finding the best ammo for self-defense has long consumed both the shooting public and also the ammunition industry for some time now it's widely accepted that the best overall self-defense pistol around is the nine-millimeter concealed carry aficionados in particular tend to prefer the.

9-millimeter handguns due to their compact size and low recoil the only problem with the 9-millimeter is that there are so many options to choose from and with so many tests and data finding the best 9-millimeter self-defense ammo can be a daunting task that's why we put together this list of the best nine-millimeter ammo on the market we've.

Researched dozens of rounds to narrow this list down to the very best of the best so if you're looking for the best 9-millimeter ammo for self-defense you can't go wrong with any of these loads of course no matter what ammunition you've got making sure your gun runs reliably is a lot more important than terminal ballistics Federal Premium HST.

Ammunition is created to maximize expansion without overly limiting penetration in essence the expanded HST bullet cuts a larger hole but still penetrates deep due to its starfish like shape and high weight retention federal has conducted extensive tests to prove HST loads meet FBI standards and penetration remains consistent through.

Seven different barrier tests the average penetration and expansion for all nine millimeters defensive handgun modes is around fourteen inches in point five seven inch respectively for all practical purposes this load met that average and tests through one layer of denim delivered identical results to those in bare gelatin.

Fabo premium HST ammunition is made to perform predictably across a wider range of barriers than many other defensive loads if you are looking for ammunition for your defensive handgun federal HST loads are good for consumers especially considering the rounds ability to defeat intermediate barriers this ammunition has been a proven success for law.

Enforcement agencies and is around worth looking at for defensive carry  pointed a 9-millimeter critical defense light critical defense light nine-millimeter Luger is an effective reduced recoil option for any shooter looking to minimize the felt recoil of their lightweight compact personal.

Protection handgun this load gives excellent terminal performance you will get 10 to 11 inches of penetration with this with very very good expansion approximately six tenths of an inch expansion this is a highly effective load with very light recoil it's specifically tuned for compact firearms the shorter barrels but it will also.

Function very reliably in full size frame handguns that 9-millimeter critical defense life load features a 27% reduction in recoil compared to standard loads and provides 10 inches of penetration and ballistic gelatin through heavy clothing designed with the same proven components as our critical defense line of ammunition this offering.

Features a 100 grain FTX bullet with a unique pink flex tip an effective reduced recoil load for all shooters the 9-millimeter critical defense light from Hornady Winchester Lee PDX one defender 9-millimeters personal defense ammunition is a bonded bullet intended to succeed against the tough FBI.

Ammunition testing protocol the FBI was impressed enough with test results of the Winchester PD x1 round to adopt it as their official duty ammunition it's engineered to maximise terminal ballistics as defined by the demanding FBI test protocol which simulates real-world threats this ammunition has impressive expansion in notable.

Velocities of various ranges thanks to Winchester's proprietary bonding process that means better stopping power when it counts the engineers have welded together the lead core and copper jacket to obtain controlled expansion and a higher weight retention the bonding can also take on the toughest barriers of varied ranges and velocities to simulate.

Real-world threat upon impact the jacketed hollow-point initiates expansion up to 1 1/2 times the size of the original bullet diameter finally Winchester has chosen nickel-plated brass to maximize reliability through smooth chambering and case ejection  spear gold G to the new standard in duty.

Ammunition spear gold dodgy to has set the new performance benchmark with the highest scores in the history of the FBI protocol it combines Spears proven gold bonded bullet construction with a next-generation nose design instead of a large hollow-point cavity g2 has a shallow dish filled with high performance elastomer the result is.

Extremely reliable expansion better pebble separation and uniform penetration through the most demanding FBI protocol barrier tests  Federal Premium Hydra Shok has been proven for self-defense since 1989 Hydra Shok deep builds off the same tested platform with design improvements that.

Better meet modern performance standards  the bullet features a more robust center post in a compact core and it's loaded with Federal Premium specially formulated propellant extremely reliable primer and nickel-plated brass the enhanced design penetrates 15 inches in bare ballistics gel the optimal depth.

According to FBI standards and 50% deeper than both original Hydra Shok and competitor loads it also scores 70% higher and FBI protocol testing and provides better integrity through civilian barriers the Hydra Shok deep is really focused on good expansion but excellent penetration so the optimal amount of penetration for a handgun.

Bullet as determined by the FBI is 14 to 16 inches so what we really wanted to do with the Hydra Shok deep was get into that amount of penetration and what we're seeing with the Hydra Shok deep is 15 inches so it's right in the sweet spot in that optimal range