What is the velocity of a 40 SW 165gr bullet?

Answer 1

I've shot and recorded 7 different 165gr Flat Point rounds indoors through my S&W M&P 40 and they've varied from 899 up to 1153 fps in 10 shot groups measured 5 ft from the 4.25 inch barrel. 4 brands of FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) clocked at an average of 899, 971, 1026 and 1077 fps, while 3 types from 2 brands of JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) defensive rounds ran a little hotter at 1082, 1097, and 1153 average fps. All of these were brand name factory ammunition with the exception of the fastest round @ 1153 FPS, it was "new brass" ammo from a commercial reloader labeled as .40 S&W +P @ 36,000 PSI, 1170 FPS, 502 FPE, 4 in. barrel.

Another major commercial reloader told me in an email that their new brass .40 S&W assembled with 155gr S***r Gold Dot (JHP) bullets "155 +p has 1200 FPS and 496 FPE while the 155 +p+ has 1300 FPS and 582 FPE" (Foot Pounds Energy) with pressures of 36,000 and 38,000 PSI respectively, but their customer service rep. (probably the owner/president) also cautioned me by writing "I have fired both these rounds in a M&P with no problems. I do feel that the +p+ round would shorten the life of the gun if it was fired in excess."

The SAAMI specification for .40 S&W is 35,000 PSI (same as .357 Magnum) and they don't list a .40 S&W +P spec. although SAAMI spec for 9mm Luger is 35,000 PSI and 9mm +P is 38,500. BTW, the SAAMI specs for the .45 ACP are considerably lower at 21,000 PSI normally and 23,000 PSI for the +P loads.

.40 S&W +P ammunition is not recommended unless the chamber fully supports the case head. Note that the .40 S&W G***k (G22, G23, G27, and G35) does NOT fully support the case head and most ammunition manufacturers recommend avoiding overpressure ammunition in non-fully supported firearms. The .40 S&W G***ks are excellent pistols (especially the G35) and are known to handle most/all SAAMI spec. brass/copper jacketed factory ammunition exceptionally well.

Finally, my favorite 165gr SMJ (Soft-point Metal Jacketed) bullet's outdoor performance is nearly identical to the 165 gr FMJ listed above (1077 fps @ 425 fpe.) The *brand name omitted* SMJ/FMJ groups the best for me. Shooting offhand open sights at 25 yards from a clean/cold barrel I usually place 6-7 SMJ or 8 FMJ out of 10 tight enough to be completely hidden under a business card centered on the target (vertical business card is my standard for the cranio-ocular cavity). Because of the SMJ's barrier penetrating ability and consistent expansion I load them as the bottom 10 rounds in my carry magazine, right under 5 - 180gr W********r R****r Bonded LE JHP, 1072 fps @ 459 fpe which also group very well from my pistol. From the relatively few times I've fired the 180 R****rs I can tell you that their kick is a little snappier but easily controllable.

I hope this helps answer your question.