What ammo would cause more “wear” on the same type of gun?..let’s use glock26 and 27 for example (or g17vs22, or g19vs23); pretty much the identical sized gun and frame, etc.
If the SAAMI pressure specs for 9mm and .40sw are the same at 35,000 (and 38,500 for the +P 9mm), what would potentially cause a gun wear out quicker (9mm, (9mm+p, .40sw)???
Any first hand experience? We had a lengthy discussion about this subject at work last night, andpeople had their thoughts on the matter, people generally would say .40 would wear more than a 9mm, but when it came to .40 vs 9mm+P…no one really had a clue.
The .40 is lower pressured than a 9mm+P, but still has (IMO) more felt recoil.
I read that w/ 180gr .40s&w rounds, the bullet seats too low in the case and can have a HUGE overpressure when fired, that’s why FBI went to 155 or 165gr.
Since both calibers share the same action length, but the .40 generates more muzzle energy and more recoil. Thus, more overall wear and tear. It isn’t chamber pressure so much as muzzle energy which does more wear and tear. For instance, most of my department’s guns have only had 180gr loads shot through them. Our wear is fairly minimal. However, an agency next to us uses the same model Sig but 155gr Gold Dots. We all got out guns in 2004, but their guns looks like they have double the round count with their wear patterns. I’d say that we do more shooting than they do too.
Also, last I checked the FBI, along with almost all other federal agencies use 180gr. Border Patrol switched to 180gr in 2009 I believe.
i think the wear and tear issue comes up more with 9mm guns that have been “redesigned” to chamber 40. glock, beretta 92’s, there’s a few others i’m sure. shooting a 40 in what is essentially a 9mm gun will definitely lead to issues.
something like HK or the smith m&p which was designed originally for 40 should see no abnormal wear. I would wager that the 9mm versions would still last longer, but this won’t really be apparent at less than stratospheric round counts.
As noted, 9 mm Glocks have demonstrated substantially better durability than .40 versions; this is a pattern seen with many other vendors pistols…some would call that a clue.
I didn’t realize that they even used the lighter bullet weights. They used 180gr in the 10mm, and when they transitioned to the .40S&W then used 180gr too. Then of course, the 2008 Winchester contract specified 180gr only.
Prior to the 180 Bonded they used 165 Gold Dots. I saw some with & without “H.V.” listed on the flap of the box. I was told it meant high velocity and that type replaced the other type (non H.V.) which was a milder loading.
so has anybody broken a 40 cal HK? that guy who dropped his glock 21 out of an airplane had like 100k on his gun if i’m not mistaken… so there’s a 45 that lasted
Seems like most of the torture tests we see are on 9mm guns… A lot of the newer stuff is being built around 40 cal due to it’s LE popularity, as opposed to 9mm (as with the glock in the 80s)… so perhaps it’ll last a decent time in 40 too…
I think the reason many of the tests involve 9mm, is a small part the cost of ammo, and a large part, shooter comfort. A .40 is physically harder on your hands but also mentally harder to shoot well because of what Bill Rogers refers to as over pressure. I think you are more likely to break you than break your .40 firearm.
If I wanted to carry a .40, and there are obviously plenty of folks that do, I would also have an identical pistol in 9mm, and do most of my training with the 9 – shooting the .40 just enough to confirm reliability and maintain familiarity. The difference in ammo cost alone, for an active shooter, would quickly pay for the second pistol.
Gunrag writer Duane Thomas wrote an article bashing the .40 for just this reason about 15 years ago.
Multiple people/training facilities/cadres have settled on 9mm Glocks over .40 due to the higher # of breakages with the .40 round. Glock designed their guns around the 9mm round.
Many of the newer guns were designed with the .40 round as the basis for it, so they’re “beefier” to handle it.
With the exception of the FTFeed issue with .40 glocks with lights attached (fixed with a new recoil spring), many large LE agencies have been happy and fine with their .40s.
