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Deer is legal in my state. What? The Glock 23 is legal in my state. Where I live, the .40 S&W fires through a barrel that is at least 4 inches in diameter. Add to that the ability to fire a .40 from a carbine, and the joy increases with every extra pound of power you gain from a longer barrel.

Glock 23 Austria 40

Glock 23 Austria 40

Why mention that you can drive deer around these sides with a .40 S&W? Because it is a powerful bike in itself. Its peak use may have been a few years ago, but that doesn't detract from the pumpkin's brilliance.

Used Glock 23 40 S&w 23 Hand Gun Buy Online

He's still a good man and (according to my state's deer laws) a good deer. Many law enforcement agencies used (or used) .40 S&W, most notably the FBI, for a while before going back to 9mm. It has lost its popularity, but the .40 S&W is still very effective. Let's take a look at the cartridge and then examine the gun.

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Where did it come from? The .40 S&W came about when the FBI (which had adopted the 10mm cartridge) asked Smith & Wesson to slightly phase out the 10mm cartridge. A full 10mm is really a handful, so they wanted something that could effectively shoot more agents. S&W created the .40 that bears his name by shortening the 10mm case and pulling it back a bit, and the FBI accepted it. For a fuller story on the .40, read my pistol cartridge comparison.

It's quite interesting, especially if you've been a fan for forty years. To be honest, I've never owned a .40 caliber pistol or rifle. I don't mind the bullet - I just shoot, throw and load 9mm and .45 ACP. I didn't see the need to go with the .40 as I have "bookends" that surround it on the caliber shelf. I've often thought about getting a .40 and maybe I will in the future. If I do, the reload will complete and the bullet form will be next on the list.

First Gun Purchase, Just Got A Glock 23.

Holding a gun that dispenses 400 (or more) foot pounds of energy directly usually gives you confidence. This is true, especially if the gun was small, easy to carry and held a dozen or more rounds in the magazine. I think part of the downfall of the .40 is that the ballistic development of the 9mm cartridge really took off. Now there are also some pretty sleek 9mm loads that give you pounds of power, like Hostess Twinkies providing calories.

Considering you can carry more 9mm ammo than .40 ammo in a confined space, it makes a difference. Take a look at the market leader in compact 9mm pistols that most compare to - Glock's best-selling Model 19. This is a pistol that is essentially the same size as our Model 23 but can hold two more rounds than the 23 in a standard magazine, 15 rounds to 13.

Here we see the same discrepancy when looking at full-size Glocks in 9mm and 40, Model 17 and 22. The Model 17 holds 17 rounds in the standard magazine compared to the Model 22's 15 rounds of .40.

Glock 23 Austria 40

It's not shocking, but it does make a difference for some people. Some people carry 5-shot J-shaped revolvers - they don't seem to worry about capacity. Knowing where to place the arrows can compensate for the lower cartridge capacity.

Glock 23 Gen 4 .40 S&w Pistol, Fde

However, if you look the other way around, you'll find that the .40 S&W magazine you have in your pistol will hold one or more rounds than a similarly sized .45 ACP pistol. Using the same magazine comparison as above, a full-size Glock Model 22 in .40 holds two more rounds in its standard magazine than a full-size Glock Model 21 in .45 ACP, 15 to 13.

Being a .45 fan isn't entirely satisfying news, but (as they say) it is. For this reason, I find it amazing that you can hold up to 13 rounds of .45 ACP in your pistol, not counting the extra magazines and the one in the chamber. Capacity plays a big role in caliber selection. But .40 is still a good choice. It sits right in the middle between 9mm and 0.45 ACP, and as Goldilocks found out, the middle might be the best place.

One thing that may not immediately occur to you when it comes to 23 is caliber compatibility. If you buy a .357 Sig barrel for your Model 23, you now have a gun of that caliber. Your .40 magazines should work because the .357 Sig is based on a .40 case.

In the worst case, the carrier configuration can cause a feeding problem, so you will have to pick up the 32 model magazine. Another caliber that the 23 can easily be converted to is 9mm. Buy a conversion barrel for about a hundred bucks and a couple of Model 19 magazines and you'll find yourself in the 9mm industry with what essentially becomes a Model 19 with "23" on the slide. So you can have three guns for the price of one initial gun purchase and some spare parts.

Used Glock 23 .40 S&w 40 S&w 23 Gen 4 Hand Gun Buy Online

If the ease of changing calibers isn't enough to make the 23 attractive, I don't know what will. Still, it's quite an interesting skill - one cannon, three calibers.

The .40 lets you know you're not shooting the 22. Its recoil is usually described as fast, especially in lighter guns. If we remember that the .40 is a descendant of the 10mm, its agility is understandable. When you push a 180 grit bullet south of 1000 fps you feel some recoil pressure.

You say up to 400 feet of energy, like some .357 Magnum bottom loads. I mentioned above that this bike is legal in my state and I think I understand why. The 10mm will perform better than the .40 when it comes to hunting, but when it comes to concealed carry and personal defense (read more about self defense insurance) I can see where the .40 has an advantage over the 10mm.

Glock 23 Austria 40

The 10mm has a quick recoil (at least the ones I've shot), making it difficult to recover in time. This usually makes it difficult to take consecutive shots in any fast fashion that stops the timer. I know there are some that normally shoot 10mm and handle recoil perfectly well, but for most of us shooters, it's a handful.

Glock Magazine Glock 23 .40 S&w 13 Round

Now we see the relationship between 10mm and .40 S&W in recoil. 10 will have more, but .40 in light weapons will also get your attention.

The .40 S&W in 23 may be a handful in itself. I only fired one load, a 180 grit FMJ truncated cone bullet, straight at 990 fps from the SIG Sauer. This is a decent training load to help you acclimatize to what the .40 feels like when shooting. Real defensive ammunition will be even more powerful. And your shooting hand will learn the difference really quickly.

If you carry a .40, you owe it to yourself to train diligently with various self-defense loads. And don't shoot one full magazine and then go home. The .40 needs a little more work in the practice department due to its greater recoil than the 9mm. But if you put in the time, you can do something not all shooters can do - tame the .40 enough to carry it.

Don't get the impression that I think .40 is overkill. It takes a little longer to master this gun when you're shooting a smaller type of pistol like the Glock 23. But mastering this gun is worth the effort.

Glock 23 Grip Tape Graphics

This 23 seemed right considering the small amount of shooting I've done with it. I've said it before - Glocks are usually better than average accuracy.

The 23 is only slightly smaller than the 22, with a magazine capacity of minus two compared to the 22. So it can be a good choice for a concealed carry pistol. Its standard 13-round capacity makes it more than enough for most situations, and its compact design strikes a solid balance between full-size and sub-compact pistols. If you carry it, you get a smaller pistol than a full-sized one, but you can always use full-size magazines if you choose - they just might stick out a bit. Despite this, it is a simple but reliable and accurate .40 caliber pistol.

Model

Glock 23 Austria 40

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