"Best" 40S&W pistol and "best" carry cartridge?

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DH

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In your opinion, what is the "best" 40S&W pistol (subjective) and the "best" cartridge to go with it?
I am considering a HK, SIG, and Glock (all full size). I am planning to reload my own for practice, but am wondering which is the best factory round to carry. Also, I've read that nickel plated rounds are not good for reloading. Is that true, and why then nickel plate? Only reason I can think of is smooth feeding.
Thanks.

* contest entry *

[This message has been edited by DH (edited 10-16-98).]
 
G

G35

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Glock 35 with CorBon 135
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G35 in Texas
 
K

Kodiac

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HK USP .40, full size or compact depending on hand size. Loaded with 135gr +P Cor-Bon or MagSafe Swat rounds. Some times I mix'm one after the other, depending on how evil I feel that day.
 
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Rich Lucibella

Staff
The gun: Any Glock .40 that's comfortable, concealable and shootable for the handler.

The ammunition: Well, I guess I'm a Facklerite at heart. Any good 180gr hollow point, particularly those tipped by the Winchester SXT or Gold Dot bullet. (The .40S&W is hardly an overpenetrator. Lighter rounds and frangible rounds tend to decrease penetration.) YMMV

Rich
 
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Rob Pincus

New member
I hate these questions, but I love to answer..hehe

for the average person in the average climate with the average shooting ability:

Glock 23 with Remington Golden Sabre
 
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Jon

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Personally, I have a Sig 229 in .40 S&W, and I feel that is the best of the Sigs in .40... As for the best gun overall from the brands you listed... Hmmm.. A tough choice, but if you are going to be carrying, probably a polymer framed gun is best... I personally like the HK USP better than the Glock, but both are very fine guns that you need to see what features you want (i.e. the USP has a decocker and safety, the glock has the safe action system, etc).

Go to a range and rent the guns to see which ones feel the best in your hand - that is probably the best advice...

As for what load I like... I really like the 165 gr. loadings in .40 S&W. I particularly like Proload's 165 gr. Gold Dot load. I works out great in my Sig...
 
G

GLV

Moderator
Sig 229, or H&K USP. Both have a fully supported chamber, and do not have KABOOM problems. GLV
 
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Randall Kern

New member
I think this is a very individual choice. I do have three suggestions:
1. Pick a gun you are comfortable with (shoots well in your hand, make sure you can reach the controls, etc.)
2. Pick ammo which is RELIABLE in your gun (shoot at least 100 rds after the gun is broken in, and if you have any feed problems, try something else.)
3. Generally, the size and caliber a gun was designed for will be more reliable.

-Randy
 
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DH

New member
Due to everything I've read, I'm leaning toward a HK USP40. I got a chance to test the full size model.
Now, between "full" and "compact" size:
Is it true that the velocity is higher for a longer barrel? Why?
Is the recoil higher on one or the other, since the compact model does not have the same recoil buffer system?
These may sound like stupid questions, but the ranges in my area do not have the compact model for rent, otherwise I'd rent them for testing.
The sight inserts (not the sights themselves) on the full size also look like they can easily be pushed out. Does someone make tritium inserts just for those sights?
Thanks.
 
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Exodus

New member
I own a .40 USP Full-size and I am very happy with it so far. Some major advantages of the USP are the ability to select double or single action and which side the decocking lever is on(variant's) Personally I haven't had ONE misfire/misfeed/jam/stovepipe on the firearm to date which makes it a very very reliable gun. It is an extremely reliable gun and its weight is excellent for CC. Another advantage is that you can carry it cocked-and-locked. It's no-nonsense combo safety/decocker is very easy to use, not out of reach(you wont have to fumble to find it if you find yourself in a world of hurt) and best of all its not on the slide!

Disadvantages? Well it's recoil has a bit to be desired due to its light weight but that is easy enough to get used to. It is also a bit bulky to carry on your hip.

Want more info? Check out the unofficial website of HK at http://www.streetpro.com/usp/

Check out the testing standards at this site.
 
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jwong

New member
DH,

To answer your question, a longer barrel (to a certain extent) will produce a higher velocity than a shorter barrel... The reason? Well the short and simple answer is that a longer barrel allows for more gun powder to burn behind the bullet and thus push the bullet out of the barrel faster. That is one reason why in general a short barrel gun will result in a larger muzzle flash because there is more powder burning outside of the confines of the barrel.

And as for the compact having more recoil? Well, in general, a smaller gun will have more felt recoil than a larger version of the same gun... Why? Well, the factor basically breaks down to weight and the laws of physics...

Hope these short answers help you out. Feel free to email me if you want a longer more boring drawn out answer...
 
D

DH

New member
Do I need to break in the barrel?
Also, on cleaning, what's the concern on using brass bristle brushes if they are softer than the barrel steel? If the metal is softer, how can they scratch the barrel?
 
K

Kodiac

New member
Brass brushes are no problem - dont worry about them...
This new Walther P-99 in .40 looks very impressive. I may have to buy one. My brother owns one - And he loves it. It is his compact, next to his HK USP full size in .40. I am thinking these Triton Quik-Shoks are the number one loads.
 
M

Mute

New member
For production pieces, Glocks are hard to beat. Finding the right one depends on which size model fits you most comfortably.

If you prefer to have a REAL safety, I like the HK USP Compact and any USP for that matter.

Now if you don't mind buying a custom, check out the Fantom Fighter by Fred Craig. 1911 style pistol that's smaller than an Officers model but holds 13 rounds.

As for cartridge, I personally prefer 165 or 180 gr. rounds. Hydra-Shok, Golden Sabre...etc. All the new modern rounds are great in my opinion.
 
M

Mute

New member
DH,

Regarding the velocity issue, you may want to find some test results. I seen some instances where a shorter barrel actually did get higher velocity depending on the round. The reason is that the powder used, burns so efficiently that it burns completely before exiting the shorter barrel. A longer barrel would therefore, provide more resistance to the bullet after the completion of the gas expansion. In other words, the gas is no longer building up additional pressure. Hope this helps.
 
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DH

New member
Very interesting ideas about powder burn rates, barrel length in contribution to velocity.

On a side note, I hit the gun shop to handle a Walther P99 (but in 9mm). They didn't have one to rent. Great feel! Has anyone tested the .40 version yet? How does the 9mm version stack up against a 9mm HK USP?
 
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GmbH

New member
Have any of you fired USP with muzzle-brake?

I have been doing that, and finally, when I strip down the compensator, I can't clean the carbon deposit left on the mouth of the barrel. I even doubt that this deposit came from the back of the compensator.

Any idea? I tried everything to clean it, but nothin' seems to work.

Practical suggestions are appreciated.
 
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