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Deer-legal in my state. Huh? The Glock 23 is legal for deer in my state. A .40 S&W shot in at least a 4 inch barrel is considered deer medicine where I live. Add in the ability to shoot the .40 carbine, and the joy increases with every extra pound of energy you get with that longer barrel.
Glock 40 9mm
Why mention that you can mount deer with a .40 S&W around these parts? Because it is a powerful round in its own right. It may have been used by law enforcement a few years ago, but that doesn't take the shine off the pumpkin.
The Three Caliber Glock Conversion
It's still a good human cap and (according to my state's deer regulations) a good deer cap as well. Many law enforcement agencies used (or used) the .40 S&W, most notably the FBI, for a short time before switching back to 9mm. It has lost popularity, but the .40 S&W is still very effective. Let's take a quick look at the cartridge, then examine the gun.
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Where does it come from? The .40 S&W came out when the FBI (which adopted the 10mm cartridge) asked Smith & Wesson to downsize the 10mm a bit. The full 10mm bore was a real handful and so they wanted something more agents could shoot effectively. S&W created the .40 that bears its name by shortening the 10mm case and unloading it slightly, and it was adopted by the FBI. For a more complete history of the .40, read my handgun cartridge comparison.
It's rather interesting, especially if you're a fan of the forties. To be honest, I've never owned a .40 pistol or a carbine. I have nothing against the round - just that I shoot, shoot, and reload the 9mm and .45 ACP. I haven't seen the need to go with .40 since I own the "bookends" that surround it on the gauge rack. I have often thought of getting a .40 and may do so in the future. If I do, reload dies, and bullet mold would be next on the list.
Double Diamond .40cal To 9mm Conversion Barrels For Glock
Giving a weapon that grants 400 (or more) feet of energy would tend to give one confidence. This is true, especially if the gun was not large, easy to carry and held a dozen or more rounds in its magazine. I think part of the downfall of the .40 is that the ballistic development of the 9mm cartridge really paid off. Plus, there are really spicy 9mm loads available now that deliver pounds of energy like Hostess Twinkies deliver calories.
Considering you can carry more 9mm ammo in a given space than you can .40 ammo, that makes a difference. Check out the 9mm compact pistol market leader that most others are compared to - the best selling Glock model 19. This is a gun that is basically the same size as our model 23 but can carry two another round in the standard magazine read on the 23rd, 15th and 13th.
Here, we see the same difference when we look at the full size Glocks in 9mm and 40, the 17 and 22 models respectively. The Model 17 holds 17 rounds in its standard magazine versus the 15 .40 rounds in the Model 22.
This isn't exactly earth-shattering, but for some it makes a difference. Some people carry 5-shot J-frame revolvers - they don't seem to care about capacity. If you know where to place your shots, this can result in a lower cartridge capacity.
Why The Fbi And Police Prefer The Glock 23 To The Glock 19
Going the other way, however, reveals that the S&W .40 magazine you have in your pistol will hold one or more rounds than a similarly sized .45 ACP handgun. Using the same magazine comparison as above, the full-size Glock model 22 in .40 holds two more rounds in its standard magazine than the full-size Glock model 21 in .45 ACP holds, 15 to 13.
Being a .45 fan, this isn't exactly comforting news, but (as the saying goes), it is what it is. What it comes down to for me is that it is amazing that you can even have 13 .45 ACP rounds available in your carry gun, not counting the extra magazine and the one in the chamber. Capacity plays a big part in choosing a meter. But the .40 is still a good choice. It is in the middle between the 9mm and the .45 ACP and, as Elen Penfelen found, perhaps the middle is the best place to be.
One thing you might not think of right off the bat where the 23 is concerned is gauge compatibility. If you bought a Sig .357 barrel for your model 23, you now have a gun of that caliber. Your .40 caliber magazines should work, as the .357 Sig is based on the .40 case.
Worst case, the follower setup could cause a feeding problem, so you would need a model 32 magazine. Another caliber that the 23 easily converts to is 9mm. Buy a conversion barrel for a hundred bucks and a couple of model 19 magazines and you're now in the 9mm business with what essentially becomes a model 19 that says "23" on the slide. So you could get three guns for the price of an initial gun purchase and some aftermarket parts.
Why The .40 S&w Cartridge Is Still Kicking
If the ease of changing gauges isn't enough to make the 23 attractive, I don't know what will be. This is a very interesting capability though - one gun, three calibers.
The .40 will let you know you are not shooting a 22. Its recoil is generally described as snappy, especially in a lighter pistol. If we remember that the .40 is a descendant of the 10mm, its snappiness is explained. When you're pushing a 180-grain bullet at a velocity just south of 1000 fps, then you're going to get some kick back in terms of recoil.
You are talking about 400 foot/pounds of energy, like some lower .357 Magnum loads. I mentioned above how this round is legal for deer in my state, and I guess I can see why. The 10mm will do everything better than the .40 when it comes to hunting, but when it comes to concealed carry and personal defense (read more about self defense insurance), I can see where the .40 has the edge over the 10mm.
The 10mm actually has some quick recovery (at least the ones I've shot) which makes it harder to recover within time. It tends to make follow-up shots more difficult to execute in any sort of fast-paced, stop-the-clock fashion. I know there are some of you out there who shoot the 10mm regularly and are perfectly fine with its recoil, but for the majority of you shooters, it's a handful.
Glock Wins Philippine Police Procurement
Now we see the connection between the 10mm and the .40 S&W in recoil. The 10 will be bigger, but the .40 in a light gun will also get your attention.
The .40 S&W of the 23 can be quite a handful in itself. I fired one load, a 180-grain FMJ truncated cone right bullet at 990 fps from a SIG Sauer. This is a decent training load, one that will help you get used to the way the .40 feels when you shoot it. Real defense bullets will be even more active. With manual shooting you will learn the difference very quickly.
If you carry a .40, you owe it to yourself to train diligently with different self-defense loads. And don't shoot one full magazine and then go home. The .40 needs a little extra work in the functionality department because it has more recoil over the 9mm. And if you put in the time, you'll have accomplished something that not all shooters do - tame the .40 enough to carry.
Now please don't get the impression that I think the .40 is excessive. It's just that it takes a little longer to become proficient with it when you shoot it from a smaller pistol, like the Glock 23. It's worth the effort to master the weapon, though.
Glock 34c Gen 3 9mm Od Green
This 23 seemed accurate, given the small amount of shooting I did with it. I've said it before - clocks tend to be better than average in accuracy.
The 23 is slightly smaller than the 22, with one less magazine capacity than the 22. So it can be a good choice for a concealed carry weapon. Its standard 13-round capacity makes it more than enough for most situations, and its compact design strikes a solid balance between a full-sized pistol and a compact. You have a smaller than full size gun if you carry it, but you can still use the full size magazines if you want - they may stick out a little. Still, it's a simple but reliable and accurate small .40 pistol option.
The model
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