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The lawman are practice rounds, that replicate the recoil of the gold dots. If talking about grains:
In some way it doesn't really matter, and the .40 even less so, due to it's "abnormal" pressure and velocity over that of the 9mm and .45.
I prefer however going the heaviest grain round possible in general, this case 180 grain.
However in your M&P9c, giving it shorten barrel, it is common to reduce the weight of the round, so to decrease the velocity lost in a short barrel. So, I would suggest 165 grain, but not never less for a defensive round.
.40 S&W:
Barnes XPB 140 & 155 gr JHP (copper bullet)
Speer Gold Dot 155 gr JHP
Federal Tactical 165 gr JHP (LE40T3)
Winchester Ranger-T 165 gr JHP (RA40TA)
Winchester Partition Gold 165 gr JHP (RA401P)
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 (Q4355)
The lawman are practice rounds, that replicate the recoil of the gold dots. If talking about grains:
In some way it doesn't really matter, and the .40 even less so, due to it's "abnormal" pressure and velocity over that of the 9mm and .45.
I prefer however going the heaviest grain round possible in general, this case 180 grain.
However in your M&P9c, giving it shorten barrel, it is common to reduce the weight of the round, so to decrease the velocity lost in a short barrel. So, I would suggest 165 grain, but not never less for a defensive round.
for the noobs: the pressure exerted by the gun powder ceases after the round leaves the barrel and limits velocity. The longer the barrel typically means the higer the velocity, as the pressure is exerted for a longer period of time.
__________________ Gun Totin' Liberals: Left of Center But Always on Target
.40 S&W:
Barnes XPB 140 & 155 gr JHP (copper bullet)
Speer Gold Dot 155 gr JHP
Federal Tactical 165 gr JHP (LE40T3)
Winchester Ranger-T 165 gr JHP (RA40TA)
Winchester Partition Gold 165 gr JHP (RA401P)
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 (Q4355)
All excellent rounds used by many LEO agencies.
I personally use Winchester Ranger-T 180gr JHP or Hornady TAP 180gr FPD
Something to note is that while there are different rounds available, a lot of the manufacturers are in fact using the same actual bullets in their cartridges.
I just ordered some Federal HST 180 gr. A lot of people say these are some of the best self-defense rounds out there. These rounds have some SERIOUS expansion.
Seriously, there is no reason to have armor piercing HANDGUN ammo for self defense. Unless you like killing bystanders and/or destroying property in collateral damage.
no offense, but how can you be shooting .40 S&W in your 9c? I had the 9c and it doesn't have the option of conversion barrels, did you mean to say M&P 40c? Either way, both are nice guns, including the Sig (I currently have the M&P .40c). I recall reading a whole series of tests they did using all the top brand SD rounds and as Ianmtx pointed out, Federal came out on top and so that is currently what I have for defense rounds but at the end of the day I don't think anybody would want to be hit with any of these, well besides
no offense, but how can you be shooting .40 S&W in your 9c? I had the 9c and it doesn't have the option of conversion barrels, did you mean to say M&P 40c? Either way, both are nice guns, including the Sig (I currently have the M&P .40c). I recall reading a whole series of tests they did using all the top brand SD rounds and as Ianmtx pointed out, Federal came out on top and so that is currently what I have for defense rounds but at the end of the day I don't think anybody would want to be hit with any of these, well besides
A lot of pistols have a barrel conversion between 9mm and 40s.w. I know glocks and HK's do. And I think some sigs. Though, usually it's for a .40 s.w. chambered pistol swapping to 9mm...
HST do expand more then Golddot, but they do so like in the photos, in 6 distinct leafs. And at times do not expand evenly due to the the leafs being independent, not uncommon to see only half the round expanding.
Golddots however expand very uniformly, as instead of peeling back, the inside crushes inward, pushing the sidewalls outward and then spiting up, causing the sidewalls to roll back . So even if a strike is not evenly hit, the round for the most part expands the same all the time, while too maintaining the majority of it's weight in the middle of the round, oppose to the ends.
Not as scary looking, or as large, but truly a better means of expansion.
What is the best .40 self defense ammo
