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40 S&W

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We shot 28 self-defense loads of 40 S&W ammo into ballistic gel

Smith and Wesson and Winchester partnered to develop 40 Smith and Wesson ammo or the "40 cal" cartridge as a round for law enforcement. Their hope was to create a caliber that could mimic the performance of the FBI's reduced-velocity 10mm automatic round with rounds small enough in physical size to be carried with a medium-frame pistol.

40 S&W quickly caught on and remains a popular caliber for personal protection and range training today. Range shooters will likely opt for full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds with a non-expanding bullet while those seeking a round for protection will want to look at jacketed hollow point (JHP) ammo. In terms of ballistic performance, expect the lighter 40 cal rounds (155-grain) to leave the muzzle at about 1,205 feet per second and the heavier rounds (180-grain) to bring a muzzle velocity of about 1,050 feet per second.

Look for a wide selection of 40 S&W ammo for sale from trusted manufacturers like Federal, PMC and Hornady in the most common bullet types out there today, like full metal jacket (FMJ), jacketed hollow point (JHP) in the categories listed below:

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1000rds - 40 S&W PMC 165gr. FMJ Ammo

$359.95

$0.36/ppr

13 In Stock
1000rds - 40 S&W Speer Lawman 180gr. TMJ Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 1 Review(s)

$369.95

$0.37/ppr

17 In Stock
1000rds - 40 S&W PMC 180gr. FMJ Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 1 Review(s)

$374.95

$0.38/ppr

13 In Stock
1000rds - 40 S&W Blazer Brass 180 Grain FMJ Ammo Video

$379.95

$0.38/ppr

14 In Stock
1000rds - 40 S&W Federal American Eagle IRT 180gr. TMJ Ammo

$379.95

$0.38/ppr

9 In Stock
1000rds - 40 S&W MAGTECH 180gr. FMJ Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 3 Review(s)

$384.95

$0.39/ppr

4 In Stock
1000rds - 40 S&W Federal American Eagle 180gr. FMJ Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 2 Review(s)

$389.95

$0.39/ppr

14 In Stock
50rds - 40 S&W PMC 180gr. FMJ Ammo

$19.95

$0.40/ppr

161 In Stock
1000rds - 40 S&W Fiocchi 170gr. FMJ Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 2 Review(s)

$399.95

$0.40/ppr

1 In Stock
1000rds - 40 S&W Sellier & Bellot 180gr. FMJ Ammo Video
☆☆☆☆☆ 5 Review(s)

$399.95

$0.40/ppr

2 In Stock
50rds – 40 S&W Federal American Eagle Indoor Range Training 180gr. TMJ Ammo

$20.95

$0.42/ppr

87 In Stock
1000rds - 40 S&W Federal American Eagle 155gr. FMJ Ammo

$429.95

$0.43/ppr

1 In Stock
50rds - 40 S&W PMC 165gr. FMJ Ammo

$24.95

$0.50/ppr

117 In Stock
600rds - 40 S&W Winchester USA 165gr. FMJ Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 2 Review(s)

$319.95

$0.53/ppr

12 In Stock
50rds - 40 S&W Fiocchi 170gr. FMJ Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 2 Review(s)

$26.95

$0.54/ppr

71 In Stock
100rds - 40 S&W Winchester USA 165gr. FMJ Value Pack Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 2 Review(s)

$54.95

$0.55/ppr

43 In Stock
50rds - 40 S&W Winchester USA 165gr. FMJ Ammo

$27.50

$0.55/ppr

88 In Stock
50rds - 40 S&W Federal LE Hi-Shok 180gr. Hollow Point Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 5 Review(s)

$29.95

$0.60/ppr

55 In Stock
50rds – 40 S&W Speer LE Gold Dot 155gr. JHP Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 4 Review(s)

$29.95

$0.60/ppr

132 In Stock
50rds – 40 S&W Federal Syntech 165gr. TSJ Ammo
☆☆☆☆☆ 2 Review(s)

$29.95

$0.60/ppr

14 In Stock

About This Data

Firearm Used S&W M&P40c

Barrel Length 3.5"

Distance to Target 10 Feet

Barrier 4-layer cloth

Ammo	5-shot average penetration depth	5-shot average diameter	5-shot average velocity
20rds - 40 S&W Barnes 140gr. TAC-XPD HP Ammo	11.7"	0.76"	1027
20rds – 40 S&W Black Hills 140gr. Barnes TAC-XP HP Ammo	11.06"	0.73"	1088
20rds – 40 S&W Black Hills 180gr. JHP Ammo	21.98"	0.43"	957
20rds - 40 S&W Federal Hydra-Shok 165gr. HP Ammo 500rds – 40 S&W Federal Hydra-Shok 165 gr. JHP Ammo	16.7"	0.48"	960
50rds - 40 S&W Federal LE Tactical HST 165gr. HP Ammo 1000rds – 40 S&W Federal Premium Law Enforcement 165gr. HST JHP Ammo	18.92"	0.68"	1037
20rds – 40 S&W Federal Personal Defense 180gr. HST Ammo	15.4"	0.72"	940
1000rds - 40 S&W Federal Premium Tactical 180gr. HST JHP Ammo 50rds – 40 S&W Federal Tactical 180gr. HST Ammo	15.38"	0.69"	983
20rds - 40 S&W G2 Research RIP 115gr. HP LF Ammo	10.68"	0.4"	1082
20rds - 40 S&W Hornady 180gr. XTP Jacketed Hollow Point Ammo 200rds – 40 S&W Hornady Custom 180gr. XTP Ammo	23.28"	0.4"	913
20rds - 40 S&W Hornady Critical Defense 165gr. HP Ammo 200rds - 40 S&W Hornady Critical Defense 165gr HP Ammo	18.68"	0.47"	1047
20rds – 40 S&W Hornady Critical Duty 175gr. FlexLock Ammo 200rds - 40 S&W Hornady Critical Duty 175gr. FlexLock HP Ammo	19.34"	0.47"	978
20rds - 40 S&W Magtech First Defense Justice 130gr. SCHP Ammo	13.7"	0.69"	1233
50rds - 40 S&W Remington Golden Saber Black Belt 180gr. BJHP Ammo	20.84"	0.45"	864
20rds - 40 S&W Sig-Sauer Elite Performance Ammunition 165gr. V-Crown JHP Ammo	20.26"	0.48"	1016
1000rds - 40 S&W Speer Gold Dot LE 155gr. GDHP Ammo 50rds – 40 S&W Speer LE Gold Dot 155gr. JHP Ammo	15.08"	0.63"	1143
50rds – 40 S&W Speer LE Gold Dot 165gr. JHP Ammo 1000rds - 40 S&W Speer Gold Dot LE 165gr. JHP Ammo	15.88"	0.62"	1080
50rds - 40 S&W Speer LE Gold Dot 180gr. HP Ammo 1000rds – 40 S&W Speer Gold Dot 180gr. Bonded JHP Ammo	14.58"	0.64"	969
20rds – 40 S&W Speer Gold Dot 165gr. JHP Ammo	17.24"	0.54"	1036
50rds - 40 S&W Winchester Silvertip 155gr. Hollow Point Ammo 500rds - 40 S&W Winchester Silvertip 155gr. Hollow Point Ammo	16.26"	0.62"	1214
20rds – 40 S&W Winchester Defender 165gr. PDX1 Bonded JHP Ammo	16.44"	0.71"	1069
20rds – 40 S&W Winchester Defender 180gr. PDX1 Bonded JHP Ammo	17.02"	0.67"	979
20rds - 40 S&W Winchester W Train and Defend 180gr. JHP Ammo 200rds - 40 S&W Winchester W Train and Defend 180gr. JHP Ammo	16"	0.66"	868
50rds – 40 S&W Winchester Ranger T-Series 180gr. JHP Ammo - Law Enforcement Trade-In 500rds – 40 S&W Winchester Ranger T-Series 180gr. JHP Ammo - Law Enforcement Trade-In	16.46"	0.74"	1118
50rds – 40 S&W Winchester Ranger T-Series 165gr. JHP Ammo - Law Enforcement Trade-In 500rds - 40 S&W Winchester Ranger Talon 165gr. HP Ammo	15.84"	0.73"	1127
50rds - 40 S&W Federal LE Tactical HST 180gr. HP Ammo 1000rds - 40 S&W Federal Premium Law Enforcement HST 180gr. JHP Ammo	16.4"	0.72"	962
50rds - 40 S&W Federal Train + Protect 180gr. VHP Ammo	21.72"	0.46"	914
20rds - 40 S&W Magtech 130gr. First Defense Solid Copper HP Ammo	13.5"	0.59"	1086
20rds - 40 S&W MAGTECH Guardian Gold 155gr. HP Ammo	18.1"	0.58"	1175

Federal Ammo

Hornady Ammo

Winchester Ammo

Black Hills Ammunition

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More About 40 S&W Ammo

When Was the .40 S&W Created?

In the world of firearms, the .40 S&W is actually a fairly new cartridge. It was created in 1990 after an infamous shootout between two bank robbers and eight FBI agents. Two agents lost their lives in a gun battle that saw the law enforcement personnel heavily outgunned. Despite being hit by the agents, the bank robbers were able to continue fighting, although they were eventually killed by law enforcement. In the aftermath, the FBI commissioned the production of a powerful cartridge with manageable recoil, giving law enforcement stopping power while allowing for accurate secondary shots. With this goal in mind, the .40 S&W was born.

What Does the “S&W” Mean?

“S&W” stands for Smith & Wesson, the company that was primarily responsible for creating the cartridge. It is common practice, dating back to the 1800’s, to have companies put their names on ammunition. This is seen in rounds like the .223 Remington, .270 Winchester, and 9mm Luger.

How Does the .40 S&W Compare to the 9mm Luger?

While these two cartridges are often compared, due mostly to the overall popularity of both, they are distinctly different products. The biggest difference is size: .40 S&W is noticeably larger than 9mm Luger ammo and has a wider bullet and neck diameter. They do, however, have similar overall lengths. Because of the wider diameters, the .40 S&W generally has higher stats for power. Head to our blog for more on how 40 S&W compares to 9mm.

Is a 10mm Auto the Same as a .40 S&W?

No. While these two cartridges are similar in diameters, they are different in overall length. They both have bullet diameters of .4 inches, but the 10mm Auto has a longer overall length. The result is that the 10mm Auto generally fires at a faster speed and has more power compared to the .40 S&W, assuming the cartridges are loaded with similar bullets. The .40 S&W, however, has lighter recoil. In fact, it was designed to have a forceful impact with lighter recoil, which makes for accurate followup shots.

What Type of .40 S&W Ammo Should I Purchase?

That depends on the purpose for your ammunition. If you are using the cartridges for target practice or competition, you will likely want full metal jacket rounds, which cycle with greater ease and leave less fouling in the barrel. On the other hand, if you are loading your weapon for self defense, you will want expanding rounds, such as jacketed hollow points or jacketed soft-nose bullets.

40 S&W

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