S&W Shield 9mm Defensive Ammo Test Results

[plouffedaddy]

There are lots of debates out there about what ammo to use in the new breed of short barreled 9mm guns. So, I brought a few loads to test from my S&W Shield 9mm. Here's what I found:


Test conditions:
-S&W Shield with a 3.1'' barrel
-Test rounds fired from 10 feet
-"FBI spec" (Their term, not mine...) Clear Ballistics gel block


Results:

Remington UMC 115gr JHP
-1065 FPS/292 FT/LBS energy
-18.5'' of penetration


Winchester Ranger 115gr JHP
-989 FPS/250 FT/LBS energy
-16'' of penetration

Federal HST 124gr JHP
-990 FPS/270 FT/LBS energy
-13.5'' penetration


Federal HST 124gr JHP +p
-1071 FPS/316 FT/LBS energy
-12'' of penetration


Speer Gold Dot 124gr +p
-1176 FPS/382 FT/LBS energy
-15.5'' penetration


Brown Bear 115gr FMJ (since some folks say you need FMJ out of these guns for 'adequate' penetration)
-1046 FPS/279 FT/LBS energy
-26'' of penetration

To see the test, the results, and the actual expansion of the round when I pulled them out of the gel block check out the video test below:

 

[MCMXI]

The penetration values seem excessive for those bullets. Do you calibrate your gelatin blocks using the FBI standard?

 

[Deaf Smith]

Well in a Glock 33... The .357 Sig chrono's at:

CCI Gold Dot 125 gr. @ 1,315 fps
Cor-Bon 125 gr. @ 1,324 fps

Just FYI.

Deaf

 

[moxie]

Nice work. Thanks. Good data.

 

[CDW4ME]

This is an interesting post, but would be even better if it included the expanded diameter of the bullets.

 

[MedWheeler]

Can't watch the video just yet, but I'm kind of surprised at the penetration of the R-UMC round. I'll have to watch to see if it even expanded much.

It's the round carried in my Kel-Tec PF9. It will also be going in my newly-acquired Ruger P95, as I have a couple hundred rounds of it.

 

[Water-Man]

Why didn't you test an 147gr. round?

 

[spikedzombies]

Why didn't you test an 147gr. round?

Ditto

Winchester Ranger 147gr HPs or maybe some other brand at least.



"Sent Via Time Traveling Blue Police Box"

 

[wow6599]

Can't watch the video just yet, but I'm kind of surprised at the penetration of the R-UMC round. I'll have to watch to see if it even expanded much.

I'll save you the time - .51"

Seems to me that the Speer Gold Dot 124gr +p did the best. Just me though.....

 

[Shawn Dodson]

-"FBI spec" (Their term, not mine...) Clear Ballistics gel block

We already know it's NOT "FBI spec" so it's dishonest for you to continue to make this claim in your posts.

 

[ku4hx]

Having read so many similar posts of tests and such with similar results and conclusions, I'm beginning to believe the ammunition makers have done their homework.

Now, if I'm ever attacked by synthetic "Jello" ....

 

[plouffedaddy]

The penetration values seem excessive for those bullets. Do you calibrate your gelatin blocks using the FBI standard?

No. It's calibrated to the manufacturer specs which is supposed to match FBI standards but I don't work for them so I don't know all the details.

This is an interesting post, but would be even better if it included the expanded diameter of the bullets.

Thank you. That data along with the actual bullet images is at the end of the video; just tried to keep the post pithy.

We already know it's NOT "FBI spec" so it's dishonest for you to continue to make this claim in your posts.

It's the model of the gel they produce. I'm not making the claim. It's like saying the shoes I'm wearing are New Balance "750s". Just a model. They make a few types of gel. The type I'm using is their "FBI spec" model. No dishonesty; the exact opposite in fact. Complete, up front listing of what it is.

Why didn't you test an 147gr. round?

Didn't have any in my range bag that day.

 

[MCMXI]

No. It's calibrated to the manufacturer specs which is supposed to match FBI standards but I don't work for them so I don't know all the details.

Regardless of how the gel is made or who it's made by, it's up to the user to verify that the gel is "within spec" immediately prior to conducting a test. The FBI has a simple procedure for this and you can probably find it online. The INS method is listed on Wikipedia and is similar. The FBI penetration spec is a bit more forgiving on the low end.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_gelatin


"To ensure accurate results, immediately prior to use, the gelatin block is "calibrated" by firing into it a standard .177 caliber (4.5 mm) steel BB, from an air gun over a gun chronograph into the gelatin, and the depth of penetration measured. While the exact calibration methods vary slightly, the calibration method used by the INS National Firearms Unit is fairly typical. It requires a velocity of 183 ± 3 m/s (600 ± 10 f/s), and a BB penetration between 8.3 and 9.5 cm (3.25 to 3.75 inches)."

 

[plouffedaddy]

Regardless of how the gel is made or who it's made by, it's up to the user to verify that the gel is "within spec" immediately prior to conducting a test. The FBI has a simple procedure for this and you can probably find it online. The INS method is listed on Wikipedia and is similar. The FBI penetration spec is a bit more forgiving on the low end.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_gelatin


"To ensure accurate results, immediately prior to use, the gelatin block is "calibrated" by firing into it a standard .177 caliber (4.5 mm) steel BB, from an air gun over a gun chronograph into the gelatin, and the depth of penetration measured. While the exact calibration methods vary slightly, the calibration method used by the INS National Firearms Unit is fairly typical. It requires a velocity of 183 ± 3 m/s (600 ± 10 f/s), and a BB penetration between 8.3 and 9.5 cm (3.25 to 3.75 inches)."

Right. I just didn't want to say, "yes, I follow FBI calibration protocol" because, as this thread has demonstrated, people accuse you of fraud or something if you say the word "FBI" with this gel. But, an explanation of the test Clear Ballistics states can be found at the link below. It essentially mirrors the quote above.

http://clearballistics.com/about-ballistic-gelatin/

 

[fxstchewy]

Thanks for the info.

 

[MCMXI]

From http://clearballistics.com/about-ballistic-gelatin/

"Our ballistic gelatin is a complete replacement for the traditional ballistic gelatin made from gelatin powder. See below our ballistic gelatin compares to standard ballistic gelatin."

How many major ammunition manufactures are using synthetic gelatin to test or develop products? FBI spec gelatin is a pain to make, a pain to store, a pain to use and a pain to dispose of. Synthetic gelatin should be a no brainer right?

 

[Resist Evil]

I appreciate your test. Several different rounds fired from a short-barreled pistol into the same medium. It seems simple to understand the data presented. Pal, you could shooting into semi-frozen chocolate pudding for all I care, as long as it provided comparative data. Thank you for your time and expense.