GS>JS> performance coupled with quite comfortable recoil at these elevated
GS>JS> energies.
GS>Care to share your recipe.  ie grains in the above loads .  Not that
GS>I won't work up to them.  I am not stupid.  As it turned out the most
Sure, it's been months since I posted the data, I can probably get away
with it by Dave.
               Very high power loads for the .40S&W.
                  Copyright 1996 by John Sandow
                      Updated July 12, 1996
   This text may not be reproduced for profit without written of the
   author.  This text may not be reproduced on any commercial on-line
   service without consent of the author.  This text may only be
   reproduced in entirety.
This article was origionally entitled "Maximum power loads for the .40S&W".
That is incorrect on several counts:  I am confident that in some instances
the loads described are not nearly the maximum possible, while some loads
may be right on the limit.
Under no circumstances with the author(s), distributor(s), or any other
person associated with this article be accept responsibility or liability
for the information contained within.
This information is intended for reference ONLY, and then only for the
experienced handloader and shooter who is willing to take responsibility
for the consequences of operating outside published reloading data.
While I have not directly measured pressures of these handloads, they are
no doubt close to the SAAMI limit of 35,000 psi, and given the minute
tolerances involved with loading .40S&W ammunition, any errors can result
in catastrophic failure and fatal injury to persons close by.  This is
serious ca-ca folks, treat it as such.
That said and considered, why even bother?
These loads can increase the range of .40S&W loads that a person has to
choose from.  If you were cautious about using the 'hot' 150gr factory
loads (475-500 ft/lbs) in your gun for pressure concerns, these loads will
allow you to easily duplicate the velocities involved with much less
pressure, since there are loads are producing close to 600 ft/lbs without
exceeding pressure limits.
It opens the .40S&W up to opportunities that might not have been
available before or increases their efficiency at it, such as pin shooting
or handgun hunting.
I'm seriously convinced that the most important reason I was able to come
up with these loads and stay within pressure limits was seating the bullets
so that the cartridge was at the maximum OAL (Over All Length). OAL is way
of measuring how much space is left the case for the powder.  Seating
bullets deeper (less OAL) reduces the space available, and increases the
burn rate of the powder that is loaded.  Increasing this burn rate can
drastically increase the maximum pressure in the case, with dangerous or
deadly results.
The maximum OAL of the .40S&W is 1.135 inches.  None of these loads have
been seated any deeper than 1.134", and a few have run out to 1.139".
Exceeding the OAL will result in more case volume, but may run into
problems such as engaging the rifling too soon, or feeding problems.  I did
not run into either problem, and neither should you with only a few
thousandths (.002" is less than the width of a sheet of 16# paper) over the
maximum OAL.  Call it insurance.  This exactness is not hard to come by,
but it does take little patience, good mechanical aptitude, and a 1"-2"
micrometer or dial calipers verified to be accurate.
One last factor that has come to my attention recently, as being
potentially very dangerous if ignored, and at least somewhat detrimental to
accurate estimates of velocity, is the ambient temperature of the firearm
and loaded cartridge when it is fired.  While I've not yet obtained enough
data to properly graph out estimates for velocity differences based on
temperature, warmer temperatures will increase pressures and velocities
significantly, to the point where if you are shooting any load here in
temperatures more than 30ø F warmer than listed, figure on reducing your
start and maximum charges by at least 1% for every 10ø F over the listed
temperature to be safe.  Remember that a gun or ammo left laying in the sun
will be warmer than the ambient air temperature.
The pistol used for developing and testing these loads was an Heckler &
Koch USP40 pistol.  It performed flawlessly, and whether or not the recoil
reduction system actually works, the gun felt great even when spitting out
the hottest loads, whereas my S&W begins to feel like it was being beaten
around roughly at these loads.  The USP is a bit bulky as far as most
pistols go, but it's a great working gun, and still shows only mild signs
of use, let alone wear after over 5000 rounds, most of them near maximum.
If you are considering purchasing one of these guns, it gets my full
reccomendation, although with very light handloads, the lightweight polymer
frame cannot be limp-wristed or it may misfeed.  A lighter recoil spring
may help if needed.  The firearm was cleaned with Hoppe's #9 or acetone,
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