.40 S&W

The .40 S&W (Smith & Wesson) cartridge is a popular handgun cartridge introduced in 1990 jointly by Smith & Wesson and Winchester. It was developed to bridge the gap in stopping power between the 9mm Parabellum and the .45 ACP cartridges, offering a compromise in power and capacity.

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The .40 S&W cartridge features a bullet diameter of .40 inches (10.16mm) and a case length of 0.85 inches (21.59mm). It typically fires bullets weighing between 135 to 180 grains, with standard velocities ranging from around 950 to 1,150 feet per second (290 to 350 meters per second).

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The cartridge's design allows it to be used in semi-automatic pistols with high magazine capacities, making it a popular choice for law enforcement and civilian self-defense applications. Its performance characteristics offer a balance between recoil, stopping power, and magazine capacity, appealing to a wide range of shooters.