preferred defensive .40 S&W ammo in full-sized M&P pistols?

[Echo47]

For those reading this forum who own and carry S&W M&P full-sized (15+1) pistols, what is/are your preferred defensive/offensive ammunition(s) and was your decision to carry said ammunition a consequence of the old FBI .40S&W ammunition recommendations (after their switch from 9mm to .40S&W handguns back in the late 1960's)?
I am ONLY interested in your carry-ammunition, not practice or range ammunition.
Thanks!
rustymusket

 

[SpartyME]

40S&W didn’t exist until 1990

But my carry ammo is 180gr Federal HST

 

[CB3]

Ammo Test: Barnes TAC-XPD .40 S&W 140 grain - GunsAmerica Digest

This is what I carried before returning to 9mm 6 years ago, same TAC-X load.

 

[Echo47]

preferred defensive .40S&W ammo

Sorry SpartyME, yes, the Miami shoot-out was in '86, not '68.
Guess I was in a bit of a hurry to complete tasks last pm.
Echo47

 

[kcbet2]

Speer 180gr Gold Dot

 

[joeintexas]

Federal 180gr HST.

 

[gwmac]

I prefer a lighter bullet and carry 155 gr Hydro Shok.

 

[italiansport]

Winchester Super Elite 180gr.
Jim

 

[hardluk1]

In a M&P's chambers I would use Federal 165gr hst bought in the LE 50 round box . Its an easier on the shooter load and expansion is very good along with penetration .

Federal Premium Tactical HST .40 S&W 165 Grain Hollow Point Ammo

 

[sheepdawg]

Golden Saber Bonded 165 gr.

 

[Doug M.]

Look for Dr. Roberts's testing, pick a few of the recommended loads that might appeal to you, buy 50 rounds and see how they feel to shoot, etc. Once you think you have one you find workable for you, buy 1000 rounds or more, function test the pistol with 300-500 rounds, and as long as it works reliably every time (a pistol should not need cleaning, and probably not lube if you are using quality lube) during that period, load up, and drive on.

This is the same as with any other defensive pistol. The only difference the caliber makes is where you look on Gary's test results.

 

[StephenWhoDat]

I have multiple firearms in 40 S&W in my carry rotation. I only carry Speer Gold Dot or Hornady Critical Defense.

 

[Smoke]

Look for Dr. Roberts's testing, pick a few of the recommended loads that might appeal to you, buy 50 rounds and see how they feel to shoot, etc. Once you think you have one you find workable for you, buy 1000 rounds or more, function test the pistol with 300-500 rounds, and as long as it works reliably every time (a pistol should not need cleaning, and probably not lube if you are using quality lube) during that period, load up, and drive on.

This is the same as with any other defensive pistol. The only difference the caliber makes is where you look on Gary's test results.

Dr. Roberts has a list posted on Pistolforum.com. Posting links seems to be an issue on this forum so I copied his his list for .40 S&W ammunition and posted it here

.40 S&W:
Barnes XPB 140 & 155 gr JHP (copper bullet)
Speer Gold Dot 155 gr JHP
Federal Tactical 165 gr JHP (LE40T3)
Speer Gold Dot 165 gr JHP
Winchester Ranger-T 165 gr JHP (RA40TA)
Federal HST 180 gr JHP (P40HST1)
Federal Tactical 180 gr JHP (LE40T1)
Remington Golden Saber 180 gr JHP (GS40SWB)
Speer Gold Dot 180 gr JHP
Winchester Ranger-T 180 gr JHP (RA40T)
Winchester 180 gr bonded JHP (RA40B/Q4355/S40SWPDB1)

Anything on this list has been thoroughly tested and will serve you well

 

[Fastbolt]

I only carried an issued M&P 40 for about a year and a half. During that time the carry and training ammunition was a mix of Winchester 180gr T-Series, Remington 180gr Golden Sabre (non-bonded) and Federal 180gr HST. I carried all of it at different times.

Why the mix? Because there was a point in time when there was still some remaining inventory from the previous couple of state contracts (Winchester and Remington), and then while waiting for the new contract to be announced it was discovered that the HST was the cheapest of the premium JHP's available among the LE distributors who actually had ammunition in-stock and available for delivery.

It all fed reliably and fired accurately in my issued M&P 40 (and some of my personally-owned .40's).

As a matter of fact, I think of the .40's I own and sometimes carry, I still have those 3 loads in different guns, depending on whichever load was closest at hand when I was loading magazines for the different guns, at different times. I'm not nearly as fussy about particular ammunition as I was as a younger shooter/instructor, presuming it's one of the modern "premium" JHP's made by one of the major American makers, and I compare prices when browsing gun store shelves. The NorCA Winchester LE distributor who offers individual officer pricing for T-Series ammunition, out of his store front, is too far for me to want to drive anymore, so once my stock is eventually depleted I probably won't replace it. (Naturally, I don't "mix" different loads in the same magazines, in the same guns, outside of when burning up rounds for the range.)

 

[jakebrake]

federal hst 180

 

[mp.74]

In .40 federal,remington,speer or winchester premium rounds are all pretty good for sd. I would look at what I could stock up on the cheapest run it in my gun and if it runs reliably and accurately carry it in confidence.
That said I've been issued 155 and 180 gr hst 's and my dept had great success with both

 

[Culina]

Winchester 165gr PDX1, for most calibers, I tend to stick with projectiles that fall somewhere in the middle as far as weight goes

 

[CDKJudoka]

Federal HSTs 165gr when carrying anything in .40S&W

 

[Deadeye Dick]

Whatever quality name brand 165gr HPs are on sale and after vetting with 2 or 3 hundred rounds of course. Reliability and accuracy (my ability to hit what I'm aiming at) are my top criteria when selecting defensive ammo. People are not made of Jello and are usually not standing still so I don't put a great deal of stock in "performance" test. Most modern defensive ammo will get the job done if the gun and operator do their parts.

 

[Farmer17]

I like the 165 grain loads but I don't know if it matters that much. I would have confidence in most loads with the .40, .45, or .357 but with the 9m/m I would probably only have confidence in the absolute best +P or +P+ rounds.