Federal announced a budget 103 grain hollow-point at SHOT Show 2023
I mostly agree with this article which was written over a year ago
https://gununiversity.com/30-super-carry/
30 Super Carry would be great in an alternate universe where 9mm Parabellum was never invented.
In a rapidly aging population where recoil pain is becoming a thing, where actual CCW is ever more prevalent and the market wants smaller pistols vs full sized Service Pistols, Federal focused on duplicating a 9mm to gain one or two extra shots.
IMO, they should have targeted the LCP 2 sized envelope, went for less recoil(so many people say they would be all over a .32 LCP) and worked backwards from the IWBA penetration/expansion standards(I think IWBA is more relevant for CCW than the FBI standards), and then crammed as many rounds as they could into the gun.
Whether this was simply a rimless .32 ACP or a new .30(or .26 or...) would be determined by effect. The goal wouldn't be to equal 9mm, but to equal or surpass the best .380.
It sounds like they got seduced by their own marketing people into believing they could bend the laws of physics, at least in their customer's heads..
I have to wonder if Federal initially wanted to develop such a cartridge and eventually realized it was impossible.
They would not only need to invent a better pocket pistol cartridge, BUT, it would have to be enough better that they could easily advertise and sell it.
It would have to appeal to shooters who want less recoil AND
shooters who want more "power" AND
shooters who want higher magazine capacity AND
shooters who simply want greater feed/cycle reliablity AND
it can't pose any potential safety issues with existing guns/ammo OR
infringe on any existing patents.
This new cartridge will be of little interest to hunters, competition/target shooters, military departments, or law enforcement agencies, so every CCW/CHL holder will need to buy into this unestablished cartridge.
If you think that the current .30 Super Carry marketing is over-the-top, imagine Federal trying to convince people to adopt an all-new cartridge that has "More power than .35 S&W Auto, Less rim lock than .32 ACP"
It's because gun people are kinda stupid and like to let themselves think that they want More Power! More Caliber!!! More MM!!! A gun that will vaporize bears with one shot!!!
We also kinda grudgingly tolerate the mousegun calibers, because JMB invented all of them.
So... yeah. Even though a marginally more acceptable mousegun for old folks is actually a good idea, just try to get some Mah Foaty Five! Boomer to actually buy one.
"You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
"I've owned a guitar for 31 years and that sure hasn't made me a musician, let alone an expert. It's made me a guy who owns a guitar."- BBI
I was really hoping that one of our P-F hipsters would demand a return of the .35 S&W
https://www.handloadermagazine.com/cartridge-board-5
https://www.historicalfirearms.info/...tic-pistol-the
I love the round, didn’t till I shot. I like the thinking outside the box too. They ( any ammo manufacture), needs to explore the true pocket pistol concept with a bit more enthusiasm.
Remember the saying, 'Friends don't let friends buy .380's'? IMHO, that same advice fits here with this caliber. I don't advise anyone to go lower than .38 Special or 9mm for self defense. Period. Change/re-engineer the firearm, not the caliber.