8 replies to this topic

[markm59]

I'm about to purchase 2- 5.25 XDM, one for me and my wife, to shoot Production class. I have read all the posts about caliber, and there seems to be justification for getting a 40SW. But if 40 is justified becuase the load is soft, then 45acp should be justified at the same bullet weight as the 40SW, for instance 180 gr. If I load 45 to 135PF, or about 750fps, I should be in the realm of 40SW.

The big deal here is I already have a Dillon set up to do 45 acp, and a bunch of compnents.

So give me a reason that I haven't thought about to go 9mm or 40SW. I know I can save money reloading 9mm, I reload 38SC so I already have the bullets.

I tend to overthink this stuff so this is a sanity check. I need you help. Thanks

[Classic_jon]

In the long run there are two schools of thought on this and a lot of it boils down to what you plan on doing in the future, and personal preference.

If you plan on always shooting Minor (135PF) then 9mm is a good answer. The bullets are a bit cheaper, you use less powder, recoil is pretty soft, and 9mm brass is easily available.
Downside is that you generally do not want to shoot a Major PF load out of a "standard" 9mm pistol as it really has not been designed for the pressure and most people say that you really only want to use 9mm major brass once or twice because of the pressures involved overworking the brass.

If you ever plan on shooting Major Power factor, then .40 is the way to go. You can load it to major power factors and not have issues with brass. You can shoot heavier bullets and make Major more easily.
Downsides .40 mags do not hold as many bullets as the same size 9mm ones, the bullets are a bit more expensive, and Brass is not as plentiful.

Overall, it comes down to, Personal preference, what divisions you plan on shooting in the future, if you will be willing to buy a second gun for another division, and cost of reloading components. I know a lot of people that have a 9mm for minor and a .40 for major. I switched from a .40 to a 9mm for minor loads just because it was cheaper to shoot in the long run.

[BBBB]

Another factor to consider might be how much you plan to shoot, especially since you are feeding two guns. The cost difference can become significant. If you look at Montana Gold bullets as an example:

$325 for 2500 180gr. 40's or $0.13 per bullet
$317 for 3750 124gr cmj 9MM or $0.0845 per bullet

If you should 16k per year between the two guns that's a $728 difference which is about the price of a third XDM that you could use to shoot in another division if you wanted.

[markm59]

Ok some more info, my wife and I already shoot single stack, 45acp, and we have open guns in 38sc. The thought behind Production class and the 40SW was it rounds out my collection, I can shoot everything except revolver class. But since I have the equipment to reload 45 why not get the XDM in 45acp, I'm limited to 10- rounds anyway in Production, and I currently shoot 180gr bullets. Both the 40SW and 9mm will require conversion kits for my Dillon, no big deal, justanother factor.

So, can anyone tell me why the 40SW at a 135PF would be a better choice than a 45acp at 135PF shooting the same bullet weight (180gr)

I sure appreciate everyone's comments and like I said I tend to overthink things.

[PKT1106]

If you're never going to shoot anything but production, go with your choice in 45. If you have even an inkling that you may want to shoot limted ever in the future, get the 40. You can use the 45 for limited 10 as well.

[badchad]

So, can anyone tell me why the 40SW at a 135PF would be a better choice than a 45acp at 135PF shooting the same bullet weight (180gr)

I would be worried the .45 might not run reliably at 135PF. I don't know of anyone that's done it with an XDM but I know others have had problems doing the same with other platforms. I'd would, and do, shoot a 9mm over a .40 myself.

[RIIID]

The 45 slide in the 5.25 is very over weight, it will be hard to get a reduced load below 145 pf to be 100%. The slide can be lightened but that isn't legal for Production. The 40 is the better choice, it can run 135 pf at the min. for 100% it's slide is heavier than the 9mm but lighter than the 45. The 40 can hold 21 rounds in a 140mm mag the 45 can only hold 18, the 3 rounds is a big enough difference for Limited Div. Shooting Limited 9mm minor can be fun but not very competitive.
The 40 minor will be a good handling load and won't give up anything to the 9mm, 40 has always been my choice for Production. There are two small advantages over the 9mm, heavier bullet weight for taking down steel and a larger bullet diameter for a higher score, getting a no-shoot would be a minus.
The 40 5.25 is an ideal Limited gun with a few additions.
You can have one press to load your small primer rounds and one to handle the large primer cases. This will Cut down on press conversion time.
One other consideration is the 45 frame is larger in the hand if that is something that is a concern.
Rich

[markm59]

Just an update and a thank you for those that have responded. Ordered 2- 9mm this weekend. I ran a bunch of felt recoil calculations and also bullet energy calculation to see if the math would help me. The recoil impulse and felt recoil is mathematically greater with the 9mm at Minor than the 40 at minor, but the difference was so small to be insignificant. I also ran energy calculations to determine hits on a popper and the 9mm has more energy at Minor than the 40 or 45. Now I know momentum is a critical factor in knocking down steel and that edge would go to the 40 and 45.

As you see, over thinking.

Anyway, thanks again. This is an awesome forum .

[chevyoneton]

I don't think you went wrong with the 9s but I have been very happy with my .40 5.25 in Production. I don't know the PF of my loads but they shoot well and are very mild (180 Missouri TC Lead and 3.5 grains Titegroup). I sometimes wish I had went with a 9 and I might yet as I have gotten into 3-Gun and a few more rounds in the 140mm mags might be a good thing. Although it has not hurt me yet as each stage I have shot required a mag change (due to round count) anyway. I bought the 5.25 in .40 because I had a .40 3.8 for carry and home-defense and wanted mag compatiblity. I bought the 5.25 during the mag promotion and now have mags running out of my ears. I also have a 4.5 .40 XDm and a 9mm conversion barrel for it and using 9mm mags it runs 100% with a 16 lb recoil spring. It was not 100% with the factory spring .40 S&W which I understand was 18 lb. Sounds like you will be swapping the Dillon over now unless you plan on shooting factory!