It’s not uncommon to learn about new rifle calibers on the market, but for handguns? Not so much. It’s not that development has halted for handgun calibers. We see new offerings in ammunition designed to meet specific needs for existing and popular calibers like .380 Auto, 9mm, .45 ACP, 10mm, and even rimfire.
9mm is now the most popular caliber for self-defense for a number of reasons. Advances in this caliber allow for increased capacity with ammunition suitable for protection. It begs the question, is there still room for improvement? Federal Premium® says so with the introduction of 30 Super Carry™.
Engineers at Federal® work to make ammunition accurate, efficient, and reliable. From training ammo, rounds optimized for shooting sports and hunting, and ammunition designed for home and self-defense, the 100-year-old company is an industry leader. With innovation always in mind, Federal set out to develop a new caliber suitable for the everyday gun owner that would also provide the firearms industry with more options to build upon. This new round comes with plenty of advantages.
Ballistic Performance
The first advantage of 30 Super Carry is its ballistic performance in self-defense rounds. Federal set out to test 30 Super Carry HST® specifically for shorter barrels common in concealed carry handguns. They used a 3.5-inch barrel for the FBI’s bare gel and heavy clothing protocols for testing.
When fired in FBI bare gel protocol, 100-grain 30 Super Carry HST expands to .590 inches and penetrates 12 inches compared to 124 grain 9mm Luger HST, which expands .650 inches and penetrates 13.1 inches.
In the FBI’s heavy clothing protocol, the same 100-grain 30 Super Carry HST expands to .530 inches and penetrates 15.5 inches whereas the 9mm Luger HST expands to .571 inches and penetrates 14.5 inches. These stats showcase that despite being slimmer than 9mm, 30 Super Carry HST delivers a ballistic performance very similar to 9mm. Where 9mm averages 347 foot-pounds at the muzzle, the .312-inch diameter 30 Super Carry projectile generates between 336 and 347 foot-pounds.
Fast Recoil Impulse
30 Super Carry is comfortable to shoot with full power defense rounds. The recoil is comparable to 9mm, but many may notice a difference in how the recoil feels. 30 Super Carry HST pushes its 100-grain bullet at speeds of 1250 feet per second (fps), 100 fps faster than 124-grain 9mm HST. This translates to a faster and louder report. It also increases how quickly the pistol cycles. It’s a sharp, yet manageable recoil impulse, that snaps upward and recovers quickly allowing for fast follow-up shots.
Synchronized Defense & Training Ammo
Federal offers ammunition for both defense and training. 30 Super Carry HST and American Eagle®, the training round, utilize a 100-grain projectile. With bullet weight and velocity matched, American Eagle training rounds sync up in both the recoil impulse and point of impact with HST loads. This allows you to train with ammo that shoots and feels just like your defensive rounds. Since its launch earlier this year, 30 Super Carry offerings have expanded to include ammunition from Remington®, CCI® Blazer®, and Hornady® as well.
Increased Capacity
With ballistics and recoil so similar to 9mm, perhaps the greatest advantage for 30 Super Carry is in its size. Slimmer than both .380 Auto and 9mm, the new round is sleek. Stacked in a magazine, it increases capacity compared to 9mm and .380 Auto handgun offerings. In the Shield™ EZ®, capacity is 10+1; that translates to 2 more rounds compared to the same pistol chambered in 9mm or .380. In the Shield Plus, the capacity jumps to 16 + 1. More ammo in the mag allows for more shots before reloading. For many CCW owners who don’t carry a spare magazine, these extra rounds provide a significant advantage.
Potential
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of 30 Super Carry is the potential it offers. More than just bumping up the capacity for existing handguns, the new caliber opens the door for firearms manufacturers to develop smaller and slimmer pistols without sacrificing ballistic performance. 30 Super Carry could become the catalyst for new subcompact pistol as pistol caliber carbines, as well as increasing accuracy and performance for firearms used in the shooting sports.
The potential for smaller frame sizes and the opportunity for increased capacity all with similar felt recoil, muzzle blast, and terminal performance make 30 Super Carry a cartridge worthy of consideration.
For more information on the Shield Plus and Shield EZ, visit the 30 Super Carry page.
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