Federal 30 Super Carry

9mm is the most popular handgun cartridge in the world for military, law enforcement and self defense use. It has been around for 120 years. Federal created the .30 Super Carry, which is akin to a semi-auto round, comparable to the .327 magnum. Both utilise a .313″ bullet (9mm is a .355″ projectile, with a difference of .042″), and both are loaded to the same pressure. Because of this size difference, a firearm chambered in Federal .30 Super Carry will hold approximately 20% more ammunition, and have a thinner profile than a double stack 9mm.

The potential of a semi-automatic pistol cartridge approximating the .327 terminal performance offers greater magazine capacity than a standard 9mm. The Federal 30 Super Carry has a slight edge in penetration over 9mm.

Some say that Federal 30 Super Carry is the solution to a non-existent problem. In any event, the 30 competes with the 9mm from a terminal-performance standpoint, but with 16% less recoil than similar sized handguns.

Currently, Smith and Wesson offers the 30 Super Carry in the M&P Shield Plus

As with any new product, Firearm Mentor recommends waiting until it is on the market for a while before purchasing. There are other cartridges that are relatively obscure (i.e., .45 GAP) that really didn’t take off. In travelling to multiple shooting ranges, Firearm Mentor has yet to see ammunition for sale.

Thus, you may purchase a gun without the ammunition or means to fire it. As time passes, if gun manufacturers produce more firearms chambered in this new cartridge, it will become more mainstream and worthy of competition in the concealed carry market.

For now, it is the shiny new object that we are all attracted to.