Good powders/bullets to run a .40 compensator?

[Fishbreath]

I'm messing around with a 3D-printed Open Glock frame. I don't expect it to be competitive, so to avoid having to worry about blowing things up with major 9mm, I built it for .40. It'll run with factory ammo, but I'm sure I can work the compensator better with handloads. Much of the factory ammo I've tried is still pretty snappy. (165gr Federal is pretty decent, though.)

 

Bullets I can find in stock are mostly limited to 140gr coated, 155gr plated, and the usual 165/180/etc. that more ordinary loads use. On the one hand, I'm assuming that lighter is better. On the other hand, plated might be better than coated for keeping the compensator clean. Is that true?

 

For powders, I have a ton of options, and plenty of time to wait for things to come into stock. Naively looking at the charge weight in my Lee manual as a proxy for gas production, Accurate #7 and HS-6 seem like the leading candidates. Autocomp, N350, and Silhouette are up there, too. Are there others I should be considering? Is volume a better proxy for gas, or am I on the right path looking at charge weight?

[muncie21]

Hi Fish, do a search for 'open .40' and you'll find tons of info on reloading options for .40 with a compensator.

 

To get you started here's a multi-year, 24 page thread on that topic: 

 

[Fishbreath]

Thanks, appreciate the link—I was looking for '40 compensator' and missed all the threads by leaving out 'open'.

[zzt]

When I was shooting 40 Open my 172PF load was 10.1gr SWMP or AA7 under a 155plated or JHP.  Really soft and flat.  You have the case capacity in 40 so use the slowest powder you can.  WAC, Silhouette and HS-6 will all shoot harder and not as flat.  I started with WAC and Silhouette and was amazed at how much softer and flatter the SWMP load was.  You need gas to work the comp and the other two do not make enough.  HS-6 is just dirty and the dot does not track well when using it.  I have no idea why, but it happens.