The 9mm also has a higher muzzle velocity than the. The best self defense ammo a massive handgun ammunition study. Bullet size chart of the most popular ammo gunforest. To research the best 9mm ammo for selfdefense, lets dive in deeper to our 9mm ammunition ballistic gel testing data. While the answer to this is up to debate, one thing is certain. This document compiles the current stateoftheart of the best choices available for self defense ammunition. This bullet was recovered after fbi testing though rolled steel. Winchester bonded ranger jhps are a good example of a design that could breech barriers and still deliver good performance. The 9mm as a handgun caliber is a great option for self defense, and there are literally a ton of good 9mm ammo out there.
Nothing will divide gun owners like arguing which gun andor caliber is best. Mar 24, 2016 aguila aguila is a mexican ammunition manufacturer whose products you can find widely on shelves in the u. It may seem that is a comparison of apples and oranges. Im in the process of buying a springfield 1911 in 9mm for my wife because shes recoil sensitive to my. Its important to use good quality ammunition if you plan on carrying a handgun for self defense. We did a recent comparison of the effectiveness of defensive ammunition versus full metal jacket target ammunition so we could show our students the difference the bullet design makes. We tested our lineup of hollow point ammunition, which includes 175 different loads, covering five of the most popular calibers 9mm. Regardless of the cartridge you use, choosing the right kind of ammunition is just as important as. In the fbi protocol, bullets that fail to penetrate 12.
Top 5 options for 9mm selfdefense ammo wide open spaces. Extremely popular because of how cheap the cartridges, it is normally considered to be the bare minimum for selfdefense. This has caused a debate in the firearms community over whats better, a fast and light cartridge or a heavy and slow one. Federal premium champion 9mm luger 115grain pistol ammunition. One area often overlooked by people new to defensive shooting is the importance of selecting proper defensive ammunition. Jan 03, 2018 how to choose the best 9mm round for personal defense. Feb 26, 2019 it was not designed to test for the best self defense ammunition, nor have i ever seen any claims from the agency that it is a good test for measuring self defense loads. Data is provided for common handgun and rifle ammunition, and a small section on shotgun ammunition. Read on to see how we chose them and the best place to buy them for cheap. The 9mm can fire between 1,000 to 1,350 fps feet per second, but the. Aguila aguila is a mexican ammunition manufacturer whose products you can find widely on shelves in the u. These are our choices for the best 9mm self defense ammo.
More cartridges of 9 mm ammunition are produced, sold, and fired than almost every other caliber in existence. However, such a chart should include the most common bullets and ammunition for both military and civilian use, as well as the most common bullet. How to choose the best 9mm ammo for selfdefense gun digest. In the above picture the 22lr and the 32 auto are generally too small to be effective at stopping someone with only one or two shots to the main body area. Compact pistols have never offered this level of protection.
While we mostly see aguilas fmj rounds at the range, the companys hollowpoint loads, available in 50round boxes at a comparative bargain price point, are often used for tactical training by those who want to ensure their firearms reliably feed hollowpoint projectiles. The best self defense ammo ballistic testing american. Just be sure you know how your chosen self defense ammo behaves. This document compiles the current stateoftheart of the best choices available for selfdefense ammunition. Gun type goes a long way in determining the preferable load. Welcome to the self defense ballistic test our effort to give you a ton of. Again, 115 grain fmj 9mm ammo is fine for practice and plinking. Jul 07, 2019 the following is the first post in a multipart series on ballistics tests of the major defensive handgun calibers in use done by one of our site sponsors, ammo to go. Choosing the best concealed carry ammo is important, so use this guide to narrow down your choices. Using the fbis standard as our guide, we can help you determine the best 9mm ammo for personal protection. However, they are inexpensive, reliable brands that should be your first choice when selecting ammo for practice or competition. You can click on the name of the load in the chart to see this footage, as well as. Find out the best 9mm ammo for self defense based on ballistic gel tests that cover penetration depth and expansion. In a nation founded on the freedom of choice, the best choice is what works best for you.
The below pictures and data are from a super indepth post from lucky gunner plus a few of our. Apr 07, 2017 however, certain self defense 9mm loads can come closer to the. It is not only used for home defense but also competition and game. Just be sure you know how your chosen selfdefense ammo behaves. While i will focus on 9mm self defense ammo in this article, you will also find that the brands listed also include.
It would appear that the best selfdefense ammo for the. Offering a highcapacity magazine and enough velocity to expand bullets, youll find more hightech 9mm ammo, from more makers, than any other cartridge. The best self defense ammo a massive handgun ammunition. Plus the best range plinking ammo for bulk shooting. Some handgun calibers are too small to be consistently effective in a selfdefense situation.
In this guide, well give you our picks for the best 9mm ammo for self defense and range practice. The 9mm has the advantage of higher capacity without enlarging a firearms grip. The following gel shots by doug carr show that when comparing good selfdefense ammo from service. Based on ammunition to go gel tests and tfbtvs andrews own data and experience, we cooked up. This will be a gun that she shoots both for recreation and keeps beside the bed at night. Best 9mm ammo for defense and bulk cheap range ammo for.
A bullet size chart may not be adequate to show the importance or significance of popular ammunition used today. If you havent followed the news recently, concealed carry is on the rise with two. Here are 5 of the best 9mm self defense ammo picks worldofguns. However, the bad news is that its really tough to pick a single load in particular and label it as the best 9mm self defense ammo. One of the top choices is the federal personal defense micro with grain jhp bullets. To me, a pistol is a tool to be used for self defense target practice, and some forms of hunting.
If youre interested in a particular branddesign and they were not covered in this article, do your homework. You can hit the target, go through him, then a wall and hit somethin. The chart below specifies each brands ballistic performance factoring in. If you have passed advanced pistol classes and shoot on a regular basis, you should be plenty lethal with a 9mm.
There are different types of cartridges and ammunition for the 12gauge, however, there is a reason that this is very popular. It is a high velocity 50 fps and high pressure round, more effective than loads restricted to law enforcement use. Please consider offering this in a pdf im sure many of us would like to print it out and. How to choose the best 9mm round for personal defense. The following rounds are fmj rounds that are not recommended for selfdefense except in cases of dire necessity when nothing better comes to hand. Top notch company with first class customer service and committed to showing you the very best, nobs data on ammo youre likely to be using. There are highvelocity and standard velocity bullets, and if one type does not cycle through your pistol try the other to see which performs best during practice sessions. Apr 11, 2019 the 9mm also has a higher muzzle velocity than the. Standardized ammunition tests are great, and the only real way to directly compare one load verse another in quantitative terms. Were often asked, which would you choose for personal defense, the 9mm luger or 357 magnum. Comparison of handgun calibers for selfdefense robert. I dont believe this link has been posted here before, and sorry if it has, but taken in context, it think it gives a.
The 12gauge is popular ammunition for hunting, skeet shooting, and home defense. It is the most streetproven man stopper available in this caliber. The best 9mm ammo in 2019 for self defense gun news daily. The requirements for modern selfdefense am munition are. Well also give you a breakdown of how we came to choose these picks. However, certain selfdefense 9mm loads can come closer to the. Like all cartridges, there are a lot of 38 special ammo options out there and they come from many different manufacturers. The approved list of selfdefense ammunition is your ammo on this. Handgun ammunition comparison tests by doctor roberts. The chart below specifies each brands ballistic performance factoring. I wouldnt bother comparing ammo capacities between shooting platforms for the. The price difference in ammo will allow you to spend more time in training, which for most means better comfort, accuracy, and proficiency.
Weve gathered info on some of the most popular 9mm self defense loads. Some handgun calibers are too small to be consistently effective in a self defense situation. Apr 25, 2019 we tested our lineup of hollow point ammunition, which includes 175 different loads, covering five of the most popular calibers 9mm. Remington umc 9mm luger 115grain centerfire handgun ammunition. The best 9mm ammo for selfdefense the survivalist blog.
Theyre built for accuracy and the most consistent expansion at extreme distances. Best 9mm self defense ammo 2020 concealed carry society. Mar 08, 2017 however, the bad news is that its really tough to pick a single load in particular and label it as the best 9mm self defense ammo. Nov 23, 2015 why the fbi now says the 9mm is the best law enforcement handgun round in laymans terms jason blaha firearm enthusiast. Unfortunately, it is also likely to jam many older guns. It includes a scientific background as to the selection criteria that is used to determine the choices presented. The approved list of selfdefense ammunition is your ammo on this list. Fwiw, my wife ended up stoking her 9mm with federal personal defense hydroshock 5gr. The good news for everyone who uses a handgun chambered in 9mm luger is that there are lots of great 9mm self defense ammo choices currently available on the market.
Handgun selfdefense ammunition ballistic testing data. How effective has 9mm fmj proven to be in self defense. This has resulted in an abundance of good quality self defense ammunition in all the major calibers. Today, we focus on 38 special and how we can help you find the best. Selecting proper defensive ammunition expert self defense. Why the fbi now says the 9mm is the best law enforcement handgun round in laymans terms jason blaha firearm enthusiast. The last few decades have seen phenomenal advances in ammunition design, testing, and production. Apr 28, 2015 the approved list of selfdefense ammunition is your ammo on this. Browning fmj 9mm 124grain centerfire ammunition 150rounds.
Location virginia beach va posts 252 glock armorer. Best personal defense weapon just because its common doesnt make it wisdom. We then analyzed and compared the data against the set of performance. There is a complex formula for analyzing performance for suitability in a law enforcement context that is beyond the scope of this article.
The approved list of selfdefense ammunition is your ammo. Jun 07, 2018 this article will detail some of the considerations and conclusions reached by modern scientific analysis of both wound ballistics scientists and the fbi that support the use of the 9mm as the current ideal service round, and will also provide a list of recommended cartridges for self defense use. Here is what we picked by gun news daily ive been a handgun enthusiast for a little over a decade now, and i love everything about handguns. This information was gathered using a concealed carry sized pistol that had a 3inch barrel. Usually for a first pistol for selfdefense, i would recommend a 9mm made by a major manufacturer and 124grain jhp ammo. Utterly reliable in our tests, low recoil, the brass didnt knock her in the head, and she shot it well. Understanding the fbis data and comparison of the 9mm. Obviously there are exceptions, such a bullet through the heart or a bullet through the eye. The following is the first post in a multipart series on ballistics tests of the major defensive handgun calibers in use done by one of our site sponsors, ammo to go.
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