The last few decades have seen phenomenal advances in ammunition design testing and production this has resulted in an abundance of high quality self-defense ammunition in all the major calibers regardless of the cartridge you use choosing the right kind of ammunition is just as important as choosing an.

Appropriate self-defense handgun after all your life could depend on it the good news for everyone who uses a handgun chambered in nine millimeter luger is that there are lots of great nine millimeter self-defense ammo choices currently available on the market that being said there are a couple.

Different types of nine millimeter self-defense ammo that consistently rise above the competition if the time comes when you must shoot to save yourself your mindset and shot placement will matter most but here are 10 of the best performing nine millimeter ammo that will give you an edge with a defensive handgun.

Pretty sure i'm about to stop on a murder hornet's nest but here goes nothing federal premium 147 grain hst often found on the gun belts of police agencies across the country the federal premium hst nine millimeter 147 grain ammunition is a classic hollow point with some serious heft.

Coming in a bit heavier than many of its competitors the creation of the hst bullet from federal was inspired by solicitations from law enforcement agencies looking for improved duty rounds by creating a bullet that opened up and had peaks and valleys on its deformed frontal surface designers were able to.

Increase surface area without an increase in the cross-sectional area extensive testing has shown that on average the nine-millimeter luger load will deliver 13.63 inches of penetration and 0.63 inches of expansion 90 weight retention through all fbi barriers when shot through a glock 17 at 10 feet.

Every hst bullet features a tapered jacket profile for reliable feeding a cannula that locks the copper jacket to the lead core patented co-aligned internal and external skiving and a deep tapered hollow point that will not clog federal offers a plus p 124 grain and standard velocity 124 and 147 grain hst loads in.

Nine millimeter horn indy 115 grain ftx critical defense one of the most popular nine-millimeter ammo brands for self-defense is hornady critical defense unlike many of the other choices on this list of the best nine millimeter self-defense ammo hornady designed their critical defense.

Lineup of ammunition from the ground up for use in short-barreled handguns during self-defense situations the bullet features a polymer tip that initiates expansion at low velocities and prevents the hollow point from spreading prematurely ensuring more consistent penetration through the initial layers of a target.

Such as clothing and skin before mushing up on its own to force the round to flower and grab tissue this ensures reliable penetration and expansion at low velocities regardless of what barriers the bullet passes through first since critical defense ammunition is optimized for short-barreled pistols it.

Also has very manageable recoil and is easier to shoot in very small handguns critical defense ammo also uses hornady's proprietary low flash propellant to reduce the glare often associated with shooting that could temporarily hinder your ability to see your target in low light conditions lehigh defense 90 grain extreme defense.

Lehigh defense extreme defense ammunition has been specially designed to deliver consistent tremendous expansion optimum penetration and superior terminal performance the exd projectile has optimized flute geometry total weight and velocity to achieve a penetration depth up to 18 inches with a permanent wound cavity.

That is just simply enormous no expanding hollow point comes close to achieving anywhere near this collective volume of wound cavity the non-expanding solid copper body ensures that common materials such as wall board sheet metal and automotive glass will not affect the permanent round channel or capabilities of the.

Projectile unlike traditional hollow points the nickel plating process provides several key benefits including improved feeding in all actions of firearms enhanced corrosion resistance over traditional brass improved cosmetics and ease of cleanup during reloading.

Sig sauer 124 v crown sig sauer despite being a newer brand has managed to offer enthusiasts a surprisingly robust and good alternative to pricier defensive loads their v-crown bullet has a v-shaped jacket which gives the bullet its unique shape on the other hand there are also the.

Scores and lead which offer individuals steady and stable expansion an additional hollow cavity ensures that the bullets can pierce through heavy clothing and other barriers the annexured towards the bullet's shank ensures that the bullet will not over expand with its clever design it can provide.

The energy necessary to neutralize or immobilize a threat although the bullet features an incredible performance on gel it is still very affordable at just 16 for 20 each bullet will set you back 80 cents this price becomes even more surprising when you consider they use premium flow flash propellants and.

Nickel plated cases barnes 115 grain tac xpd the solid copper bullets produced by barnes are some of the most effective nine millimeter rounds for hunting large tough species of big game because they can be relied upon for deep penetration and consistent expansion with virtually one hundred percent weight retention.

These same characteristics are what make the barns tack xpd bullets such a great choice for nine millimeter self-defense ammo at 115 grain these bullets are on the light side for most nine millimeter self-defense bullets they're also loaded for slightly lower velocities than comparable 115 grain.

Nine millimeter loads which makes for mild recoil while that's great for shooters with compact and full sized handguns this may not be the best nine millimeter self-defense ammo for use in pocket pistols or sub-compact handguns with barrels shorter than three and a half inches.

Spear gold dot 124 grain spear jumped way out in front of the competitors in the 1990s when they introduced the gold dot lineup on ammunition it was one of the very first if not the first bonded handgun bullets developed for law enforcement use and quickly became the gold standard of.

Well-designed handgun ammunition these bonded bullets are virtually immune to core jacket separation and have earned an excellent reputation for high weight retention deep penetration and reliable expansion even after penetrating through a tough barrier not surprisingly gold dots are one of the preferred types of ammunition for.

Law enforcement agencies all over the world and are an excellent choice for nine millimeter self-defense ammo even though the standard 124 grain gold on ammo is best in medium or long barreled handguns spear also produces a short barrel variant of the gold dot which is a great choice if you have a handgun with three and a half inch or.

Shorter barrel winchester pdx1 defender one of the most commonly used manufacturers for a wide range of shooting needs winchester usa is an outstanding pick due to its reliability consistency and durability the px1 defender ammunition has impressive expansion and notable.

Velocities at various ranges thanks to winchester's proprietary bonding process the fbi was so impressed with the overall performance of the bullet that the bureau adopted the pdx1 defender as its primary handgun ammunition the bonding can also take on the toughest barriers at varied ranges and velocities to simulate real-world threat.

Upon impact the jacketed hollow point initiates expansion up to one and a half times the size of the original bullet diameter the unique notching in the bullet creates six equal segments creating maximum expansion on impact this cartridge is a great choice for nine millimeter self-defense rounds.

Particularly for those carrying medium to large sized handguns this is aguila's nine millimeter luger 124 grain full metal jacket round cool thing about this is it was originally made from the mexican military and law enforcement but aguila's made it available for civilians so it's perfect for target shooting personal defense and.

Even tactical scenarios now what makes this such a great round well it's the cantilever feature this crimp in the casing right at the base of the bullet actually reduces potential for setback of the projectile and provides additional back pressure for high speed accuracy as you know aguila source is the highest quality.

Materials to produce the primer bullet powder and casing all in-house and the result high quality round that cycles flawlessly with remarkable consistency in both velocity and accuracy and that gives shooters the aguila advantage let's go see it in action that's a nine millimeter luger 124 grain full metal jacket from aguila.

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