9mm Defense Round Test Results

[Allblackedout]

no the dpx round is an all copper barnes HP round, you will get super fully pedal expansion and thhose pedals are super sharp to. Almost 100% bullet weight retention. The power ball has the nylon tip on it. It doesnt expand like the dpx round but if it won't feed in any 9mm, then it is time to peddle the gun.

Corbon Pow'rball has the polymer ball. DPX I think stands for Deep Penetration Xtreme and doesn't have the polymer ball.

Thx guys just wasn't to familiar with their lineup of various rounds and what they were all about.

[Jeff00042]

They all look pretty good to me. I agree with Jocko. Reliability has to be the #1 consideration.

[Goffman]

Here are the test results of different manufactures self-defense round. I will let you be the judge and decide what you carry in your gun as a self defense round, as for me I carry Federal HST124 grain JHP.

I might have missed this information in the thread, but out of what pistol were these rounds fired? Was it a PM9?

[Rotorflyr]

Honestly any of the big manufacturers sd rounds should do the job (if you do your's) like Jocko said, First And Foremost It Needs To Work In YOUR Gun.

It's also worthwhile to have a second (and/or) third choice that works in case your "favorite" isn't available. I also like to choose one that I can (almost) always find locally, cause sometimes it just isn't feasible (or don't want) to wait for mail order (even if it saves some pennies)

[BeauNC]

I know Kahr has approved their guns for +P ammo, but is +P+ too much? I'm assuming that means its even more pressure than just +P.

[Bawanna]

Correct. I'd not endorse +P+. I don't even use +P but Kahrs will run with it.

[jocko]

if u notice there is not alot of offering in +P+ ammop. so that ought to tell any shooter something. If u truly desire more power, but a 40 cal and be done with it. Why wanna push the envelope all the time.

[Bill K]

Any of you guys ever try Black Hills 124 +P? I think of this round as the frugal mans Speer GD or Remington GS.

Bill K.

[TheTman]

Has anyone heard of this: I was reading about self defense ammo, and the "expert" on that web sight says to stay away from the 147 gr 9mm loads. That the cartridge was designed for 115 - 125 gr bullets, and the 147 gr is too heavy to push to required velocity for the HP petals to open up, and that it may not feed reliably in some older weapons, he didn't like them at all, said it was a foolish fad that started several years ago.
In testing reloads with a friends Beretta 92, we found that the 147 gr loads did not group near as well as the lighter grain bullets. That's the only complaint I have about them. I don't carry a 9mm right now, but may be doing so in the future, if Boberg ever gets his pistol on the market.
Don't shoot the messenger, just reporting what I found on some self defense ammo website. Just wondering if anyone else has heard anything like that.

[BeauNC]

I've read similar "expert" reports. From everything I've read, I'm sticking with 115 grain for practice and 124 grain for defense.

[melissa5]

I've been using Speer gold dot 124 JHP for self defense and their lawman 124 FMJ for range pratcice. Since it's the same bullet for training as defense it always made sense to me to go that route.

Count me in on this thinking also.

That 2nd #11 is pretty like a work of art...a brass sun and the 1st #7 looks like a flower.

[wyntrout]

I try to stick with 124-125-grain 9mm, but I'll use cheap 115-grain FMJ at the range. I don't figure it makes much difference at 7 yards or so. Supposedly, the 9mm was designed with 124-grain ammo in mind, as the .45 was with 230-grain. With the .380, I stay with the 90 to 95 grain ammo. I have Buffalo Bore 90-grain +P JHP and 95-grain +P FMJ Flat Nosed, and 95-grain Ranger T JHP, standard velocity/pressure. Everybody should test and use the ammo that shoots POA=POI for them. I had a Walther PPK/S and it preferred 95-grain, I believe, shooting POA=POI with that but not the 90-grain. This is important when you don't have adjustable sights, especially in elevation. Wynn

[jlottmc]

I try to stick with 124-125-grain 9mm, but I'll use cheap 115-grain FMJ at the range. I don't figure it makes much difference at 7 yards or so. Supposedly, the 9mm was designed with 124-grain ammo in mind, as the .45 was with 230-grain. With the .380, I stay with the 90 to 95 grain ammo. I have Buffalo Bore 90-grain +P JHP and 95-grain +P FMJ Flat Nosed, and 95-grain Ranger T JHP, standard velocity/pressure. Everybody should test and use the ammo that shoots POA=POI for them. I had a Walther PPK/S and it preferred 95-grain, I believe, shooting POA=POI with that but not the 90-grain. This is important when you don't have adjustable sights, especially in elevation. Wynn

Sorry Wynn, the 45 acp was supposed to be a 200 gr truincated cone type bullet (like the current crop of 40 fmj's). 9mm has a history of being a lead based round weighing in around 130 gr (turn of the century) and having the jacket added to it later. The current 9mm load in use by the military and NATO is a 147 grain +P rated round. The 380 was designed to run about 85 -95 gr. if memory serves.

[jocko]

not sure the 9mm kahr was desinged around the 124 grain rounds, but they tell me that is what they test fire their guns with. No doubt if any 9mm won't shoot 115 grain rounds, it isn't worth the salt its made out of, IMO.

[fitpro]

Sorry Wynn, the 45 acp was supposed to be a 200 gr truincated cone type bullet (like the current crop of 40 fmj's). 9mm has a history of being a lead based round weighing in around 130 gr (turn of the century) and having the jacket added to it later. The current 9mm load in use by the military and NATO is a 147 grain +P rated round. The 380 was designed to run about 85 -95 gr. if memory serves.

^^^This is one of my first posts and I don't want it to be viewed as confrontational. The NATO round in 9mm is 124 gr that is slightly less than +p. It's a hot round but not quite +p, only about 5% above the SAAMI 9mm standard, while +p loads are about 10% above, IIRC. (I have been wrong before...)