And the question remains, do YOU think the 115gr has fallen "out of favor", however you define that. I contend it is likely the most oft purchased but for practice. I believe, perhaps errantly, that LE in general has long ago embraced heavier bullets or moved on to the next big thing, 40 S&W.
I think a big factor in people choosing heavy for caliber bullets comes from bench rest shooters who rely on their knockdown power at long distances. I wonder if there is data to support similar performance at handgun velocities.
1. There are less agencies using 115gr than before because so many agencies have moved to .40 S&W or other larger calibers.
2. There were also some agencies that moved to 147gr ammo that performed better on car windshields and other barriers. Some FBI agents I dealt with were issued 147gr Hydra-shock for this reason (these were guys who opted to keep their 9mm weapons after the Bureau switched to .40 S&W).
3. Then there is the NYPD, which has carried 124gr +P gold dots for years, and the many agencies who carry the same round because NYPD does/had success with it.
4. I don't think the 115gr+p+ round has fallen out of favor so much as it doesn't corner the market anymore. Its like TV now. There aren't 3 main networks anymore. There are several hundred channels now, so the market is fractured. No one bullet weight clearly dominates. For 9mm, my guess is the 124gr +p is the most dominant, but that's really an educated guess.
5. Many large agencies still carry the 115gr +p+ load because it works. A few years ago, there were many LE shootouts involving this one agency that carries the bple. Every bad guy shot with it died. All of them. Granted, that's not a statistical sample and is only anecdotal, but I don't know of any agencies that have been disappointed in any of the major manufacturer 115gr +p+ loads. I know the Illinois State Police has had many,many shootings and has been very pleased with it. I believe they also carry the Winchester version of the load, which I think is identical to the bple.
6. My guess is that it will eventually be reduced to a niche load, as the .40 continues to grow and ammunition makers continue to offer new products. But I suspect someone will always be making a version of it, the same way someone is always making the .38 spl "FBI load", 158gr LSWCHP (another wonderful load that performs beyond its paper ballistics).
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