Newbie wants to talk ammo for Shield 9

[cmbconcretefire]

I've only put 30 rds through my new Shield 9. They were blazer Brass. 115 gr I believe. I have 20 left and will finish them out on the range Thursday.

To be honest, I picked them up because they were the cheapest the LGS had. I'm not AT ALL familiar with brands, makers, etc... but I have shot guns throughout my life and I didn't have any issues with this Blazer Brass stuff. It worked flawless for my first 30 shots and I'd be inclined to buy more. Especially since I know they will be on sale this weekend at my LGS for $9.99 per box. Thoughts?

The main point of this post though is to discuss steel casings. Specifically in the Shield 9!! Does anyone use steel casing rounds in the Shield without issue? I've read the Shield eats pretty much anything you throw at it....so???

(I do understand the general principle that steel will eventually take its toll on the barrel, but from what I've read, studies show this takes lots of thousands of rounds to do....and with the savings of using steel, you could just buy a new barrel) < Thoughts?

Thanks. > Oh, ps....is there a minimum grain bullet for the Shield? I was watching a youtube video (with a different gun) and the guy was having lots of issues and as it turns out, the bullet he was using wasn't powerful enough to cycle everything correctly. He found that out from the maker of the bullets. The bullet maker suggested using a hotter round, and he did, and he had no more issues. So, thoughts on that? Also, what about +P? I'd like to know what S&W says about +P ammo for the Shield 9....what is their official stance on that? Thanks.

 

[Shield9mm]

My shield eats whatever I feed it with, but never tried steel casing. I usually buy in bulk from freedommunitions it way cheaper than buying at the range.

 

[Ballistic147]

Blazer Brass is excellent quality range ammo. My Shield has eaten a ton of it and always wants more. My wife's Shield loves it too. I'm not a fan of steel case ammo. Typically it is a lesser quality and because of this less consistent than other brand name brass case such as Blazer Brass. I also reload so steel case ammo is pretty much useless in that case. The sale price at your LGS is a good deal so buy up as much as you can.

 

[berudd]

That's a pretty good price for a box of 9mm. It would be rare to find it for less. I'd buy a lot at that price.

I'm not a fan at all of steel cased ammo. Not just wear and tear on the gun but being less malleable is doesn't expand and spring back as well a brass and can affect how well it cycles.

115 gr is about the lightest bullet weight you will typically see but you can occasionally find lighter bullets. Personally, I prefer 124 gr in my Shield and FS M&P. It shoots better to POA. I doubt you'll typically encounter anything that the Shield won't cycle. Maybe it would have issues with some of the low recoil stuff but unless you have a very compelling reason to use that, just don't bother with it. The Shield is fine with +P ammo but is is not neccessary for proper functioning of the gun. Many feel it is unnecessary even in a defensive load. The Shield is not, however, designed to handle +P+ ammo.

Also, FWIW, just for the sake of clarity the bullet is only the projectile that leaves the muzzle when you fire a round. So it was not that his bullet was not powerful enough (bullets have not power per se) but rather his shell or round or ammo was not powerful enough to cycle the gun correctly.

 

[bigwheelzip]

When I first started shooting, I'd run all over town on an ammo quest. Not much fun in that after a while.

Now I order case's on-line and have ammo brought to my door.

http://www.sgammo.com/catalog/pistol-ammo-sale/9mm-luger-ammo

 

[Sunsetview45]

I use the Winchester 115 and get it at Walmart but I am far from an expert but I do love my shield 9mm


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[hoc9sw]

I like the Blazer Brass. There is no steel case in my stock for two reasons

- I have some pistols with stepped chambers, whose warranty specifically says no steel or aluminum cases, and I want ammo that I can shoot in any pistol I have when the next crunch hits.

- My range does not allow steel cases.

As to bullet weight, in one call with the techs at S&W, they suggested that 124g was what the Shield was designed around. At this point, 115 / 123 NATO / 124 /147 work equally well for me. I don't feel like I need +P

I am at about 3100 rounds through mine.

 

[cmbconcretefire]

Hate to sound like a moron.....especially with Google at my fingertips, but what exactly is the difference between the different .....um....numbers?
Example : 115/124/147, etc....the higher the number the more velocity? I'm thinking of it as the higher the number, the more "power" it has, which equals more recoil????

What is the highest # S&W endorses for the Shield? Thanks for the responses. Very surprised with endorsements of Blazer Brass. I thought since it was so cheap, there would be some bad reviews about it on here, but, I like it. (for what my 30 shots is worth) Lol. Cool, I'll buy it up this weekend.

 

[kayjbee]

Hate to sound like a moron.....especially with Google at my fingertips, but what exactly is the difference between the different .....um....numbers?
Example : 115/124/147, etc....the higher the number the more velocity? I'm thinking of it as the higher the number, the more "power" it has, which equals more recoil????

What is the highest # S&W endorses for the Shield? Thanks for the responses. Very surprised with endorsements of Blazer Brass. I thought since it was so cheap, there would be some bad reviews about it on here, but, I like it. (for what my 30 shots is worth) Lol. Cool, I'll buy it up this weekend.

I may be wrong but I believe those numbers are the weight and higher the number the more recoil. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

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[Arik]

There are some odd weights but traditionally it's 115, 124, 147 gr ammo. There is 90, 127, and a few others but the listed are by far the most common.

I shoot steel case in everything. If the gun likes it....great. if not I just buy something else

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[Goblin]

The bullet weight is in grains. There are 7,000 grains in a pound.

Lightweight bullets will generally have less felt recoil and muzzle flip, as long as you're comparing full-power ammo to full-power. They will also be faster in feet per second than the heavier bullets. They will typically penetrate less than heavier bullets, so some people prefer 124 to 147 grain bullets in 9mm for better penetration. I like the lighter bullets for the reduced recoil.

 

[Psalm144v1]

I've shot Tulammo steel in my Shield 9mm and had a lot of FTE's. (failure to eject) Those steel casings shot really dirty too, so after going through a case (1000 rounds) I've decided to shoot only brass. $9.99 for a 50 round box of Blazer Brass is pretty good so stock up. You can also find good deals with ammo search engines like AmmoSeek and Wikiarms. (both have iOS apps) I buy once fired reloaded brass rounds by the case and get
them at about 17 cents per round, with free shipping ;-)


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[wormraper]

I wouldn't bother. it's easy to get Federal aluminum at wally world for $9.97 a box, or their perfecta brass for $9.78 per box. or order online and get $9.99 a box all day long. No reason. if Steel was like $6-$7 a box I might reconsider, but there's not enough difference unlike .223

 

[berudd]

As Goblin says, those numbers are the weight of the bullet in grains. And remember the bullet is only the projectile that leaves the muzzle, not the entire loaded cartridge. The other stuff he mentions are generally true because those are some of the outcomes when you change bullet weight. But don't confuse it as an actual label that specifies anything more than bullet weight. It should be mentioned that that is only the case when you are talking about one caliber. You can have a heavier slug in a higher power cartridge, say 44 Mag, that will go faster than a lighter slug in 9mm.

I had always taken lighter bullets in a caliber to mean less recoil but recently had a CCW instructor tell me it was the opposite because the lighter bullet could be pushed faster without generating dangerously high pressure in the gun. I had not solid evidence to the contrary so I didn't argue but that was not what I had generally thought to be the case. I'll have to test side by side but as far as I can recall, I've only noticed a difference in recoil when I went to 124gr +P.

 

[sandog]

I can get range ammo locally for a little over $10 a box, so I don't bother buying it online. But the premium defense ammo is much more expensive locally. I bought 300 rounds of the Fedral HST Tactical from TargetSports ( free shipping) for around $150. That much money would have only got me 125 rounds if bought locally ( 25 round boxes go for $28 in stores here).
I like the 124 grain JHP's, decent bullet weight while still giving good velocity.
A 124 grain@1200 fps. isn't too far behind a 125 grain .357 magnum out of a 4 inch barrel.
Federal HST LE 9mm Luger Ammo 124 Grain JHP

 

[KateB76]

I am also new this year to shooting. I started out shooting 115 grain only; Winchester white box, Remington UMC, Federal American Eagle, Blazer Brass. All function just fine in both my M&P 9 full size and Shield 9.

$9.99 is a great price for Blazer Brass. In my area $11.99 is the best price I have seen for 115 grain target ammo; Blazer Brass is scarce and can't be found for less than $13.99.

I want to try some 124 grain ammo, which is hard to come by around here and never on sale, so I am looking into some online sources. So far I only shoot brass.

 

[Arik]

I wouldn't bother. it's easy to get Federal aluminum at wally world for $9.97 a box, or their perfecta brass for $9.78 per box. or order online and get $9.99 a box all day long. No reason. if Steel was like $6-$7 a box I might reconsider, but there's not enough difference unlike .223

That's assuming your Wallyworld sells ammo.

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[vulcan73]

This link will show you ballistics data for the M&P 9C for various commercial loads. The 9C is very close to the Shield 9mm in barrel length so this data is a good representation of the Shield 9mm's performance:

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#9mm

I would use whatever affordable ammo that cycles your gun for range use but for carrying, I would definitely go with a brand that is on this list. Spend the big bucks for a box of 20 rounds, cycle a few to ensure the gun likes the ammo then reserve the rest for carrying and occasional proficiency sessions.

As for me, I hand load all my calibers for both range and carrying consequently have no experience in steel cased rounds. I have experimented using light weight bullets (90 and 95 grain) but the Shield 9mm did not cycle. It does cycle with 115 grain and above. I have settled on 124 HP's (Hornady 124 XTP, Speer Gold Dots) in my carry loads with either HP-38 or IMR 700-X powders (both with high burn rates).

 

[Ranger17]

Blazer Brass and Remington UMC (9mm, always 115fmj) have been the main range ammo I've used in my MP compact, MP full size, and PC Shield. Never an issue, and at the indoor distances my range has (up to 10 yds) they all hit where i'm aiming. Well they will be more accurate than I will be lol.
And as for their ratings, most websites I've seen have both rated good to high.
I tend to watch for sales at Cabelas, Gander, or Dicks and between sales prices or % off coupon codes can normally get my range ammo for that $10 area either in store or delivered. So as they are affordable and work for me, they will continue to be my go-to for practice and fun rounds.

Thought i'd add that once in awhile Cabelas has their Herter's ammo on sale, and again between discount and coupon codes I've picked it up for less than $10 a box. Haven't tried it in my Shield yet (will do so next range visit) but it is fine in my other MP's. So just another good range round to consider.

 

[berudd]

This link will show you ballistics data for the M&P 9C for various commercial loads. The 9C is very close to the Shield 9mm in barrel length so this data is a good representation of the Shield 9mm's performance:

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#9mm

Man, that is a great link. Thanks for sharing. I've got the Winchester 147gr PDX-1 loaded right now. I got it mostly because it was 147gr, not +P and available. But, this makes it seem like a great choice. There might be slight over penetration but I really like how consistent it was round to round. Also, the expansion may not be the highest in the list but it also seems very consistently producing nice mushrooms from the bullet. Of the ones that expanded more they were either +P, which I don't want, often had one round that failed to properly expand and hold together, didn't penetrate as well or some combination of these.