The 40 S&W, affectionately known as the 40 short and wimpy came to be as a result of the 10mm. In 1986 the FBI in Miami lost several agents in a shootout who were severely outgunned and decided they wanted a more powerful cartridge. The result was the 10mm. They were happy with it till agents started having trouble qualifying with it due to the power and heavy recoil and the large frame gun. The cartridge case was shortened, the power reduced and the 40 S&W was born. The new gun was also re-designed with the same size frame as the 9mm. Some shooters still don't care for the "snappy" recoil.
Glock started the model 22 with the Gen-2 series. It was a big hit with LE for some time because of the larger bullet and more punch than the 9mm and the 38 Special that had been carried for so many years. However, that same punch that was so liked caused frame breakages in the Glock frames. The amount of guns sent back to Glock for replacement is unknown, but I know OCPD sent several hundred of theirs back.
The early Gen-2 model 22's had a 2 pin frame which was supposedly a weak point in the design. Glock redesigned the frame to a 3 pin model and added a heavier locking block. The most recent problem with the 22's was feeding and ejection problems with a light mounted on the rail.
More recently it seems that PD's are switching back to the 9mm because of advancements in the 9mm bullet design and ballistics.
From a reloading perspective, the 40 is a cartridge that has always given me problems because of the design of the chamber in the barrel. The lower area of the chamber was "unsupported" which allowed the pressures of the cartridge to "bulge" the lower third of the brass. I finally had to get an EGW "undersize" die to get the brass to the proper size to be reloaded. As a reloader, I find more 40 brass on the range than any other.
There are lots of articles about Glocks out there as well as websites. The gun itself was designed as a combat firearm and meant to be used in harsh conditions with very good reliability. It never ceases to amaze me when people "bubba" gunsmith their Glocks and then gripe cause they screwed it up. Every part on the gun can be taken off and replaced by the user with a minimum of tools. Replacement parts can be found with a simple google search.
Glock started the model 22 with the Gen-2 series. It was a big hit with LE for some time because of the larger bullet and more punch than the 9mm and the 38 Special that had been carried for so many years. However, that same punch that was so liked caused frame breakages in the Glock frames. The amount of guns sent back to Glock for replacement is unknown, but I know OCPD sent several hundred of theirs back.
The early Gen-2 model 22's had a 2 pin frame which was supposedly a weak point in the design. Glock redesigned the frame to a 3 pin model and added a heavier locking block. The most recent problem with the 22's was feeding and ejection problems with a light mounted on the rail.
More recently it seems that PD's are switching back to the 9mm because of advancements in the 9mm bullet design and ballistics.
From a reloading perspective, the 40 is a cartridge that has always given me problems because of the design of the chamber in the barrel. The lower area of the chamber was "unsupported" which allowed the pressures of the cartridge to "bulge" the lower third of the brass. I finally had to get an EGW "undersize" die to get the brass to the proper size to be reloaded. As a reloader, I find more 40 brass on the range than any other.
There are lots of articles about Glocks out there as well as websites. The gun itself was designed as a combat firearm and meant to be used in harsh conditions with very good reliability. It never ceases to amaze me when people "bubba" gunsmith their Glocks and then gripe cause they screwed it up. Every part on the gun can be taken off and replaced by the user with a minimum of tools. Replacement parts can be found with a simple google search.
