When it comes to 9mm practice ammunition, there are dozens of options to choose from. Most hit their mark and can be stockpiled at an affordable price. But Federal Premium’s Syntech line might be the best all-around load to stack deep. Follow along as we evaluate a colorful load that has plenty to offer beyond punching paper.
The Load
Most 9mm training ammunition out there uses projectiles that are full metal jacket. The bullet has a soft lead core surrounded by a sheath of harder copper or brass. This keeps the soft lead from melting as it goes through the barrel at high velocity.
Jacketing a round is an excellent way to produce accurate ammunition, but it is not the only way to protect the core. For the last 10 years or so, reloaders have taken to powder coating their lead bullets to achieve a similar effect. The powder coating also has the added benefit of imparting some lubrication to the projectile, making those lead projectiles that much easier on the guns they are shot in.
In 2015, Federal Premium launched the Syntech line for the 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP cartridges. This is the first powder-coated loaded ammunition that became widely available.
Federal claims their Syntech polymer coating, or total synthetic jacket, prevents lead and copper fouling in the barrel. Dispensing with a copper jacket and sticking with a coated lead bullet also has the benefit of reducing friction in the bore and allows for more rounds downrange without trouble as the firearm heats up.
In 9mm, Federal offers several loads. One is a 150-grain subsonic load traveling at an advertised velocity of 890 feet per second out of a four-inch test barrel. There is also a 124 grain and 130 grain standard pressure load, as well as a few defensive hollow-point offerings. I chose the Syntech 115-grain load. It uses a flat-nosed bullet running at a nominal velocity of 1150 feet per second. In terms of weight and velocity, it is on par with most practice ammunition out there.
First Impressions
As a reloader, I never warmed up to powder-coated rounds because of how they look. When you open up a 50-round box of Federal Syntech, you get what appear to be fifty brass-cased miniature red lipstick containers.
The lipstick load looked to be of good quality. The projectiles were evenly coated, and taper crimped in place. These weigh a true 115 grains a piece and have a flat nose profile. Most 9mm full metal jacket loads are round-nosed. Neither FMJ nor the Syntech are intended to expand, but the Syntech’s flat nose looks as if it will lend itself well to crushing tissue and punching through barriers in a straight manner compared to a more unstable round nose. Further, the lead bullet underneath does have a chance of deformation should it hit bone. The coating provides a non-substantial barrier. The lipstick load’s coating felt soft and easy to mark with a fingernail. I had to wonder how well the coating would hold up on its short trip down the barrel.
Velocity
I shot 150 rounds of the 115-grain Federal Syntech 9mm load. As a benchmark of comparison, I ran it side by side with Winchester White Box 9mm 115-grain FMJ ammunition. This is an archetypical training ammo, and it was up to the Syntech to do better or worse. I tested both using two different handguns: a Beretta 92S with a 4.9-inch barrel and a Walther PDP with a 3.5-inch barrel.
I began by checking the velocity of each load, shooting a group of five rounds over my Caldwell Chronograph from a distance of 10 feet. My results were as follows:
| Firearm | Winchester 115 grain FMJ | Federal Syntech 115 grain TSJ |
| Walther PDP 3.5 inch | 1087 | 1101 |
| Beretta 92 S 4.9 inch | 1137 | 1198 |
Initially, I was concerned that Federal might download their ammunition in order to prevent leading in spite of the coating treatment. The opposite was the case as it appears the soft lead bullet had an easier time getting out of the barrel compared to the jacketed Winchester load. The Federal’s muzzle velocity was marginally greater in both pistols. The Syntech load was also more consistent. The difference between the lowest and highest readings using the Walther was 52. With the Winchester load, it was 89.
Shooting Impressions
I ran the remaining Syntech rounds through my Walther and Beretta along with a 50-round box of the Winchester White Box. There were no failures to fire nor any failures to feed or eject. The difference came down to accuracy and how each round felt in the hand.
I shot a series of five-round groups of each ammunition from 10 yards. I used the Walther PDP from a standing position and could reliably place five rounds of the Syntech into a two-inch cluster, close to my point of aim. The Winchester load also hit the point of aim, but I also managed a few fliers that opened up my groups to three to four inches. This might be due to my form. Or it might be due to the wider chronograph readings with the Winchester. Ammo that isn’t close to the same velocity won’t hit in the same place. But for close-end training, both rounds do just fine.
I repeated the same drill at 25 yards. The Federal load was still more accurate. At that distance, my group sizes varied between three to five inches. I could put five Winchester rounds into a four to six-inch pattern, though a few inches higher than my aiming point. The Federal load still hit to the point of aim.
At that distance, the shooting characteristics of each round came into play. Neither load produces threatening recoil, but it is certainly felt in my subcompact PDP. Between the two rounds, I perceived slightly less recoil with the Syntech load.
While I did not engage in any rapid fire to heat either of my handguns up, I did not notice any difference in heat signature. What I did notice is smoke or the lack of it. Lead bullets give off smoke as the lubricant is burned by the hot muzzle flash. There is a small smoke signature from the Syntech rounds compared to the Winchester, but not nearly as much as what you would get with exposed lead. Fragile as it appears, the powder coating did its job.
On breaking down both pistols, I did not notice less fouling after using the Syntech load over the alternative. Powder and polymer will inevitably leave some of themselves behind if lead does not, but it is no worse than other practice ammunition.
Parting Shots
Although I had to get over the looks, I have come to warm up to the Federal Syntech load. As a practice ammunition, it is on par or slightly better than other practice ammunition in terms of accuracy. The use of a coated lead bullet instead of a copper-jacketed bullet also has its advantages. It is cheap to produce, and the coating provides the bullet with just enough protection to get down-bore without leaving itself behind or leaving it off target. The lead construction is softer on gun barrels, though the difference is better measured after thousands of rounds downrange. This softer, flat nose round also leaves the door open for uses outside the target range. For an all-around practice round that can be pushed into those roles, Federal Syntech is worth exploring for the stockpile.
