I'm wondering if the bullets designed to fragment into 3 parts actually will with the low velocity from a short barrel or if it'll be traveling too slow.

Be awesome if it'd be a viable defensive round for the pistols.

If not, I might just trade out my PWS MK107 for a 109 in 300 blk.,

There are bullets designed to expand at low velocity on the market already. Fragmentation is just one way to dump energy into the target, controlled expansion is another. Since most of what we build won't ever be used on hard targets, then military grade ammo isn't our best choice.

77gr Poly tipped expansion bullets are reputed to work down to 1800 fps. Might look into that for 5.56 as they are already out there. As for either fragmentation or expansion, bullets can still hit their target out to 400m and it's been reported those using the MK18 do get hits and kills out to that range. It's more user skill than what hokey special ammo somebody is marketing.

The AR pistol with 10.5 barrel isn't at the huge disadvantage some make it out - just because military fragmentation is less optimal, the Navy and others went to better ammo than issue, which is the whole point of MK262 and certain other loads using commercial hunting ammo.

You are under no obligation to the Hague Convention in your personal choice of ammo used here on varmints of whatever description.

Wow, I did not know that.  Thanks for the informative and detailed answer brother!

Most of the research I did on loads for SBRS came back with responses of "too slow to be viable." so I thought even the tap hollowpoints were useless.


Thanks again!

You want the Black Hills 77gr TMK (tipped match king). This is the bullet mentioned above; here is a shot at 1900fps into gel.   A user also tested this in an SBR, and. long story short, this is exceptional.