I may be teaching my wife and her mother basic firearm operation/safety for SD, I'd like to find a box or two of some lightly loaded 9mm fmj to start them off with. All the reloads my local ranges sell are what I'd consider midrange energy. I reload for a few calibers but don't plan on buying dies for 9mm. I've tried some Monarch steel cased 9mm but isn't noticeably weaker than average.

I know it may not fully cycle the slide but I'll take that chance, it's this or bring out one of my .22 pistols to start. I'd like to get them some trigger time on my Ruger LC9s, Walther PPS, Shield 9mm and my S&W mod.49 .38spl bodyguard.

Teaching a newbie  with a malfunctioning firearm isn't a good idea. Get ammo that works correctly.

This.


Bring out your 22s.

I've got you covered. Definitively try Federal AE Suppressor 9mm 124gr. It's really as low power as you can get while still cycling reliably all guns I have tried with (M&P9 both supp. and non-supp, AR15 9mm carbines in 10.5" barrel and in 5.5"barrel suppressed, keltec PF9).

I recommend trying Remington UMC in the bulk pack at WalMart, notorious for being underpowered compared to normal loads.

However, id test it out in the guns you plan on letting them learn on beforehand to make sure it works properly in them. Nothing worse than having new shooters being distracted by malfunctions when they should be learning the basics.

1).  This in Spades.  Use the .22s.

2).  Make your own.  115FMJRN, 3.5 grains Bullseye, COAL 1.13", mixed brass, any small pistol primer.  Operates a Glock 19/34, Shield, actually three 19s.  Very weakly but always. Same with 124LRN 0.356" instead.  Cheap practice.  If you keep your eyes open, you can watch the slide run.

Funny you mentioning this, I just came from the range and was trying some different brands of 147 gr loads in my Shield and stumbled across some Fed. Am. Eagle 124 gr subsonic. So I grabbed a box and shot it along with some AE 147 gr flatnose, Winchester 'train & defend' 147 gr (also flatnose, looks like the same projectile as the AE) and some Privi 147 gr hollowpoints. The AE subsonics were noticeably softer shooting than everything else, with the AE147s being lust a little tamer than the Winchesters. The AE subs grouped well @ 7 yards and zero malfunctions. Even purposely limp wristing couldn't induce a jam.

Same shop also had some S&B subsonic, but it was $2 more per box than the AE subs. I like S&B when it's cheap, but at that price I'll take Am. Eagle all day.