.40 S&W Ammo For Sale

Law enforcement played a huge part in the development of 40 Smith & Wesson ammunition as they searched for a handgun round more powerful than 9mm ammo that didn't give up too much in terms of capacity.

Still incredibly popular among civilian shooters interested in self-defense, you'll find an assortment of hollow point rounds for defensive use and bulk full metal jacket ammo in-stock for cheap training.

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40 S&W Ammunition: What's So Awesome About It?

.40 S&W ammo for sale is a rimless cartridge jointly created by both Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was specifically developed as a law enforcement cartridge that was supposed to mimic the FBI’s 10mm cartridge. It's not uncommon to find .40 ammo in stock today in part because of the credibility law enforcement's use has meant for the round. Fitting for it's name, .40 ammunition uses .40-inch diameter bullets and has a 1.25 ml cartridge case capacity.

The .40 S&W cartridge was introduced on January 17, 1990 alongside the new Smith & Wesson Model 4006 pistol. The cartridge was a result of a collaboration between Smith & Wesson, Winchester and the FBI following a 1986 shootout in Miami, in which the current FBI’s revolvers were found to be incapable of competing with automatic weapons.

During this time, the FBI carried out a series of practical tests that consisted of eight test events which represented various scenarios that agents would likely encounter. These tests resulted in the creation of a 10mm cartridge known as the 40 S&W. Although the 40 cal ammo currently for sale is only 1mm above 9mm, many say that it is far greater than the 9mm Parabellum, and in fact, is the ideal law enforcement and defensive cartridge. Today, you'll hear shooters refer to .40 S&W ammo as .40, .40 cal but they are all referring to the same caliber.

The energy of the typical .40 S&W ammunition on sale today generates 350 to 500 foot-pounds of energy, exceeding the pressure of both the .45 ACP and 9×19mm Parabellum cartridges. Although it's is very popular amongst U.S. law enforcement and American gun owners, it has never been adopted by a notable amount of military forces.

The overall cartridge and case length of .40 S&W ammo for sale is shortened, but the other dimensions are identical to that of the 10mm Auto. Although there are some disadvantages to the 40 S&W ammo for sale today, the cartridge has been relatively successful in the United States. While it has almost identical accuracy to that of the 9mm and 10 mm Auto, it has a small energy advantage over the Parabellum, with a lighter recoil than that of the 10 mm Auto cartridge. With the right JHP bullets, .40 S&W ammo for sale has a substantial stopping power, and it can induce hydrostatic shock in man-sized living targets.