is what led to our gen 3 G22 issues. I was getting 1185fps from my G22, a bit over book velocity, which was 1150, which is also still pretty warm. The bullet is well build, and has a sharp edge around the hollowpoint/at the meplat, I like sharp frontal edges on bullets.

Chuck- as this was an answer to my actual question - thanks!

I'm thinking there's a G19 and likely, a conversion barrel in my future...but only after a twin to the P30.

Now I'm thinking of conversion barrels for the G20....

[Onerifle]

Try the Barnes 115gr, that one recoils so light I stopped and checked my gun to be sure I didn't have a squib. Less recoil, subjective this is, to me than WWB

I really wanted to like this load. Unfortunately I had 6 FTE out of 40 in the P30 (when new). Might've been one of those with the extra strong RSA, zero problems since. Barnes made good, but I won't trust my life to that particular load, in that particular gun. Ever.

[Chuck Haggard]

I really wanted to like this load. Unfortunately I had 6 FTE out of 40 in the P30 (when new). Might've been one of those with the extra strong RSA, zero problems since. Barnes made good, but I won't trust my life to that particular load, in that particular gun. Ever.

I'm not shocked. It's loaded rather light

[Chuck Haggard]

Chuck- as this was an answer to my actual question - thanks!

I'm thinking there's a G19 and likely, a conversion barrel in my future...but only after a twin to the P30.

Now I'm thinking of conversion barrels for the G20....

The .40 shoots rather nicely in a friend's G20 with a .40 barrel installed. He also has a .357Sig barrel for that gun.