There are two major categories of handgun ammunition: practice and self-defense. Although they are both designed to function in the same pistol, their performance and materials used are quite different.
Ammo Overview
The amount of penetration is one of the main differences between range and defense ammo.
- Range/practice ammo is typically a less expensive FMJ (full metal jacket). Practice ammo can be brass, aluminum, or steel cased to cut cost down (I personally never use steel cases because the quality is lower, and it may become stuck in your pistol and fail to extract). Practice bullets are usually a round-nose FMJ projectile, meaning a lead core that is completely coated in a copper jacket with no expansion.
- Defensive ammunition is usually a JHP (jacketed hollow point) projectile and costs significantly more. Defensive ammunition’s case is made of brass, or may have a nickel coating on the brass, which is easier to see at night, and is more resistant to corrosion that can happen over time from the salts/oils in your fingers after loading it into a magazine or cylinder.
Ammunition Weight
Both practice and defense ammo come in different bullet weights, for example 9mm typically comes in 115, 124, & 147 grain projectiles. I recommend trying out the different options in your pistol, and once you find your preferred weight stick with that in both your range & defensive ammunition to have the recoil as close as possible when you practice.
High-Pressure (+P or +P+) Ammo
Be aware that some defense ammo can be +p or +p+ and will have significantly more recoil than your standard pressure practice load. If it is one of those types it will be shown on the box, and usually on the head stamp of the case. These basically cause a larger explosion in the chamber to release more energy, but your firearm needs to be rated for this increased pressure so make sure to check your owner’s manual before attempting to use it. Failure to do so may result in personal injury or damage to the firearm.
Differences in Ammo Penetration
Self-defense projectiles are generally a jacketed hollow point designed to expand rapidly when hitting its target, increasing its effectiveness and decreasing the chances of over-penetration. Some of the newer technology uses a solid copper projectile with a flat cross-shaped nose and cavities cut into the sides (resembles the tip of a large Philips screwdriver). This type of defensive bullet does not expand; however, the shape of the projectile enables similar performance to a hollow point, and allows it to pass through glass, metal, and other barriers without deforming like a hollow point would. Range ammunition will typically over-penetrate and could kill/injure an innocent bystander who is behind your intended target. The hollow-point and fluted solid bullets cause a shockwave in front of the bullet creating a wound channel much bigger than the bullet’s diameter. FBI ammunition test protocol states that the ideal performance depth for self-defense bullets is between 12” & 18”, and they test this by firing into gel blocks which simulate a human torso to see the size of the wound channel and penetration depth.
Choosing the Right Ammo
Due to the different shapes of the projectiles, and different pressure levels no matter what self-defense ammunition you choose, make sure to run a minimum of a couple magazines through your firearm to make sure it functions correctly. A big mistake a lot of people make is just assuming the firearm will work properly without testing it, either because of higher ammo price, or just thinking it will the same as their range ammo. Find out any potential issues with your firearm or ammo while practicing at the range, not when you need it to save your life! Some defense ammunition is designed to perform best based on the size of the firearm/barrel, so be sure to take that into consideration while doing your research.
My personal favorites for a full size 9mm is Speer Gold Dot (used by the FBI & armed forces), and federal law enforcement. HST jacketed hollow point is used by many police departments across the country.
For subcompact pistols my first choice is Federal Premium 150gr HST Micro, however it’s difficult to find in stock so Hornady Critical Defense is a good choice as well (it’s a hollow-point with a rubbery material in the cavity which is supposed to help it get through clothing without clogging up, and aid in expansion).
One last caution, if you keep re-chambering the same round multiple times (for instance taking the chambered round out of your pistol along with the magazine to go to the range and use practice ammo, then getting home and re-chambering that same round) make sure that the overall length hasn’t changed. Some ammo is more prone to the bullet pushing into the case after multiple chambering than others.
Stay Safe,
Patrick Combs
