40 cal?

[BarryinIN]

I tried several .40s when it was getting attention, giving it more than a fair chance. The only two that shot very well at all were a CZ75B and a Browning HiPower.

The BHP is the only .40 I’ve kept. Partially because it’s a BHP and I can’t let them go, and partially because of it being a good shooting .40.
Browning was one of the very few who didn’t just shove a .40 barrel and maybe a heavier recoil spring into a 9mm. They made the slide slightly wider and heavier, added another lug to the slide and barrel, and a heavier spring.

The slightly wider slide messes with the traditional BHP grace to me, but it still feels better than other guns.

The only time it gets shot is by the 4-H kids each year. On one of the handgun days, we let them shoot a variety of calibers to see what they’re like- .22 on up. I think mine is the only .40 between the club and all the instructors.

Since I made this post, I’ve been thinking about the .40 ammo I still have. I don’t have a ton of it, but at the rate I’m going, it’s about 136 lifetime’s worth. I’m not sure how or why I accumulated so much, but I did.

I’ve thought about getting a .40 barrel, lighter recoil spring, and a couple of magazines for my Delta Elite and shooting up most of that ammo.

I could shoot it through my .40 BHP, but since those are starting to become a little uncommon maybe I’d better go easy on it. And I need to shoot the Delta more anyway.