Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Input on S&W Shield .380 EZ Requested

I should never have sold mine. Of course, mine was West German made, too.

FWIW, here are more chronograph results of premium ammunition fired from the .380 EZ using a LabRadar chronograph. 8 were shots fired and recorded for each load tested. All series were fired starting with the slide locked back, with the slide release being used to chamber a round. There were no malfunctions during testing. Muzzle energies were calculated using a Web based energy calculator using the average velocity for the calculations.

1. Hornady 90 gr. FTX Critical Defense, Avg 986, H 994, L 976, ES 19, SD 6.4, Muzzle energy 194 (Advertised 1000 fps). Mild Recoil.

2. Hornady 90 gr. XTP Custom, Avg 972, H 1001, L 931, ES 70, SD 20.5, ME 188 (Advertised 1000 fps). Mild Recoil.

3. Winchester 95 gr. PDX1 Defender JHP, Avg 1024, H 1068, L 993, ES 75, SD 26.2, ME 221 (Advertised 1000 fps, ME 211). More pronounced recoil than the Hornady rounds.

4. Federal 99 gr. HST JHP, Avg 1041, H 1057, L 1017, ES 41, SD 13, ME 238 (Advertised 1030 fps). Sharper recoil than PDX1. Anybody who can figure out how to open the box using one hand to apply pressure to the top can probably handle the recoil.

5. Buffalo Bore standard pressure 100 grain Hard Cast Flat Nose, Avg 1004, H 1022, L 974, ES 48, SD 16.5, ME 223 (Advertised 975 fps, 211 ME). Recoil not as bad as Federal HST. Smoky and more noticeable muzzle flash.

The Hornady rounds were easy to shoot. They should be manageable for people who are recoil sensitive and should offer them the prospect of accurate follow-up shots.

For Dave. Inspired by jwp475 and a question from my wife.