Very popular 9mm round.

  Love this one. Low recoil to boot!

This Ranger +P+ being 127 grain bullet and looking at the powder which maybe 6.2 grains Autocomp, while those velocities 1200+ fps are a little slower, than Underwood's 124 +P+ with 6.4 grains showed 1300 fps.

Raggedyman, I watched your video test of the SIG V-Crown 44 mag ammo and noticed you mentioned it (the 44 mag) recoils a lot.



What caliber/gun would you rather carry to use against bears: 10mm (Glock 20) or 4" 44 mag revolver?

I figure if you had only one shot and you were guaranteed a hit, a 44 mag would be better, but what if you were not guaranteed a hit on the first shot. figure any bullet type you want.




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Test Gun: FN Five-seveN.
Barrel length: 4.8 Inches
Ammunition: FNH 5.7x28 40gr Hornady V-Max SS197SP, FNH 5.7x28mm 27gr HP SS198LF.
Test media: 10% Clear Ballistics Gel.
Distance: 10 feet.
Chronograph: PACT 1 XP with inferred sky screens.
Gel Temperature 72 degrees.



The 5.7x28mm was designed in conjunction with the P90 PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) and has had its fair amount of controversy. I think the idea was to give support troops a weapon that would perform better than the more a standard pistol round at penetrating body armor. Some consider this to be a rifle round while others say it's nothing more than a glorified .22 magnum. I personally think the latter is probably closer to right. As you will see just about any rifle round will put perform the 5.7. The FN Five-seveN is a blowback operated pistol with a 20 magazine. It's a soft shooting pistol made largely of polymer with a large grip, three dot sights, and a decent trigger pull.

The first type of ammo I used was the SS197SP. Round one had a velocity of 1729fps. The bullet was recovered in mutable parts with the polymer tip recover in two parts at 1.5 inches and 2.5 inches. The jacket separated at 9.5 inches and the recovered lead core stopped at 18.5 inches and weighed 25.6 grains. Round two traveled 1749fps and penetrated to 18.5 inches but didn't expand. The polymer tip broke into two parts and was recovered at 3 inches and 9.5 inches.

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The SS198LF is a lead-free round and is supposed to be a law enforcement only round but not restricted by law and is easily found for anyone to purchase. Round one hit at a velocity of 2047fps curved upward and left the top of the block at 8.25 inches and was recovered on the floor. The second round had a velocity of 2083fps curved to the left and stopped at 8.75 inches and was recovered base forward without expanding.

 

Test Gun: Colt 1991.
Barrel length: 5 inches.
Ammunition: Federal .45 ACP 230gr HST.
Test media: 10% Clear Ballistics Gel.
Distance: 10 feet.
Chronograph: PACT 1 XP with inferred sky screens.
Five shot velocity average: 920fps
Gel Temperature 70 degrees.

Whenever I post a new test, on the several forums I post on, the one response comes up a lot is "I'll stick with HST" or some variant of that phrase. There is a very good reason for that. The HST is one of the best, if not the best, performers in all of the calibers I have tested it in. This is the first complete test I have done in the .45 ACP and I think this test, of the HST, will set the standard.

I got an average 5 shot velocity of 920fps with a high of 944fps and a low of 902fps. This average was 30fps higher than the advertised 890fps. Five shots at 10 yards were right at the point of aim and recoil was about what you would expect, not much different than most 230gr ball.



Round one in the bare gel had a velocity of 904fps, penetrated to 15 inches and expanded to .91 inches. Round two performed very similar to the first hitting the block at 927fps and matching the first round with 15 inches of penetration and .91 inches of expansion.



The two rounds fired into the heavy clothing covered gel was very much like the two in the bare gel.  The first round had a velocity of 921fps and penetrated to 15.5 inches with an expansion of .82 inches. The last shot traveled at 910fps, expanded to .83 inches and penetrated to 15.25 inches.
 


I often get asked to post pictures of the gel after I shoot it. I normally don't because they just don't turn out very well or the block is getting dark from remelting. This block has only been reused once I thought I would give it a try.

Here are the first two rounds in bare gel.


With the two rounds through heave clothing.
 
   
http://www.general-cartridge.com/


     

Great info, Thanks Folks

Thanks again for posting your testing & results!

Test Gun: Sig P229, Kahr MK9.
Barrel length: 3.9, 3 inches.
Ammunition: Federal 9mm 147gr HST.
Test media: 10% Clear Ballistics Gel.
Distance: 10 feet.
Chronograph: PACT 1 XP with inferred sky screens.
Five shot velocity average: 967, 916fps
Gel Temperature 71 degrees.


This is the fourth installment and probably last with the 9mm HST line. Here is a link to the other 9mm HST rounds I tested.

http://www.general-cartridge.com/blog/federal-9mm-124grp-hst-in-clear-ballistics-gel

http://www.general-cartridge.com/blog/federal-9mm-124gr-hst1-in-clear-ballistics-gel

http://www.general-cartridge.com/blog/federal-9mm-hst-147gr-p-in-clear-ballistics-gel

I got an average velocity of 967fps out of the P229 with a high of 975fps and a low of 953fps.




I switch back to my Kahr for the short barrel testing and got an average velocity of 916fps with a high of 929fps and a low of 893fps.



In the bare gel, out the P229 the first round had a velocity of 966fps and penetrated to 15.25 inches and had a recovered diameter of .67 inches. Round two hit at a velocity of 976fps expanded to .65 inches and also penetrated to 15.25 inches.



In heaving clothing covered gel, the first round had a velocity of 976fps, penetrated to 19 inches and expanded to .65 inches. The second round had a velocity of 962fps expanded to .62 inches and penetrated to 16.25 inches.



Out of the Kahr in the bare gel, the first round hit at a velocity of 922fps, penetrated to 16.25 inches and expanded to .65 inches. round two traveled at a velocity of 914fps, also penetrated to 16.25 inches and expanded to .63 inches.

Thanks 5pins!
I'd say those are pretty definitive results.... Looking over all 4 tests, looks like you can't go wrong with the 9mm HST.   

I'd really like to see 9mm Winchester 147gr Ranger T in your test protocol if you ever get a mind to test it. 
I'd even renew offer to send you some for the test. 

Regards

Great info, Thanks!

Test Gun: 1911
Barrel length: 5 inches.
Ammunition: Sig Sauer .38 Super 125gr V-Crown in Clear Ballistics Gel.
Test media: 10% Clear Ballistics Gel.
Distance: 10 feet.
Chronograph: PACT 1 XP with inferred sky screens.
Five shot velocity average: 1212fps
Gel Temperature 73 degrees.

I don't think the .38 Super had ever been a very popular round for self-defense and it certainly isn't now. I did, however, pick up a beat-up franking 1911 recently and picked up a box of this Sig .38 Super V-Crown from Target Sports USA. The reality is, there isn't very much out there in the realm of SD ammo in this caliber.


I got an average five-shot velocity of 1212fps with a high of 1218fps and a low of 1204fps. This gun shoots a little to the left for me and the bottom two holes in the target were probably me. This round refused to feed in my gun. I have never shot anything but ball in it before so I don't know if its typical with this pistol but it probably is.



I wasn't able to set up the chronograph for the induvial shots.

Starting off with bare gel, both rounds penetrated to 16 inches. Round one expanded to .64 inches and had a recovered weight of 123.9 grains. Round two expanded to .63 inches with a weight of 124 grains.



Through heavy clothing, round one penetrated to 22.5 inches and expanded to .51 inches and a recovered weight of 123.9 grains. Number two penetrated to 23 inches, expanded to .54 inches and weight 123.9 also.     

Thanks to everyone who put this together...Really nice job folks!

This is not exactly gel testing but it's Paul Harrel and he's what you might call a professional...

He is entertaining in his way and has an old sage wisdom delivery. 

We've also warmly debated the Underwood (Lehigh) Defender product line effectiveness (the magic flutes). So here is another comparison and demonstration of conventional jhp, Umderwood Defender & G2 Research RIPoff in 9mm. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v8I4WZ6M2fg#fauxfullscreen

I bought this ammo in the late 80's from a gun shop in Fayetteville, NC while stationed at Ft Bragg. It came in a bag of 5 or 6 and cost about $15 IIRC. Back then the rage in self-defense ammo was lightweight, high velocity, and rapid expansion/ fragmentation. Companies like Cor-Bon and Glaser made all the press in the popular magazines of the day. This round was made by a company called Personal Protection Systems and it promised high velocity of around 1600fps with expansion up to .80 inches and penetration of 6 to 8 inches! Wow, have times changed.



This round is a .45 ACP with a solid copper hollow point loaded on a nickel plated Remington case. The hollow point is covered with a polymer tip to aid in feeding and weighed 100 grains. When I shot this round it hit at a velocity of 1340fps and penetrated 9.5 inches. Recovered diameter was .60 inches. The plastic tip was not found and my guess is that it disintegrated on impact. Not very impressive and easily surpassed by what's available today.