What ammo do you use in your 9mm carry gun?

Either Speer Gold Dots or Remington Golden Sabers, 124 or 147 grain. I've also got some Federal 115 grains on hand, but I prefer a heavier bullet.
 
In my Sig P229 I carry the 124 grain +P Gold Dot. In my small short barrel Sig P938 I carry the 124 grain Federal HST in standard pressure. All name brand ammo does not perform well in all guns. The small short barreled guns are where you need to really do some research. Go to YouTube and watch the tests and videos provided by shootingthebull410 and see the difference.
 
(All standard pressure) Federal 124gr HST, Hornady Critical Duty, and Hornady 147gr XTP, though the last two aren't used in either my Shield or RAMI.
 
Ammo in Carry/Home Defense Guns

Hornady Custom 9mm 147 gr XTP, 975 fps muzzle, 935 fps at 50 yrds in a Kimber Solo w/Crimson Trace. Extremely accurate at 10 yrds.:)

Home defense: MAGTECH Guardian Gold 357 MAGNUM 125 gr JHP in a couple of revolvers. One upstairs and one downstairs.:D
 
Thanks Qwiksdraw, hadn't seen that test yet from him. That stuff does look good, especially since 147gr. I'd love to see how it would do out of a 3.75"-4" barrel!
 
Presently? Depends.

Usually Rem 124gr +P HPJ/BJHP (Golden Sabre, non-bonded), or Win 147gr RA9T (T-Series) or 127gr +P+ RA9TA. All have been issued loads and are still available.

In the future? Well, due to ongoing ammunition production & delivery problems, the next options in inventory appear to be both Win 124gr +P RA9124TP (T-Series) and one of the Federal 9mm HST bullet weights (didn't look too closely at the cases, yet). Either would do, I expect.

In the past? Just depended on whatever was available at contract or non-contract LE pricing, or approved for personal purchase OTC at some store. I've used 115gr, 124gr, 125gr, 125gr & 147gr JHP's at one time or another, with some of the different loads rated at +P & +P+, depending.

As long as whatever I'm using is new factory ammunition, made by one or another if the handful of major American ammunition companies who are experienced at developing and making good quality defensive ammunition tested for major LE or private citizen use ... I'm not necessarily overly fussy.

I prefer to use one of the newer designed hollowpoints that better resist plugging and exhibit robust expansion in the difficult 4-layer denim testing.

While I'm not particularly interested in "bonded" HP's for the sake of them being "bonded", I'm not opposed to a bonded design as long as it will still robustly expand in heavy cloth/4-layer denim testing conditions. I prefer not to sacrifice expansion for some perceived "better performance" in one of the hard intermediate barrier tests.

I prefer to use ammunition with better quality components other than just bullets, too (cases, powders, primers, sealants, etc).

Whatever I'm using, I want for it to feed, fire & function properly in my 9's, when I'm shooting them.
 
6.0/Herco/125 SWC. This is what I practice and compete with. I haven't had occasion to carry my 9x19 for defense (I'm more of a .45 guy), but if the need arises, I want to shoot for my life, using the ammunition with which I'm most familiar.

That's probably the wrong answer to many, but there it is.
 
Cyanide971: ... I'd love to see how it would do out of a 3.75"-4" barrel!
Click to expand...

He indicated there would be slightly more expansion and slightly less penetration. From the results with the short barrel, slightly less would still be excellent performance.
 
I know this is probably blasphemous to say on here but I load Remington UMC FMJ in my main carry 9mm for the simple reason that I only carry it in my car, which is where I carry the most besides at home. And being that it's a car carry gun there's a good chance that, if I did need to use it, I would have to shoot through my own windshield. And I just don't trust 9mm JHPs to get adequate penetration through glass.

At home I carry my .380, with Hornady Critical Defense FTX bullets, because it's much more convenient and I like the fact that, if I did have to use it, the bullets most likely could not make it through two exterior walls (my own and my neighbour's, I live in a city) and still have enough energy to kill someone unless the bullet failed to expand. Sometimes I carry my 9mm or my .40 with FTX bullets or Nosler style JHPs respectively, but the .380 is just so convenient and the reduced penetration factor is a big plus given that my neighbor has a bunch of adorable little kids.

I would honestly rather be killed by an armed assailant than have to live knowing my stray bullet killed a child.
 
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