Carry Ammo

[Spike_351]

And

Unless it's the end of the world and ammo is running low, I would never use FMJs for defense ammo because obf over penetratibbon. I carry Critical Duty and[/QvsUOTE]b

 

[Spike_351]

Unless it's the end of the world and ammo is running low, I would never use FMJs for defense ammo because of over penetration. I carry Critical Duty and

Critical duty and........???????

 

[Aaron1776]

If you can possibly find a premium self-defense round, carry it. This article is about the 9mm, but talks extensively about the mechanism of stopping power.

Why Nine | The Bang Switch

This is an excellent article. IMO Mac does ignore some of the very real disadvantages of the 9mm and ignores momentum and inertia's role in penetration, but no article is perfect. It pretty much addresses how "stopping power" works.

Over penetration was my concern. I hope to God that it's never an issue I ever, ever have to deal with, but if I do have to shoot, I'd prefer the round stop in my target. Especially in the event of a home invasion. The way my home is laid out, my daughters' bedroom is directly in the line of site from my bedroom door to the top of the stairs. Or if I were to miss, I'd rather that round stick in the wall instead of end up in the neighbors house.

Again, I hope the only time I fire my weapon is on the range, but I'd like to have at least some peace of mind about where my rounds end up.

With any effective round you would use, over penetration is going to be an issue. This is why it so important to realize what is behind your target. You're much better off moving to get an angle where nothing is behind your opponent and letting rounds fly through him than you are trying to use frangible or frag rounds.

Read Houghmade's linked article above. It is nothing new but is concise and well done. There is absolutely no reason to carry FMJ unless you live in some third world country and the is all you can get, or you are in the military and are forced to. This is a no brainer.

Cedartop is absolutely right. While I've never taken a class with him, I've heard nothing but rave reviews about his skills and knowledge. You would do well to listen to him.

As for tips about what to by for the 9mms you carry, try the 135 grain Hornady +P Critical Duty. Without hitting an intervening medium, the round will expand out to .60 cal and penetrate well beyond the required distance to bring a man down. The heavier weight, the added +P, and the polymer tip help the round defeat barriers quite well too. It'll even penetrate through steel, expand out to .50 cal and keep moving. It doesn't solve all of the 9mm's problems, but it goes a long way in dealing with the rounds deflection issues.

I used to only carry .45. Once I realized that 9mm defensive technology had finally advanced enough to produce good SD ammo, I started carrying the 9mm M&P and ditched my polymer .45s. Now the only .45 I use is the 1911.

One thing about 9mm ball ammo though.......don't ever bet your life on it. I worked in an ER for years, and that was one lesson I learned. It's also what the military learned over the past 20 years. If you haven't heard, they're holding trials for a new handgun, and they're going to ditch the 9mm round.
9mms only do the job reliably when you have decent JHPs loaded up. There is just no way around that fact.