frank_drebin
02-08-2010, 12:22 PM
I have a new PM40 that, while 100% reliable, can be a little hard to handle with 180gr loads. My first trip to the range last week yielded excellent reliability and accuracy but followup shots were a little slower than I would like. Obviously there are trade-offs whenever you choose a defensive weapon and I accept that a 40 caliber pistol that will it in my front pocket will probably be a little unruly to shoot. Today I decided to try some of the Magtech Guardian Gold 155gr SD rounds. I hand-fed two magazines worth before shooting and they fed reliably with a slide lock drop. The bullet tip has a larger dish than the 180gr Winchester Personal Defense rounds i was using but was mush smaller than the Remington Golden Sabre rounds I tried initially. The Golden Sabres were reliable while shooting but were prone to hanging up when hand-cycling. The Winchester JHP profile was much smaller and fed reliably by hand and firing as dod the Magtech.
Firing the 155gr Magtech GGs, I found the recoil to be noticeably reduced while accuracy improved substantially. The rounds had a sharp kick much like a 9mm +P but allowed for easy recovery. At 15' I kept a fist size group which should get the job done just fine. However, at $1 a piece I admit that I won't be shooting any more than the 12 I fired today for a while. I plan on testing some other lower weight rounds in the near future. I will probably try some Hydra Shok 135gr and some Powrball 135gr rounds in the near future unless anyone has experience to the contrary. The Powrball looks promising and, based on their website, appears to deliver performance characteristic of a 357 sig and should have excellent feeding.
Magtech 155gr Guardian Gold JHP (http://www.magtechammunition.com/sitepages/pid103.php?productId=472<emplate=details&templateId=14&pageId=103&search=details)
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ctd_images/lgprod/43055.jpg
Firing the 155gr Magtech GGs, I found the recoil to be noticeably reduced while accuracy improved substantially. The rounds had a sharp kick much like a 9mm +P but allowed for easy recovery. At 15' I kept a fist size group which should get the job done just fine. However, at $1 a piece I admit that I won't be shooting any more than the 12 I fired today for a while. I plan on testing some other lower weight rounds in the near future. I will probably try some Hydra Shok 135gr and some Powrball 135gr rounds in the near future unless anyone has experience to the contrary. The Powrball looks promising and, based on their website, appears to deliver performance characteristic of a 357 sig and should have excellent feeding.
Magtech 155gr Guardian Gold JHP (http://www.magtechammunition.com/sitepages/pid103.php?productId=472<emplate=details&templateId=14&pageId=103&search=details)
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ctd_images/lgprod/43055.jpg