Suggestions for Defensive 9mm?

S

Swifty Morgan

New member
I was thinking of getting some 9mm defensive ammo, and then it occurred to me that I could make it instead. I always feel like buying expensive defensive ammo discourages practice, but when you can crank it out at will, you feel more like shooting it.

Can anyone tell me what's hot these days? I would be shooting from a Glock 26. I know ammunition keeps improving.

At the moment, my powder inventory is limited to Unique, No. 7, and Blue Dot.
 
Are you saying that you'd like to load up practice ammo that mimics your SD ammo or are you wanting to roll your own carry ammo? Many do, but I won't carry reloads.
 
Actually, now that I see what bullets cost, I may forget the whole thing and buy ammunition. I found 124-grain Gold Dot bullets for 68 cents each, plus shipping. Factory Speer LE ammunition is 80 cents.

EDIT: math error. Looks like the bullets are 23 cents each. Oops.
 
There are legal-related reasons why many (dare I say "most"?) attorneys would adviser you not to carry handloaded ammunition, or to use it for home defense. That topic has been discussed on this site more than twice, and a search can probably bring up some of those discussions for you.

With that in mind, my chosen 9mm self defense ammunition is Remington Golden Saber 124 grain. I don't know all that much about 9mm so my choice was made by consulting a friend, who is a retired police officer, police chief, and police firearms trainer. He gave me a list of three. The Golden Saber was one of the three and I already had several boxes of it, so that was that.

For practice, I found some Berry's 124-grain hollow points that have about the same profile as the Golden sabers, so I load the Berry's for practice. But I make certain on 9mm days that I only carry the factory loaded stuff.
 
There is always the worry on the wrongful death civil front.
You made rounds that are more lethal than factory?
Darn skippy! ;)

Latest & greatest to me means not as yet proven, enough.
Learn from our history.
Peter Luger designed the Luger pistol for trunjicated cone projectiles.
Which the Germans used before the Geneva convention.
Seems the allies were accusing the Germans of using hollow points.
They weren't, but appearantly the trunjicated cone does a number on flesh.

So i carry 147gr trunjicated cone lead.
 
The 9mm cartridge is the most popular self-defence/military pistol round in the world. No question. Delve into any factory round you desire, there is a huge multitude of internet information of how this bullet/cartridge combo performs, in ballistic gel, first going through a couple of layers of denim, etc/etc.

I picked Federal 147g HST HP. Not cheap. Thank you, Son!
I served 20 years on the board of IALEFI, was the big pusher of that new-fangled round, both in pistols, and ammo. The 9mm. 1984-2004. Retired. Carry pistol was Glock. G-17 then G-19 4th Gen.
The old bit of advice was alive and well "If you cannot do it with 6! you should not be carrying a pistol" Sure. My mantra, "MORE IS BETTER ALWAYS."

I belong to the largest group of gun carriers in Florida! The Old People!
Glock 19 Gen 4. Is my pick. We seem to have many members of the gun blogs, who change their pistols like I change my socks! My reason to stay with the one model of a pistol? If I get into self-defence, life-threatening fight.
I need no confusion as what is in my hand! What controls it has, where to put the sights! On a hostile human target. To gain cease and desist in the shortest possible time span.

There are some who state emphatically, do not change any part of your pistol, but shoot it the way it came out of the box.
I am not in that group. Not knowhow. The first thing to change on a Glock pistol. The sights. Dump the crappy plastic sights. Aftermarket night sights.
If I turn my eyes to the G-19 sitting on my nightstand 3 green dots come in to view. (where the two dots are, that's where the grip is!) I use the slide stop (release) to close the slide on a reload if necessary, slid normally closes on its own! with the hard insertion of the replacement magazine. Replaced the crappy lined trigger first mod! For the factory smooth model.
The magazine release, hurt my second finger! Sharp knife, snip, fixed.

Had to point guns at people over my lifetime (84 just now!) to cause cease and desist. It worked fine.
Don't leave home without it, ever! Good advice.
 
I like the 115 XTP with a full dose of HS-6. Been toying with 115 Win JHP and STHP.
Of your powders, I like #7 for full power 9mm.
 
It sort of looks like everything except Gold Dots is hard to get right now. I would like to get Golden Sabers, but I guess a burglar won't know the difference.
 
My self defense ammo

I love reloading.

But, I think that I'll only take 2-3 shots to defend myself. I'll spend the money buying factory ammo and avoid the prosecutor grilling me on my choice of homemade bullets. It's not like I'm going to war. I live in CA btw.

I think LAPD and NYPD uses Gold Dots ( I could be wrong ). I might go there. I recall Barnes Bullets opening up really well.
 
With that in mind, my chosen 9mm self defense ammunition is Remington Golden Saber 124 grain.
Click to expand...
Mine too. 1) it is a good round. Get the bonded version. 2) they are surprisingly inexpensive for such a quality round. I got 'em for about $25 for 50.

I also advise (as does Mas Ayoob...) factory ammo over home loaded. It's just safer. Roll your own for practice but keep a mag-full or 2 of factory for carry.
 
Our staffer linked an excellent post he wrote three years ago. Although maybe off-topic (maybe), is certainly an invaluable read.

I carry Speer's 124gn GDHP +P's in my 9mm; and Speer's 158 GDHP's in my 357 Mag; and Federal's 180 Hydra-Shok "Low Recoil" in my 10mm. And at home, it's Hornady's 230 XTP +P's for 45 ACP.

I load for all these chamberings. But I won't carry handloaded ammo. This is advice from my CCW trainer (two of them) and my lawyer. At which point, I don't need the "why's."

I handload emulate all these factory ammo choices mentioned above. Notice I did not say "duplicate."

As for 9mm, I use a heaping helping of Power Pistol under a 124 GDHP. For increased economics, I also do the same with an Everglades 124 HP. I don't shoot a lot of these in my carry 9mm (Kahr CW9 - and excellent pistol) as it's my carry gun and I don't want to wear it out. Besides, I shoot a lot in general. I put in a lot of range time. Whenever I shoot my carry 9mm, I don't fee "rusty" at all.

I know ammunition keeps improving.
Click to expand...

Mmm, yeah, I guess it does. But I wonder how much is actual improvement; and how much is gimmickry. When I bought my first gun (Python 357 - still have it) in 1983, I often shot Remington's 125 "semi-jacketed" HP's - they had an unmistakable "scalloped" jacket. It was a hot round for sure; and I bet it performed every bit as good as anything offered today.
 
I like the 124gr Gold Dot and close to 7grs of AA7. I load a BUNCH of them in a sitting, and usually try to combine both the GD and about as many Berry's HHP.

Worst case should I ever be forced to use any of my firearms in a SD situation, I doubt seriously the BG will allow a time-out to switch ammo or mags. In that case ill dance with the girls I brought.
 
While I agree it is sensible and the best idea to carry factory ammo in your carry/defense guns, it does raise another question. In our current day and situation we find that a lot of bullets for reloading are unavailable, as they have been bought out because of apprehension generated from Covid-19 and the economic and social impacts. I am speaking of Gold Dots, Golden Sabers and such; bullets designed not for plinking but for defensive purposes. In addition, we should keep in mind that these hollow point bullets are always being purchased and thus with intent to load and use them. Understanding that the majority of those who reload use cheaper bullets for target/range work mostly, why buy up all those more costly hollow points? Because they intend for them to be useful defensive ammo! In saying this, I am not pushing hand loads for self defense, merely making the point that obviously lots of folks do.

Everyone has to make up their own mind what is best in this regard, and I agree that using factory ammo will likely be an asset in your favor if you wind up in court after defending yourself; but is the Handload a detriment, or simply not working in your favor? I think it is the latter...but that is just my thoughts....I am no lawyer.
 
AgedWarrior said:
Everyone has to make up their own mind what is best in this regard, and I agree that using factory ammo will likely be an asset in your favor if you wind up in court after defending yourself; but is the Handload a detriment, or simply not working in your favor? I think it is the latter...but that is just my thoughts....I am no lawyer.
Click to expand...
I am not a lawyer, either, but I think it's the former.

Something that doesn't work in your favor is simply a non-issue at trial. It's irrelevant and immaterial. If the prosecutor can bring it up and potentially use it against you, that's a detriment. That's more than just not working in your favor.
 
I have been employed as an expert witness enough times in Canadian Courts, to get a sense, that what you shoot someone with, is a non-starter.
In fact, one case where the Crown Attorney (DA) was so poor in his gun handling, the presiding judge told said crown, to turn the Revolver over to me, in the witness stand.
My evidence was useful to the young Lady accused, as she received less than the maximum sentence of 8 years, but rather 4.5 years. The Canadians don't throw years upon years like we Yanks do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top