From the Nov/Dec 2007 Issue

Mike “Duke” Venturino


Cast Bullets In The .40 S&W?

Have you priced jacketed handgun bullets lately? Holy mackerel, they cost a bundle! That’s why for fun and practice I insist on shooting cast bullets in my handguns. I use ones poured in my own shop or somebody’s commercial cast ones. Now some will tell you cast bullets are not feasible for the .40 S&W because their handguns’ owner’s manuals say not to use lead bullets in their pistols. Specifically I’m thinking of Glocks with their oddball sort of rifling. Maybe there are others I don’t know about.

On the other hand, if the pistol has conventional rifling with normal lands and grooves there’s no such caveat. What I do know for sure is my Kimber .40 S&W shoots lead alloy bullets like a champ. Often, five shot groups at 25 yards run under an 1.5". That’s from a machine rest, not when fired in my decrepit hands with my failing eyesight.

If someone says to you there aren’t many .40 caliber bullet moulds, just say back, “Horse-pucky, any .38-40 bullet mould works perfectly.” That’s because .40 S&W and .38-40 bullets of any type are dimensionally the same. Really.

There's more from Handloading in the Nov/Dec issue...

• Duke Does It
• Four For Four

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and get more Handloading!


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If a .40 S&W pistol is rated
OK to use with lead alloy bullets, such as this Kimber Pro Compact Model 1911, it will make
a fine shooter with cast bullets.

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