In Praise of Federal Ammo: One Lawman's Take

1981. Attending my regular department handgun qualification, I was surprised when I was issued a different .38 Special duty ammo than I’d been accustomed to. For the previous four years, we had always used a particular brand and I wondered, “Why the change?” Something was up and all I knew was I had to get to the bottom of it. I had read about ammo testing in some of the gun magazines and figured I ought to conduct my own.

I went to a public shooting range with my Smith & Wesson Model 19 4-inch service revolver, my Smith & Wesson Model 60 2-inch off-duty revolver, a sample of both the new and old ammo, along with some bullseye-style targets to evaluate accuracy. I also wanted to test the expansion of the ammunition and knew that our local crime lab used rolls of water-soaked undertakers’ cotton for this purpose, so I acquired a roll. I was also aware of this odd substance called “ballistic gelatin,” but, at the time, it seemed weird to shoot bullets into Jell-O. Keep in mind, I was still learning.

I set up my test and commenced. I shot the Model 19 at 25 yards and the snubby Model 60 at 15. I bench rested both and shot single action as I wanted the best accuracy possible. I was very surprised at how much more accurate the new ammo was. Several other shooters who shared the range with me took notice, saying they were going to buy that brand next time.

The expansion testing was next. Setting the cotton “wet pack” on a small table, I shot both brands of ammo into the test material at 15 feet, which seemed like a reasonable distance for a gunfight. The old issue ammo expanded out of the Model 19 to .54 caliber, and .42 caliber out of the snub. I didn’t chart penetration, though it was deep into the cotton roll, but that wasn’t a common parameter for comparison at the time. The new ammo expanded to .65 caliber out of the Model 19 and .53 out of the snubby. This proved it, the new ammo was an improvement! I was pleased that the “powers that be” were looking out for the troops. When I told our rangemaster about the results of my testing, I was deflated to find out he had no idea about the enhanced performance. “It was cheaper in the bid, kid.” Typical.

At least I knew we had a better duty load. So, what was this new and improved ammo? Federal’s 158-grain all-lead hollow point in a .38 Special +P loading. At the time, it had a variety of monikers including the “FBI Load” (a 158 LHP +P was used to end the Miami FBI shootout in 1986), the “Chicago PD Load” and the “Miami PD Load,” and the results seen “on the streets” were nothing short of terrific. It has gone on to become probably the most proven combat handgun round in history with 50 plus years of use, and it’s still going strong. Most ammunition manufacturers developed a comparable loading and all of them have proven to work well in actual gunfights. The improved ammunition elevated the .38 Special to the status of viable fight stopper. And, among the contending brands with defensive .38 ammunition, the Federal load proved to be a little bit more accurate and offered better expansion in my experience. When it comes to the performance of carry ammo, I want that “little bit better.”

Semiautomatic pistols came to my agency in early 1987. At first, it was a personal purchase program, followed by issued handguns becoming a reality in 1990. The first issued ammo was the popular Winchester Silvertip load. That was replaced by the FBI-endorsed 147-grain Olin Super Match (OSM) subsonic hollow point. When the 147-grainer proved to be a dismal performer in a shooting by one of our deputies, the Silvertip returned. Several years later, I took over as our agency’s training supervisor and I started thinking back to the accuracy I had seen with Federal ammunition. I decided it was time to quit buying whatever was cheapest (bid price) and buy what was the best based on our needs. This was easier said than done. Government agencies must bid on products they need to ensure the taxpayer gets the best price. To avoid this process, I had to prove that one type of ammo was significantly different from the rest to support a “sole-source” bid.

Several years prior, while acting as the training officer for our SWAT Team, I had settled on the Federal 9BP 115-grain JHP standard-velocity cartridge for our Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns. When selecting and standardizing a load for these guns, I took Federal’s accuracy into account. Accuracy was of critical importance as the MP5 was used as an entry gun, and a tight shot past a hostage was a very real possibility for our officers. The ammunition proved to not only be super accurate in our sub-guns, it also ran with total reliability. Heckler & Koch recommended against the use of high-velocity, high-pressure loads in the MP5, and many agencies found out why the hard way.

I was able to justify a sole-source bid for this ammo based on its ability to reliably function in the submachine guns. It was a justification that passed the Budget Office’s scrutiny. After I stepped away from SWAT to take over the Training Unit, the deputy who replaced me decided to “up their game” with the sub-guns and issued a +P+ load thinking it would be more lethal. Unfortunately, he would find out during an actual call out and shooting that this combination resulted in a one-shot submachine gun. A very poor choice considering the “hot” ammunition was clearly marked, “Not for use in submachine guns.” At my suggestion, they returned to the 9BP load.

Speaking of SWAT, our original entry and perimeter gun in 1980 was the Ruger Mini-14 with selector switch. Over-penetration was a big concern of the time when using the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, so we selected a Federal 40-grain hollow point “varmint” load. Our thought was a bullet that was intended for small game would likely blow up, or break apart, inside the human body, eliminating the over-penetration problem. As time went by, we discovered the 5.56 round was not a great penetrator due to its thin, light front and heavy rear which resulted in an end-over-end tumble on impact. Also, the 40-grain bullet did, indeed, fragment on impact. Unfortunately, this decreases penetration too much and resulted in very shallow wound profiles. It also hindered effectiveness when intermediate barriers were a concern. That said, it was really accurate! Today, individuals and agencies in the know are using the Federal 62-grain Tactical Bonded soft point 5.56 NATO loading that combines penetration and reliable expansion. Oh yeah, like all Federal ammo, it’s really accurate and reliable as well.

---

The 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge has long been controversial. An intermediate-power cartridge, it has been suspected as being “too much” for close-quarters battle — as reflected in my agency’s considerations. On the other hand, it also lacks the power required for long-range shots, such as in the mountains of Afghanistan. Originally intended as a 300-meter solution, it is certainly understandable why the military may want to replace it. But for American law enforcement and the legally armed citizens wanting to defend their home and family, it might be darn near perfect, in my estimation. It’s relatively soft shooting in compact carbine platforms and proven to end threats. It’s been my experience that a typically trained individual can shoot a 5.56-chambered carbine fast and accurately, even if they don’t frequent the range. Personally, I rely on the 5.56 for my personal security needs and feel quite comfortable with it.

The law enforcement sniper, better known as the precision rifleman, has also proven to be an essential component in tactical operations. When the sniper is called for, absolute accuracy is essential. Federal’s .308 Winchester load with a 168-grain boattail hollow point was the predominant choice for our precision rifle work, and it proved very effective in our Remington 700 rifles. To this day, many law enforcement SWAT teams work with a 100-yard zero on their precision rifles due to the closer distances of police engagements versus the military’s requirements. While there have been long-distance shots taken by police riflemen, the normal distance of such engagements remains relatively close. But that does not mean extreme accuracy can be ignored. The Federal 168-grain BTHP has long been known for tighter than 1 MOA groups, often placing one round on top of another, provided the shooter does his or her part. This level of accuracy was certainly our experience.

Today’s tactical rifleman is still using the .308 Win. for sniper duties, though it has achieved vintage status within the competition arena where a match can be won or lost by not much more than the width of a hair. The current go-to load for law enforcement is the Federal 168-grain Tactical Tip MatchKing bullet when taking a shot in open air. If a barrier may be encountered, the 168-grain Tactical Bonded Tip is used. This bullet is specifically designed to defeat the toughest barriers and stay on trajectory.

In the early 1990’s, the controversy over heavy, slow moving, deep penetrating handgun bullets versus light, fast, rapidly expanding bullets was in full swing. Admittedly, due to our past experience with an early, poorly performing 147-grain load, I was in the fast-expanding camp, even though there had been several shootings in our area showing the Federal 147-grain Hydra-Shok bullet was a superior design. In those shootings, the Hydra-Shoks penetrated perfectly and expanded to 1.5 times their original diameter. In reality, they exhibited near-perfect performance, and I regretted my reluctance to adopt the cartridge sooner. The Hydra-Shok bullet design is known for its central post inside the hollow point cavity. The post helps force hydraulic pressure outward on impact, improving expansion at low velocities. It was, and is, a very effective design. Interestingly, experiments were undertaken to drive the Hydra-Shok bullet faster, only to discover it actually hindered the rounds performance.

My agency flirted with a brand of ammo that was advertised as using reduced flash powder, a feature I felt would be of great benefit. The SWAT Team was using the round, but the remainder of the department did not. While the load did display very little flash in the reduced light environment, the wide mouth, blunt hollow point bullet used in the loading proved to be problematic for the Third Generation Smith & Wesson pistols we were issuing. Again, I reached out to Federal and discovered they produced a special load for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) they called the XM9001. It used the 9BP 115-grain hollow point bullet, loaded to 1,250 FPS, which eliminated the +P+ pressure rating while increasing velocity over the standard 115 load. It was also loaded with a flash retardant powder. And yes, accuracy was just what I wanted from the bullet. It was this combination of factors and features that created a competitive distinction and allowed me to sole-source bid the ammo.

This load stayed the issue round for the duration of my tenure as Training Supervisor. We never actually shot any one with it, but the RCMP assured me they were very happy with its performance. Today, I am told my former agency issues the Federal 124-grain standard velocity HST hollow point and they are very happy with its performance in actual shootings, including shooting through auto bodies. HST has become the go-to round for American law enforcement, developing an enviable record in actual shooting situations. It penetrates, expands and is very accurate in a wide variety of semi-automatic pistols. Its performance in actual shootings has been nothing short of stellar. It is my personal choice for a carry load with the 147-grain HST being standard in my Glock 19 while the 124-grain HST is used in my smaller pistols like the Glock 43X.

It should be noted that Federal offers the HST bullet in other popular handgun calibers such as .38 Special, .40 S&W, .357 SIG and .45 ACP. I have a number of shooting reports in my research archives in which the .40-caliber 180-grain HST and the .45-caliber 230-grain HST have performed exceptionally. While I am perfectly comfortable with the 9mm, many are not. If this is you, both of the larger HST loads would be a good choice.

While Federal was trying to improve the quality of issued handgun and rifle ammo for American law enforcement, they did not ignore the 12-gauge shotgun. At this point in history, the generally accepted rule for 12-gauge pattern spread was “one inch per yard.” That means at 10 yards your pattern would be 10 inches wide, which cops and agencies could deal with provided you did not get a “flyer” in the mix. Those pellets that diverged from the shot column as if they had a mind of their own caused more problems for the LE community than many people remember. There was a definite call for something better. Federal responded with their H132 Tactical Buckshot load. The first time I saw this round demonstrated I knew we had entered a new era of shotgun performance.

Federal had figured a way to “pack and stack” the plated buckshot so that not only were flyers avoided, but the pattern spread was cut in half. We now had a load that could be used within the close operational parameters the shotgun was intended for, more like a rifle. No, it was not the same as a single projectile, but it was so tight that you could aim more like it was! Today, the old H132 is listed as LE132 and is accompanied by a whole line of tactical buckshot options, including the 8-pellet (to further reduce the chance of a flyer) LE133.

As good as Federal’s carry ammo has proven to be, they did not ignore their line of duty-equivalent training ammo. American Eagle uses the same high-quality components as Federal duty ammo, but without the more expensive hollow point bullet. While federal law enforcement agencies actually train with duty ammo, most state and local agencies do not have this type of funding, thus “duty equivalent” in both accuracy and felt recoil is quite important. American Eagle fills this requirement. In my own practice sessions, I try to use American Eagle as much as possible. Yes, it can be expensive and hard to find, but its level of accuracy is worth the search. I like to shoot 3x5 index cards out to 25 yards and many inexpensive 115 training loads are not up to the task. American Eagle is.

If it sounds as if I am over-enthusiastic with regard to Federal Premium’s ammunition, I am guilty as charged. It’s a confidence built on decades of experience. Yes, I have ventured into other loadings, and I always try to look at firearm- and ammunition-related innovations with an open mind. But, when the combative application of lethal force is a possible outcome, I prefer to stick to products I know will work. In the end, I maintain that Federal Ammunition has proven to be so good, it will actually spoil you.