What is the best 9MM ammo for self defense?

Question

What is the best 9MM ammo for self defense?

Answer 1

CCI speer gold dots in 124 or 147 grain.

Answer 2

115 grain jacketed hollow points.*

Answer 3

Federal Hydro Shocks are by far the best for self defense.  Both primary (where the bullet travels) and secondary (the hydro-static shock) wound channels are maximized.

Answer 4

Most any high quality American made 9mm hollow point bullet that feeds with 100% reliability in your pistol.

Answer 5

CCI Speer Gold Dots they're used by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

Answer 6

David-

Everyone is going to have their own opinions about what is the best self defense ammo to place in your firearm.  I can tell you that balistically, 9mm performs best with a 124 Grain Bullet.  This particular weight seems to be the best balance in power to weight ratio for this cartridge.

I base this on reloading data, from Speer, Sierra, Hodgdon, Dillon Precision, but most of all the SAAMI specifications.

A word of advice though about your selection of ammunition, you might want to find out what your local Law Enforcement Officers carry for their Duty Ammunition in that Caliber.  I would strongly suggest that you duplicate this as closely as possible with FACTORY AVAILABLE AMMUNITION.  Do not use reloaded ammunition that you have reloaded yourself, or have obtained from and "friends".

There are two main reasons for this.

First, by closely duplicating Law Enforcement ammunition, (again as close as possible through your local retailer), you are making a legal effort to comply with a "known product" so therefore your ammunition is not classified as "experimental".

Basically, this means you will not have a tricky lawyer trying to pin a murder charge on you because you used "Ammunition Intentionally Designed to Kill", because you decided to use better components to make a more reliable, possibly better than factory cartridge.  It takes the idea of "Pre-Meditated" out of the argument.  

So when you are asked, you phoned your local Police Department, obtained the information on the type of ammunition they used, and decided on the side of safety, you would select the ammunition that most closely matched their specifications.

Second, by reloading your own ammunition and/or obtaining this from a friend, this placed your own sacred booty in liability.  As I mentioned before, the ammunition becomes a question of intent.  What was your initial intent for this ammunition?  That is a very nasty question to answer in front of a Jury of 12 Gun Control Advocates.  Plus is your so-called friend going to run to your rescue, and claim responsibility for the manufacture of that ammunition you just used?  Probably not.  More than likely, your "friend" will probably state he had no idea, how you obtained that ammo.

It just keeps your case from becoming an experimental precident in the legal system.

In our area, our Local Sheriff's Department is issues Remington Golden Saber 135Gr .40 S&W, for their Glock 22 pistols.  Since I carry this type of pistol while on duty for an Armed Security Company, I decided that this would be the ammunition I would also carry.  Now should there be a reason for me to shoot, the ammunition is totally out of the question.

It may not be my personal first choice, but at least, my ammunition will not be in question, should I ever have to shoot.

Moreover, when my Security Company decided to check my ammunition, they asked why I selected this ammo, when they prefered the Federal Hydra-Shock.  When I handed them the slip from the Sheriff's Department listing the ammunition type, there were no more discussions about it, and they made everyone else change over to the same.

Basically its up to you, and any factory ammunition will do the job.  Just be sure that you are using Hollow Point Ammunition, not FMJ, (AKA: Military Ball), and your pistol should do the job.

Just a word though about semi-automatic pistols being kept in the house for personal defense.  Not my first choice.  In the home a Revolver is the better of the two choices.  

Yes there is less ammunition in the firearm, but the mechanics of the firearm are more reliable.  

Let me explain.  I am also a NRA Firearm Instructor for Home Defense.  The Semi-Automatic has a serious drawback in the event of the first round failing to fire, or you did not place a round in the chamber after inserting the magazine.  

If you are being agressed in your own home, you have now placed yourself in a position where you are going to have to drop the phone, to cycle the slide with your other hand to chamber the cartridge.  Or should that first cartridge fail to fire, you will have to cycle the slide for the next cartridge in the magazine.  In either case, you are in trouble at this point.  If your agressor is within 21 feet, he will be in striking range in 3 tenths of a second.  Can you cycle, aim and fire in that amount of time?  Heaven forbid you had an empty magazine in the firearm to start with.

Are you beginning to see the point here?

With a revolver, you have 6 to 8 known reliable shots depending on the model.  If the first cartridge fails to fire, you just pull the trigger again, and again.  I am quite sure that one of those 6 or 8 cartridges is going to do the job.  Plus here is the best part, you never had to put the phone down.

My personal favorite, that is in my home ready is my Ruger GP-100 .357 Magnum 4 inch.  Chambered with 125 Grain Cor-Bon Hollow Points, (1950 Feet Per Second).  If that does not get their attention, pretty much nothing will at that point.

Anyhow, I hope I was able to answer your question.

Good Luck

Answer 7

I like Hydra-Shok, Gold Dot and Golden Sabre

find one that works and shoots to where it points

then see about which one you can get best buy on - for me that was Golden Sabre from Cheaper than dirt (could have been Sportsman's Guide - on sale)

Corbon is also well regarded

there is no magic bullet anymore

any of the name brand jhp will do the job if you do yours

by the way, if you ever have to find out how effective a round is - don't stop to see if one shot worked

Answer 8

The RELIABILITY of frangible ammo in any semiauto for self-defense is controversial (not a problem in grab-and-shoot revolvers). If it is made stout enough to not micro dent and hang up, causing a jam, then is it really frangible enough to protect the pizzaria next door? The lightest and therefore highest velocity 9mm JHP bullets, and therefore most explosive, and therefore least wall-penetrative slugs, are preferred for slugging Sluggo! Sierra bullets are known for extreme expansion, so I would load their lightest 9mm JHP to the highest velocity listed in your choice of reloading manuals. I can't find my Sierra stuff, but Hornady lists their 90 grain JHP #35500 with 3 different loadings at 1400 fps! But my preference would be the 1300 fps max loading using 5.3 grains of Clays Universal powder from Hodgden, which has virtually no muzzle flash to blind you at 3AM in a semi-dark lethal confrontation. Http://www.midwayusa.com/ has everything you need, or google their competitors. Regards, Larry.

Answer 9

Hydrashocks.  with self defense you want stopping power, and hydrashocks pack a wallop.  They can kill in one of three ways,1. direct contact with a vital organ, 2. causing a large wound that can bleed out. 3, hydrastatic shock, the force of the bullet hits liquid flesh and creates a shockwave that travels through the body causing massive tissue damage.

Answer 10

Frangible rounds. Either Magsafe or Glaser Safety Slugs. Guaranteed one shot stop.

Answer 11

hornaday TAP  http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=149

answer mine ? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 12

Fancy ammo won't do any good if it won't feed in your gun or is inaccurate. Find a decent jhp that functions well in your firearm, then practice hitting your target with it.

Answer 13

I like Federal Personal Defense 124 grain Hydra Shok but any quality defensive round from any of the major ammo makers like Cor Bon, Remington, Winchester, Gold Dot, etc.  The 115 to 127 grain jacketed hollow point rounds work best in the 9mm for defense.

H

Answer 14

hornady custom. when i was working for a  armored car company , it was what i liked the best . i also like Winchester law enforcement ammo.  hornady worked the best in my Sig-Pro 2340 { i have both barrels ..the .357 Sig and .40 } .  try several different kinds , and see what works best for you and your weapon. good luck.

Answer 15

I'm a veteran. 'Nuff said. I just finished a combat pistol course, and I asked my instructor the same question. The fact is pistol rounds simply don't travel fast enough for reliable expansion. The 9mm round is best suited for target practice. Get a .40 or .45 acp and always shoot the heaviest fmj rounds  available for self-defense. Happy shooting!