Question for those carrying the 9mm

there are alot of good 9mm rounds out there right now, the thing i focused on was less "who is the absolute best" and finding one that ran in my gun flawlessly and with the recoil i was looking for. what worked best for me was the 115gr speer GDHP
 
115 gold dot +p+
124 gold dot +p
Both seem to perform the same accuracy and reliability wise in my CZ, I just switch between the loads depending on the situation. Oddly enough, I also found that gold dot 125 in 357SIG was the best performer for my XD. Must be something the gold dots like about me.:p
 
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I carry these standard pressure 124gr soft lead nylon coated hollow points.
 
I carry 9mm because it's cheap to shoot so I can shoot a lot of it and am comfortable with my carry gun.
As far as what I carry, I carry Winchester PDX-1 Bonded JHP 124gr +P. If it's good enough for the FBI then it's good enough for me, hopefully I'll never have to find out exactly how good it is but I have faith in it if I ever do.

Phillip
 
I carry 9mm because I can carry 10+1 in a easily concealed subcompact. I use 124gr +P Speer Gold Dot. I've also tried Critical Defense, Federal HydraShok and Corbon Powrball. Gold Dots work great and I can find them in a 50count box easier than the others.
 
LEO and I'm issued a 357 sig. Recently (last year,) at an LEO expo I got to see charts by Speer, Federal, and Winchester showing performance testing for duty calibers. Based upon what I saw I couldn't believe how the current 9mm rounds compared to the 357 Sig. I purchased a PX4 in 9mm for plinking and HD because of what I saw and for the price of 9mm ammo. Due to the last few budgets of my agency we no longer get free practise ammo. Nothing wrong with the 45acp, 40S&W or 357 sig. For me it came down to money for ammo, (and because of the performace between the calibers.) I use 147 grain because of performance and it's not +p (less wear on the gun.) I would have no problem using 124 grain +p if it were cheaper. I almost bought a 40 but decided not to at the last minute. The 45 acp was left out of consideration because of ammo price. I'm considering 115 grain loads for HD because they are less likely to over penetrate.
 
One's life experience often shapes an opinion of a caliber. I prefer the 9mm, for its lower recoil, accuracy and penetration. I have never shot anything with a hollow point, but I know that 9mm ball penetrates. And there are numerous fine weapons chambered for that caliber. As a concealed carry citizen I prefer the 9mm because I know it is effective.
 
I need help with this conversion still...I've asked around. I just put my first 9mm that I actually buy on layaway. A SIG P226 E2 9mm.....

Now I'm a .45 and .40 guy, I got this 9mm because I wanted something I can practice with and lose half my bank account doing so...I've recently put 1,000+ rounds through my .45's and I felt it financially. I want something to use for self defense and shooting the daylights out of.

Is this whole 9mm thing good? Never carried a 9mm before. What's it's deal?
 
I'd like to hear from those who carry the 9mm and learn what load you carry for personal defense.
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I prefer to load Barnes solid copper bullets, and not just in 9mm. When shot through a variety of test materials they seem to be a very consistent performer. Ballistic tests are great feedback for penetration; however, when you place layers of denim or leather in front of the test media some rounds will occasionally "plug" with the dense material and effect the consistency of the bullets expansion. At least with us, Barnes bullets have proven to do well on a consistent basis.

If you are not into reloading there are a few companies, like Cor Bon with its DPX, that utilize the Barnes bullets.



Is this whole 9mm thing good?
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I've always recommended that people try to shoot the most powerful gun that they can handle both accurately and comfortably. After all, if you can't control it, or don't enjoy shooting it, you won't spend adequate time training with it. However, in light of recent economic times, I have found myself on many occasions leaving the big bullet launchers on the shelf while opting for the "sub-caliber training tools" (to steal one from Tom Givens). So I guess you can now add affordable ammo to the list of things that might effect how much you train.

With that, I think the 9mm has proven itself to be a formidable tool for both the recreational and defensive minded shooters alike.
 
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I'd like to hear from those who carry the 9mm and learn what load you carry for personal defense.
Any supporting information you have would be greatly appreciated.
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CorBon 115JHP

not looking for a cartridge debate, as that has played out so often. Just want to hear the reasoning for your choosing the 9mm.

Thanks
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I finally realized that handguns are not very good man stoppers in any caliber. They just don't have the energy that rifles have. Since more than one round is likely to be needed anyway I have concluded that the 9mm is more than adequate as a SD round. It is the easiest to get followups with in terms of recoil.

So while I used to be a 10mm man. Then .45acp and 40. Now its 9mm with a side of .45.

Shot placement is key with handguns. Hit em right and as they are dying I promise they will not know if it was a 44magnum or a 9mm that just killed em.
 
The 115 grain, .355 dia, FMJ @ 1100-1250 fps = extremely deadly. It will penetrate anyones cranium from 50 yards at least.
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Aye, and a .22 lead round nose at a similar velocity is deadly, too. That does not make it a good choice for self defense, for 1/2 the reasons the 115 gr FMJ is also a poor choice: It is "self defense", not "assassination". The idea is to get an active attacker incapacitated quickly, without hitting anybody else.

Shooting somebody in the head at 50 yards as "self defense" is going to be a tough sell to a jury, even if you can pull it off. Hell, hitting an attacker that is trying to kill you at self defense distances (less than 21 feet) in the head is difficult, at best, and not necessarily fatal: a round nosed FMJ bullet that hits a roundish skull at a shallow angle may glance off, and even if it pentetrates the skull, it is not a guaranteed "one shot stop": there is no such thing. It's not easy to hit a small (think 3"x5") moving target under extreme time pressure (less than 2 seconds, from the holster): It's not like an attacker is going to stand there at 20 feet and let you take aim.

If, on the other hand, you opt to follow the advice of most self defense instructors and shoot for center of mass, and ignore their advice to use a quality expanding jacketed hollow point (opting instead for the 115 FMJ @ 1200 f/sec), you will put likely put a temporary .35 hole through their torso, in one side and out the other. Unless you hit their spine, that won't stop them, unless the want to be stopped. It may very well be fatal, but it won't likely be soon enough to keep them from inflicting some serious, possibly fatal damage to you, which is the whole point of the "self defense" thing. I have seen deer shot through the heart and or lungs with high powered rifles using soft pointed pullets run for 15-20 seconds and cover over 100 yards of ground ..... how much damage could a determined attacker do to you with a tire iron, a knife or a even a brick in 15 seconds? A bullet that pokes a hole through an attacker and passes through not only does not whack him with all the kinetic energy of the bullet (he may not even realize he was hit, as he's too busy bashing your head in with that brick), but also will hit something or someone behind him. You better hope that is not an innocent bystander.....

Another argument for hollow points: Why would you poke a .35" temporary hole in your attcker to bleed him out, when you could poke a .5" hole in him to bleed him out faster by using premium self defense ammo? The LEOs in your area do, I'll bet.
 
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I use whichever name brand hollow points are on sale at the time, Golden Saber, Gold Dots, Hydra Shoks, Critical Defense, whatever have you.

I carry a .45 a lot, but I do not feel under-gunned with a 9mm. I wouldn't carry a .380, but a 9mm is still in my comfort zone. It is more about shot placement than anything else.
 
I carry a 9mm (Springer EMP) because it is the smallest 1911 I can find that I can shoot well, and I use 124 gr Hornady Custom +P or Black Hills 124gr +P because it feeds them reliably, and I get enough velocity out them in that 3" barrel to expand the HP's reliably.

I carried a 5" steel framed .45 for awhile, but feeding it (even handloads for practice) was outrageous..... that and I got tired of constantly pulling my pants up, in spite of the fact that I had a good sturdy belt: 4 lbs* is 4 lbs. The EMP is half that.



*loaded weight, including holster.
 
A gun is a gun. Any caliber will work, a .22 will work for self defence, but not for woods/hiking guns. Bigger the caliber the less room in the magazine. I know people who carry 44's why in my area? we do not have a bear problem. They just like to lol. I carry a 9mm and will stay with a 9mm. I will carry any caliber provided enough rounds. A revolver I want 2~3 speed loaders. Trust me, if you get hit with any caliber your going feel it, Unless you shoot someone in the foot or someone who is high. I never understand why people have these caliber debates. A gun is a gun, it goes bang.

I got federal HP in mine.

That woman in FL did the SD shooting on the guy who came in at 3am she shot him 5 times, I think some in the leg and arms. She didn't hit him in a vital spot. He did die but after 5 shots, because she failed to shoot in the chest. My teacher says LEO are trained to "STOP" not KILL, the attacker, and aim for center mass.
 
Trust me, if you get hit with any caliber your going feel it, Unless you shoot ........ someone who is high.
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..... and that'll never happen, right? Considering that folks that are engaged illegal activities such as robbery and such are generally not inclined to break any of the narcotics laws..... tee-totalers, mostly.....;)
 
I sometimes pocket-carry a Kel-Tec PF-9 in a wallet-type holster if I have a big enough pocket. I keep it loaded with Cor-Bon 115-gr DPXs. Deep penetration, excellent expansion even through heavy clothing, and light recoil. Of course, they're also 100% reliable in my K-T.

If I were carrying a heavier (full-sized) 9mm, I would use 124-gr Federal HSTs. However, in this role, I carry my Walther PPS .40 S&W loaded with 165-gr Federal HSTs, or my Taurus PT-145 Millennium Pro loaded with 230-gr Federal Tactical Bonded.

Recent improvements in premium JHP ammo has made the 9mm an adequate defensive caliber. Of course, the same improvements in .40 S&W and .45 ACP have made them correspondingly more effective man-stoppers. :cool:
 
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