9mm defensive ammo in a 3" barrel

What 9mm load do you recommend for a S&W M&P Shield 9mm (3.1" barrel)?

I'm looking for manageable recoil but high enough velocity to consistently expand. I can't find any ballistics testing with modern loads out of a short barrel.

Ballistics by the inch seems to indicate that a standard pressure 147 gr will only achieve about 900 ft/s from a 3" barrel.

My top choices are Federal HST 124gr +P or Federal HST 147 gr. I know there are several other "top" loads such as Speer Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger T, Corbon DPX, Hornady Critical Defense, and on and on. But I don't know which of those works really well in an M&P Shield 9mm, and I don't really have the ability to conduct my own pen testing with ballistics gel.

Thanks for any help/info you can provide!

Not really the question you should be asking.
With a polymer subcompact , the question is which round can you shoot and control most effectively with your gun , in your hands, the answer is different for different people. While I like 115 +P , and +P+ in "normal" 9mm's , in poly subcompacts I get optimal rapid follow up hits with std pressure.

You don't think 147gr @ 900 FPS is not going to hurt and leave a mark?

What is your probable shooting scenario? HD? SD and CCW?

A lot comes into play, some rounds are great until cold weather when the target maybe wearing heavier clothing which cause premature or restrict the expansion of the JHP's fingers or petals.

Any barriers? Any chance of overpentration, especially in a HD scenario?

Any as stated by BF, what do you feel comfortable and accurate shooting? Any problems with recoil or muzzle blast being a distraction?

A low level light shot can produce a bright and dramatic muzzle flash especially from a short barrel. You need to train for that possibility

A lot of things to consider before just going with some polling numbers.

147 is a great loading for 9mm. It's soft-shooting, but heavy for caliber so it will favor penetration over bigger expansion...which is good at a lower velocity. They perform equal to or better than 124 +p, but without the accelerated wear on the gun, increased rapport or increased recoil.

Huckleberry said:

You don't think 147gr @ 900 FPS is not going to hurt and leave a mark?

What is your probable shooting scenario? HD? SD and CCW?

A lot comes into play, some rounds are great until cold weather when the target maybe wearing heavier clothing which cause premature or restrict the expansion of the JHP's fingers or petals.

Any barriers? Any chance of overpentration, especially in a HD scenario?

Any as stated by BF, what do you feel comfortable and accurate shooting? Any problems with recoil or muzzle blast being a distraction?

A low level light shot can produce a bright and dramatic muzzle flash especially from a short barrel. You need to train for that possibility

A lot of things to consider before just going with some polling numbers.

Click to expand...

Great questions.

Yes, I know 147gr @ 900 ft/s will leave a mark - just not sure if a given round will consistently expand from a 3" barrel or if certain loads are more suitable.

For this particular question, I'm not concerned with barriers, but if your answer changes based on cold weather or bulky winter clothing, please assume worst case (but not body armor). I am moderately concerned with over penetration, but do not intend to take shots in which I'm uncertain of my backstop.

Expected engagement distance is 50 feet or less. Home defense or CCW are equally likely (which is to say pretty unlikely, but trying to be prepared for these unlikely scenarios)

I think I can train around recoil and muzzle flash, but assuming desirable terminal ballistics criteria are met, lower recoil and lower muzzle flash are desirable.

As you astutely point out, there are many important considerations in selecting a load. But my question boils down to whether there are poor choices amongst the top tier defensive rounds when firing from a shorter barrel.

Thanks!

Speer gold 147 hp's have always expanded out of my g26 and my buddies xd9 sub. At 15 feet + that is.

One last call for votes... So far it looks like people prefer 147gr and Speer Gold Dot 147gr in particular.

I would go with +P. Bullet does not have as much time to accelerate in a short barrel.

For a 3 inch barrel, IMHO the biggest questions to ask are: 1) how much velocity is lost versus a 5 inch barrel, and 2) is the velocity loss enough to drastically impact penetration and/or expansion? This ultimately led me to 124gr +p Gold Dot Short Barrel, 147gr +p Federal HST, and 124gr +p/127gr +p+ Ranger T.

When I did a test using a 1 7/8 inch barrel in .38 spl, .38+p and +p+, I found that virtually every round failed to meet FBI penetration standards and all of JHPs expanded substantially less...some dramatically. The effectiveness of a .38 +p through a 2 inch gun is going to suffer more than many people picture and most owners do not realize that their defensive loadings may not penetrate over 7-9 inches through a gun in which good shot placement and fast followup is not all that easy. It is possible the energy loss is enough to prevent bullets from piercing vitals, which is major component of 'stopping power'.

A two inch barrel suffers a hella lot more than a 3 inch. Most of the LE-grade JHPs will reach a velocity high enough for bullet to expand and penetrate as designed. My own 'backyard ballistic' testing of all sorts of rounds has led me to favor the Gold Dot, HST, and Ranger T. Any of those in any weight will yield satisfactory results, but certain weights and pressures are arguably a better call for barrels under 3.5 inches IMO.

Federal's HST is a rather weird round...it's best weight for performance is surprisingly 147gr where many other 147gr JHPs are generally less favorable in performance to 115/124 weights with added pressure. While the 124 and 124+p HST really are great rounds, the 147 HST performs slightly better, and this applies to barrels of all lengths. The +p 9mm loadings often give only a minimal difference over standard pressure...you may see under +50 fps difference for P9HST4 over P9HST2, for example. For longer barrels, there really is no need for the 147gr +p HST...but for shorter barrels, there is no reason not to go with it. When I tested the 147gr+p from a 3 inch barrel, it achieved a velocity equal to the 147gr (NON +p) P9HST2 through a 4.5+ inch barrel and so gelatin performance was essentially the same as a 147gr HST. In other terms, the round almost doubled its size, penetrated beyond FBI standards, retained 100% of its weight, and left a nasty (nasty=volume) wound channel the bullet has become known for...even through denim and leather mediums. This test led me to use the P9HST2 (the 147gr NON+p) as a primary round...another reason for that choice is the American Eagle AE9FP mimics the HST in performance, except the bullet is a FMJ FN. Many other tests show similar results. It really is an amazing round.

Speer's Gold Dot is really well-liked partially because even standard pressure loadings are consistent and effective. I also found Speer's 124 (standard pressure) and 124+p Gold Dot to also achieve a velocity through a 3 inch barrel which has minimal affect on the bullet's performance. If you do go Gold Dot, there's no reason not to get the 124gr+p SB (Short Barrel) unless the price is dramatically different. The 124gr+p NON-SB rounds also performs well, but there is a gain going with the SB variety. http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/2012/09/gel-testing-speer-9mm-gold-dot-vs-gold.html

Speer's 115gr +p+ Gold Dot may also perform very well...the round is quite snappy, moves fast, and hits really, really, really HARD (think energy closer to the energy of .40/.357 SIG). Real world data on shootings have resulted in many calling this the finest manstopper you can get in 9mm.

Winchester's Ranger T should also be mentioned, as it was specifically designed for barrels of all sizes. While I can't speak first hand to significant testing with a 3 inch barrel (I can to a 4.5 inch one), everything I have read indicates it reaches an acceptable velocity and that the bullet is able to perform even when velocity is lower than ideal. From a G26 (which is like a 3.4 inch barrel), the 124gr+p Ranger T has been tested to have a velocity that slightly exceeds the advertised 1180fps. My 2.5 cents...

FED HST 147 +P

Why are you not considering the FED HST 147 +P? Excellent penetration, and incredible expansion. Check out the ATK website for all of the specifics, including pix.