9mm shield ammo?

lonewolf5347 · #1 07-25-2016, 02:53 PM

I read the booklet that comes with the shield 9mm it states no +P ammo???
I wonder can you run for personal protection Speer 124 gr. gold dots out of the pistol?

Jeffytune · #2 07-25-2016, 03:09 PM

As long as it is not +P or +P+ ammo, then yes any standard pressure 9mm should be fine.

TercGen · #3 07-25-2016, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonewolf5347

I read the booklet that comes with the shield 9mm it states no +P ammo???
I wonder can you run for personal protection Speer 124 gr. gold dots out of the pistol?

Are you serious? A 3" barrel and no +P ammo is pretty ridiculous, I can't believe they would do that. Silly plastic guns....

Speer 124gr Gold Dots (non+P) have failed to expand reliably out of 3" barrels in tests online. I would recommend Federal HST in either 124gr or 147gr for that barrel length, also Corbon 95gr DPX (though more expensive).

*This is an excellent resource for short-barreled ammo tests: Pocket Guns and Gear: Ammo Tests
Another good source (Youtube vids): ShootingTheBull410
- YouTube

OKFC05 · #4 07-25-2016, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonewolf5347

I read the booklet that comes with the shield 9mm it states no +P ammo???

I wonder what manual you're reading. Mine says no such thing.

• “Plus-P” (+P) ammunition generates pressures in excess of the
pressures associated with standard ammunition. Such pressures
may affect the wear characteristics or exceed the margin of
safety. Use of “Plus-P” ammunition may result in the need for
more frequent service.

•“Plus-P-Plus” (+P+) ammunition must not be used in Smith &
Wesson firearms. This marking on the ammunition designates
that it exceeds established industry standards, but the designation
does not represent defined pressure limits and therefore

such ammunition may vary significantly as to the pressures generated

Jeffytune · #5 07-25-2016, 09:08 PM

Quote:

11
AMMUNITION CONTINUED
WARNING: NEVER USE CARTRIDGES OTHER THAN
THOSE DESIGNATED BY THE MARKING ON THE
FIREARM. DOING SO CAN RESULT IN DANGEROUSLY
HIGH PRESSURES THAT MAY DAMAGE THE FIREARM AND
POSSIBLY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO YOURSELF AND
OTHERS.
WARNING: DEATH, SERIOUS INJURY AND DAMAGE
CAN RESULT FROM THE USE OF INCORRECT AMMU-
NITION OR BORE OBSTRUCTIONS. NEVER USE
RELOADS OF ANY KIND.
• “Plus-P” (+P) ammunition generates pressures in excess of the
pressures associated with standard ammunition. Such pressures
may affect the wear characteristics or exceed the margin of
safety. Use of “Plus-P” ammunition may result in the need for
more frequent service.
• “Plus-P-Plus” (+P+) ammunition must not be used in Smith &
Wesson firearms. This marking on the ammunition designates
that it exceeds established industry standards, but the designa-
tion does not represent defined pressure limits and therefore
such ammunition may vary significantly as to the pressures gen-
erated and could be DANGEROUS.
• Some brands of ammunition may cause difficulty in extracting
spent cartridge cases from the chamber. If this situation occurs,
thoroughly clean the chamber with solvent. If this condition per-
sists, we recommend changing to another brand of ammunition.

This is page 11 of the S&W Shield manual, it looks the same as my 6906, I read it as saying limit +p and no +P+ ammo.
Personally, I do not like using high pressure rounds, I mean if you can't stop something with a good self defense round of standard pressure, then you really need a Rifle to begin with.

Protected One · #6 07-27-2016, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffytune

Personally, I do not like using high pressure rounds, I mean if you can't stop something with a good self defense round of standard pressure, then you really need a Rifle to begin with.

I agree with you. People come up with all kinds of reasons for using +P ammo - none of them are valid to me.

A premium, standard pressure 9mm round such as Federal HST, Hornady Critical Defense, Speer Gold Dot, etc. that is optimized for short barrels will do the job in a SD situation...if you put the rounds on target.

I'm not trying to tell anyone they should switch, just pointing out that the failure of a round to end a threat won't depend on whether or not +P was used.