In January 2022, Federal Premium announced its 30 Super Carry (30 SC) cartridge, which Federal said provides the power of the 9mm Luger in a round with a .312-inch diameter projectile. The goal, Federal said, was to create a round that carries like a 380 and hits like a 9mm. The 30 SC was fully developed from the ground up with no parent cartridge.
“The self defense market is a driving force behind new gun ownership. When considering what the market is looking for when it comes to self-defense, they have told use that concealability, comfort in carrying and ability to shoot, 9mm performance, and the ability to carry more rounds” are the most important factors, said Federal’s Handgun Ammunition Product Director Mike Holm. “That is what drove the development of 30 Super Carry.”
“We were trying to make 380 as effective as we can,” Holm said. “So, what if we could do something that was in the middle, right? Between 380 and 9mm? And could you do something that would be effective from a terminal performance standpoint, good for defense and easy to carry? What happened is we got the 30 Super Carry design.”
General Comments:
30 Super Carry was initially loaded by Federal, Speer, CCI Blazer, and Remington. The 100-grain 30 Super Carry HST carries 347 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle and has a velocity of 1250 fps; the 124-grain 9mm Luger HST has 364 foot-pounds of energy and a muzzle velocity of 1150 fps.
In the FBI bare-gel protocol, the .312-inch-diameter 100-grain 30 SC HST expands to .590 inch and penetrates 12 inches, while the 124-grain 9mm Luger HST expands to .650 inch and penetrates 13.1 inches. In the FBI’s heavy clothing protocol, the same 30 SC HST expands to .530 inch and penetrates 15.5 inches; the 9mm Luger expands to .570 inch and penetrates 14.5 inches.
Defensive loads are the 100-grain Federal Premium HST, 115-grain Speer Gold Dot, and 100-grain Remington HTP. Twenty-round cartons of these offerings will retail for $36.99, $35.99 and $26.99, respectively. Practice loads are 100-grain Federal American Eagle FMJs, 115-grain CCI Blazer Brass, and 100-grain Remington UMC. Fifty-round cartons of these rounds will retail for $31.99, $30.99 and $31.99, respectively.
Pistols currently chambered in Federal 30 SC include Nighthawk Custom’s President and GRP 1911 pistols and Smith & Wesson’s M&P Shield Plus and M&P Shield EZ.
Accessories available at launch include the Hoppe’s 30 Super Carry cleaning kit, RCBS 30 Super Carry reloading dies, and compatible holster fits from Uncle Mike’s and Blackhawk.
Interviewer: Joe Woolley, Contributing Editor, Gun Tests Magazine
Company representative: Steven Monniere, Product Line Specialist at Vista Outdoor
Text courtesy of Cartridges of the World 17th Edition
