Tag: .40 S&W

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #16

This past week has been wet. New England is not known for its hot and balmy falls, October generally is a cold and dreary month. That’s great when you enjoy indoor activities. If I didn’t have about a dozen projects going on all at once, then I might be able to enjoy some of this weather.

Speaking of weather, I came across a woolly bear caterpillar with the largest brown stripe I think I have ever seen on one. If you subscribe to that folklore we may be in for a pretty mild winter.

I was always fascinated by these little guys when I was a kid. Still catches my eye when I see one.

Most people are in some form of hunting season. We wish everyone the best of luck, whether you have a rifle tag, or a primitive weapon tag, hopefully everyone returns home safe, and fills their freezers.

Website Updates

Marc was doing a bit of browsing on YouTube when he watched a feller have a squib load. If you’ve been reloading for any length of time, you have probably experienced at least one squib. We’ll it got him to thinking and he put together an article about Squibs, Misfires and Hangfires (oh my!).

When “Click” Isn’t Safe: Why Dud Rounds Deserve Respect

It’s worth a read if you have a few minutes to kill.

Time at the Bench

I managed to knock out some full-length sizing with that Wilson 338 Lapua Magnum full length sizing die. It’s hard to rant and rave about how great a size die is. About all I can really say is that I did not stick a case, everything felt smooth going in, and smooth coming out. I am a little irked by not having a sizing button in the die, only because my case mouths will not always come out perfectly round as I am used to seeing. (You can use these dies in conjunction with a sizing mandrel, and I might, just to alleviate that itch.)

L.E Wilson Expanding Mandrel Die

Is it a function issue? No, I doubt very much it is, the cases will be passed through a flaring die prior to bullet seating, and if the flaring die doesn’t round out the case mouth seating a bullet will. Will it cost me a .25 MOA at 1000 yards? Maybe, but I’ll probably never know, a range that provides beyond 600 yards is exceedingly rare in the Northeast.

Back to the die, it’s a nice die, the craftsman ship shows, and honestly, I would hold it up to other dies that cost a few times more than this one did. I am just not convinced a $400 German Tribel die is going to give me $400 better ammunition.

I have also been spending an inordinate amount of time getting this drill press ready for testing of case trimmers. Belts are in place and tensioned, and I have turned it on and tested the VFD, and measured runout at the chuck, about .002 on the dial, which I am very pleased with.

I am working on hooking up the tachometer, wiring in a small control panel for lights, a forward/reverse switch, and potentiometer for speed control.  Once I have all of that finished, I am probably going to start testing trimmers. It might not be the prettiest wiring job I have ever done, but its enough to get things up and running so I can focus more on handloads.

 Industry and Legislative News

Death Rattles of the 40 S&W

40 Smith and Wesson was championed by many to be the “perfect man stopper” but that has all seemed to go by the wayside, and the cartridge is dying a slow death.

Glock is apparently ending its support for the 40 S&W in new production guns. They have not come out to state that directly, but dealers have been reporting that the new 2026 dealer lists for 2026 are strangely absent of .40 cal guns. They are also paring back on some of the other caliber offerings such as 10mm.

To be honest, I don’t think anyone who has been following the firearms industry for the last ten years is surprised at the news.  In my opinion, what really killed off 40 S&W was the sunset of the 1994 Clinton Assault Weapons ban. This allowed manufacturers to start selling to the public magazines with 10+ round capacities. At which point, any argument over “stopping power” fell to the wayside, as the philosophy became, “quantity over quality”.

This coupled with the vast improvement of bullet design over the last two decades has resulted in a night and day difference when it comes to terminal ballistics. The energy differences between 9×19, 40 S&W and 45 ACP on paper have become a statistical curiosity that do not translate to the real world.  

As police budgets have tightened, and seeing that officers generally shoot better with 9x19mm, that is clearly winning the day.  Glock and others have seen a sharp decline in sales of 40 S&W and likewise have decided it was time to let it share the fate of 357 Sig, and 45 GAP.  As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think 45 ACP is going to be too far behind.

ATF Removing the Notify CLEO Requirements for Form 1 NFA Items

Form 1 is used when you intend to manufacture an NFA item. Assembling a Short Barrel Rifle or machining your own suppressor are Form 1 activities. Just purchasing something that is already registered goes on a Form 4. 

By removing the requirement to notify Chief Law Enforcement Officer, removes one more bureaucratic step for making an SBR. In my opinion, the only person who needs to know what you have is you, so this is a welcome step.

It’s only a few months before we see the requirement for the $200 tax stamp officially be dropped from the requirements. I can only imagine what kind of boon that is going to be for NFA sales.

Government Shutdown and NFA Wait Times

If you’re waiting for the paperwork for your NFA Item, you may need to wait longer thanks to the government shutdown. We are going on 37 days now, and there does not appear to be an end in sight. I do not think there is much value in trying to dissect who is right and who is wrong. It’s just one of those things we have come to expect with the current political environment.

New Guns and Gear

7mm Backcountry Load Data

If you’re a ballistics nerd like me, you’ve likely been curious about the secret sauce recipe that Federal has been using in their 7mm Backcountry. This is a new cartridge with a service pressure of 80,000psi. That’s 15,000psi over what we currently think of when we think of a magnum cartridge.

You can view the load data here

They do this by using a steel case, rather than traditional brass cases. The ammo listings I have seen range from $2.55 to $3.50 a round, which is about what you pay for 300 Win Mag. I have heard mixed things about reloading for this case. With some die makers struggling to make dies that will reliably size the case, and others saying it’s not worth the trouble. If you have direct reloading experience with this cartridge we’d love to hear from you.

Deals of the Week

We are trying something new. We get emails with sales and coupon codes, and we are working with different affiliates to try and help fund our reloading adventures so we can share them with you.  So, we are going to try sharing some of what out there and, if you click on the links and purchase something, we get a little kick back. Does not cost you anything, and it helps us out quite a bit.

This week there are a couple of good deals going on over at Optics Planet.  Starting November 7th, 2025 they are running a promo code in remembrance of Veteran’s Day. Use code THANKU to get 13%  off for qualifying items.

They are also running a few sales on optics that are a decent buy if you’re looking to add an optic to the mix.

Sig Sauer Romeo 1×24 Reflex Sight

This is your basic budget red dot pistol sight. It is mounted on any pistol or optic plate that uses the RMSc pattern. It comes with a 3 MOA dot, and runs off of the CR1632 lithium coin batteries. This is probably the cheapest USA-made open emitter optic that you’re going to find. With that said this is probably not an optic I would trust my life to on a carry gun, but the price is right to go on a range toy.

Optics Planet is running a sale on these, regular price $239.99, sale price $112.99.

Vortex Strike Eagles

Low Powered Variable Optic (LPVO) scopes have become popular for those guys looking for a bit more “zoom” then you can get with a red dot sight, but do not want the troubles that you get with a scope that rivals the Hubble telescope in magnification.  Typically, the eye box on the LPVO is more forgiving, giving you both a longer eye relief as well as not needing to be directly inline with the optic to get a good sight picture.

Optic Planet has two good sales running on these. Both of these scopes are 30mm tube and are second focal plane, which for their intended use, is fine in my book.

These scopes really are popular with guys running AR’s, and work great when paired with 300 Blackout,  338 Spectre,  458 SOCOM, or even a pistol caliber carbine.

Vortex Strike Eagle 1×8 24mm Rifle Scope (MSRP $499.99, Sale $295.10)

Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6 24mm Rifle Scope (MSRP $499.99, sale $231.83)

That is all we have this week.

If you have questions, comments, or ideas, we’d love to hear from you.

Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com

Marc – Marc@theballisticassistant.com

If you’d like to support this website, please use the affiliate links. We get a small commission whenever you purchase something through a link regardless of if it is the product that was linked or not. This is at no additional cost to you. 

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #11

The kids went back to school this week and at weeks end the school is still standing so all is well. The weather this week has been wonderful with the air almost turning a bit nippy at night. We have seen our fair share of rain over the last two days. The leaves aren’t turning yet, but I suspect we will start seeing the maples get a bit of a golden tinge here in the next week or two.

3D printers have become so cheap and so good that it really is not cost effective to build your own, unless you are a sadist. I have long since abandoned my own project to build one.

Along with my many other projects I have been working on trying to fix an SLA printer. I have torn it apart and put it back together more times than I can count. I fixed one issue and then another cropped up. Some people might think it’s more trouble than it’s worth, but at the end of the day it’s a $600 machine rescued from the dumpster. My expectations are low, but I think I’ve got the issue narrowed down, and since the machine is still under warranty, the manufacturer has been willing to send me the replacement parts, though shipping will take 7-20 days.

Website Updates

This week Marc had the opportunity to test out the Athlon Chronograph. He took some time to put together a survey for those folks who might be looking at purchasing one.

Understanding Chronographs: A Guide for Reloaders

Time at the Bench

40 S&W Returning to My Roots

Everyone has their first pistol, this was mine, somewhere I have some old pictures of it. The M&P 2.0 look way cooler, but function more or less the same.

I’ve been loading several lots of .40 S&W lately, which takes me back to when I first started reloading. My first pistol was a Smith & Wesson M&P in .40 S&W. At the time, the cartridge was still being promoted as the “man stopper.” The Utah Highway Patrol officer who taught my concealed carry class swore it was the only caliber where he never saw an assailant get back up. Today, the myth of a one-shot man stopper is well behind us.

I put thousands of rounds through that pistol, most of them cast myself with a Lee 20-lb melting pot and a 145-grain SWC mold, then loaded on a Lee Pro 1000 progressive press. Eventually I sold the M&P, picked up a CZ 2075 RAMI P, and later traded that for an HK45CT. For me, the .40 S&W always felt snappy, and full-power loads were never as enjoyable as running .45 ACP through my HK Mark 23.

I actually purchased this gun without doing a ton of research. I saw it, I liked how it felt and look and I bought it. Shot it a few times, decided it wasn’t for me and sold it. If it had been the metal framed pistol I might have kept it.

As a caliber, .40 S&W is on the decline, especially since the FBI dropped it in 2014 in favor of the 9×19. .40 S&W will not disappear completely because there are probably hundreds of thousands of guns chambered in .40. However, I doubt we will see many new offerings. Shooters are now gravitating towards its bigger brother, the 10mm Auto, when they need something with more punch than a 9mm. The only reason I am loading .40 today is because I have brass, bullets, and an HK VP40 I bought with the intent of experimenting with .357 Sig.

While I do have the .357 Sig barrel, I have not built up a stockpile of brass and bullets. For now, I just load .40 S&W to have something on hand if I want to shoot the pistol. Since I have not done much loading with .40 in recent years, I was caught off guard when I started looking up data for 180-grain bullets with Vihtavuori N330. QuickLOAD showed surprisingly low pressure. I had been running 6.0 grains of N330 with 155-grain Hornady XTPs, and I expected to have to reduce nearly a full grain for the heavier bullet.

Thanks again Brian for the save here. Good Data.

Vihtavuori’s published data only covers N320 and N340. This is when it pays to have friends who can cross-check. After a few texts and photos of different manuals, I found Sierra listed the data I needed. QuickLOAD confirmed their numbers, so I picked a mid-range charge and started loading.

Trust but verify. QuickLOAD was right this time, but as Marc wrote a few months back, it is always best to check data against at least one other source, especially when you are relying on software.

Lee Precision 223 Remington Dies

I have some really nice dies I break out for special occasions, but honestly I have found that Lee Dies work fine for about 90% of of my reloading tasks.

When I started reloading, I used a lot of Lee Precision Reloading Dies and I must honestly say, beyond a few quirks, I still think they are good value for the money.  So, when I found out that I could not find my set of 223 Remington Dies to fix that batch of 223 Remington where the COAL was too long, I ordered a set of Lee Dies.

I am about 90% sure Lee uses 12L14 as their die material of choice, as it characteristically forms a very light rust on the exterior surfaces over time.  The decapping pins are a one-piece deal, and they are usually soft, to where the pin will bend quite a bit before it breaks right off. Those pins do not take the abuse like some of the other pins out there on the market. Sometimes you’ll get a die or a tool head that has some pretty rough chatter or ugly looking threads, but at the same time, I have not personally seen where a $400 sizing die improves accuracy much, if at all, over a $20 Lee sizing die.

Once I am done with loading the 40 S&W, I’ll switch everything over and drop in the Lee dies to run through those 223 Rem loads through my Dillon 550.

Industry and Legislative News

Much of the week’s industry news was overshadowed by tragedy. It is a grim reminder that evil exists in the world. Our hearts go out to all those affected. As a parent, I cannot imagine the pain and anger of going through something like that.

These moments always spark reflection on the balance of freedom and risk. The same tools that preserve liberty can also be misused. The freedom to travel means we endure car accidents and, at times, deliberate acts of violence with vehicles. A free financial system allows us to work and spend as we wish, but it also creates opportunities for criminals to exploit and drain the savings of others. No one, left, right, or center, has an easy answer.

With that weight acknowledged, the industry has still moved forward with several notable developments this week.

Air Force Clears the M18

“…SIG guys strut like they’re fresh of a SEAL team six op but really they are just trying not to ND in the parking lot…”

Sig Sauer announced that the Air Force has cleared its pistols to return to duty. The last update on this case involved an airman who was arrested for making a false statement. It seemed there was more to the story than an “uncommanded discharge,” but the Air Force’s decision to reinstate the pistols does not settle much.

I remain skeptical. Sig has too much at stake to be impartial, and with multiple lawsuits pending, dismissing the issue as poor gun handling feels hollow. Remington tried that same approach with its safety problems: deny everything, fight it in court, and only change course when forced by a judge. That path contributed to Remington’s bankruptcy. I hate to see Sig following in those footsteps. Time will tell.

Hanover Armory Loses Baltimore Lawsuit


Hanover Armory lost a case against Baltimore over sales of so-called “ghost guns.” In reality, these were unfinished receivers. I am not sure which type they sold, but it hardly matters. The company stopped selling them after Maryland’s ban took effect. The lawsuit claims Hanover failed to conduct background checks on 80% lowers before the ban, despite there being no legal requirement to do so.

The decision came from a jury, which in firearms cases often means prosecutors stack the deck by excluding jurors who know the subject. This case will likely be appealed, and I would not be surprised to see it overturned.

Tennessee Judge Tosses Gun Restrictions

If I don’t have a map to remind me where Tennessee is, I am liable to forget. It gets lost in that cluster of states that have a Buc-ee’s and the ones who don’t

A Tennessee judge struck down laws tied to the vague phrase “intent to go armed.” The wording was too ambiguous to have legal merit, and the court ruled that restrictions on carrying firearms in parks were unconstitutional.

The ruling does not affect permit holders directly, but Tennessee is already a constitutional carry state. That created a contradiction: citizens needed a permit to carry in parks but not to carry concealed elsewhere. The judge’s decision resolved that inconsistency, and it was the right call.

New Guns and Gear

The Glock Store GS 26X Frame

For those folks who like Glock pistols, The Glock Store has their 26X frame on preorder. This frame seeks to make the ultimate Glock conceal carry gun, it combines the G19 grip length, allowing the use of double stack magazines, while allowing you to pair it with a G26, 27, 28, and 33 slide. The front profile of the grip features a very similar profile to the G43X which allows the use of sub compact weapon lights and lasers.  

This is something that really caught Marc’s eye as it is something that the Glock community came up with. They saw a niche application and purposely designed a frame to fit. This is not an 80% grip, rather it’s a serialized frame so you’ll need to run it through your local FFL.

If you have questions, comments, or ideas, we’d love to hear from you.

Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com

Marc – Marc@theballisticassistant.com

If you’d like to support this website, please use the affiliate links. We get a small commission whenever you purchase something through a link regardless of if it is the product that was linked or not. This is at no additional cost to you.