Very little recoil is generated by the load consisting of a 180-grain Hornady XTP bullet and 3.2 grains of TiteGroup. Despite the low levels of muzzle flip visible here, with the proper-weight recoil spring the Para functioned flawlessly. Even when fired unsupported, with the .40 Lite loads the Para 16.40 was extremely controllable. Note the ejected cases visible in each photo.

Since its introduction, the popularity of the .40 S&W cartridge has been meteoric, and today it is the most widely used law enforcement cartridge in North America. It was only natural that it would become popular on the commercial market, and, if industry reports are to be believed, .40 pistols now account for a large percentage of civilian sales in the U.S. Lest we forget, it has also become the dominant cartridge in USPSA's Limited and Limited 10 divisions.

Commercial .40 S&W ammunition is generally loaded with 155-, 165- and 180-grain bullets, with the latter outselling the former pair by a three-to-one margin. Regardless of bullet weight, factory .40 S&W ammunition functions at pressure levels of 30,000 to 35,000 psi. And as most of the pistols chambering it are of the 9mm size and weight, recoil tends to be on the stiff side. While this is not normally problematic for police or defensive purposes, it puts .40 shooters at a disadvantage if they want to compete in the various action-pistol disciplines.

As regards Production Division, SSP, ESP and Steel Matches, let's look at the problem from a simplistic viewpoint. When fired from a pistol of more or less equal size and weight, a standard-velocity 115-grain 9mm load will generate considerably less felt recoil than any of the commercial .40 loads. For decades, ammo makers have offered light versions of their more popular cartridges--e.g. .38 Special Wadcutter, .45 ACP Soft Ball target loads, even medium-velocity .357 Magnums--but so far, no manufacturer has seen fit to offer a more user-friendly version of the .40 S&W.

This leaves the wannabe Production/SSP/ESP/Steel shooter who owns a .40 pistol with two options: Fight the heavy recoil, or use reloads that push .40 bullets at lower velocities to produce less recoil. No doubt there are legions of .40 owners out there who are right now asking themselves, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Several years ago I developed carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow in both arms, and all of the writing and handgun shooting I do has only served to exacerbate the condition. This made firing .40 and .45 Major loads painful, and as a result I began competing more and more with 9mm pistols. Being that I could shoot Production Division with my favorite cartridge (yes, the 9mm) without being at a PF disadvantage, this partially counterbalanced the disappointment of not being able to compete with some of my favorite handguns.

A few months ago I was straightening out my workshop, and I came upon several shelves full of .40 components that had been gathering dust for some time. Distraught at the thought of all these goodies laying about unused, I began pondering the aforementioned option of using reloads. The perusal of several reloading manuals only heightened my interest, and that evening was spent in front of my Dillon press assembling a sampling of .40 Minor loads.