P-40 finishes?
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Assuming that's the original factory finish it is hard chrome.
Sent from my SM-T820 using Kel-Tec Forum mobile app
Sent from my SM-T820 using Kel-Tec Forum mobile app
Thanks for Identifying it. I decided to purchase it for $225 because from what I researched they are hard to find especially in the hard chrome. Plus they rarely come up for sale in any of the finishes.
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Yes, hard chrome was the best and most desirable finish and $225 was a no-brainer. Looks nice. 
Sent from my SM-T820 using Kel-Tec Forum mobile app
Sent from my SM-T820 using Kel-Tec Forum mobile app
Yeah I was excited to find and purchase it. Funny thing was I was out looking for vinyl records that day and ended up finding the P-40. Now just have to get another magazine and some ammo for it.Yes, hard chrome was the best and most desirable finish and $225 was a no-brainer. Looks nice.
Sent from my SM-T820 using Kel-Tec Forum mobile app
Thanks. I was surprised to find it.
MOST Smith and Wesson Series 59 magazines do work in the P-11 just fine by Kel-Tec design, and also maybe the Daewoo DP51 9mm pistol. They will stick out of the bottom of the frame a bit. The Daewoo .40 cal mags I know nothing of......................elsullo
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1,424 Posts
Ironwolf,
You done good!
P-40s are light weight and shoot a powerful round so they have a stout recoil. Be sure to grip it firmly for it to cycle reliably. Your grip has to provide the weight that the pistol lacks. (These were discontinued because customers returned them for failing to cycle, yet Kel Tec found nothing wrong with the guns. Users were "limp-wristing" them, and having to tell customers to "learn to shoot" was not good for business.)
Since nobody has mentioned it, these prefer lighter bullet weights—165 gr or less. 180 is just a bit too heavy for them in my opinion. It's a holdover from the 10 mm. Indeed, for .40 S&W, I prefer 165 gr or less even in guns like my Glock 22. That being said, I do use 180s in the Glock and my SUB2000, but that is because I got a great deal some years ago on a bunch of government contract overruns. I don't shoot these in my P-40s. When I carry a P-40, I usually have 135 grain Cor-Bon or 165 grain standard pressure Remington Golden Saber in it.
buzzsaw
You done good!
P-40s are light weight and shoot a powerful round so they have a stout recoil. Be sure to grip it firmly for it to cycle reliably. Your grip has to provide the weight that the pistol lacks. (These were discontinued because customers returned them for failing to cycle, yet Kel Tec found nothing wrong with the guns. Users were "limp-wristing" them, and having to tell customers to "learn to shoot" was not good for business.)
Since nobody has mentioned it, these prefer lighter bullet weights—165 gr or less. 180 is just a bit too heavy for them in my opinion. It's a holdover from the 10 mm. Indeed, for .40 S&W, I prefer 165 gr or less even in guns like my Glock 22. That being said, I do use 180s in the Glock and my SUB2000, but that is because I got a great deal some years ago on a bunch of government contract overruns. I don't shoot these in my P-40s. When I carry a P-40, I usually have 135 grain Cor-Bon or 165 grain standard pressure Remington Golden Saber in it.
buzzsaw
Thanks for the insight on the ammo. Do you have any feed or eject issues using the lighter grain?
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1,424 Posts
Ironwolf,
I have not had any feed or ejecting issues using lighter ammo. The lighter bullet weight seems to be offset by a greater powder charge in commercial loads. They usually have greater muzzle energy so there's plenty of impulse to operate the action. The Cor-Bon is downright hot. The main problem I have had with my P-40s has been that rounds, regardless of weight and worse with really open hollowpoints, like to nosedive into the feed ramp when loading by hand from a full magazine. When firing, this hasn't been a problem. So, I put one round in the magazine and chamber it. I then fill the magazine and insert it. As far as ejecting is concerned, it's reliable, but I usually catch a few cases on top of my head during a shooting session. There's little pattern to where they throw the empties.
One thing to be aware of is bullet setback. Not knowing your firearm knowledge, this is where the bullet gets driven into the case, reducing the volume and sometimes compressing the powder. This can cause dangerous pressures. .40 S&W is not very forgiving in this regard. I have some 165 grain Speer Gold Dot that seems prone to this. Some of these that nosedived into the feed ramp ended up shorter than fresh rounds. Banging around in the magazine due to recoil when you fire the gun can also cause this. Try shooting all but the last two rounds, that is, leave one in the chamber, and one left in the magazine. Measure them with calipers and compare them to undisturbed rounds. Hopefully they will be the same length. That Speer Gold Dot I mentioned was bought in bulk and was marked "Not for LE use. Practice ammo." I was told that this was because they were overruns and excise tax had been paid on them. Ammo bought on government contract has specifications for such things as how much force it takes to mash a bullet into the case. Perhaps these were really rejects for that reason. Being a reloader, I am now capable of putting a little more crimp on them and fixing them.
Other advice would be to replace the recoil springs regularly. Small powerful guns are hard on their springs. I don't see them on KelTec's Web site anymore. If they don't have them, Wolff Gunsprings has them and in various weights. I have used their 19 pound version with success. According to Wolff, stock is 17.5 pounds.
Your gun looks like it has a low round count. That happens a lot with these, and it seems like experienced shooters have more issues with them. If you are used to a full size service pistol, or heaven forbid, a really nice 1911, this gun is going to be hard to shoot. I found my first one while looking for a P-11. Since I didn't even know they existed, and it was my first gun in a serious caliber, I searched online to see what kind of trouble I was getting myself into and discovered this forum. I decided it was worthwhile to get to know this gun. I now have three, and strangely, shoot them better than I do my P-11. Go figure...
buzzsaw
I have not had any feed or ejecting issues using lighter ammo. The lighter bullet weight seems to be offset by a greater powder charge in commercial loads. They usually have greater muzzle energy so there's plenty of impulse to operate the action. The Cor-Bon is downright hot. The main problem I have had with my P-40s has been that rounds, regardless of weight and worse with really open hollowpoints, like to nosedive into the feed ramp when loading by hand from a full magazine. When firing, this hasn't been a problem. So, I put one round in the magazine and chamber it. I then fill the magazine and insert it. As far as ejecting is concerned, it's reliable, but I usually catch a few cases on top of my head during a shooting session. There's little pattern to where they throw the empties.
One thing to be aware of is bullet setback. Not knowing your firearm knowledge, this is where the bullet gets driven into the case, reducing the volume and sometimes compressing the powder. This can cause dangerous pressures. .40 S&W is not very forgiving in this regard. I have some 165 grain Speer Gold Dot that seems prone to this. Some of these that nosedived into the feed ramp ended up shorter than fresh rounds. Banging around in the magazine due to recoil when you fire the gun can also cause this. Try shooting all but the last two rounds, that is, leave one in the chamber, and one left in the magazine. Measure them with calipers and compare them to undisturbed rounds. Hopefully they will be the same length. That Speer Gold Dot I mentioned was bought in bulk and was marked "Not for LE use. Practice ammo." I was told that this was because they were overruns and excise tax had been paid on them. Ammo bought on government contract has specifications for such things as how much force it takes to mash a bullet into the case. Perhaps these were really rejects for that reason. Being a reloader, I am now capable of putting a little more crimp on them and fixing them.
Other advice would be to replace the recoil springs regularly. Small powerful guns are hard on their springs. I don't see them on KelTec's Web site anymore. If they don't have them, Wolff Gunsprings has them and in various weights. I have used their 19 pound version with success. According to Wolff, stock is 17.5 pounds.
Your gun looks like it has a low round count. That happens a lot with these, and it seems like experienced shooters have more issues with them. If you are used to a full size service pistol, or heaven forbid, a really nice 1911, this gun is going to be hard to shoot. I found my first one while looking for a P-11. Since I didn't even know they existed, and it was my first gun in a serious caliber, I searched online to see what kind of trouble I was getting myself into and discovered this forum. I decided it was worthwhile to get to know this gun. I now have three, and strangely, shoot them better than I do my P-11. Go figure...
buzzsaw
Thanks for the info and insight. Will definitely help me out. What do you think about this? Never seen .40 in such a lite grain.
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I haven't given that ammo much thought and don't know much about it. I tend to stick with more conventional rounds and shy away from the extremes in weight and am leery of exotic ammunition for routine target and self defense. Looking at the picture, I like the shape of their bullets. With the rounded shape and fairly small hollowpoint cavity, they should feed well. I would like to see a bullet shaped like theirs at about 150-165 grains
buzzsaw
That they do look interesting in shape. I might just try a box to see what its like.
Came across a box at my recent gun show. I wouldn't have ordered it but being I found it locally I decided to try it. Will report back when I get a chance to shoot it.
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240 Posts
Great find! I wouldn't have thought that there were any P40s still wandering around without a master.
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240 Posts
I'd recommend federal premium law enforcement 165 grain HST 40 S&W.
I agree. Still surprised I found it especially in hard chrome.
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