.40 vs. .45 in IPSC limited 10

[adweisbe]

I am thinking of putting together a poor mans 2011 equivalent for use in Limited ten using an M&P series pistol. It is my understanding that limited 10 is dominated by limited guns downloaded to ten rounds. The reason being that the balance and weight of a limited gun is superior to a steel 1911 with ten round magazines. The dominant caliber in limited is .40 because it can easily make major, has sufficient capacity, and brass is like water.

I currently only load .45 and most of my other guns are .45s and that is what I shoot and keep on hand so I am predisposed to that caliber. .45 makes a bigger hole which is a big deal in Bullseye but probably not as important in action shooting.

I have shot the M&P .40 and the M&P .45 and the ergonomics for both were adequate and I found that the .45 worked better in the limited experience that I had at the S&W shooting center. The grip shape of the .45 seemed to encourage better usage of the trigger.

Given that capacity is not an issue in limited 10 and that ammo availability is about the same (.40 brass is easier to get but I am not running low on .45 by any means) are there any other reasons to shoot .40 instead of .45 in limited 10?

 

[Supermoto]

If you are already loading .45 and like the M&P .45, then there is no reason to start with .40

The only gain .40 might have is a snappier recoil, It gets the front sight to recover faster, but .45 can be tuned to shoot almost as well

 

[GTOShootr]

Supermoto is proof .45 can dominate locally in L10, with a singlestack. You see more .40 because .40 minor is great for Production and .40 major is the only way to go for Limited. That flexibity might be something to consider depending on what you might be into down the road.

 

[Gammon]

Will this gun be a single stack?

 

[Gammon]

PS I prefer .40 for IPSC because the ammo is cheaper to load. Brass availability (free on the ground at your local club) was alluded to, but the bullets are also cheaper. 180s are cheaper than the 200 swcs so popular in the .45. I practice with 155 swcs which cost even less. Lead is expensive.

 

[49COE]

Concentrate on the Sport, not the hardware!

I would shoot whatever you feel the most comfortable with. Theoretical differences in how different weight/balance perform are meaningless, when compared to how a specific shooter performs when different types of guns are placed in their hands. If you like a 1911 platform, shoot a 1911 platform; if you like the M&P, shoot the M&P. The dominating factor in any class of practical shooting is the person behind the gun. In Limited 10 magazine capacity isn't a factor so 40 vs 45 is simply a question of which you prefer. 40 has a snappier feeling and is slightly cheaper to reload, but is also "bitchier" to reload because it is a high pressure case and the prevalance of glocked brass. 45 is "low and slow" giving it more of a push feel to the recoil and is super forgiving/easy to reload. My personal opinion, is that the best advantage you can give yourself in any class is to invest in dry fire time and ammo for practice time with whatever gun feels the best to you.

 

[GTOShootr]

The undersized EGW sizing die pimps slaps that bitchiness right out of loading .40.

 

[Scrivener]

The undersized EGW sizing die pimps slaps that bitchiness right out of loading .40.

A Lee Final Crimp Die does also - at the END of the process, where you really need it!

 

[Cuz]

A Lee Final Crimp Die does also - at the END of the process, where you really need its!

+1 to the Lee final crimp die. I got tired of crushing too many .40 cal cases during the sizing stage with the undersized die. It didn't always line up just perfect. I switched back to the Dillon with a bell on the mouth and am doing just fine. I have started lubing all my cases before loading and I can't believe how much of a difference it makes.

-Cuz.

 

[Gammon]

A Lee Final Crimp Die does also - at the END of the process, where you really need its!

If you are using once fired (scrounged) brass you really need the undresized resizing die. Hot loads fired out of loose (Glock) chambers stretch the cases so badly that conventional dies will leave a small bulge at the base of the case. The undersized die will remove this bulge in most of the cases.

I also use the FCD for added reliability.

 

[PistolPete]

One other reason people use the SV and STI guns in Limited 10 is because they are easier to reload than a single stack 1911. If you're comfortable with the .45 and are already setup to shoot .45 then just stick with that. One benefit with .40 is if you were able to get high caps you could shoot Limited as well but with the .45 you prob. wouldn't want to do that because of capacity. Either way you really can't go wrong.

 

[Gammon]

Another advantage o the double stack gun is that the mag is flush with the frame. This can be a big advantage under some conditions, like prone shooting.