Local gun shop owner's comments on the .40 S & W...

[seeker_two]

False. SAAMI specifies 35,000 PSI for 9mm, and 38,500 PSI for 9mm +P. They specify 35,000 PSI for .40 S&W, and there is no +P spec. 10mm is 37,500 PSI.

I stand corrected....with a caveat....

One problem that seems to come up with the .40S&W is bullet setback. Although it does happen with other auto calibers, the .40 seems to suffer from more extreme pressures and more catastrophic failures than the other calibers. It simply doesn't have as large a safety margin as the 9mm or .45ACP or .45GAP.

The result....KABOOM....

I prefer more steel in my chambers, if you please....

 

[Conqueror]

^^^I'll disagree with that too. Properly designed .40 pistols almost never kB. The problem is that many gun companies modified their existing 9mm product lines to chamber a .40 cartridge by cutting a deeper feed ramp in the barrel, leaving the chamber partially unsupported. That can lead to failures with any caliber, but more guns in .40 had unsupported chambers than other calibers because of this design shortcut.

 

[Harley Quinn]

seeker_two,
Some have mentioned the 40 cal chamber in the Glock is not fully supported and one of the reasons that they go KaBoom more than others.

There have been some tests run about them and others, so if they are so bad why has most of the LEO locations gone to it? I believe you are correct about the steel in the chamber area. If you look at the 10 mm barrel that Glock has it is quite a bit more beefy.

 

[jlficken]

Police agencies don't care about their brass as long as it fires when they pull the trigger. The "Glock Smilie" does occur even with moderate loads in the 40 S&W/10mm becasue of the chamber support (or lack thereof). That is why since I like to reload I am buying aftermarket barrels for all of my Glocks (even the .45 as it isn't fully supported either) because the only Glock that I am aware of that has a fully supported chamber are the 9mm guns.

 

[langenc]

Lead price is not going up so much as the dollar we are buying it with is going DOWN fast with no end in sight.

 

[R.W.Dale]

because the only Glock that I am aware of that has a fully supported chamber are the 9mm guns.

The 357 sig glocks offer full chamber support. The latest generations of 40 caliber glocks offer a much upgraded chamber support as well.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Glock does not want you to reload, I have several after market barrels that will do the work for the reloads, but I won't use a Glock barrel for them

 

[R.W.Dale]

Glock does not want you to reload,

Neither does the manufacturer of just about any firearm. Just about every owners manual has that use only correct factory ammunition in good condition or something to that effect.