A year or so ago I talked to an IPSC guy at the range and he noticed my 1076 and Glock 29 on the line. We started talking and he commented on the fact that there was a movement going on where people were taking 1911 platforms in .40 S&W, reaming long leade/throats in the barrel and easily hitting major with an overall length approaching 10MM OAL with 180grn slugs. The reasoning being CHEAP and plentiful once fired brass, strong case head with the small primer. This sounds very reasonable to me and having a Witness Stock 10MM in the pipeline and a couple thousand 40 S&W hulls, and less than 1000 10MM hulls in the lab, I was thinking that a .40 conversion might be a reasonable investment. Anybody have any experience with this sort of thing?

This post has been edited by M'BOGO: January 18th 2009 4:49 AM

M'BOGO, I have the aftermarket 40S&W barrels for my S&W1006 and Glock-29. Best thing since sliced bread!

Bar-Sto use to produce the Match Grade 40S&W conversion barrels for the S&W 1006 and I was lucky enough to get one way back when. It has been a great barrel for plinking with those 40S&W casings and my cast bullets. I was even luckier to get a Bar-Sto Match Grade 9X25 Dillon for this 1006 from Mike McNett at Double Tap which was "new/old stock"

I have the Storm Lake 40S&W conversion barrel for the Glock-29 and it too does an exceptional job using these cheap to load for 40S&W's at slightly slower than 10mm it is easy on the gun and frame while allowing the same trigger feel and sights to be more proficient with the pistols. I'll be getting the 357SIG and 9X25 Dillon from Lone Wolf Dist. soon for the Glock-29 also.

It is sort of like using 38spl in a 357Mag pistol or 44 spl in a 44Mag pistol.

The 10mm pistol platform holds itself from 10mm and conversion to 40S&W/357SIG/9X25 Dillon with a mere barrel swaps, using the same magazines...what a versatile platform they are.

Best of luck to you!

I have been recently considering getting a 40 barrel (two actually) for my two 10mm's. At the range recently I have just been picking up all the brass and sorting it later. I can't do much with 9mm or 45ACP brass easily, but 40S&W I think I may start to use.

I have a couple of .40's already, I was wondering about using the .40 case, in a modified chamber with longer leade/freebore and seating bullets out of the case at overall lengths longer than the .40 but slightly shorter than the 10MM, in 10MM magizines. The logic being lengthing the powder column, maintaining .40 pressure levels, using abundant and cheep brass, and saving my 10MM brass.

I've been contemplating the conversion barrels to shoot cast bullets as well for the poly/octigonal rifling cast bullet issues, saving factors as well, but if I go that route, I'd get one for my Glock 23 and call it good. My 10MM practice loads are not fire breathing, impress the ladies, white knuckle loads, but they arn't FBI 10MM lite loads either. Losing .40 brass does'nt put butterflies in my stomach the way 10MM does.

This post has been edited by M'BOGO: January 18th 2009 4:48 AM

Hey all new guy here.

Im playing with the long lead concept in my 9mm Sti and heavy bullets 160s and even 180s.

I can see what you guys mean about loosing brass I have a glock 20 with a 9x25 barrel it's not just 10mm brass its brass I took time to mod

a .40 barrel with a longer lead would be great in the 20.

If you switch to a 40 S&W barrel in a 1006 can you still use the 10mm mags or are you now stuck with feeding problems?

DKing: There shouldn't be any feeding problems with a .40 S&W barrel in your 1006. As long as the slide reaches it's limit (against the frame) there should be no feeding problems. To ensure positive feeding, you may want to install a lighter recoil spring (two pounds lighter than the 10mm recoil spring, to be precise). This will permit the lighter recoil impulse of the .40 S&W loads to properly cycle the action. This prevents "short cycle" jams.

If you are using heavy .40 S&W loads, you may not even be required to change the recoil spring at all. This is because some of the standard 10mm loads (read: FBI, or 10mm "light" loads) mimic the .40 S&W as it is!

Scott

DKing, I have not experienced any malfunctions from using the 40S&W conversion barrels in either my S&W 1006 or the G-29. The 40S&W rounds cycle properly from the stock magazines and mine have worked with the 22lb spring in the S&W 1006 and the 21lb in the G-29.

If you will be shooting lighter 40S&W loads you may want to use the stock spring or lighter if cycling problems occur.

Best of luck!

OK I am interested I am sorry as I am new but want to make sure I read all this correctly. I have a 1006 if I use a 40SW barrel on it and use a lighter recoil spring and the same mags as the 10mm I can shoot 40SM out of the 1006?

IF that is all correct where the HECK can I get a 40SM barrel for the 1006. THANKS IN ADVANCE

At one time I believe The Shadow was trying to get enough people together to turn in a special order to have some made. The company would only do it if a certain number were ordered. If memory serves me it was Barsto but I'm not sure what the number was. Other people have been trying to find those barrels too. I would like to have one myself. The only other route is a custom barrel maker and that could be very expensive. If you find someone to make them for a reasonable price then post it here. It would be greatly appreciated.