9mm Carry Ammo (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 3/14/2024 5:45:19 PM EDT
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I have various 9mm pistols for carry purpose. I'll carry anything from Sig P365 on small end to Glock 34 on the large end. I keep in stock 2 different carry ammo...one +P and one standard pressure load. For past 6 or 7 years I have carried Winchester Ranger 124gr SXT +P and Winchester Ranger 147gr SXT for standard pressure. I use standard pressure load in my smaller/lighter pistols (and my Hi-Power) and +P load in larger/heavier pistols (Glocks, CZ, Sig, etc.). Now I'm down to my last box of both ammo so I'll need to replenish them with new ammo. I'm looking at Federal HST series right now...124gr HST +P and 147gr HST non +P. My decision is based on availability and price as I'll buy 500 rounds of each to keep and occasionally shoot over next several years. The other option is to go with Speer Glock Dot series 124gr +P and 147gr. but they seem harder to find and are more expensive. I tried couple boxes of Federal Punch 124gr and I liked them a lot but they are harder to find now and a lot more expensive than last year. Any other ammo makes I should look at? |
| I did countless hours of ballistic gel testing through all sorts of media and only one round worked from my G43/G19/G17 used fro different barrel lengths. It is the round I use in all my 9mm carry pistols and that is HST 124gr STANDARD pressure. It penetrated 15.5-18" 500 out of 500 times and expanded each and every time That was through bare gel, 4 layers of denim, 4 layers of heavy denim and layers of hood wear...t shirt, hoodie and down vest. If you plan on having heavy barriers like car doors or wooden doors then the Hornaday 135+P critical duty worked well for that |
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I was part of the T&E team for my department a few years back for ammunition We did full FBI protocol testing to include laminated glass, drywall, sheet metal and heavy clothing We selected 124 +P HST with 124 +P Gold Dot being a close second. Gold Dot seemed to perform slightly better after a barrier wher HST was slightly better muzzle to target. Our previous duty load was 147gr HST but when they added a second canilure we began to see it impact performance. Large department with 2k sworn. We’ve had a lot of shootings with the new ammo ( approx 30) some with multiple shooters. Performance has been very good if accuracy is…. There in lies the problem. No bullet is effective on crappy strikes. Your requirements may differ from ours but selecting HST or GD is a pretty safe bet. Attached File |
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| Everything I own gets 124 gr standard pressure HST. I'll use Gold Dot in the same weight and pressure if for whatever reason I run out of HST and can't find more available. There's no reason to look at anything else when these two have universal acclaim in testing and proven results shooting real people. |
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Originally Posted By spectre3: Everything I own gets 124 gr standard pressure HST. I'll use Gold Dot in the same weight and pressure if for whatever reason I run out of HST and can't find more available. There's no reason to look at anything else when these two have universal acclaim in testing and proven results shooting real people. Ditto |
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Originally Posted By spectre3: Everything I own gets 124 gr standard pressure HST. I'll use Gold Dot in the same weight and pressure if for whatever reason I run out of HST and can't find more available. There's no reason to look at anything else when these two have universal acclaim in testing and proven results shooting real people. Same, except I typically default to Gold Dot and back that up with HST if need be. I find them to be basically interchangeable. |
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Originally Posted By slowr1der: Another vote for the 124 grain HST. I prefer the +P, but you really can't go wrong with any of them. Attached File |
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| I've switched from gold dot to HST in the past.couple years. Mostly 147gr. My pistol with a radian ramjet gets HST 124 +p, as it makes the comp more effective. I noticed the HST gets more beat up and more bullet setback than my gold dots did with the same pistols, so I swap them out more frequently, but overall I'm happy with a good stock of either HST or Gold Dot. |
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This stuff really makes a difference on a full mag. Ultra light |
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Originally Posted By 26120: I've always carried Ww Silver tips Those were my first SD rounds I used in a carry gun. I started with them around 1990 in a Colt Govt Model 380. I "performed" some very rudimentary experiments by shooting various rounds into gelatinous mud in a creek bank and then digging out the rounds. The STs expanded well and penetrated about 10". |
| I use the 124gr +P Gold Dots (issued ammo). Most agencies in my area are using either the Gold Dots, HST, or the Winchester Ranger +P loads. They perform similarly in gel. Due to my job I have worked many OIS cases. I cant say that Ive seen a significant difference in performance between any of the mentioned duty loads in these shootings. |
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I like to be able to shoot my carry ammo periodically so I want something readily available. I use either 124gr HSTs or 124gr Gold Dots. I buy in bulk and get whichever I can get the best deal on when it's time to stock up. I'd be good with Winchester Rangers too, but those are much harder to find and are considerably more expensive if you do. Both are readily available and have a proven track record with LEO use. I don't do +P. I don't think the added wear and recoil is worth it. |
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An empty mag is even lighter. No way would I choose under performing ammunition just to save weight. |
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| HST/Gold Dot. Yep boring but they are the most effective JHPs and both have long track records of putting down bad guys if you do your part. I’ll add that Gold dot tends to expand better I’m full size duty pistols while HSTs don’t seem to have that issue. Speer does makes Gold dots optimized for Short barrels. |
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For self defense ammo in multiple barrel lengths, the 124 gr Sig V-Crown is tough to beat. In my 8.9” MP5, 4” Kimber Pro Carry and 2.75” Micro 9 I got very reliable expansion and penetration between 14” (2,75” Kimber Micro 9) and 17” (8.9” MP5) in 10 percent ballistic gel. Velocities ranged from 1015 fps to 1351 fps. The difference was in the depth of penetration and amount of expansion, both of which increased with velocity. 
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Originally Posted By King_Mud: An empty mag is even lighter. No way would I choose under performing ammunition just to save weight. It seems to do really well with less chance of over penetrating. Like 6” into meat. Also easy to stack following shots quickly. With a Staccato it’s the ultimate cheat code. Still noisy enough I doubt anyone down range will know the difference. One neat thing is how slick it is. I’ve seen a few instances where less experienced shooters ride the slide home and cause FTF jams, especially with hollow points. That seems impossible to do with this ammo. You can slow motion the slide into battery so easy it’s silly. The primary downside I see is cost. That is offset by buying cases in bulk. Supposed to use special dies for them which I bought but haven’t messed with much. Seems worth it if it does half as well as advertised with more life cycles than brass. The issue I was having was with frangibles and not scoring along the crimp and causing the bisecting of projectiles. The front fell off. Love shooting steel close up but have had a couple instances of splash back. I’m to the point I just go to the range with whatever project rifle then run a mag or two in my CCW, police the brass and go home. This is perfect for that and with a magnet I don’t even have to stoop to collect it. Ultimate old man ammo. |
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Originally Posted By kymarkh: HST or Gold Dots is all I have ever carried. They are usually available and reasonably priced so I can practice / rotate my carry ammo 3 or 4 times a year. This. Buy the LE 50 round boxes. |
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I just bought 500 rounds of 147 HSTs. I found a place out of Florida that has very good pricing and free shipping. I am not affiliated with this place, I just got a good deal and got what I ordered quickly. 147 grain HSTs 124 +P |
 What Is The Deadliest 9mm Self Defense Round? Relevant. |
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Originally Posted By Baq: HST 147s are not working reliable in my 365. Its the only Reason i have two different carry ammos. 124 for the 365 147+P for everything else (Glock, M&P, 229) |
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Originally Posted By KILLERB6: HST./thread This. But, I'd be perfectly happy with the 9BPLE load also if you want +p pressures/velocity. |
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