Which SD ammo for LC9S?

[altitude_19]

I just broke in my new LC9S. This will be my new carry piece. Has anybody else with the same gun run a batch of defensive ammunition through it to test reliability? Mind sharing your experience on what the most reliable kind is? Thanks in advance!

 

[C0untZer0]

IMO the ammo that seems to work the best in the most micro-nines in the 124 Gold Dot.

I have a Rohrbaugh R9 which can be finicky and my R9 runs like a champ with 124gr Gold Dot.

It also cycles Federal 147gr HST and 147gr Winchester Ranger "T" Series - RA9T

I personally like the RA9T the best but HST is also a great performer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UP7p3fxgzE&index=27&list=PLgNSGOEQko_M90AMdRCDMgd-w4Yozc27i

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3VfWkWMzOI&index=11&list=PLgNSGOEQko_M90AMdRCDMgd-w4Yozc27i

 

[C0untZer0]

The LC9 can shoot +P ammo although there is a disclaimer in the manual:

Note on +P Ammunition:Although the RUGER®LC9TM is capable of
functioning with 9mm +P ammunition, a steady diet of +P ammunition will
shorten the endurance life of the RUGER®LC9TM.

You should never shoot 9mm +P+ammunition in your RUGER®LC9TM.
There are no SAAMI or CIP pressure limits on 9mm +P+and use of this
ammunition could result in serious injury.

But anyway, the Federal HST 147gr +P performs well too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM2AJm9VhYM&noredirect=1

 

[ku4hx]

124 grain standard pressure JHP: Speer, Remington, Hornady, Federal ... pretty much any reputable company has what you need.

 

[C0untZer0]

Not all ammo does well in, or performs well out of short-barreled pistols.

I think ShootingTheBull410 has done the most work and the best work in testing ammunition out of a short barrel.

There is quite a bit of ammunition - even 124gr ammo, that you would want to stay away from:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgNSGOEQko_M90AMdRCDMgd-w4Yozc27i

 

[Fishbed77]

IMO the ammo that seems to work the best in the most micro-nines in the 124 Gold Dot.

My preference as well. It also doesn't hurt that it tends to run a few bucks less than most competing products.

 

[ljnowell]

IMO the ammo that seems to work the best in the most micro-nines in the 124 Gold Dot.



I have a Rohrbaugh R9 which can be finicky and my R9 runs like a champ with 124gr Gold Dot.



It also cycles Federal 147gr HST and 147gr Winchester Ranger "T" Series - RA9T



I personally like the RA9T the best but HST is also a great performer.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UP7p3fxgzE&index=27&list=PLgNSGOEQko_M90AMdRCDMgd-w4Yozc27i



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3VfWkWMzOI&index=11&list=PLgNSGOEQko_M90AMdRCDMgd-w4Yozc27i

My preference as well. It also doesn't hurt that it tends to run a few bucks less than most competing products.

Add me to that list too. I carry Gold Dot 124 grain standard pressure every day in my LC9.

 

[herrwalther]

Here is what I do when considering SD ammo. Look for ballistic testing videos online out of your firearm if possible. If not your specific firearm, narrow it down to barrel length. As barrel length greatly affects ballistics.

Write down the best in what you are looking for. For me I like a nice blend of penetration and expansion numbers. tnoutdoors9 and shootingthebull410 do great work on Youtube of measuring ballistic performance in firearms.

See what shoots well and accurately in your firearm. You may get two inch groups at 15 yards with one ammo and you may get one inch groups at the same distance with another. Accuracy and reliability is a very important, but often overlooked factor in choosing SD ammo. For example the standard weight for .40S&W is usually 180gr. But I shoot more accurately and have faster follow up shots using 165gr rounds. So that is what I carry.

Last factor is your personal financial situation and location. If the only ammo available to you at the local store is 100 round bulk boxes of HP ammo for $30 and don't like paying sometimes $2 a round for HST, PDX1, Golden Sabre etc etc then go with that.

 

[Fishbed77]

Add me to that list too. I carry Gold Dot 124 grain standard pressure every day in my LC9.

I forgot to mention that this is my ammunition of choice for both my compact (carry) and full-size (home defense) 9mm pistols. It's reliable and groups well in every 9mm I own. And it's easy to find and relatively well-priced.

 

[TomJ]

I use Cor Bon DPX 115 Grain +P, but it's expensive. I've also had good luck with Underwood Bonded 124 grain +P, which uses Gold Dots.

 

[Hammer059]

I daily carry a LC9S and I carry 124gr Gold Dots (non +p). My LGS had them on sale for $15/box awhile ago and I bought a LOT of them since that's what I carry in my Glock 17's too. I put two boxes (40 rounds) through it with no problems. Only malfunction (stovepipe) I've had was once with some crappy Federal 115gr from walmart.

 

[jacob2745]

I'm with most of the crowd. After watching countless videos and testing for reliability I carry 124gr standard pressure gold dots in my LC9S Pro.

 

[ljnowell]

Wow, at least within this small group it seems a lot of us like standard pressure 124 grain gold dots.

 

[hoghunting]

I use Hornady 115 gr Critical Defense as they are extremely accurate and reliable in my pistol and perform very well in ballistic gel.

 

[altitude_19]

I use Hornady 115 gr Critical Defense as they are extremely accurate and reliable in my pistol and perform very well in ballistic gel.

But is your pistol a LC9S?

 

[Snowdog]

I carry standard pressure 124gr HST (P9HST1). Gelatin tests show it performs quite well from a very short barrel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lGqdMdbir0

 

[altitude_19]

I carry standard pressure 124gr HST (P9HST1). Gelatin tests show it performs quite well from a very short barrel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lGqdMdbir0

In what pistol?

 

[altitude_19]

Wow, at least within this small group it seems a lot of us like standard pressure 124 grain gold dots.

That's what I gather so far. Interesting stuff.

 

[Snowdog]

The test pistol in the link I included is a Sig P938.

 

[TomJ]

Last night I came across Ammo Quest's tests of standard pressure 124 grain Gold Dots out of a 3 inch barrel as well as the +P and Short Barrel rounds. The links are attached below. In summary, 2 out of the 5 standard pressure rounds did not expand as in a 3 inch barrel, they didn't achieve enough velocity. It's one test, so take it for what it's worth, but if I was going to use a standard pressure round with a 3 inch barrel I'd look at the HST's.


http://wn.com/ammo_quest_9mm_speer_gold_dot_124_grain_tested_in_ballistic_gelatin_test_review

http://wn.com/ammo_quest_9mm_speer_gold_dot_124_grain_tested_in_ballistic_gelatin_test_review

 

[hoghunting]

altitude_19.....But is your pistol a LC9S?

Yes it is a LC9s, otherwise I would not have responded.

 

[PabloJ]

I use 124gr HST, but would be perfectly happy with Gold Dot or PDX. Is +P in 9mm ammo sales ploy like it is in .45ACP? I have never bought box of that because I don't think little extra velocity isn't really helping any.

 

[TomJ]

I use 124gr HST, but would be perfectly happy with Gold Dot or PDX. Is +P in 9mm ammo sales ploy like it is in .45ACP? I have never bought box of that because I don't think little extra velocity isn't really helping any.

I don't know that there's one answer to that question, as it'll vary depending on the manufacturer of the ammunition, the gun you're using, how accurately you can shoot the combination of the two, etc. All I can definitively tell you is that in the test Ammo Quest conducted, out of a 3 inch barrel the standard pressure Gold Dot performed inconsistently. A 40% failure rate is unacceptable for a SD round. In those tests the additional velocity achieved by the +P round netted a 100% success rate, if you're judging success by expansion and penetration of 12 to 18 inches. As I stated earlier, this was one test performed by one person, so I'd do additional research and/or testing before relying on that round for SD.

 

[ljnowell]

I don't know that there's one answer to that question, as it'll vary depending on the manufacturer of the ammunition, the gun you're using, how accurately you can shoot the combination of the two, etc. All I can definitively tell you is that in the test Ammo Quest conducted, out of a 3 inch barrel the standard pressure Gold Dot performed inconsistently. A 40% failure rate is unacceptable for a SD round. In those tests the additional velocity achieved by the +P round netted a 100% success rate, if you're judging success by expansion and penetration of 12 to 18 inches. As I stated earlier, this was one test performed by one person, so I'd do additional research and/or testing before relying on that round for SD.

I've seen other tests in the past that show it performing wonderfully.

I'll continue to focus on shot placement and hitting my target.

 

[C0untZer0]

I don't think +P in .45 ACP is just a ploy. The 230gr Winchester Ranger "T" Series RA45TP penetrates to 15 inches through 4x denim and expands .78"

That's a pretty hard-hitting round that leaves a big hole.