40 Smith & Wesson Ammunition
Between Tim and I, we have two guns that fire 40 Smith & Wesson. Tim has a Hi-Point carbine in 40 Smith & Wesson. He goes through a lot of ammunition, and he likes to reload for it. Fortunately, a pound of powder goes a long way, and a turret press is really helpful. I have a Glock in 40 Smith & Wesson, but I will not reload for it because of its unsupported chamber (unless I use new brass each time).
Tim and I are conducting tests to determine what powders are better suited to the longer barrel of his carbine.
| Component | Price | Units | Unit Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester 180gr FMJ .400 Bullets | $44.76 | 500 | 8.952¢ |
| CCI Small Pistol Primers | $14.71 | 1000 | 1.471¢ |
| VihtaVuori N350 Powder, 1lb | $21.00 | 1045 | 2.010¢ |
| 12.433¢ |
| Component | Price | Units | Unit Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainier 155gr Plated .400 Bullets | $30.95 | 500 | 6.19¢ |
| CCI Small Pistol Primers | $14.71 | 1000 | 1.471¢ |
| VihtaVuori N350 Powder, 1lb | $21.00 | 864 | 2.431¢ |
| 10.092¢ |
I may think about getting into bullet casting. Lee makes a mold for a 175 grain truncated cone. With this, I could cast bullets for about 3.75¢ a piece. If I can locate scrap lead, I can cast them for free.
| Component | Price | Units | Unit Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cast 175gr Lead .401 Bullets | $45.00 | 1200 | 3.75¢ |
| CCI Small Pistol Primers | $14.71 | 1000 | 1.471¢ |
| Accur #7 Powder, 1lb | $18.25 | 921 | 1.982¢ |
| 7.203¢ |
We finally tried some 200 grain loads. We located a bottle of VihtaVuori N105 Powder, and picked up some Rainier 200 grain bullets (copper plated). The load is a compressed load, but this bullet does not like doing that. The bullet seater deformed the bullets. I hope this is not too bad a thing.
| Component | Price | Units | Unit Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainier 200gr Flat Point Round Nose | $8.00 | 100 | 8.000¢ |
| Winchester Small Pistol Primers | $14.75 | 1000 | 1.475¢ |
| VihtaVuori N105 Powder, 1lb | $21.00 | 864 | 2.431¢ |
| 11.906¢ |