S&W SDVE .40 unsupported chamber?

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I had the SDVE9mm and the M&P 9. No problems with brass on either of them. Got rid of them because I didn't like cases hitting my head.
 
Interesting. I load and shoot a lot of ammo for my dad's SDVE40 and I don't think I've ever noticed a bulge. I usually plunk test the ammo in the Storm Lake barrel I have for my Glock. Next time I make a batch, maybe I'll borrow his gun. Besides, I'm sure it could use a good cleaning....
 
Without a shadow of a doubt the M&P chamber is more supported (I would say absolutely fully supported) than the SD40VE chamber. The chamber of the SD40VE would seem in any case sufficiently supported not to give bulge problems but evidently in some cases it can give them.
It would be great if you post back your experience when you shoot your SD40VE.
I finally got to the range yesterday. Shooting 155 gr. Berry's bullets with 5.5 gr. of Titegroup. I had a mix of results with the SD40VE. Some cases showed no sign of chamber problem. Some had the "Glock smile". And a couple started getting the "belly". All cases were Winchester, and not WIN.
The 5.5 gr. of Titegroup is .2 gr. lower than max charge from Hodgdon's data. Their max charge pressure is listed as 33,600 psi.
 
I finally got to the range yesterday. Shooting 155 gr. Berry's bullets with 5.5 gr. of Titegroup. I had a mix of results with the SD40VE. Some cases showed no sign of chamber problem. Some had the "Glock smile". And a couple started getting the "belly". All cases were Winchester, and not WIN.
The 5.5 gr. of Titegroup is .2 gr. lower than max charge from Hodgdon's data. Their max charge pressure is listed as 33,600 psi.
Thanks for the report.
Reading the mixed results you got, my advice is still to check for possible bullet setback problem. I'd also replace the recoil spring assembly with a new one, just in case.
 
Thanks for the report.
Reading the mixed results you got, my advice is still to check for possible bullet setback problem. I'd also replace the recoil spring assembly with a new one, just in case.
The neck tension is good. And the recoil spring is a new 20 lb. from Galloway Precision.
 
The neck tension is good. And the recoil spring is a new 20 lb. from Galloway Precision.
Then the only thing left to check is the accuracy of the lockup between the chamber and the ejection port. If everything is normal, we must accept the fact that this specific example of SD40VE occasionally returns cases with the smile.
 
Then the only thing left to check is the accuracy of the lockup between the chamber and the ejection port. If everything is normal, we must accept the fact that this specific example of SD40VE occasionally returns cases with the smile.
Oh, my bad. I misspoke, I for confused for another thread. The new recoil spring was for the M&P40. I will check into a new one for SD40Ve. There does seem to be a bit of shift (a hint) with the slide when the trigger is pulled, dry firing.
 
Oh, my bad. I misspoke, I for confused for another thread. The new recoil spring was for the M&P40. I will check into a new one for SD40Ve. There does seem to be a bit of shift (a hint) with the slide when the trigger is pulled, dry firing.
Ok.
It may be possible that there is little or almost no resistance in the very first recoil phase of the slide (0.04 '' or so). It's the only other thing that comes to mind. In striker fired pistols the slide does not have to overcome the resistance of the hammer spring so it is possible that the initial phase of the opening takes place in a slightly shorter time.
 
The SD40VE bulge situation has been known and documented for many years. It's not across the board "yes" or "no" with all owners. S&W also uses parts from different age lots in various mix of guns. You might get a recent production gun with a trigger bar of the last generation or a sear with a large diameter spring or small diameter spring so it figures that some barrels are less than 100% supported on recent generations of SD40VE's. To be fair to S&W, they are required to sell you a gun that safely shoots factory loaded new ammunition. The fact that it deforms brass is not their problem any more than a gun that imprints a big dent into .223 ammo like some notoriously do.

This bulge does not appear to happen in the SD9VE but it has nothing to do with "higher pressures" of 40 S&W. Both 9 and 40 are rated to have a SAAMI max pressure of 35,000 psi. I've known about the SD40VE bulge potential which is why I never bought one even though it was the only full size 40 gun S&W made that was available in California for many years.

I have an M&P40 that I've shot extensively since 2006. It has a fully supported chamber and I have 40 S&W cases that have been reloaded many time. The M&P40 now has around 80,000 rounds though it and it works better than new. Now that I'm no longer stuck behind the canibis curtain, I can now buy an M&P40 2.0 but first I'm going wild with a new P320/9, P320/40, PDP and Ruger Mk IV.
 
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