I am a proponant of the speer gold dot 124gr +p and a huge fan of Double Tap's 9mm+p ammo using the same gold dot bullet. Standard pressure rounds with any quality self defense round will work in most situations. Drywall and light interior doors are no match for a standard pressure modern self defense 9mm loading from any of the major manufacturers, however if you are going to attempt to pass barrier tests such as automotive glass windshields and sheet metal door skins, you will want and need a +p loading. As far as recoil, Federal loads and Hornady loads feel about like shooting winchester white box from walmart. I have fired a number of Federal Hydrashok 124g +p+ rounds from my glock 17 and they feel just like the white box junk. 9mm in any loading is very tame, especially in a larger service pistol like a 17. I don't like the hornady critical defense, I tried some, and it just doesn't have enough charge behind it to penetrate in a "professional manner". If you want something that will really scream and knock some stuff down in 9mm go with any of Double Tap's loadings or try a corbon Powerball, the place where hornady got the critical defense idea from only corbon puts a good charge behind it.