Practice & target
Full-metal-jacket, plated, lead, and wadcutter bullets describe different constructions. Grain weight is projectile mass; it does not state a powder charge or guarantee recoil.
THE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY · PISTOL
.40 S&W
A rimless .40-caliber semiautomatic-pistol cartridge. Common factory loads span several bullet weights, making comparisons by exact load more useful than treating all .40 ammunition alike.
2A Ledger reference desk · Sources checked October 18, 2026
Read the dimensions
- Overall · min–max
- 1.085–1.135 in
27.559–28.829 mm - Case length · max
- 0.850 in
21.590 mm - Bullet maximum
- 0.4005 in
10.173 mm - Rim diameter · max
- 0.424 in
10.770 mm
Know the exact name
At a glance
- Cartridge family
- Pistol
- Bullet specification
- 0.4005 in / 10.173 mmBullet maximum
- Factory examples
- 27 loadsSelected, sourced examples below
- Weight in cited examples
- 155–205 grGrains measure mass, not powder charge
.40 S&W is identified by its complete cartridge designation. The resource-table alternative is 40 Smith & Wesson. A caliber number, bullet diameter, or family resemblance on its own does not identify ammunition compatibility.
It is a different cartridge from 10mm Auto. The shared nominal bullet diameter does not establish interchangeability.
Dimensions: open the exact dimensional drawing ↗. The displayed number is bullet maximum, rather than an assertion that every manufactured projectile or barrel has this exact diameter.
Origins & evolution
Background & development
Smith & Wesson introduced the .40 S&W in 1990 after U.S. law-enforcement interest in reduced-performance 10 mm ammunition exposed an opportunity for a shorter cartridge. Its engineers sought the general performance level of those reduced 10 mm loads in a cartridge that would fit a smaller, 9 mm-size pistol frame. That packaging objective was central to the design.
The cartridge gained service users rapidly, including the California Highway Patrol and other large agencies. It offered a different compromise among pistol size, ammunition capacity and bullet size from either the full-length 10 mm Auto or the established .45 ACP. Its later popularity made it a defining American police-pistol chambering of the period, even as service preferences continued to evolve. Understanding that origin is more useful than treating it simply as a shorter-named 10 mm: it was a separate cartridge developed around a particular service-pistol requirement.
Historical sources: Sierra: .40 S&W cartridge history ↗
Construction changes the story
Loads, variations & specialty offerings
Expanding factory bullets
JHP, XTP, FTX, HST, and similar product names refer to particular designs. Muzzle energy alone does not show expansion, penetration, or reliability in a particular firearm.
Specialty load families
Reduced-recoil, subsonic, monolithic, and heavier-bullet offerings are product-specific. A +P marking is a pressure category where standardized, not simply a heavier bullet. Follow the maker’s exact product and firearm guidance.
The expanded factory selection spans 155–205 grains. Exact products and source conditions appear in the table.
Bullet construction background: Hornady: anatomy of a bullet ↗. Exact product descriptions and velocities are cited in the factory table.
The table also distinguishes ordinary factory loads. Published test conditions and product-specific notes accompany each addition; no velocity curve is inferred from one muzzle specification.
From the factory catalog
155 grains
1,160 fps
FMJ
175 grains
1,000 fps
SHP
200 grains
1,000 fps
SOLID CORE
Compare all 27 cited factory load records
| Maker / product | Bullet mass | Published construction | Muzzle velocity | Test barrel | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FederalAE40R2 | 155 gr 10.04 g | FMJ | 1,160 fps 354 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| Hornady9132 | 155 gr 10.04 g | XTP® | 1,180 fps 360 m/s | 4 in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| FederalAE40R3 | 165 gr 10.69 g | FMJ | 1,130 fps 344 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalAE40SJ1 | 165 gr 10.69 g | TSJ | 1,050 fps 320 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalP40HS3 | 165 gr 10.69 g | HYDRA-SHOK | 980 fps 299 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalPD40P1 | 165 gr 10.69 g | JHP | 1,130 fps 344 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| Hornady91340 | 165 gr 10.69 g | FTX® | 1,045 fps 319 m/s | 4 in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| FederalS40SJT2 | 175 gr 11.34 g | SHP | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| Hornady91376 | 175 gr 11.34 g | FlexLock® | 1,010 fps 308 m/s | 4 in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| FederalAE40N1 | 180 gr 11.66 g | TMJ | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalAE40R1 | 180 gr 11.66 g | FMJ | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalAE40SJ2 | 180 gr 11.66 g | TSJ | 1,010 fps 308 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalGM40AP1 | 180 gr 11.66 g | FMJ MATCH | 950 fps 290 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalP40HST1S | 180 gr 11.66 g | HST | 1,010 fps 308 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalP40HST1TM100 | 180 gr 11.66 g | HST | 1,010 fps 308 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalTP40VHP1 | 180 gr 11.66 g | JHP | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalWM5223 | 180 gr 11.66 g | FMJ | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| Hornady91364 | 180 gr 11.66 g | XTP® | 950 fps 290 m/s | 4 in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| Hornady91369 | 180 gr 11.66 g | XTP® | 950 fps 290 m/s | 4 in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| FederalP40SHC1 | 200 gr 12.96 g | SOLID CORE | 1,000 fps 305 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalAE40SJAP1 | 205 gr 13.28 g | TSJ | 830 fps 253 m/s | 4 in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| Fiocchi40SWC | 165 gr 10.69 g | JHPStandard factory load. Its published velocity is not a guarantee of subsonic performance in every firearm or temperature. | 1,100 fps 335.3 m/s | Not stated | Fiocchi · PDF p. 28 ↗ |
| Fiocchi40SWE | 180 gr 11.66 g | JHPStandard factory load. Its published velocity is not a guarantee of subsonic performance in every firearm or temperature. | 1,000 fps 304.8 m/s | Not stated | Fiocchi · PDF p. 28 ↗ |
| Fiocchi40SWA | 170 gr 11.02 g | FMJTCStandard factory load. Its published velocity is not a guarantee of subsonic performance in every firearm or temperature. | 1,020 fps 310.9 m/s | Not stated | Fiocchi · PDF p. 31 ↗ |
| Fiocchi40SWD | 180 gr 11.66 g | FMJTCStandard factory load. Its published velocity is not a guarantee of subsonic performance in every firearm or temperature. | 1,000 fps 304.8 m/s | Not stated | Fiocchi · PDF p. 31 ↗ |
| Magtech40B | 180 gr 11.66 g | Standard · FMJ flat | 990 fps 301.8 m/s | 4 in | Magtech · PDF p. 6 ↗ |
| Magtech40G | 165 gr 10.69 g | Standard · FMJ flat | 1,050 fps 320 m/s | 4 in | Magtech · PDF p. 6 ↗ |
Explore the published data
Ballistics you can inspect
Select a legend entry to add or remove its line. Hover or tap a plotted point, or use the position slider. With the graph focused, arrow keys move the inspector. Solid dots identify source points; dashed connectors show estimates between them. Load construction, pressure category, and test setup can differ even at the same grain weight.
Read the original values as accessible tables
.40 S&W: velocity by barrel length
| Exact load | Source / publisher | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| Cor Bon 135 gr. JHP | BBTI | 2: 1,117; 3: 1,212; 4: 1,350; 5: 1,453; 6: 1,476; 7: 1,514; 8: 1,537; 9: 1,555; 10: 1,587; 11: 1,591; 12: 1,618; 13: 1,630; 14: 1,649; 15: 1,672; 16: 1,636; 17: 1,650; 18: 1,662 |
| Cor Bon 150 gr. JHP | BBTI | 2: 1,071; 3: 1,169; 4: 1,240; 5: 1,303; 6: 1,340; 7: 1,354; 8: 1,382; 9: 1,406; 10: 1,405; 11: 1,408; 12: 1,438; 13: 1,429; 14: 1,460; 15: 1,478; 16: 1,464; 17: 1,498; 18: 1,457 |
| Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP | BBTI | 2: 998; 3: 1,085; 4: 1,164; 5: 1,225; 6: 1,251; 7: 1,272; 8: 1,293; 9: 1,297; 10: 1,329; 11: 1,350; 12: 1,341; 13: 1,379; 14: 1,377; 15: 1,392; 16: 1,351; 17: 1,387; 18: 1,378 |
| Cor Bon 140 gr. DPX | BBTI | 2: 1,093; 3: 1,190; 4: 1,236; 5: 1,308; 6: 1,328; 7: 1,368; 8: 1,384; 9: 1,382; 10: 1,392; 11: 1,403; 12: 1,414; 13: 1,393; 14: 1,448; 15: 1,438; 16: 1,433; 17: 1,460; 18: 1,442 |
| Federal 135 gr. expand'g FMJ | BBTI | 2: 1,032; 3: 1,152; 4: 1,201; 5: 1,233; 6: 1,281; 7: 1,305; 8: 1,314; 9: 1,349; 10: 1,345; 11: 1,359; 12: 1,373; 13: 1,385; 14: 1,382; 15: 1,421; 16: 1,398; 17: 1,403; 18: 1,411 |
| Federal 180 gr. JHP | BBTI | 2: 905; 3: 962; 4: 1,016; 5: 1,047; 6: 1,067; 7: 1,084; 8: 1,104; 9: 1,113; 10: 1,123; 11: 1,124; 12: 1,120; 13: 1,148; 14: 1,156; 15: 1,165; 16: 1,142; 17: 1,196; 18: 1,165 |
| Federal 135 gr. Hydra- Shok JHP low recoil | BBTI | 2: 964; 3: 1,080; 4: 1,155; 5: 1,225; 6: 1,267; 7: 1,288; 8: 1,318; 9: 1,342; 10: 1,338; 11: 1,355; 12: 1,371; 13: 1,392; 14: 1,401; 15: 1,398; 16: 1,398; 17: 1,414; 18: 1,425 |
| Federal 180 gr. Hydra- Shok JHP | BBTI | 2: 892; 3: 964; 4: 1,022; 5: 1,051; 6: 1,081; 7: 1,092; 8: 1,115; 9: 1,133; 10: 1,148; 11: 1,132; 12: 1,163; 13: 1,160; 14: 1,170; 15: 1,181; 16: 1,175; 17: 1,207; 18: 1,189 |
| Federal 165 gr. Hydra- Shok JHP | BBTI | 2: 869; 3: 924; 4: 985; 5: 1,038; 6: 1,052; 7: 1,064; 8: 1,096; 9: 1,096; 10: 1,124; 11: 1,103; 12: 1,123; 13: 1,132; 14: 1,128; 15: 1,114; 16: 1,084; 17: 1,133; 18: 1,117 |
| Federal 155 gr. Hydra- Shok JHP | BBTI | 2: 972; 3: 1,065; 4: 1,126; 5: 1,190; 6: 1,209; 7: 1,241; 8: 1,257; 9: 1,297; 10: 1,294; 11: 1,300; 12: 1,313; 13: 1,327; 14: 1,337; 15: 1,341; 16: 1,317; 17: 1,346; 18: 1,355 |
| Speer 180 gr. Gold Dot Short Barrel | BBTI | 2: 930; 3: 979; 4: 1,011; 5: 1,053; 6: 1,068; 7: 1,101; 8: 1,099; 9: 1,136; 10: 1,125; 11: 1,124; 12: 1,143; 13: 1,137; 14: 1,134; 15: 1,149; 16: 1,143; 17: 1,133; 18: 1,105 |
.40 S&W: factory velocity downrange
| Exact load | Source / publisher | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| 155 gr Federal FMJ | Federal | 0: 1,160; 25: 1,095; 50: 1,043; 75: 1,000; 100: 963 |
| 165 gr Federal FMJ | Federal | 0: 1,130; 25: 1,078; 50: 1,035; 75: 999; 100: 967 |
| 175 gr Federal SHP | Federal | 0: 1,000; 25: 950; 50: 907; 75: 870; 100: 836 |
| 180 gr Federal TMJ | Federal | 0: 1,000; 25: 972; 50: 946; 75: 923; 100: 901 |
| 200 gr Federal SOLID CORE | Federal | 0: 1,000; 25: 976; 50: 953; 75: 933; 100: 914 |
| 205 gr Federal TSJ | Federal | 0: 830; 25: 813; 50: 797; 75: 782; 100: 767 |
| 155 gr Hornady XTP® | Hornady | 0: 1,180; 50: 1,060; 100: 978 |
| 165 gr Federal TSJ | Federal | 0: 1,050; 25: 1,027; 50: 1,007; 75: 988; 100: 970 |
| 165 gr Federal HYDRA-SHOK | Federal | 0: 980; 25: 950; 50: 924; 75: 899; 100: 876 |
| 165 gr Federal JHP | Federal | 0: 1,130; 25: 1,078; 50: 1,035; 75: 999; 100: 967 |
| 165 gr Hornady FTX® | Hornady | 0: 1,045; 50: 971; 100: 914 |
| 175 gr Hornady FlexLock® | Hornady | 0: 1,010; 50: 948; 100: 899 |
| 180 gr Federal FMJ | Federal | 0: 1,000; 25: 972; 50: 946; 75: 923; 100: 901 |
| 180 gr Federal TSJ | Federal | 0: 1,010; 25: 958; 50: 914; 75: 876; 100: 842 |
| 180 gr Federal FMJ MATCH | Federal | 0: 950; 25: 926; 50: 904; 75: 884; 100: 865 |
| 180 gr Federal HST | Federal | 0: 1,010; 25: 980; 50: 954; 75: 930; 100: 908 |
| 180 gr Federal HST | Federal | 0: 1,010; 25: 980; 50: 954; 75: 930; 100: 908 |
| 180 gr Federal JHP | Federal | 0: 1,000; 25: 970; 50: 950; 75: 920; 100: 900 |
| 180 gr Federal FMJ | Federal | 0: 1,000; 25: 972; 50: 946; 75: 923; 100: 901 |
| 180 gr Hornady XTP® | Hornady | 0: 950; 50: 903; 100: 862 |
| 180 gr Hornady XTP® | Hornady | 0: 950; 50: 903; 100: 862 |
| 165 gr Fiocchi JHP | Fiocchi | 0: 1,100 |
| 180 gr Fiocchi JHP | Fiocchi | 0: 1,000 |
| 170 gr Fiocchi FMJTC | Fiocchi | 0: 1,020 |
| 180 gr Fiocchi FMJTC | Fiocchi | 0: 1,000 |
| 180 gr Magtech Standard · FMJ flat | Magtech | 0: 990 |
| 165 gr Magtech Standard · FMJ flat | Magtech | 0: 1,050 |
How to interpret the comparison
Changing bullet weight also often changes bullet design and propellant choice. Two curves are comparisons of the listed products, not a controlled experiment proving that bullet weight alone caused the difference. Catalog downrange points are projections under the maker’s conditions; barrel-study points are recorded observations in the study firearm.
Direct answers
Common questions
What is .40 S&W?
A rimless .40-caliber semiautomatic-pistol cartridge. Common factory loads span several bullet weights, making comparisons by exact load more useful than treating all .40 ammunition alike.
What diameter does .40 S&W use?
The cited dimensional standard lists 0.4005 inches (10.173 mm), bullet maximum. This drawing convention is different from a casual caliber nickname.
Are similarly named cartridges interchangeable?
It is a different cartridge from 10mm Auto. The shared nominal bullet diameter does not establish interchangeability.
Are the graph values measured or estimated?
Factory datasets show manufacturer specifications and any published downrange projections. Chronograph and barrel-study datasets identify recorded measurements and the original test source. Dashed connectors and intermediate inspector values are labeled linear estimates; single source points are not extended into invented curves. Energy is calculated from bullet mass and velocity.
Does higher energy mean the best load?
Energy is calculated from mass and velocity. It does not establish accuracy, expansion, penetration, pattern density, recoil, or suitability for a particular firearm. Use the exact product documentation and firearm manual.
Trace the facts
Sources & methodology
Skives & petals: read the jacket construction →
Compiled by 2A Ledger from the linked standards, manufacturer publications, and identified test records. Checked October 18, 2026. Historical tests and older catalogs retain their original dates; a listing here does not establish current availability.
- SAAMI: dimensional drawing · PDF p. 52 ↗
- Sierra: .40 S&W cartridge background ↗
- Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗
- Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗
- Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗
- Ballistics by the Inch: archived measured barrel data (2020 archive) ↗
- BBTI: study index and source records ↗
- Additional factory specification / original test ↗
- Additional factory specification / original test ↗
- Additional factory specification / original test ↗
Diameter figures preserve the cited drawing convention. Inch–millimeter conversion uses exactly 25.4 mm per inch. Factory specifications describe the maker’s test setup; your firearm, ammunition lot, temperature, and measuring method can produce different results. This is an educational factory-ammunition reference, not a reloading manual.