Announced in early January of 2022, Federal Premium released a completely new caliber, 30 Super Carry. This round was designed to be more effective than 380, and provide more capacity than a 9mm.
Coming in with a .312-inch diameter projectile, 30 Super Carry undercuts the .355-inch 9mm round.
380 Auto (top), 30 Super Carry (middle), and 9mm Luger (bottom)
Per Federal’s website, standard 9mm Luger pistols will carry “two more” additional rounds in “initially available handgun models.” So for every 10-round mag of 9mm, one would get 12 rounds of 30 Super Carry.
Boasting almost identical energy as a 9mm, the 30 Super Carry is a hard-hitting contender. While a 124gr 9mm Luger HST moving at 1,150fps has slightly more energy at 364 ft-lbs, a 100gr 30 Super Carry HST moving at 1,250fps comes in very close with a total of 347 ft-lbs of energy. This provides deeper penetration with a slightly smaller diameter wound channel.
The 347 ft-lbs still is significantly more than the 223 ft-lbs provided by a 99gr 380 Auto moving at 1,030 fps. Recoil is again almost identical to 9mm, but firing a few rounds side by side, the 30 Super Carry seemed to kick ever so slightly less.
Currently, both Smith & Wesson and Nighthawk Customs have designed pistols chambered in 30 Super Carry which should be available soon. These models include the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus, Shield EZ, Nighthawk Custom President, and Nighthawk GRP.
Ammo availability and price are serious concerns for most consumers, so time will tell how production can keep up to satisfy both.
Federal, Speer, Remington, and Blazer are ramping up production and showed off some of their offerings at Shot Show 2022. Federal claims that the price of this ammunition will be comparable to 380 Auto loaded with the same bullet type.
Click HERE to learn more about 30 Super Carry.
Additional Photos from the Federal booth at Shot Show 2022:
is passionate about hunting and competition shooting. During college he was the shooting instructor for Oklahoma State’s Practical Shooting Team, and these days he spends as much time as he can chasing after pigs and coyotes with night vision and thermals. You can follow Mitchell’s adventures over at his Instagram @That_Gun_Guy_