
Choosing a defensive load for your .40S&W

OK. You have your new (or not-so-new) .40S&W handgun, and now you have to
decide what type of ammunition to put in the thing. However, there are some
problems.

Problem #1: the entire topic of "defensive ammunition" is very complex, and
you've come to a very simplistic discussion of it here on this page.

Problem #2: the entire topic of "defensive ammunition" is also a matter of
much heated debate, because no one can decide on any standards or a way to
test the effectiveness, called "stopping power," of various loads, since it
is very difficult to find human subjects willing to let themselves be shot
for science.

Which leads us to the biggest problem of all, #3: folks cannot come to a
consensus on this issue, so all of the following is just my personal
opinion. If you don't like it, don't worry. You'll probably have no trouble
finding others who feel the same way. :)



SOME GENERALLY AGREED-UPON PRINCIPLES

I've already lied to you. There is a consensus among most knowledgeable
firearms enthusiasts regarding two issues: always use hollowpoint
ammunition, and always use premium factory ammunition. While there are
dissenters even to these simple rules, they are rules to live by,
especially for the novice or intermediate-skill shooter.

Hollowpoint ammunition is easy to identify -- instead of a bullet tapering
to a point or ending with a solid, flat top, it has a (surprise!) hollow
point. When this hollow point strikes a fluid medium (such as living
tissue), force is exerted along the inner walls of the hollowed-out area,
forcing them outwards. This results in a mushroom- or star-shaped bullet
that is wider in diameter after expansion than it was when fired from the
gun. For example, some .40S&W rounds (which are obviously .40 inches wide
when leaving the barrel) expand to .65 inches or greater.

While this expanded bullet makes a bigger hole, which is a good thing, the
most important aspect of the hollowpoint is that it is more likely NOT to
travel all the way through the target ("overpenetrate"), expending all of
its energy inside the target. Therefore you get increased energy delivery
and decreased risk of collateral damage.

The other generally accepted bit of advice, using "premium" ammunition, is
a simple rule to follow. Factory produced, name brand ammunition which is
designed by the manufacturer to be the best defensive round available is a
much better choice than homemade ammunition that the guy at the gun show
cooked up at home. Factory premium ammunition is made to exacting
specifications and uses high-tech bullet designs to maximize their
effectiveness. Take advantage of the fortune companies like Federal,
Remington, Winchester, and CorBon spend on development.



THE TWO SIDES OF THE FENCE

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who think there are two
kinds of people in this world, and those who don't.

In the ammunition debate, there are really only two sides: the "fast &
light" (f/l) and the "slow & heavy" (s/h). Much like debates about which
gun is best, which caliber is best, etc., discussion about such matter
frequently rises to the level of religious fury. Nevertheless, each side
has some good points to make.

As a general rule, l/f bullets will not penetrate a target as deeply as the
s/h ones from the same gun. On the other hand, l/f bullets tend to more
reliably expand, because expansion depends on hitting the target at a high
enough rate of speed. Also, as a general rule, l/f bullets have more
energy, while s/h bullets have more momentum. I personally don't understand
physics well enough to explain the difference. Nor do I think it's
important.



WHAT'S THE GUN FOR, ANYWAY?

All right, it's time to start making our choice. The first question we need
to ask is, what is the gun for? For simplicity's sake, I'll consider the
two major categories of defensive gun use, home defense and concealed
carry.

For home defense (or office defense, etc.) I personally recommend the
lighter and faster bullets. Why? Lighter bullets are much less likely to
overpenetrate, and we want to minimize the risk to the people in the next
room, apartment, or whatever. Also, lighter bullets tend to deliver more
energy, which a lot of people believe is the "key" to stopping power.

The lightest, fastest premium .40S&W ammunition is the CorBon 135grain JHP
(jacketed hollow point), which travels over 1,300fps and has more than 500
foot-pounds of muzzle energy. This rivals many .357 Magnum loads. Another
excellent choice would be the Federal HydraShok 155grain load.

Still other loads which I have not tried but would consider for home
defense: 155gr Speer Gold Dot.

For concealed carry, penetration goes from being a danger to a necessity.
While no one wants to accidentally shoot an innocent person, on-the-street
confrontations can frequently force you to shoot at someone who is
protected by some sort of cover, such as automotive windshield glass.
Therefore, the heavier, better penetrating bullets are favored for carry.
My personal favorites:

* 180grain Federal HydraShok
* 180grain Winchester SXT (basically the same as the famed "Black Talon"
ammunition, without the evil black coating or the silly pointed petals).

Still other loads which I have not tried but would consider for carry:
180gr Speer Gold Dot.



THE HAPPY MIDDLE

However, just as the .40S&W is itself a compromise between the less
powerful, high-capacity 9mm and the more powerful, lower-capacity .45ACP,
ammunition for the .40S&W also has its own compromise category, usually
165grain bullets.

Both CorBon and Remington make high-velocity 165gr loads which have a
muzzle velocity of 1,150fps and 475ft-lbs of muzzle energy. These loads
fall right between the f/l and s/h categories, providing significantly
greater velocity and energy than normal 180gr rounds while delivering a
heavier projectile with more momentum than the 135- and 155gr rounds.

I personally favor the 165gr Remington Golden Saber, which has a specially
designed scalloped brass jacket which gives excellent expansion reliability
under a wide variety of conditions.

One advantage of this type of load is that it is very good for either home
or carry use. Many people also find the 165gr bullets to be the most
accurate of all forty ammunition. However, pinpoint accuracy is not
particularly important when you only have to place your shots in an 8-inch
diameter circle at a range of ten yards or less, which is the case in most
real gunfights.



THE UNHAPPY MIDDLE

Beware, however, of the "wimpy" 165grain loads on the market. These loads
were designed to meet the newer FBI specification, calling for a lighter
bullet producing less recoil. Federal produces a 165gr HydraShok round
which is actually slower than the 180gr version.

If the recoil of the forty bothers you that much, go ahead and use this
type of ammo. But recoil can be controlled with practice -- and practice
will never make the bullet come out of the gun any faster or harder.



+P AMMO

"+P" refers to ammunition which creates a higher-than-normal pressure, and
therefore greater velocity, when fired. At present, there is no official
specification for +P ammunition in .40S&W caliber, so all factory
ammunition is loaded to a maximum pressure of 34,000 pounds per square
inch.

However, because many people, including some writers in gun magazines, have
come to believe that ammunition must be called the "Somethingorother +P" to
be a real man's cartridge, some manufacturers refer to .40 ammunition which
comes close to that 34k maximum pressure "+P."

For now, don't worry about the "+P" one way or the other. Note, however,
that higher-pressure loads place more stress on a gun's frame, and
therefore many people recommend using such ammunition sparingly in
aluminum- or "alloy-framed" guns.



THE LET-DOWN

The sad fact is, choosing the "best" ammunition is more voodoo than
science, and more myth than reality. Almost any factory premium hollowpoint
ammunition is going to do the job adequately. For example, while I
recommended the 180gr HydraShok for carry use, above, it is the load that I
kept in my "house gun" for more than a year -- and I am confident it would
do the job quite nicely if, God forbid, I ever needed to call on it.

So the only real, useful advice I can give it this: spend a little money
and buy a box of each of the different types of ammo you might consider:
the 180gr Winchester SXT, the 165gr Golden Saber, the 155gr Federal
HydraShok, and the 135gr CorBon, for example. Maybe you won't be able to
find all of them at the local store; pick up whatever they have. Then take
a box or two of each load to the range and SHOOT THEM. It is the
combination of shooter, gun, and ammo, not the ammunition alone, which
determines what a truly effective defensive load will be.

Pick the load that feels best, shoots best in your gun in your hand. It
should be reasonably accurate, have controllable recoil, and, most
importantly, should be 100% reliable. No misfires, feeding problems,
ejection problems, etc.



FUNCTION TESTING

The worst (and most expensive) part is what you have to do when you finally
pick a load -- buy about 100 rounds of it and fire them through your gun.
If you have a single failure of any kind, don't use that ammo. Period.
Unless you think there's a problem with your gun (argh!) then it's not
worth the chance of using any ammo that might not function at a critical
moment. Some folks recommend shooting 200 to 500 rounds, but that's VERY
expensive. Assuming you've bought a gun with a reputation for reliability
I'd feel safe after only 100.

Then load two mags (with one less round than max) and make sure you shoot
one each month -- this constantly cycles your ammo out, so it doesn't get
"stale" nor will your magazine springs suffer from set-in (you want to use
a fresher magazine each time, recycling your "defense" mag to your
"practice" pile; this way all your mags wear out together; most folks
number their mags to keep track if one starts causing trouble). This gives
you an extra "function check" every month of 9 or 10 rounds.



IN THE END

In the end, it's up to you. Talk to knowledgeable people and seek their
advice; but be prepared for a variety of intelligent but differing
opinions. Again, it probably doesn't matter as much in the long run,
anyway.

Stay safe!



This is the Unofficial .40S&W Web Page version 1.1 Last updated 1/19/96
Send E-mail to Todd Louis Green at ZenWolf@cris.com
Jump to Todd's Home Page

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