Norma's MLE 94-grain frangible leaves the muzzle at 1,316 fps with 361 ft-lbs. Power factor is 124, just under the 125 minor floor. From a 25-yard zero it drops 1.0 inch at 50 yards and 8.4 inches at 100, still moving about 1,122 fps at 50. Estimated recoil energy in a 1.9-pound compact pistol is 3.4 ft-lbs. The bullet is lead-free and designed to break up on steel, which is the point of the load.

Both comparison loads are lead-free and both leave 34 fps faster at 1,350 fps. 1776 USA's 90-grain ball is the closer match: 364 ft-lbs, 3 more than the Norma, about 4 percent less estimated recoil energy, and a power factor of 122 that also misses the floor. SinterFire Special Duty 100-grain hollow point is the heavy one: 405 ft-lbs, 44 more than the Norma, a power factor of 135 that clears minor by 10 points, and about 18 percent more recoil energy in the same pistol. Drop for both is within 0.1 inch of the Norma at 50 yards and 0.5 inch at 100, so all three shoot to the same hold. All three push a light bullet fast, so the impulse is quick and sharp despite the low recoil energy.

Buy this for close-range steel, shoot houses, and indoor ranges that require lead-free or frangible ammunition. If you do not need the frangible construction, 1776 USA 90-grain shoots to the same hold with about 4 percent less recoil energy. If you need a lead-free load that makes minor, SinterFire Special Duty is the only one of the three that does. Shooters who want jacketed ball for practice should look at Federal American Eagle 115-grain, which makes a 136 power factor at 1,180 fps with about 24 percent more recoil energy.