Since I'm not getting any answers in the handgun ammo forum, I figured I'd drag this one here.

Found nothing about Santa Barbara 9mm ammo posted in the last 30 days, so I figured it would be fair game to ask. Anyone have any thoughts on this stuff? Supposed to be 124 gr. JSP running around 1200 fps (presumably from a 5" barrel). Any problems with it? KBs?

Generally, the time to ask is BEFORE you buy the ammo, but I bought some and now I'm asking, oh, well. Also, thoughs on Hotshot? Stuff is made by the Czechs, supposedly, and running NATO spec (even has NATO circle cross). Anybody use it? Haven't bought any of it yet, but might if it gets good reviews.

Hotshot is made by Unis-Igman in Konjic (KON-yeetch) BiH (Bosnia) in the former Yugoslavia.

BTW they made most of the ammo for Saddam in the Iran-Iraq war (probably for Iran as Well!)

They do made great ammo. Columbia just tested a batch for their military.

Cheers,

where did you find this ammo?

It is distributed by Century Intl. Arms In their Hotshot packaging.

Let me know how this stuff runs, I need to buy a case lot of 9mm soon and i was thinking the HotShot, if I could find it anywhere, would be a good deal. The 5.56 ammo has got some good reviews...

Thanks for the info on Hotshot.  So it is Igman, basically?  That's cool, because I've never heard anything but good about Igman ammo.  

I saw the ammo at a gun show, being sold by a local vendor.  Seemed kinda pricey at about $7/box, but it is 124 grain ammo, so some might think it's worth it.  

No thoughts on the Santa Barbara stuff?  Guess I'll have to test it myself.

Yes, indeedily doodily, neighbor.

OK, folks, I was able to get out and blast off some of the Santa Barbara stuff (didn't buy any Hotshot, so can't report on it).  I can't report on accuracy as I didn't shoot any at paper.  When I wasn't busy jerking the trigger, though, it was easily capable of hitting 2 liter pop bottles at 25 yards with me shooting offhand.

This ammo is a 124 gr. JSP running around 1200 fps, which is close to NATO spec, though it's not ball ammo, being JSP and all.  It actually looks like FMJ with the rounded part of the nose cut off.  The jacket runs all the way up to where the flat lead nose of it starts, with the entire flat portion being exposed lead.  The ammo itself was very clean (one would hope so, being sealed in battle packs) and comes in 25 round boxes within the battle pack (10 boxes, 250 rounds per BP).  The ammo is Berdan primed, for those who are wondering.  

I only fired 175 rounds of the 250 I took with me.  I should warn that my CZ-75B has some issues with pre-mature slide lock, which I've traced back to my thumb riding up and bumping the slide lock lever.  I did get more of those than I am accustomed to (usually shoot 115 gr. S&B ammo), but again, thumb riding up.  I know it is my fault as they do not happen when I am shooting left-handed, where my thumb cannot ride up.  Out of 175 rounds, I had 2 rounds nose-dive.  I do not recall if both were from teh same magazine or not, but that's not bad for blasting ammo, IMHO.  Not bad ammo, and I think I will go ahead and shoot up all I have left.  I don't know if I'll buy more, will probably try some Hotshot and/or Igman before I do.