This is circa 1998…
The Development of The .40 Super
In 1994 Triton released a cartridge called the .45 Super. Essentially, the .45 Super is based on a .451 Detonics case trimmed to .45 ACP length. Pioneered by writers Dean Grennel and the late Tom Ferguson, the .45 Super raised the performance level for .45 ACP-chambered autos beyond that of the .45 ACP+P and even the 10mm.
With the availability of the strong .45 Super cartridge case, Tom Burczynski (inventor of Hydra-Shok, Starfire and Quik-Shok bullets) and Fernando Coelho (president and founder of Triton Cartridge) began work on a new, more radical cartridge. Based on a .45 Super necked down to .40 caliber, the new cartridge began to take shape.
Actually, necking a .45 ACP to .40 caliber was nothing new. Before the public debut of the .40 S&W, Charles Petty, a well-known and respected writer, had already ventured into the bottleneck arena. His cartridge, called the "10mm Centaur", was based on a .45 ACP case necked to .40 caliber using 10mm dies.
Charles Petty was a major contributor in the initial load development for Triton's new cartridge. During that time, Triton began closely examining the specific attributes of the cartridge (feed reliability, case strength, down-range ballistic performance, etc.). In order to maximize the performance potential and reliability of the new cartridge, it was decided to lengthen the cartridge case from .45 ACP (.898") to 10mm (.992") length. By trimming .45 Winchester Magnum brass to 10mm case length and necking them to .40 caliber, the .40 Super began to take final shape.
More testing was conducted on the cartridge case. These tests led to further improvements. A small primer pocket replaced the large primer pocket. This allowed the use of small pistol magnum or small rifle primers and helped control primer flow. The final improvement came with the increased thickness of the cartridge case wall from the web area up to to beginning of the shoulder.
The cartridge case is designed for a balance of strength and powder capacity. To maximize bullet pull and overall feeding characteristics, the case has a neck length of .175". The shoulder angle is an optimum 25 degrees. The neck yields more precise bullet alignment than can be achieved using a cartridge with a shorter neck. This translates to increased accuracy. The pressure limit for factory .40 Super ammunition from Triton is 37,000 PSI, well below the strength limits of the cartridge case.
The .40 Super design is a true hybrid. A combination of the best attributes of the .45 Auto, .45 Super, 10mm and .45 Winchester Magnum.
The .40 Super
The .40 Super will drive a 135 grain bullet to an unprecedented 1,700 feet per second while generating less chamber pressure than the Winchester 9 X 23. With a 200 grain bullet the .40 Super delivers more foot/pounds of energy at 100 yards than the .45 ACP does at the muzzle. From a sheer power standpoint, the .40 Super rivals the energy generated by the .44 Magnum.
From a reloader standpoint, there is tremendous versatility in the .40 Super. Bullet weights currently on the market include: 125, 135, 150, 155, 165, 170, 180, 190, and 200 grains. Loads can be developed with a dozen powders. Small Pistol Magnum or Small Rifle primers can be utilized. Brass is available from both Triton and Starline Brass Company.
Versatility of the .40 Super:
Law Enforcement and Personal Defense
Triton's factory loadings of the .40 Super are ideal for law enforcement and personal defense use. The ballistic performance of Quik-Shok and Hi-Vel .40 Super are rivaled by no other cartridge.
IPSC
The .40 Super is also an ideal cartridge for use in IPSC competition. At a reduced velocity of 1297 fps using a 135 grain bullet, this cartridge makes "major" by producing a power factor of 175,095. The Super is barely idling at this velocity/pressure level but this is good because the recoil is less than 5.9 ft.-lbs...the kind of controllable recoil needed for rapid-fire events. Also, the extremely low chamber pressure at this velocity will extend cartridge case life considerably.
Bowling Pin Matches
Bowling Pin shoots will never be the same. The .40 Super, utilizing any bullet weight, will toss bowling pins clear off table like no other cartridge can.
Hunting
At full-throttle, fired from a short-barreled gun, the .40 Super easily surpasses the .44 Magnum in sheer ft.-lbs. of energy. Fired from long barrels, even using flat-tipped pistol bullets, it will make an extremely flat-shooting hunting cartridge. Again, the selection of bullet weights is excellent and worrying about bullets not expanding (even at long range) is a thing of the past. Muzzle velocity is so high that soft point bullets can and should be used. This will allow the kind of target penetration most hunters are looking for.
Target Shooting
The Triton CQD Frangible load is ideal for competitive use (IPSC, IDPA, Bowling Pins, etc.) or where a lead-free frangible bullet is preferred. For the reloader, virgin brass is available from two sources.
The Gun:
Many semi-autos can accommodate the .40 Super. Semi-autos already chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge are the easiest to convert. This is accomplished by simply swapping out the .45 ACP barrel with the .40 Super barrel and upgrading the recoil spring system with a heavy duty spring. Existing .45 ACP magazines can be utilized with no modifications.
Handguns already converted to .40 Super include the S&W 4506, Glock 21, Glock 30, SIG P220, HK USP and the 1911 Government Model (and it's variants).
Handguns set up for the .45 Super cartridge only need a barrel swap. Handguns chambered for the .400 Cor-Bon can have their barrels rechambered to .40 Super at minimal cost.
This is a spec sheet circa 2001…
With the introduction of the .40 Super, Triton has brought a new level of power and versatility to the handgun market. The .40 Super will drive a 135 grain bullet to an unprecedented 1,800 feet per second from a five inch barrel, while generating less chamber pressure than the Winchester 9 X 23. With a 200 grain bullet, the .40 Super delivers 540 foot/pounds of energy at 100 yards. That's more than the .45 ACP does at the muzzle.
From a reloader's standpoint, there is tremendous versatility in the .40 Super. Bullet weights currently on the market range from 135 to 200 grains. Loads can be developed with a dozen powders. Small Pistol Magnum or Small Rifle primers can be utilized. Brass is available from both Triton and Starline Brass Company.
The Triton factory loadings for the .40 Super are designed to meet the needs of hunters, competitive shooters and those concerned with personal defense.
The .40 Super Quik-Shok 135 grain TT (Team Triton) is designed as a reduced recoil load. It can be used in competitive sports and still meet the requirements demanded of personal defense ammunition. The Quik-Shok 155 grain delivers the full house performance you'd expect from the .40 Super. The Hi-Vel loads range from the 135 grain screamer at 1,800 fps to the long range, flat shooting 200 grain at 1,300 fps. The CQ Frangible 135 grain is ideal as a reduced hazard practice round or where ricochet is a concern.
Guns factory chambered for the .40 Super are currently available from three manufacturers. Many semi-autos already on the market can also accommodate the .40 Super. Semi-autos already chambered for the .45 ACP or .450 SMC cartridge are the easiest to convert. This is accomplished by simply swapping out the .45 caliber barrel with the .40 Super barrel and upgrading the factory recoil spring with a heavier one. Existing .45 ACP magazines can be utilized. Handguns that have been converted to .40 Super include the following: Glock 21, Sig P220 & 220 ST, HK USP & Tactical, S&W 4506, Commander and Government sized 1911's.
With the .40 Super, you can participate in competitive sports like IDPA, hunt, and carry for personal defense, all with the same handgun. No other cartridge gives you this much versatility. Welcome to the 21st century.