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plinker27
09-24-2014, 3:07 PM
Hey everyone,

I just worked a ton of overtime in the past couple of weeks and decided on getting into reloading buying all the equipment I needed. I started to research a little more into reloading and found article after article about the dangers of reloading 40SW, head case seperations and brass exploding and damaging the guns and shooter.

My question is this, is it really that dangerous reloading 40 SW? I shoot a glock, sig and xd all in 40 SW but if reloading 40 really is as bad as the articles seem then I don't think I want to do it.

Exodus343
09-24-2014, 3:10 PM
I've loaded and shot over 1000 rounds of 40, no problems, as long as you have a dedicated 40 gun, and your not going over max load, you'll be fine

ExtremeX
09-24-2014, 3:11 PM
I would say that it’s no more, or less dangerous than reloading any other cartridge…

Bad things can happen regardless of what you are reloading. It’s the nature of the hobby.

Just pay attention to what you are doing, follow the recipe, make sure dies and equipment is setup correctly, be sure of the powder charge you are using, and make sure you inspect your brass.

ducky_0811
09-24-2014, 3:29 PM
The 40 is a high pressure cartridge, and problems usually occur when someone tries to hot rod it. Nothing against glocks as they are a great pistol but most times when the 40 kabooms it's in a glock. Not because of the pistol, but because of the brass it creates. Older glocks have an unsupported chamber which creates the glock bulge in brass, when that brass is reloaded improperly, it can fail, usually in said glock that the brass was originally fired in. And that's why glock advises owners to not shoot reloads out of it.

I reload 40 and have never had a problem. Just stick to published data and you'll be fine. As for your glock, if does have an unsupported chamber, there are dies you can use to correct the bulge and you should have no problem shooting reloads in it. With that said, all the normal safety stuff applies, reload, and enjoy it!

plinker27
09-24-2014, 3:52 PM
I have a gen 3 glock. Is the unsupported chamber an issue in that?

Pauliedad
09-24-2014, 5:24 PM
Ducky nailed it.
The margin of error on .40 is slim so getting everything right is critical.
One of the side effects of reloading is that you'll end up with way more guns as you get curious about other cartridges and their different benefits.

dexstoy
09-24-2014, 6:10 PM
Glock 22, GEN 3. These are all reloaded, some 3 or more times. Only problem I had was with the first 100, I only loaded them to the minimum load and the gun wouldn't eject them completely, or they would stove pipe and basically it took for ever to get through all of them. I have went to a lone wolf barrel but that had nothing to do with reloading. There are about 800 rounds ready to go Friday to the range.

http://gallery.sdproviders.com/fx_images/gitnsome_a437d1cb2212.jpg

emptybottle151
09-24-2014, 6:36 PM
I have a gen 3 glock. Is the unsupported chamber an issue in that?
http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n483/emptybottle151/big_supp-not_supp_zps06c5d067.jpg (http://s1136.photobucket.com/user/emptybottle151/media/big_supp-not_supp_zps06c5d067.jpg.html)

SonofWWIIDI
09-24-2014, 6:47 PM
Links to articles?

Kappy
09-24-2014, 7:14 PM
I've reloaded thousands of .40S&W. I think it was the first cartridge that I loaded (I only load 6 calibers, so I'm far from being an expert). I don't count how many times I use the same piece of brass, but I'd guess some have been through the cycle more than 10 times.

Most of these were in a CZ75, so perhaps it has to do with the supported chamber. A few were in a Taurus PT140 which I've since sold, and I cannot remember if that chamber was supported.

Regardless, I've never had a problem aside from a few squibs when my powder thrower was malfunctioning waaaaay back at the beginning. Aside from that... never really had a problem.

I would suggest that you start with the minimum load and work it up from there to find a load which functions. Don't try to load a really hot round.

bigedp51
09-24-2014, 7:51 PM
The only dangerous thing about the Glock .40 is being on the wrong side of the barrel. ;)

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o254/bigedp51/40SampW001_zpsfc7e7b54.jpg

I'm not bragging with this photo, I'm 65, wear bifocals which makes the sights a little fuzzy and the target still died of heart failure. :D

ALL the Glock bulge problems were fixed with the Gen 3 and when the ammunition manufactures started making the .40 cases thicker in the base.
And "NONE" of my .40 cases have "the bulge".

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o254/bigedp51/CaseSupport2-1_zpsb7ee6216.jpg

The real problem is there are Glock owners out there that have the older barrels, don't keep up with their reading and haven't replaced the older barrels and are shooting "HOT" loads. ;)

From the Lee website and their Bulge buster kit.

Glock Cases: We do not recommend "fixing" cases fired in pistols with unsupported chambers, because there is no way to make them safe once they have bulged. The case wall is thinned where it bulges, and resizing the outside of the case back down to the correct diameter does not restore the case back to its original thickness. If this case is fired in a pistol with an unsupported chamber again, and this thinned section of brass happens to line up with the unsupported part of the chamber, there is a high probability that the case will rupture.


http://leeprecision.com/bulge-buster-kit.html

So be forewarned, many, many people use range pickup brass and I am one of them. But by not reading and staying informed is the major reason these mishaps happen. "Stupid is as stupid does"

Make Right With a “.40 Lite”
http://www.handgunsmag.com/ammo/ammunition_40lite_091806/

NOTE: The Speer #14 reloading manual has 165 gr law enforcement loads (.40 Lite) and are warmer than the loads above.

3RDGEARGRNDRR
09-24-2014, 8:01 PM
the more people shooting it, the more chance of a kaboom from poorly reloaded ammo.
every popular caliber has its kaboom stories. 40 is a bit hot and cases dont last as long as a 45acp but proper technique overrides all

kayaker
09-24-2014, 8:47 PM
I think you'll find that most .40 horror stories are being told by the guys that don't shoot them. Me, I reload and I love my .40's including my Gen 3 model 22

libertyordeath
09-24-2014, 9:14 PM
I love shooting my .40 reloads in my xd no problems just be safe

devster55
09-24-2014, 9:29 PM
I was told the danger is in bullet set back with 280gr bullets. As the min and max loads are normally within 1gr. I use 180gr bullets and they work great for my 40 and 10mm.

plinker27
09-25-2014, 5:00 AM
Thanks guys nice to hear success stories instead of horror stories. This weekend the world will gain one more reloader😀

Capybara
09-25-2014, 5:48 AM
The most forgiving, easiest to load round for beginners is .45 ACP, it is hard to screw it up as it is low pressure and pretty forgiving in comparison to a lot of other calibers. When you go through the reloading manuals (you will be cross referencing at least three sources, right?) and compare the CUP for different rounds, you will see that both 9mm and .40 S&W are high pressure cartridges. I agree with the others, be careful, get your loads CORRECT, setback, crimp, OAL, etc. and you will be fine. Don't be one of these guys who thinks they need to make every load the highest velocity either, be safe and work up loads, chrono them and check your brass for pressure signs. Also, this thread has excellent information regarding the Glock bulge so be aware of that. Reloading safely isn't rocket science, but you do have to be safe, methodical and listen to those who have gone before you for the "gotchas".

mif_slim
09-25-2014, 6:17 AM
I dont know how many .40sw brass, primers, bullets, and power that has fallen victim to my reloading does and pistol...never had a problem......i dont mean 1k or 2k, im talking over 10k+.

ElDub1950
09-25-2014, 6:40 AM
The gun community is infamous for latching on to many "once upon a time" issues and they get repeated and embellished until they almost reach urban legend status.

'It's dangerous to reload .40' is one of them. Stick to the specs and use a good resizeing die and establish good quality control for all your reloading and you're fine.

sargenv
09-25-2014, 7:30 AM
Follow guidelines, use the proper propellants for what you want to do, use the right platform if you want to hot rod it, and proceed to enjoy..

I would say that in all of my years reloading, I've probably shot on the order of over 250,000 rds of 40.. one pistol alone has over 100,000 rounds on it..

Most common is a split case from overusing the brass.. it happens.. nothing to worry about, just cull it from the pile and keep going.

KahrGuy9
09-25-2014, 8:01 AM
what sargenv said times about 100,000 competiton shooters in USPSA and IPSC.

Carcassonne
09-25-2014, 8:55 AM
... and found article after article about the dangers of reloading 40SW, head case seperations and brass exploding and damaging the guns and shooter.

My question is this, is it really that dangerous reloading 40 SW? I shoot a glock, sig and xd all in 40 SW but if reloading 40 really is as bad as the articles seem then I don't think I want to do it.


It is my opinion that it is not more dangerous to reload 40S&W than any other pistol caliber. Obviously the larger the cartridge, the more damage it can do. An over pressure 454 Cassul or 500 S&W will do more damage than an over pressure 9mm.



.

Mike402
09-25-2014, 10:02 AM
40 S&W was the first pistol cartridge I started out with. I run all range brass not fired by me through a Redding GRX just to make sure. You'd be surprised at the variation in pressure required to resize some rounds. Personally I won't reload unknown brass without that first step.

I haven't had any problems - i'm at about 6,000 rounds at this point. The one thing I would caution is if you use a powder like Titegroup, double (triple) check that your powder throw is giving you accurate & repeatable charges. The delta between safe & unsafe is pretty small percentage wise, and with a such small charge weight, easier to let a double charge slip by ya. I visually check each case in addition to using a RCBS lock out die.

Keeping these things in mind in addition to what others have posted, you'll be fine!

repo4sale
09-25-2014, 4:42 PM
Follow guidelines, use the proper propellants for what you want to do, use the right platform if you want to hot rod it, and proceed to enjoy..

I would say that in all of my years reloading, I've probably shot on the order of over 250,000 rds of 40.. one pistol alone has over 100,000 rounds on it..

Most common is a split case from overusing the brass.. it happens.. nothing to worry about, just cull it from the pile and keep going.
Whoooooo 40sw god!!! Over 100,000? What brand gun???

JohnJasonChun.Com

ptmn
09-25-2014, 5:11 PM
You've received some excellent advice from the posters, use proper data, start low, pay attention to detail, be cautious (but not afraid) of unsupported chambers and inspect all range pickup cases before reloading. Do all the aforementioned and you should be fine.

I load for several Glocks, 17, 19, 21C, 22, 31. Like what previous posters mentioned, I use all precautions. Don't fall victim to Internet doomsayers about loading 40 cal Glocks, just use caution...which you should be doing when loading ANY caliber for ANY weapon.

I use 180 gr bullets and fast burning powder, which the doomsayers say is a recipe for disaster. I feel that reputable load data from published sources, such as powder manufacturers, Lyman, Lee, Hornady, etc. will point you in a safe direction. I used reputable sources and developed two outstanding loads for my Glock 22, Berrys 180gr plated flat point, Winchester sp primers, mixed but inspected fired cases, 4.2gr of Win231 or 4.3gr AA#2, seated to 1.125" I have loaded and fired thousands of rounds using these loads.

This load is safe in my guns (Glock, CZ, Sig) but I make no claim for your guns. You will have to start at minimum recommended and develop loads that are safe in your guns.

Jeep67cj5
09-25-2014, 5:37 PM
I use 180gr and haven't had any issues at all. It's just crazy that you would say .40cal is a dangerous round to load. It's no more dangerous than any other round.

mjmagee67
09-25-2014, 7:17 PM
Use a powder like Power Pistol if you can fill the case and still get the bullet in it your probably good to go. I've loaded 10,000's of 40S&W. It's just another cartridge in need of reloading.

RR.44
09-26-2014, 7:22 AM
I totally agree, don't let some chiken**** tell you that you shouldn't reload .40 S&W, it's no different from reloading any other round.

ElDub1950
09-26-2014, 7:51 AM
Twenty Seven responses and not a single person is hesitant about reloading .40 and every person seems to agree you just need to use the same care and caution as reloading any other caliber.

mjmagee67
09-26-2014, 8:31 AM
Twenty Seven responses and not a single person is hesitant about reloading .40 and every person seems to agree you just need to use the same care and caution as reloading any other caliber.

And that folks is as close to a concensus as you will ever come to on the interwebnet thingy.

TheExiled
09-26-2014, 10:19 AM
Twenty Seven responses and not a single person is hesitant about reloading .40 and every person seems to agree you just need to use the same care and caution as reloading any other caliber.

Ill add another one.

.40sw was the first cartridge I reloaded (since I didnt have any .223 powder at the time) with no training other than studying the Lee manual. So far I would estimate up around the 10k round range, I have had ONE 'issue' with a reload, and that was a FTE from a light load this past weekend, shooting it out of my G20 with lonewolf .40 barrel with the 10mm recoil spring still in it. I have used my reloads in 3 different Glocks, 2 S&W's, 2 XD's and a Sig

1bulletBarney
09-26-2014, 5:40 PM
Add another one here...

My reloading partner shoots a Berreta PX Storm in 40 S&W (nice gun). He settled on 6.3 grns Power Pistol under a 165 x-treme plated FP. Excellent load. Very accurate.

edfardos
09-27-2014, 8:40 AM
I'll second the use of a slower more voluminous powder in 40. I like aa#5 for this reason, gives you slightly more margin for error as the pressure doesnt spike as quickly. Try 6.5grains of aa#5 under a 180grain xtreme plated bullet with length 1.125, crimp .421. Do not deviate from these specs. Cross check this data with at least three manuals.

Edfardos

Spaceghost
09-27-2014, 12:35 PM
Get a Hi-Point in .40, you'll be safe for sure.

Seriously, just be a middle of road reloader and you will be fine. Just check your charge weights frequently.