sean_stw Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 I'm gonna be building a 2011 open gun using my limited gun in 40sw and I'm trying to decide on which compensator would work best for it. Is there anybody with experience running 40sw open or just recommendations from others on what comps would probably work best? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HCH Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 There’s a full thread on here about Open .40. Search for it and you can find a lot of info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted August 15, 2018 Share Posted August 15, 2018 Here ya go: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_stw Posted August 15, 2018 Author Share Posted August 15, 2018 2 hours ago, ChuckS said: Here ya go: Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted August 15, 2018 Share Posted August 15, 2018 If you want a steel comp, try Aircoller6racer's comp. If Ti, try Binary Engineering. I run Gans comp with two 3/16" poppels in the barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3gunDQ Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 40 open? daaaaahahahahahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiroshi Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Bedell Comp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_stw Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share Posted August 16, 2018 10 hours ago, 3gunDQ said: 40 open? daaaaahahahahahaha Haha yeah I like being different lol. But i already have a nice 2011 limited gun and a barrel change and a comp is all i need to convert to an open gun oh and an optic and mount which I already have. I also have a couple 170mm mags and a whole bunch of 140mm. So it just makes sense cost wise for me. I also think 40 is more reliable than 9mm as far as feeding and having issues with rounds getting jammed in the mags. The only disadvantage i see is capacity but really how often is it that there isnt a place to not really lose time with a reload. This might sound a little stupid as well but 40 is bigger than 9 so if your close to the perf with 9 you might actually break the perf if you where shooting 40 4 hours ago, Hiroshi said: Bedell Comp. I've seen that a bunch of people are using them for 40, so might be good then i guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevrofreak Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Could go .357 SIG with a 124 and a ton of slow powder to work the comp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3gunDQ Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, sean_stw said: . Your best bet is to have a top half built in 9 if you are wanting to shoot open and do it without buying a new gun. Having the extra rounds don’t matter until they do. 40 is not for open no more. You are already buying a barrel and a comp, buy a slide too. Hell i I have a slide I’ll sell you. Edited August 17, 2018 by 3gunDQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_stw Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 43 minutes ago, 3gunDQ said: Your best bet is to have a top half built in 9 if you are wanting to shoot open and do it without buying a new gun. Having the extra rounds don’t matter until they do. 40 is not for open no more. You are already buying a barrel and a comp, buy a slide too. Hell i I have a slide I’ll sell you. Believe me I've thought about it, but then ill have to buy more mags theres atleast $600, then a new slide, barrel, and comp and have them fit to each other and the frame. I'm guessing that would probably cost around $1000-1200 for the parts and to have a competent gunsmith do the work. So I'd think it's safe to say it would cost about $2000 to get up and running in 9mm open. Yes I could sell the 40 mags and that would probably cover the cost of 9mm mags. But I'd also like being able to go back to a limited gun if I wanted to. Cost wise it just makes sense to me, I figure it'll cost $600-800 to go to 40 open. In the end the only other option that would make sense to me would be to sell the limited setup and buy a 9 open gun which isn't out of the question either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 sean, you will have no trouble with 40 Open. I went the same way you are planning to go. I was shooting 40 major in Limited, loved the gun, and bought an open upper for it. Later I bought a Gans Custom gun that started out the same way. It was an Edge used for Limited the owner had him convert to an open gun. Only the slide and frame (both highly modified and lightened) were original. Everything else was SVI fitted to them. I later bought a semi-custom Open gun for backup. I've been shooting the Gans gun for three years. There are many advantages to 40 for Open. First is you make major within SAAMI pressure limits. Second, the straight walled case presents zero ejection problems, even with a vertical frame mount. Third, it feeds reliably from good mags without having to super-tweak them. There are also disadvantages vis-a-vis 9mm major. Bullets cost more. I used to be able to buy good 135 and 155 gr bullets for between 8 and 9 cents each. No longer. Powder costs are the same for both. Magazine capacity could be an issue. 20 vs. 23 and 25/6 vs. 28/9. If any of the clubs I shoot at ever have a real hoser stage, I might lose a second on a mag change. So far, every stage I've shot affords at least one spot where you can change mags without adding time. 29 is nice. Last Sunday there was a stage I could have completed without a mag change if I had 29 in the mag. However, there was a 20 yard run between firing ports, so I could have changed the mag twice in the time it took me to get there. Go with your plan. It is the least expensive option. If you decide you love Open and want to build another gun, you can decide then what caliber you want. By the end of the year I will have four Open guns; two 40s and two 9mm. Why? I wanted to build two more guns and I have enough 45s and 40s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 I had good luck with this EGW comp. I let friends try it and they said it didn't feel all that different than their 9's. That was using Rainier 135 gr flat point bullets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3gunDQ Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 @sean_stw Once you go open you’ll recoup the money of the new gun from selling the 40. You could get into a new 9major gun out of the classifieds for under 3k with some mags. Top end from a solid builder with parts $2000- $2500.00 depending on all kinds of stuff. BUT Then you are in open ripping up 30 round paper stages with no reload. AND you get another gun... and another gun is a plus. 40 bullets cost more too... over the life of shooting open the money saved on bullets would even out with just buying a 9mm. The amount you spent on bulllets over the life of a pistol is more than the cost of the gun, easy. More money saved in the long run. I would bet that no one in the top 50, 80, at nationals shot a 40... it is not legit, but to each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_stw Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 3 hours ago, ChuckS said: I had good luck with this EGW comp. I let friends try it and they said it didn't feel all that different than their 9's. That was using Rainier 135 gr flat point bullets. The EGW 5 chamber looks very close to the bedell which i hear good things about, i was looking at the EGW comps before i started this thread, was mainly looking at the 5 and 6 chamber comps from EGW so its good to here that they work good also l. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotrodMachinegun Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 There's a few of us shooting .40 open. I've got a few open guns, two 9 majors and a.38 super. I shoot the .40 because it's fun and honestly I have no trouble keeping up. I'm running a short barrel and a 2 port comp, my gun barks and I had to spend a great deal of time working up a load for it but it shoots flat. I think that's the only thing your comp selection will affect, what powder and bullet weight you end up using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsipd Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 I was shooting 40 Open for a short time. I had a 4 port comp and could not produce enough gas to operate this comp. was looking at a 3 port but made the move to 9 major instead of working up 40 equipment and loads. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 sean, there is no rule that says you have to work all the ports. The only downside to to large a comp is weight. That EGW comp is a 6-chamber, 8-port design. The first four chambers have up ports. You want to 'work' at least three of them. Obviously four is better. The front two chambers have bleeder ports. They are there to make sure almost none of the gas goes out the front of the comp. You also have six baffles. Gas pushing against the baffles pulls the gun forward and reduces felt recoil. The more baffles you 'work' the softer it shoots, right up until gas starts jetting out the front. That increases felt recoil. Your bullet choice will have a lot to do with how well your comp works. 135gr bullets require more powder to make major, so that load will 'work' the comp better. It will also be louder and more concussive. I went to 155s for just that reason. BTW, don't get locked into that 170PF nonsense. It is perfectly fine to go higher. In fact it may be desirable. My gun works better in the 172~175 range. If I go to 180 it shoots flat, but is violent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
191138sc Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 On 8/17/2018 at 9:37 PM, HotrodMachinegun said: There's a few of us shooting .40 open. Don't listen to the nay sayers. As my name implies, I shot 38 Super for many years and got sick and tired of playing the brass game. My 40 is sweet and a blast to shoot. Have no trouble making major with my Brazos Thundercomp2. Go out and have fun. You will never regret shooting 40. I get 26 +1 with my MBX mags and have never been at a disadvantage compared to the 29+1 with my Supercomp mags. Yes, bullets cost a bit more but is way off set by the price of the brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCSBarney Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 (edited) As promised!!! Finally getting into Open with a 40! Muchos gracias mi amigo Robbie Wheaton for making my dreams come true! Was looking to work on a backup but the forums minders didn’t like those efforts. Will keep up efforts with this little beauty. Hopefully a range report will happen if work and kids permit the time. Yeee hawwww!! Edited January 10, 2019 by USCSBarney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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