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Common uses: Self-Defense, Tactical, Target
| Type | pistol (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 180gr Remington UMC FMJ |
| Muzzle velocity | 990 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 392 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.161 |
| Case length | 21.6 mm |
| Overall length | 28.8 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 35000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:16" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 990 | 392 | -1.5 |
| 50 | 934 | 348 | -0.9 |
| 100 | 887 | 315 | -10.2 |
| 150 | 847 | 286 | -30.6 |
The listed uses do not identify an explicit big-game hunting role, so deer- and elk-sized energy references aren't shown. Evaluate the named load using its available source data and any displayed trajectory, then verify the result for the listed target, competition, defensive, tactical, or duty context.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own firearm.
For decades the .40 S&W was the standard American law enforcement and defensive pistol round, prized for delivering more energy and a heavier bullet than the 9mm while still fitting compact, high-capacity duty pistols. It splits the difference between 9mm and .45 ACP, offering meaningful terminal performance in a mid-size package, and remains widely chambered and supported by every major ammunition maker. Its tradeoffs are sharper, snappier recoil and greater muzzle blast than the 9mm, along with somewhat reduced magazine capacity and more wear on pistols. Advances in 9mm hollow-point design have led many agencies, including the FBI, to return to 9mm, but the .40 stays a common choice for self-defense, duty carry, and target practice. Typical loadings run 155 to 180 grain bullets, with the 180-grain load being the classic FBI-derived offering.
Introduced in 1990, the .40 S&W was developed jointly by Smith & Wesson and Winchester to reproduce the ballistics of the FBI's reduced-velocity 10mm Auto load in a shorter case that would fit medium-frame, 9mm-sized pistols. The concept grew out of the FBI's search for greater handgun effectiveness following the deadly 1986 Miami shootout, which exposed the limitations of the ammunition then in service. It was quickly adopted by police departments across the United States and became the dominant American law enforcement cartridge through the 1990s and 2000s.
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