Good Self-defense 9mm ammo?

[Enachos]

I just purchased a glock 26 and wondering which 9mm load one would reccommend for self-defense. Specifically, I'm asking which hollow-point round has the best overall expansion.

 

[m2steven]

There are dozens of studies on this. "Most" hollowpoint ammo (from reputable manufacturers) does a fair job in the 9mm category. However, I don't remember which, but one major manufacturer in one test didn't expand at all in gel nor in water. Many, many folks trust Federal Hydra Shock and I would not disagree with them. Just make sure your gun will reliably feed and extract it.

 

[Hawthorne2k]

Almost all of the "premium" (i.e. a buck a round) 9mm ammo out there expands well and can do the job.

 

[Enachos]

You wouldn't happen to know the price range for the federal hydra shocks would ya? I'm talkin about a box of 50

 

[Checkoff]

I personally like corbon +P 115gr jhp's out of my glock 26 ( I also use the corbon ammo in my 27 too), never had a problem with them in any way the only draw back I think is that they do have a decent " kick " compared to the hydro shock round but then it is a +P rated round in a compact weapon

 

[rbohm]

personally i like the 115 grain corbon, hydroshocks, eldorado starfire, or winchester silver tips. all of these are reliable expanders and reasonably priced.

 

[armoredman]

I have 124grain Remington Golden Sabres JHPs in the P01, and 115gr Federal Personal Defense JHPs in the PCR. Why two differant types and weights? The P01 likes a heavier bullet, AND, that's what I had left over from the P07 testing.
I have used straight generic bulk ammo Remington 115gr JHP, which actually has a decent street record, but I feel a teeny bit better with the high quality stuff.

 

[Japle]

Hawthorne2K beat me to it.

Any premium JHP defensive ammo will be just fine as long as it functions 100% in your gun and shoots the the point of impact you prefer.

There was a time when you could buy crappy premium-grade defense ammo from a major ammo company. That time has passed. Any difference in performance would be noticed in the lab, not by hostile humans.

Corbon DPX, Gold Dot, Golden Sabre, whatever. I'd stay away from the heavy (147 gr) loads just beacuse you haven't got much of a runway with that G26.
A 115 - 127 gr +P or +P+ is the way I'd go.

 

[usp9]

Almost all of the "premium" (i.e. a buck a round) 9mm ammo out there expands well and can do the job.

Choose any quality ammo and you'll have made a good choice. I personally like Hornady TAP for it's consistent accuracy, reliability, low flash and the time tested XTP bullet is a known winner. Others that are proven winners are Gold Dot, Golden Sabre and Win. Silver Tip.

I've had quality issues with Magtech First Defence

 

[BADUNAME4]

Seems like +P only offers a slight increase (on paper anyway so I can't vouch for real world results). Mine's a standard pressure 124 gr. HST or Gold Dot.

 

[red rick]

Right now the best is the one that you can find. Ammunition to go has 50 rounds of GD for $25 and 25 rounds of Golden Sabre +p for $20.

 

[bestseller92]

Any good quality JHP of 127 grains or fewer, +P or standard velocity, should work fine. Personally, I like Federal 9BP 115 grain standard velocity JHP in my G26. The real key in a defensive shooting is shot placement.

 

[shamus]

It mostly matter where you put that tiny hole. I'm totally fine with standard velocity JHP ammo (Winchester white box variety, 115 grain JHP).

Though the common consensus is for premium +p ammo in the 124 grain range.

 

[BushyGuy]

Hornady TAP 124 gr CQ are great , i use them in my SR9, i have the 2nd mag filled with 147 gr Gold dots.

 

[me2]

Here is a list of 9mm recommended by Dr. Gary K. Roberts that I found helpful.

These loads met the FBI requirements to:

1) at least 12" of penetration in properly prepared ballistic gelatin/soft tissue

2) reliable expansion in bare gelatin and 4-layer denim

Barnes XPB 115gr HP (35515) loaded by Cor-Bon (DPX09115)
Winchester Partition Gold 124gr JHP (RA91P)
Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP)
Winchester Ranger-T 127gr JHP +P+ (RA9TA)
Winchester Ranger-T 147gr JHP (RA9T)
Winchester Bonded 147gr JHP (RA9B/Q4364)
Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP +P (53617)
Speer Gold Dot 147gr JHP (53619)
Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP (GS9MMC)
Federal Tactical 124gr JHP (LE9T1)
Federal Tactical 135gr JHP +P (LE9T5)
Federal HST 147gr JHP (P9HST2)

here is a link to some information that you might find interesting

http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/index.htm

I use the Federal HST 147gr when I am carrying 9mm.
It is reliable and accurate in my personal firearm, and it allows for quick follow up shots. It has tested well for penetration and expansion.

 

[IdahoLT1]

i usaully kept Double taps 124gr. speer gold dots in mine, but have switched to Hornady Critical Defense. Its a hollow point but the end is filled with a polymer plastic. Their studies(and other magazines) show that when shot into heavy clothing, most HP's cavity will fill with the materail and significantly hurt its expansion. Hornady has found a solution to this problem as the bullets that were recovered had all expanded.

http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=786

Hornady's critical defense


Competition

 

[Hawthorne2k]

I switched from Hydra-Shoks to Speer Gold Dots because my local police force uses Gold Dots in .40 in their sidearms. I figure that if I'm ever hauled into court to defend why I had to defend my life and my ammunition choice is called into question, ("Your Honor! He used bullets that are designed to kill!"), I can point to a police officer and say "They're the same type of bullets he uses in his gun. Is he a killer, too?"?

 

[swmp9jrm]

I run +P 124 gr Federal HST's in my M&P9 full size, and 115 gr. Hornady Critical Defense in my PT-709.

 

[Noveldoc]

In close quarters combat, I am not sure the bullet matters near as much as where it hits and how deep it does. We aren't supposed to shoot people in the back but that is where the most vascular stuff is. So you need some deep penetration to get a quick stop in close combat.

For a super quick stop, you need a central nervous system disconnect, a heart shot or a hole in a major vessel like the aorta or vena cava. This will put the perp down and out in seconds to a minute or two. Punch a hole in a vascular organ like liver, spleen or kidney and you could be talking minutes. Anything else and he could keep on coming or firing, especially if drunk or doped up.

I read a while back about the firearms instruction a Mossad agent got. It was totally different from what US cops and military get but totally apropos for close quarters combat. He was issued a tiny Beretta auto. Concealable and quiet so he always had it with you and could use it near anywhere. And the instructor told the trainee that he defined firepower as a 22 short bullet in the center of the forehead.

When I ran big deposits to the bank in FL and had a permit, my carry piece was a small 1911ish Colt 380 with FMJ RN. At our pit, I practiced putting medium paper plates 6' up on a wooden stake and firing from 10 to 12 feet off the front sight. After several hundred rounds I began getting quick and consistent hits. And I did not attempt to group. I figure if you double tap a perp anywhere in the head or face, you are getting a brain dead assailant or at least a bloody mess who probably can't see you. And if this does not stop him, double tap again.

Aggression helps. Had a friend who was a Navy corpsman in 'Nam and saved his life and his wounded twice with a .45 1917 revolver. Top Sgt told him to scream "Kill, kill" while he advanced firing toward the VC. When back in the DC area his near nine month pregnant wife caught an intended rapist coming in through the bedroom window. She got the SKS out of the closet but did not have time to load. So she snapped the bayonet over and charged him screaming, "Kill, kill". He bugged out of the window in a hurry and they found this guy in the ER a couple of hours later with three x shaped wounds in his buttocks sir and a very implausible story.

Close quarters deadly combat is savagery with no rules. My friend's Sgt told him a brief story. He told him the difference between a dog in a fight and a wolf. The dog losing a fight tries to break it off and run away. The wolf only loses one fight, the one that kills him If it is your life or his, gotta be a wolf.

Tom

 

[brabham78]

Cor Bon DPX 9mm+P 115 gr. All copper bullet, no jacket to separate from the led core. Reliable expansion.

 

[oneounceload]

OP - buy a few and see what works best in YOUR gun - great expansion that doesn't hit its target isn't worth much IMO - find the accuracy and expansion that suits your G26....mine likes 124 gr TAP

 

[mec]

I like 124 grain Gold Dots. These were shot from a 5" sig 226 competition at 25 yards. They are handloads but are withing ten fps of the same bullet factory loaded

The 125 grain bullet performs well at 357 SIG velocities but not at 1126 fps. I tried them because the 124s were'nt available at the time.

The 124s tend to perform well over the full range of barrel lengths:
An STI Rogue 3" barrel:- Not cloth/clothing covering the brisket this time.

I've used Gold Dots in a number of calibers and found them to be reliable expanders and normal pressures.