Best personal defense Ammo for shield 9mm?

[swsig]

Anything that comes out of the barrel and cycles the next round when you pull the trigger will be fine . . .

^^This^^

While all of the penetration and expansion info you've received is important, the above info from Muss is the most important.

My Shield 9 is unusually picky about ammo, so to insure that whatever SD ammo I carried would load, fire, and eject, I subjected several highly regarded rounds to reliability tests. My goal was to find a round that would fire at least 100 consecutive times without a failure. At the time of testing, my Shield had fired over 3000 rounds, so it was thoroughly broken in, and it had clean magazines and a new, properly functioning RSA.
Here are the results:

The clear winner was Hornady Critical Duty 135g +P. It (so far) has fired 174 rounds without a single failure of any kind. It is the only SD round I've tried that has had zero failures.

In second is Speer Gold Dot 124g +P. After three FTEs which occurred early in my Shield's history, the Gold Dots have since fired 147 times with no failures.

Virtually tied for second is Remington Golden Saber 147g. The Goldern Sabers had one early FTE, then fired 227 times before a second FTE. They are also the most accurate of the top three rounds.

What about the vaunted HSTs? I tried Federal HST 124g +P rounds, and in a word, they were wretched. They had three failures to feed in 31 rounds. They would hang up on the bottom of my feed ramp. They were clearly not suitable for my Shield, so I quit testing them, and donated the remainder to my SIG P320. I could not find HST 147g rounds at the time, so I haven't tested them.

I hope you find this info useful, but don't just take my word for it (or anyone else's either). Do your own testing, and find what works reliably for you and your Shield. And if firing a few hundred SD rounds to make that determination seems expensive, ask yourself what your life is worth. Ammunition is always cheap in comparison.

 

[Com 45acp]

Of all the shields I've owned none have been fincky with ammo. I'm just wandering if there is something out of spec with your shield to cause those feeding/ejection issues.

 

[Disabled1]

I use Speer Gold Dot LE 124 GHP's. They run great in my Shield 9.

This, or, Hornady 135 gr Critical DUTY (which is my personal defense round).

 

[Valueman]

Of all the shields I've owned none have been fincky with ammo. I'm just wandering if there is something out of spec with your shield to cause those feeding/ejection issues.

I have two Shields - a standard and a PC. Both have eaten whatever I have fed them with no hiccups. I am not saying that some Shields are not ammo sensitive, but mine certainly aren't. I have tried HST, Liberty, Gold Dot, Critical Duty, Critical Defense. No issues with any of them

 

[swsig]

Of all the shields I've owned none have been fincky with ammo. I'm just wandering if there is something out of spec with your shield to cause those feeding/ejection issues.

I sent it back to the factory once to check on a slightly loose ejector. They returned it saying everything was within spec. It now is mostly a safe queen, since I decided that my EDC would be my much more reliable (and potent) M&P 40 compact. To be fair, my Shield has improved since I did the SD ammo testing, going 1000 rounds before its most recent FTE. However, my 40c has had only four FTEs/FTFs in 8500 rounds, as opposed to my Shield's 28 FTEs/FTFs in 4800 rounds.

 

[gqllc007]

I have a PC Shield and a regular Shield barrel. It/they have been flawless with over 9-10 different JHP and all fmj. Something is clearly amiss with yours being so finicky

 

[walkin' trails]

My Shield has had zero function issues with either Glod Dot G2 or Winchester Ranger bonded, both in 147 grain weights. In the real world, the 9mm loads that have been used by law enforcement agencies, including the Ranger series, Gold Dot, and HST get high marks for street performance in other loadings besides 147s. In my area, the Critical Defense loads are easier to find than the others, however.

 

[PAFMAN3]

I use Speer Gold Dot LE 124 GHP's. They run great in my Shield 9.

+1.........

 

[Cakley]

Speer Gold Dot LE is very common for police agency's in Georgia. The state troopers went from .45 gap to 9mm and spent a lot of time testing ammo brands. Also tested on a windshield. I don't have time or money for that level of testing. So I just trust what they use.

 

[Andyk]

Traditional SD ammo is not always tested in 3 inch barrels and many do not reach full velocity needed to properly expand. Several companies make ammo designed for short barrels, faster burning powder. Just cause it cycles in your gun does not mean it's effective SD ammo. Gold Dots for instance do not expand from a short barrel, despite being a favorite of many, including me out of a 5 inch barrel. I use Remington designed for 3 inch. barrels. I think it's called micro?

 

[mattwings]

I found some 150g Federal HST micro rounds this wekend at Cabela's. Based on testing, rvfiews and forum feedback, they appear to be a top choice. I plan to hit the range this week and try them out. I only have about 250 rounds through my Sheild, but is has yet to have eny hiccups feding ammo. It is currently loaded with Hornaday Critical Defense 115g, shoots well, feeds great and it is wasy to find.

 

[gqllc007]

I found some 150g Federal HST micro rounds this wekend at Cabela's. Based on testing, rvfiews and forum feedback, they appear to be a top choice. I plan to hit the range this week and try them out. I only have about 250 rounds through my Sheild, but is has yet to have eny hiccups feding ammo. It is currently loaded with Hornaday Critical Defense 115g, shoots well, feeds great and it is wasy to find.

Out of my Glock 43 Critical defense penetrated to 11 1/2" and expanded to .485". In comparison the Federal HST 124gr standard pressure penetrated to 18" and expanded to .622

 

[jtaylor996]

Out of my Glock 43 Critical defense penetrated to 11 1/2" and expanded to .485". In comparison the Federal HST 124gr standard pressure penetrated to 18" and expanded to .622

That's a terrible result for the critical defense.

 

[gqllc007]

That's a terrible result for the critical defense.

I agree! I will not carry that round. It was through winter wear.
Weather 42*, Humidity 86%, Pressure 29.8inHg
Winter wear with one layer of medium weight insulated polyester fill and nylon outer shell, one layer of polartec 200gr and one layer of T-shirt Hanes cotton. Best penetration was 11 1/2" for the critical defense

 

[Taj]

Federal HST LE 9mm Luger Ammo 124 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point

Best choice. I'm privileged to be involved in FBI protocol ballistic shoots so I get to see a lot of terminal performance results of the latest, greatest 9mm ammo. I usually recommend Gold Dot if you plan on shooting at folks behind cover or in cars. (not many outside of LE will have to do that). GD is a bonded bullet and performs very well, but HST for soft targets is hard to beat. It gets bigger than GD, even out of short barreled pistols and stays together very well. Penetration is consistent, (16-18 inches) even from short barreled pistols, but it doesn't get generally get as big as HST. HST generally comes out of the "jello" at .800 to .900. In full size pistols the 147 grain is still the best, but the 124 grain is awesome out of the little pistols.

 

[Luckystiff]

Retired LEO, Range Master and Armorer. Got to attend a lot of good training over the years. From all that including shooting into and out of vehicles, I carry 124+P HST in all my 9mm carry guns. Will take 124+P Gold Dot without issue. I try to buy cases at a time so I tend to not have one load for the Shield and one for the rest. I liked what I saw with the 147 load but had a bad experience with 147 back in the 90's that just haunts me. Its mental on my part but confidence wins. YMMV.

 

[gqllc007]

Best choice. I'm privileged to be involved in FBI protocol ballistic shoots so I get to see a lot of terminal performance results of the latest, greatest 9mm ammo. I usually recommend Gold Dot if you plan on shooting at folks behind cover or in cars. (not many outside of LE will have to do that). GD is a bonded bullet and performs very well, but HST for soft targets is hard to beat. It gets bigger than GD, even out of short barreled pistols and stays together very well. Penetration is consistent, (16-18 inches) even from short barreled pistols, but it doesn't get generally get as big as HST. HST generally comes out of the "jello" at .800 to .900. In full size pistols the 147 grain is still the best, but the 124 grain is awesome out of the little pistols.

This man speaks the truth. Exactly the same findings when I did extensive ballistic gel testing. 124 gr standard HST in all my 9mm pistols except for full size which 147 Standard pressure is the best

 

[Protected One]

Federal HST 124 gr. Can't beat it! Watch Shootingthebull's youtube video on the HSTs and you'll be sold.

Ammo Quest 9mm: Federal HST 124 grain tested in ballistic gelatin test review - YouTube

If you watched ALL his testing of rounds for short barreled 9mm you will see that he ultimately chose Winchester D as the "best performer".

 

[Protected One]

I found some 150g Federal HST micro rounds this wekend at Cabela's. Based on testing, rvfiews and forum feedback, they appear to be a top choice. I plan to hit the range this week and try them out. I only have about 250 rounds through my Sheild, but is has yet to have eny hiccups feding ammo. It is currently loaded with Hornaday Critical Defense 115g, shoots well, feeds great and it is wasy to find.

I shot the new 150gr "Micro" 9mm a few months ago. Noticeably less recoil than any other round fired. I like it, and it's my new edc round.

 

[jyork08854]

Both my Shield 9mm and full sized M&P 9mm always have magazines loaded with Hornady Critical Defense. The only time they don't is when at the range or when cleaning.

 

[gqllc007]

If you watched ALL his testing of rounds for short barreled 9mm you will see that he ultimately chose Winchester D as the "best performer".

I tested those as well. They penetrated to 19-20" routinely and expanded to about .488".
My testing showed the 124 HST far superior out of a Glock 43 and PC ported Shield.
124 HST penetrated to 18" and .622 average expansion.

 

[sschrick]

someone else previously mentioned it. . .check out the Luckygunner ballistics results. Tons of test data, mostly shot out of short barreled guns.
Surprisingly, the Speer Gold Dots did not expand hardly at all out of the short barrel pistols tested.
I carry Federal HST in my Shield 9. Either 124gr or 147gr.

 

[gqllc007]

someone else previously mentioned it. . .check out the Luckygunner ballistics results. Tons of test data, mostly shot out of short barreled guns.
Surprisingly, the Speer Gold Dots did not expand hardly at all out of the short barrel pistols tested.
I carry Federal HST in my Shield 9. Either 124gr or 147gr.

4 out of the 5 god dots did not expand in my tests either. They work well out of a full size not short barrel

 

[Com 45acp]

I'm going to be carrying the standard 124 hst in my pc shield after watching the hst testing. But for you guys carrying Hornady critical defense have you thought about stepping up to the critical duty. Think it's a better performer.

 

[mnarcher]

Federal HST. 124gr. Standard pressure.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[SmithNWesson]

I'm going to be carrying the standard 124 hst in my pc shield after watching the hst testing. But for you guys carrying Hornady critical defense have you thought about stepping up to the critical duty. Think it's a better performer.

I thought about it but i like the expansion and velocity in the critical defense. I will probably go with the critical duty for winter carry. The 124gr Federal HST has some impressive numbers

 

[gqllc007]

I thought about it but i like the expansion and velocity in the critical defense. I will probably go with the critical duty for winter carry. The 124gr Federal HST has some impressive numbers

What exactly is it that you like? Critical defense has some pretty dismal numbers out of a short barrel like the Shield or Glock 43.
Out of my Glock 43 Critical defense penetrated to 11 1/2" and expanded to .485". In comparison the Federal HST 124gr standard pressure penetrated to 18" and expanded to .622

 

[yep380]

Never ordered from here, but they have a good price on Federal 9mm 124 Grain HST in a 50 round box: Federal HST LE 9mm Luger Ammo 124 Grain JHP

Please let us know how it goes if you order from them.

 

[Raisin]

I just fired 50 rounds of 124 gr HST today from my Shield 9 with disappointing results. When loading a magazine with the slide closed the first round would not feed. When loading a magazine with the slide open it worked fine. It looks like the nose of the round would tip down when hit by the slide. I tried extracting rounds from the magazine by hand and could not get the first one out without using a screw driver to hold the nose up. The nose of the round would hit the front of the magazine every time. Now I am worried. Is it the HST, the magazine, or the Shield?

 

[gqllc007]

I just fired 50 rounds of 124 gr HST today from my Shield 9 with disappointing results. When loading a magazine with the slide closed the first round would not feed. When loading a magazine with the slide open it worked fine. It looks like the nose of the round would tip down when hit by the slide. I tried extracting rounds from the magazine by hand and could not get the first one out without using a screw driver to hold the nose up. The nose of the round would hit the front of the magazine every time. Now I am worried. Is it the HST, the magazine, or the Shield?

First I would do is try a different magazine. The top rounds are hard to remove from a loaded magazine. I would take the mag apart and check for bent spring. Make sure mag is clean on the inside as well. Check your follower. Do not ride the slide forward when loading your first round...pull back your slide and sling shot it.

When you had the slide open then inserted a loaded magazine and sling shot the slide did that work and every round fire?
What about sling shot the first round then take out the mag and add one more round to the magazine and reinsert. This way you are carrying one in the chamber with a full mag...did that work? All rounds were fired without incident?