Looking for low pressure .40SW

[Glock17]

I'm looking for a decent lower pressure target and carry ammo for my Glock 23. I know the liklihood of a kB! is a well cleaned G23 using only factory ammunition is extremely low, but I don't want to have to use my weapon for self-defense only to find it blow up on me. I also know that .40 is pretty high pressure already.

So between target shooging and self defense, what would be decent lower pressure
.40 cartridges? I was thinking of 165 gr, FMJ American Eagles for target, and Speer Gold Dot 155 GR, JHP for carry.

[Lycanthrope]

You could always have someone load up some bunnyfart loads, but that kind of defeat the purpose of using a .40 for self defense.

I've shot about 20,000 rounds of .40 in the last few years and I wouldn't hesistate to use full house loads in a Glock.

While the Glock does not have a fully supported chamber (it's why .40 empties come out with that bulge near the rim), you really aren't pushing the envelope in terms of danger. It's not that the pressure is too high, just that the rear of the case could blow out with a really, really bad load. In extreme cases it will touch off the rounds in the mag. I don't think you're going to find that load off the shelf so have no fear.

So where do the KB's come from? Mostly from two places, I wager:

(A) People who try to load .40 to 10mm velocities and cry "That was a factory round!" when their gun blows up in front of their friends.

(B) People who use the gun for carry and load/unload the same round out of the chamber every day. Many bullets will start to experience setback when you do this and it will significantly increase pressure in the .40. It doesn't take much to push it too far.

As a side note, several 1911's have suffered the same fate, but perhaps because of the Glock's plastic frame people make a bigger deal out of it on "teh internets".

All in all, though, any of the lighter weight factory choices should be just fine.

Lycanyouhaveabetterchanceofgettingstruckbylightnin gthrope

[God's Country]

I think your are being over concerned. Use good factory ammo. The previous post
was spot on. If you are the type to unload your chambered round often you should make it a habbit of rotaing your rounds with any caliber. I once saw a .380 acp that had been chambered so many times it looked like someone took a deadblow hammer to the bullet.

FYI: Cor-bon and Federal both make a low recoil 135 grain JHP round.