Test Gun: Sig P229, Beretta Nano.
Barrel length: 3.9, 3 inches.
Ammunition: Federal 9mm 115gr JHP +P+.(9bple)
Test media: 10% Clear Ballistics Gel.
Distance: 10 feet.
Chronograph: Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph G2.
Five shot velocity average: 1234, 1188fps
Gel Temperature 71 degrees.

Many of you reading this will be familiar with this round. The 9bple as it is so often referred to. At this time the price is not much more than some FMJ practice ammo that's available. SG ammo probably has the best price right now at around $15 a box when it's in stock. It shot well out of both guns at 10 yards.

Out of the P229, it had an average velocity of 1234fps with a high of 1249fps and a low of 1223fps.



In the Nano, I got an average velocity of 1188fps with a high of 1201 and a low of 1175fps.



Starting with the P229, the first round had a velocity of 1251fps and penetrated to 9.5 inches. The bullet expanded to .69 inches and had a recovered weight of 114.8 grains. Round two's velocity of 1244fps, penetrated to 10.25 inches, expanded to .66 inches, and a weight of 113.8 grains.



Through the clothed covered gel the first shot penetrated 13 inches and expanded to .61 inches at a velocity of 1217fps and had a recovered weight of 114.2 grains. Round two hit the gel block at 1257fps and penetrated to 17.75 inches. It expanded to .53 inches and had a recovered weight of 113.8 grains.



Out of the Beretta Nano, the first round had a velocity of 1183fps, penetrated to 11.75 inches and expanded to .63 inches with a recovered weight of 113.9 grains. Round two's velocity was 1158fps. The bullet penetrated to 11 inches with .65 inches of expansion and a recovered weight of113.9 grains.



http://www.general-cartridge.com/

Good work, OP. Thanks for posting.

Very nice, thanks for the read.

Thankyou for sharing that.

Still seems mighty effective.

Great test. Interesting that it actually performed better through the 4 layers of denim.

Overall, not optimal, but still great performance - especially for the price. 9BPLE can be bought for $0.27-$0.30 per 1000rd, vs $0.45-$0.60 for Gold Dot/HST.

Great post OP.
I have carried that ammo over the years. It's nice and hot and also very accurate in my Glocks.

Yes, bare jell pen is shallow but dang, that expansion. I would certainly carry this again if HST were not available.

Now my question is this: which is better, Gold Dot 115 +P+ or this Fed BP +P+?

The WW 115 grain +P+ JHP and Corbon 115 grain JHP +P give very similar performance.   My Agency issued predominantly WW 115 grain +P+ after WW released it for LE sales.   Remington 115 grain JHP +P/+P+ didn’t seem to expand as reliably as Fed/WW/Corbon.   I think the Gold Dot 115 Grain JHP +P+ will penetrate a little deeper than the others in some barriers.   My Agency was very satisfied with the WW 115 grain +P+ out of our S&W semi autos and Colt 10.5” subguns.    Many JHP bullets nose collapse in hard barriers and penetrate more like FMJ.  I think the Gold Dot uses a bonded core and would probably produce the best results through laminated glass and some other barriers.

I think the CCI Gold Dot will loose less mass and less likely to fragment compared to Fed/WW/Corbon.   My Agency didn’t experience any under penetration with the WW 115 grain JHP +P+.   The WW 115 grain JHP +P+ bullets I recovered from deer expanded and performed very closely to the WW/Fed/Rem 357 Magnum 125 JHP/SJHP out of my duty Model 66 4” barrel.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/Handguns/Speer-9mm-115gr-GDHP-P-in-Clear-Ballistics-Gel/20-184788/

I've got a ton of this ammo. I have a Glock 17 that this stuff is a laser out of. Real world results as well. Thanks for the test.

It seems like a lot of these older 115 grain JHPs start to shine in the shorter barrels that a lot of folks are carrying these days. The lower velocities retard the expansion just enough to get awful close to 12 inches of penetration in bare gel.

Overall not too bad performance.

9.5 inches isn't effective. A BB penetrates 4 inches in a block of gel when it's calibrated correctly and that barely breaks a person's skin In real life.

A shot from a different angle other than front on wouldn't reach vital organs with that low penetration.

The Federal 115 grain +P+ 9BP LE was an effective round on the street.    The WW 115 grain +P+ JHP and the Federal 115 grain +P+ 9BP LE tend to show more expansion in gel than in actual defensive use on the street.   Larger expansion usually reduces penetration in gel.   My agency used both these +P+ 115 grain JHP loads out of 3.5”, 4” S&W pistols and 10.5” Colt sub machine guns and didn’t experience any under penetration.  These two bullets were pretty effective penetrating vehicles and automobile glass.    There are no guarantees to 100% effective handgun round but I would not hesitate to use either round today.   The bonded core bullets tend to keep their jacket when shot through laminated auto glass whereas many older design cup and core bullets shed their jacket.

I put more faith in tactics and shot placement than the difference between being armed with a 115 grain JHP +P+ 9 BP LE and a new Federal 124 grain HST.   I still carry the 124 grain HST today but the Federal and WW 115 grain +P+ LE loads worked.

Well said. I used to worry about having the best ammo. Then I realized the chances of actually needing to use it are very slim, and hits on target are the most important.

The chance you get involved in a shooting as a civilian is incredibly slim. It's even more slim that if you shot someone, the ammo would make a difference between stopping the threat or not. The probability odds are so small it's not worth worrying over.

I just chrono tested some 9BPLE in a MP5 clone with a 8.86 inch barrel. The 15 shot average was 1470 fps. This same box averaged 1311 from my Glock 17. I wonder what the extra velocity gained in the MP5 would do to the bullet? I'm guessing it would underpenetrate.

I’m retired but back in the 80’s - 90’s my Agency used the WW 115 grain +P+ and Federal 9BP LE 115 grain +P+ JHP.   Our tactical teams used Colt 9 MM sub machine guns with 10.5” barrels IIRC.   My Agency never experienced any under penetration with either load.

There was a video from another Agency where a Tactical team had surrounded a house where a suspect exited the house rounded a corner and came face to face with a Tac Officer.   The suspect raised a shotgun at the Officer.   The Officer employed a short burst from a Colt sub gun where three rounds could be seen impacting the ground (on slow motion video) after penetrating the suspect.

In one shooting I was involved two escaped felons in a Ford pickup were engaged by an Officer armed with a 5904 with WW 115 grain JHP +P+.   One bullet penetrated the drivers door, penetrated the drivers lower right leg (calf area) exited, penetrated the passenger left lower leg where the 115 JHP bullet was found just under the skin (later at the hospital).   After a chase the truck got stuck in a ditch and the felons exited the truck on command.  The felons were later tried on new charges and sent to prison.

The velocities you posted are similar  to the velocities I’ve gotten when chronographing the WW 115 grain +P+ from Glock 17 (1325 FPS) and 16” 9 mm carbine was around 1500 FPS IIRC.  A 4” model 5904 was 1300 FPS and a 3913/6904 would chronograph 1250-1275 FPS.   The WW 115 grain +P+ tended to run a little faster than some lots of Federal +P+.

Out of a colt 10 inch carbine I got an average velocity of 1416fps with this load.

http://www.general-cartridge.com/blog/all-that-fuss-over-p

I've talked to a retired IL State Trooper that has a very high opinion of the WW 115gr +p+. I have a couple of boxes of it and I agree, it's a little hotter than the 9BPLE.

Thanks for posting all those tests up. I appreciate it

In my test my EVO barrel velocity caused the bullet to penetrate further because it caused some of the lead to fragment off the bullet..

13 inches is pretty good penetration. I like the testing you do, thanks for sharing.