Soooo, just a question (well, maybe two ?'s), and I am not trying to be provocative, but can't one take down a perp with multiple shots from FMJ, or HP ammo just as easily as they can with all this newly-configured, and might I add, expensive self-defense ammo?!? I know I am going to get nailed for this but I am ready (I think).
Is the higher price for 20 shots valid?
I feel like 30 shots and adequate training with traditional ammo (FMJ or HP) can accomplish self-preservation goals quite nicely.
Ok...
First off, let's clear up a couple of faulty assumptions that are central to your position--that is, that you will have time to get off three (or more rounds) and, if you get them off, you will be able to hit with all of those multiple rounds. These are rather dangerous assumptions to make; I lump them into the same category as the one that folks who carry unchambered make when they say "I'll have time and ability to chamber a round"...and that just ain't necessarily so.
Second--what are you referring to when you say "new configured self defense ammo"? If you are talking about the Halo crap (or whatever the call it now), or other frangible rounds (RCBS, Glaser, Magsafe, etc), then--you are on the right track; they are gimmicks and should be avoided...I assume this is what you mean, since you lump JHP's in with ball. However, to equate ball and JHP's...well, that's a bad equation. JHP's do tend, given similar placement, to have a better track record at getting a rapid stop than ball...and they also have a much better track record of not exiting your target and being dangerous downrange (not that this means you have carte blanche to ignore the third law...but, also acknowledge sometimes things get...fluid...and you may not be paying as close attention to what's downrange as you should).
Third--is 30 shots a bit of a typo? Because if you think you are going to be able to fire 30 rounds...well. See point #1.
So--finally, not all JHP's are created equal..The latest generation of them--the HST's, the Gold Dots, the Ranger-T, the Barnes-X (in many loadings), et al--these rounds have been designed to perform remarkably well under a number of different conditions; these are leaps and bounds better than the JHP's were back around 1990, when your JHP/ball equation may have been a bit more valid.
At the end of the day, you can carry what you like; but I've yet to have a single instructor opine that it is better to carry ball than JHP in your service caliber handgun (if we are talking .380 or lesser, then we can re-examine the issue); and I also think that it is a bit short-sighted and highly disregarding some facts when it comes to terminal performance of defensive rounds.
Let's summarize this way. The FBI used silvertip 9mm and they switched to 40. Sxt came out and got a few thousand examples of shooting people and viola FBI switched back to 9mm.
Safety is a momentary choice. Prior performance and certification are completely irrelevant.
Well...
Actually, they had no fixed 9mm carry round back in the 1980's; agents used what they liked, or what the FBI got that year. And they didn't switch directly to .40; they briefly switched to the 10mm 180gr HydraShok downloaded to their specs (which, as it turned out, could be duplicated by the .40 S&W) in S&W 1076's. SXT--Same eXact Talon--came out, had the same mediocre performance that Black Talon had (which makes sense, as it was the Same eXact bulleT), got improved to Ranger-T, and started to get a track record.