P40HST1 Penetration

[Rourke]

I am a big fan of the HST design, and I have found the P40HST1 round to be quite consistent in its expansion, both in my own informal testing and in controlled tests posted online. However, I am noticing a trend in testing that this round typically exhibits shallow penetration for a 180 grain 40 JHP. I realize that this is likely a component of its extreme expansion. My concern is this - does the P40HST1 sacrifice too much penetration for expansion? Is this a groundless worry? I appreciate the level of expertise on this board and the opportunity to post this query.

[KhanRad]

The top three ammunition companies that actually test their ammo according to FBI protocols are Federal, Speer, and Winchester. Anything from these companies in a medium to heavy grain weight will have ideal sectional density to assist in adequate penetration through commonly encountered barriers and into the body. If you haven't already looked at Dr. Robert's old post, it is still holds true for the present.

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19887

"-- Cultivate a warrior mindset
-- Invest in competent, thorough initial training and then maintain skills with regular ongoing practice
-- Acquire a reliable and durable weapon system
-- Purchase a consistent, robust performing duty/self-defense load in sufficient quantities (at least 1000 rounds) then STOP worrying about the nuances of handgun ammunition terminal performance."

[C-grunt]

My dept uses the 180grn HST as our standard round. We have not had any problems with underpenetration with the round.

[DocGKR]

The 180 gr P40HST1 works just fine--we have never seen any penetration deficits in testing or in OIS incidents.

Keep in mind that the stickied threads do NOT generally reflect old data, as they are updated every few months, so the information remains current and cutting edge...