30 Super Carry

[LDB415]

Anyone got one yet? Tested one? They make a big deal about more capacity but both of the S&W that I've found are only 10 rounds. Just wondering if it's time to be foolish again.

[Tex1961]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it supposed to be somewhere in power between.380 and 9mm.

Expensive rounds, hard to find and only a few selections of pistols to choose from. I’ll stay with my trusted 9mm for now.

[Excaliber]

This new caliber strikes me as an absolutely brilliant solution to a nonexistent problem.

The ballistics are so close to 9MM that the difference is negligible.

The capacity difference of 1 or 2 rounds per magazine is also negligible when compared to 9MM pistols that already have 10-17 round magazines. If one wants another couple of available rounds, a spare mag solves that issue nicely at substantially less cost.

The lack of selection and availability of guns chambered to accept the round and the very limited availability of ammo are absolute deal killers for me.

At this point I see it as a shiny object to play with for those with lots of time and excess funds on their hands. I suspect it will soon go the way of the .45GAP.

[oljames3]

Paul Harrell did an episode on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFr9KYanINg

Personal Protection: .30 Super Carry Evaluation
Paul tests out the new 30 super carry caliber for personal protection and concealed carry.

[The Annoyed Man]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it supposed to be somewhere in power between.380 and 9mm.

Expensive rounds, hard to find and only a few selections of pistols to choose from. I’ll stay with my trusted 9mm for now.

Didn’t .327 Federal Magnum already ask and answer that question?

[TxRVer]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it supposed to be somewhere in power between.380 and 9mm.

Expensive rounds, hard to find and only a few selections of pistols to choose from. I’ll stay with my trusted 9mm for now.

Didn’t .327 Federal Magnum already ask and answer that question?

This thread made me think about the .327 Federal Magnum, also. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a great idea. All these years later, there are still very few handguns chambered for the round, and it's not gaining popularity.

[The Annoyed Man]

Paul Harrell compares it to .380 and 9mm…



It appears that .30 Super Carry is a LOT more powerful than .380, and pretty close to as powerful as 9x19. However, hollowpoint expansion was not impressive.

But that still doesn’t answer the questions of ammo availability and guns chambered in it…particularly in the current market.

[cmgee67]

They upside to this cartridge is for someone who might be recoil shy. I know some people can’t handle the 9mm but can a 380. And this new round is certainly better than a 380. I bet it’s going to be just right for some folks.

The downside is as others have stated before, this is a great answer to a question that wasn’t really being asked. I feel like it may go the way of the dodo. I hope I am wrong. Maybe it will take off and be around for a long time. I think that most new cartridges are thought about this way when they first come out. Everyone is reluctant to change.

I mean some swear that the 45 AARP I mean ACP won two world wars and is still the best thing since sliced bread

[The Annoyed Man]

They upside to this cartridge is for someone who might be recoil shy. I know some people can’t handle the 9mm but can a 380. And this new round is certainly better than a 380. I bet it’s going to be just right for some folks.

The downside is as others have stated before, this is a great answer to a question that wasn’t really being asked. I feel like it may go the way of the dodo. I hope I am wrong. Maybe it will take off and be around for a long time. I think that most new cartridges are thought about this way when they first come out. Everyone is reluctant to change.

I mean some swear that the 45 AARP I mean ACP won two world wars and is still the best thing since sliced bread

.45 GAP is nearly extinct. OTH, .45 Long Colt and .45 ACP are still here. The Long Colt cartridge filled an important niche in the revolver world. The ACP cartridge filled an important niche in the self-loading pistol world. Both were questions that needed answering, and they answered them well enough that there wasn’t really a need for another.

.45 GAP attempted to answer a question that very few people were really asking. Given the fact that both .380 ACP and 9x19mm are available in a broad range of bullet weights and powder loadings, .30 Supercarry falls into a niche that is already covered by the other two calibers in some form or other. The only advantage it has over the other two is that it offers one or two extra rounds of capacity in whatever platform of pistol chambers it. Offsetting that, is that really a significant advantage in a pistol that can be very quickly reloaded? Is 12 rounds of .30 Supercarry a real world advantage over 10 rounds of 9mm?

[The Annoyed Man]

Forgotten Weapons has some interesting thoughts on .30 Super Carry:


Now, maybe a self loading pistol in .30 Carbine.

I know, I know. It’s already been done…but still…

[LDB415]

Well, with a sale on at $379 and a $75 rebate I decided for just over $300 to get one. If nothing else, it's a shiny pretty new toy with cute ammo. :)

[puma guy]

Well, with a sale on at $379 and a $75 rebate I decided for just over $300 to get one. If nothing else, it's a shiny pretty new toy with cute ammo. :)

You gonna get a RDS for it?

[LDB415]

Well, with a sale on at $379 and a $75 rebate I decided for just over $300 to get one. If nothing else, it's a shiny pretty new toy with cute ammo. :)

You gonna get a RDS for it?

Probably not. Won't fit in the pocket I carry in then.

[Mike S]

I had a student use a Shield Plus in .30 Super Carry in a 3-day defensive pistol class last December. I looked but couldn't find the photos of a recurring malfunction it was having.

If I remember correctly, the round attempting to feed from the magazine would randomly fail to feed into the chamber. It seemed as if the feed ramp was designed too steep, and the round would wedge between the slide face & into the top of the chamber at a weird angle.

To fix it I had the student use the typical drill for correcting a double-feed (wasn't a double feed, but same drill fixed it). I didn't keep track of how many times it happened, but out of 1,600 rnds over three days it probably happened around 15-20 times. It blew his confidence in it being his EDC gun. I've sent him an email to see if it continued after the class, or if he followed up with S&W and to see if he ever got resolution on it.

Edited to add:
Student replied that he did contact S&W; S&W acknowledged that it was a known issue with their .30 Super Carry, & that it typically resolves itself after shooting it awhile. S&W also told him if he wanted, they would replace it at any time under warranty.

S&W also told him it was only an issue with that model in .30 Super Carry; the 9mm version had no issues.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Early adopters of tech devices or handguns are out on what is called "the bleeding edge".

Even if the bugs get worked out of that .30 Super Carry, who wants to be a gunmaker's R & D department?

Stick with well known handguns and standard calibers.

SIA