.40 minor recommendation

[dandtm]

Currently using a 180gr MG JHP with 3.1gr of clays behind it. Really soft recoil out of my edge but slide seems to be real slow, thinking about switching to a 155gr. Would pushing a 155gr faster give me about the same recoil but speed up the slide cycle?

[a.roberts]

Yes. I did the exact same thing.

3.6 Clays behind a MG 155 HP out of a Glock 35.

[Waterfowl-widowmaker]

I've tried both. Settled on 180's. Either Bayou Bullets and 3.6 gr of Solo 1k or 180 jhp and 3.8 loaded to 1.180.

[Keepkool]

I just loaded up .40 180gr berrys plated , federal 100m primer , and 3.2 of titegroup. hopefully get to chrono tommorrow.

[warpspeed]

What spring are you using ? Perhaps a lighter spring ?

[motosapiens]

my experience is that the lighter bullet with more powder produces more recoil for the same pf. I can tell a difference in practice. Not sure I ever notice it in a match because I'm too busy forgetting all my stage plans.

[Steve L]

I run my .40 minor around 145pf just to get the slide speed I want. To me softer is slower.

[RH45]

I just loaded up .40 180gr berrys plated , federal 100m primer , and 3.2 of titegroup. hopefully get to chrono tommorrow.

I would be surprised if you made minor with that load, unless you have a really fast bbl. If I remember right, I needed to go to 3.5 for my Glock 35.

[thermobollocks]

I've gone as light as 3.2 grains until I run into functional issues with my M&P, with a 155 grain LSWC seated about 10 mils off the shoulder. It cycled my 5" M&P, but I'd have to look into my notebook to see if it chronos fast enough to make PF. I know 3.4 does.

[blu46and2]

4.1 gr of VV N320 behind a plated 180 gr bullet makes Minor PF out of my 5" SV. 1.22 OAL

[Keepkool]

I just loaded up .40 180gr berrys plated , federal 100m primer , and 3.2 of titegroup. hopefully get to chrono tommorrow.

I would be surprised if you made minor with that load, unless you have a really fast bbl. If I remember right, I needed to go to 3.5 for my Glock 35.

you are correct , I had to bump it up to 3.4 to make major. @ 3.2 I was averaging 680 fps

[Keepkool]

I tested in my xdm 40. , this is what ill shoot in production

[Keepkool]

I just loaded up .40 180gr berrys plated , federal 100m primer , and 3.2 of titegroup. hopefully get to chrono tommorrow.

I would be surprised if you made minor with that load, unless you have a really fast bbl. If I remember right, I needed to go to 3.5 for my Glock 35.

you are correct , I had to bump it up to 3.4 to make major. @ 3.2 I was averaging 680 fps

sorry I ment minor

[Silver_Surfer]

3.1gr of Green Dot with a 175gr SWC = 129PF

[CHA-LEE]

In order to maintain proper slide velocity with Minor .40 loads you have to lighten the slide considerably. For example, I use an 11oz slide with a 10lb recoil spring with my Major .40 loads. Then a 9oz slide with an 8lb recoil spring with my .40 Minor loads. This is on an EAA Witness Limited pistol.

For .40 minor loads you want to use really fast powders with fairly heavy bullets to produce really soft shooting loads. For example, I use 200gr FMJ .40's for my wife's production load using 3.1gr of Clays powder. That thing is REALLY soft shooting. Clays shoots really soft. You can also look into using VV N310. The next time I build the 200gr .40 minor loads for my wife's gun I am going to do it using the VV N310 as that powder is cleaner burning and less temperature sensitive than Clays.

[Keepkool]

In order to maintain proper slide velocity with Minor .40 loads you have to lighten the slide considerably. For example, I use an 11oz slide with a 10lb recoil spring with my Major .40 loads. Then a 9oz slide with an 8lb recoil spring with my .40 Minor loads. This is on an EAA Witness Limited pistol.

For .40 minor loads you want to use really fast powders with fairly heavy bullets to produce really soft shooting loads. For example, I use 200gr FMJ .40's for my wife's production load using 3.1gr of Clays powder. That thing is REALLY soft shooting. Clays shoots really soft. You can also look into using VV N310. The next time I build the 200gr .40 minor loads for my wife's gun I am going to do it using the VV N310 as that powder is cleaner burning and less temperature sensitive than Clays.

Thanks for the info , very interesting

[fastarget]

In order to maintain proper slide velocity with Minor .40 loads you have to lighten the slide considerably. For example, I use an 11oz slide with a 10lb recoil spring with my Major .40 loads. Then a 9oz slide with an 8lb recoil spring with my .40 Minor loads. This is on an EAA Witness Limited pistol.

For .40 minor loads you want to use really fast powders with fairly heavy bullets to produce really soft shooting loads. For example, I use 200gr FMJ .40's for my wife's production load using 3.1gr of Clays powder. That thing is REALLY soft shooting. Clays shoots really soft. You can also look into using VV N310. The next time I build the 200gr .40 minor loads for my wife's gun I am going to do it using the VV N310 as that powder is cleaner burning and less temperature sensitive than Clays.

Been planning on doing the same thing, I switched the 45 to vv310, and now will venture with the 40. clays shot well in my Kart barreled gun (135pf), but in the SVI the load had to get bumped at least 10% to get to 135 pf. With the sub zero temps, clays was real weak, therefore I am going to experiment with 310.

Any safety issues do you think? will probably start at 3.0 and move up

[CHA-LEE]

In order to maintain proper slide velocity with Minor .40 loads you have to lighten the slide considerably. For example, I use an 11oz slide with a 10lb recoil spring with my Major .40 loads. Then a 9oz slide with an 8lb recoil spring with my .40 Minor loads. This is on an EAA Witness Limited pistol.

For .40 minor loads you want to use really fast powders with fairly heavy bullets to produce really soft shooting loads. For example, I use 200gr FMJ .40's for my wife's production load using 3.1gr of Clays powder. That thing is REALLY soft shooting. Clays shoots really soft. You can also look into using VV N310. The next time I build the 200gr .40 minor loads for my wife's gun I am going to do it using the VV N310 as that powder is cleaner burning and less temperature sensitive than Clays.

Been planning on doing the same thing, I switched the 45 to vv310, and now will venture with the 40. clays shot well in my Kart barreled gun (135pf), but in the SVI the load had to get bumped at least 10% to get to 135 pf. With the sub zero temps, clays was real weak, therefore I am going to experiment with 310.

Any safety issues do you think? will probably start at 3.0 and move up

The drop you start off with greatly depends on the bullet weight and the OAL you are using. You "Should" be safe with a 3.0gr of VV N310 as a starting point. But its always good to take measurements of the powder drop volume consumed in the case verses how deep the bullet is seated. What you don't want is a compressed load situation due to not having a gap between the top of the powder and the bottom of the bullet when its seated at the normal OAL. When building .40 Minor loads this is usually not a problem because the powder drop volume is usually really small. But its always good to double check for a possible issue.

I would NOT recommend trying to create a VVN310 Major PF .40 load. Case head separations will happen due to excessive pressures. The only guys that I have seen make "Safe" VV N310 .40 Major loads are ones using really long OAL's and really heavy bullets (200+gr) shot through 6 inch barrels. A local Colorado guy is using 224gr lead .40 bullets at 1.200 OAL with a 3.1gr drop of VV N310 on a 6 inch limited gun. It shoots really soft for major PF rounds but smokes VERY bad.

Edited February 7, 2013 by CHA-LEE

[fastarget]

180 Zero FP and HP for matches, 1.175 , I found OAL longer than that in minor starts to cause inconsistent burn, and fluctuating chrono results. I have tried, TG, Clays, now trying to find a good load with 320(still too cold to chrono), am curious about 310 for 40 minor, tried 310 once in 9mm but we did not like it, and the accuracy was marginal. Did not have to do that much for the Kart barrel, but this Infinity barrel likes different loads.

Plenty of case volume loading minor at this OAL, actually I have read of detonation occuring with too much case volume and some powders. However your advice is good, one should double check everything first.

[LtDave]

180 grain Zero JHP or Speer TMJ pulls with 5.4 grains of Silhouette, Win SP primers at 1.130 has shot extremely well in several .40 Glocks with factory barrels. Sub 2" at 20 yards.

[bulm540]

2.9 grains clays with 180 bear creek. Soft and accurate load. Gun is a glock 35.

[CB45]

My minor/steel load out of a 5" STI Eagle is approx. 133 PF. I use a 9 or 10 lb recoil spring with this load.

140 gr S&S cast TC

4.5 WST

1.15 oal

Mixed brass

WSP primer

Accurate enough for steel challenge and its just as cheap as 147gr 9mm bullets.

Moving forward, I would want to use a 140 moly coated bullet and get my slide lightened. I do notice the slide action seems sluggish even with a 9lb spring. Moly bullets for those days where the wind doesn't carry away the cloud of lube smoke.

[Joe4d]

with most of the non extreme 40 powders, like TG, WST, 320, Solo1000, I have come up with a pretty simple formula that just about always works.

Develop your Major powerfactor load with 180 grain bullets. Then with no change to dies or powder setting, simply switch to a similar 155 grain bullet. You'll end up with a 145 pf load that still cycles your gun and Id be surprosed if you dont get same poi.

[motosapiens]

with most of the non extreme 40 powders, like TG, WST, 320, Solo1000, I have come up with a pretty simple formula that just about always works.

Develop your Major powerfactor load with 180 grain bullets. Then with no change to dies or powder setting, simply switch to a similar 155 grain bullet. You'll end up with a 145 pf load that still cycles your gun and Id be surprosed if you dont get same poi.

seems to me that all that powder would make for a LOT more recoil than necessary. I just go ahead and swap springs on my cz 75, using an 11-13 lb recoil spring for .40 mino and a 17-18 lb spring for major.

In order to maintain proper slide velocity with Minor .40 loads you have to lighten the slide considerably. For example, I use an 11oz slide with a 10lb recoil spring with my Major .40 loads. Then a 9oz slide with an 8lb recoil spring with my .40 Minor loads. This is on an EAA Witness Limited pistol.

What constitutes 'proper' slide velocity? Since many guns use the same slide for .40 and 9mm, and the slide cycles fine with 9mm minor, why should 40 minor be significantly different?

[RH45]

In order to maintain proper slide velocity with Minor .40 loads you have to lighten the slide considerably. For example, I use an 11oz slide with a 10lb recoil spring with my Major .40 loads. Then a 9oz slide with an 8lb recoil spring with my .40 Minor loads. This is on an EAA Witness Limited pistol.

For .40 minor loads you want to use really fast powders with fairly heavy bullets to produce really soft shooting loads. For example, I use 200gr FMJ .40's for my wife's production load using 3.1gr of Clays powder. That thing is REALLY soft shooting. Clays shoots really soft. You can also look into using VV N310. The next time I build the 200gr .40 minor loads for my wife's gun I am going to do it using the VV N310 as that powder is cleaner burning and less temperature sensitive than Clays.

Been planning on doing the same thing, I switched the 45 to vv310, and now will venture with the 40. clays shot well in my Kart barreled gun (135pf), but in the SVI the load had to get bumped at least 10% to get to 135 pf. With the sub zero temps, clays was real weak, therefore I am going to experiment with 310.

Any safety issues do you think? will probably start at 3.0 and move up

The drop you start off with greatly depends on the bullet weight and the OAL you are using. You "Should" be safe with a 3.0gr of VV N310 as a starting point. But its always good to take measurements of the powder drop volume consumed in the case verses how deep the bullet is seated. What you don't want is a compressed load situation due to not having a gap between the top of the powder and the bottom of the bullet when its seated at the normal OAL. When building .40 Minor loads this is usually not a problem because the powder drop volume is usually really small. But its always good to double check for a possible issue.

I would NOT recommend trying to create a VVN310 Major PF .40 load. Case head separations will happen due to excessive pressures. The only guys that I have seen make "Safe" VV N310 .40 Major loads are ones using really long OAL's and really heavy bullets (200+gr) shot through 6 inch barrels. A local Colorado guy is using 224gr lead .40 bullets at 1.200 OAL with a 3.1gr drop of VV N310 on a 6 inch limited gun. It shoots really soft for major PF rounds but smokes VERY bad.

I tried some 310 for .40 minor, and was getting really wierd chrono results, but, I really like it for .45 major.

I ran Clays for a .40 minor load for a while, as well as for .45 major, but, the temperature senstitivity was driving me nuts.

I use 320, or Titegroup for .40 MAJOR, depending on what bullet I'm using, and have run Titegroup for .40 minor, but, haven't tried 320 for .40 minor yet.