Most don’t consider the ammunition they intend to carry when first purchasing a firearm for defense or even when taking that first concealed carry class and there are those that have never given a second thought to the ammunition currently loaded into their defense tools. While the majority of my students will inevitably inquire upon my personal selection there is a concise way to determine what caliber and style of ammunition an individual should utilize for self defense with a handgun.
There are two general kinds of pistol ammunition, Target and Defense, commonly called Ball and Hollow Point respectively. While the differences between calibers may be subtle the distinction of Target and Defense are glaring.
Ball ammunition is used for practice, is of low cost, can be found in bulk, and is available from many major manufacturers. The name describes the look of the bullet itself which is rounded and solid with no grooves or concaves.
Hollow Point ammunition is ballistically designed for use in stopping a living, immanent, lethal threat making it far more costly, commonly only available in small quantities, but is also available from many major manufacturers. The name describes the preceding tip of the metal projectile which is hollowed without piercing the underside. Some manufacturers have different materials inside the hollowed point with the intent of providing improved expansion and penetration.
These statements are based in empirical evidence, federal testing standards, LEO/Mil action reports, medical examiner reports, and recorded civilian critical incidents but I fully acknowledge that any size piece of metal moving at or above the speed of sound can injure or kill. The company I contract for has a student that stopped an attacker with a .22lr snub-nosed revolver as she rose from the ground after being body-slammed into the ATM she was using. Her single shot bounced off his clavicle into his chest cavity but before running a few blocks down the street where he was apprehended he stood over her in shock and exclaimed; “I can’t believe you f*cking shot me!?”
Long guns, rifles and shotguns, can be excellent for self defense but are not the primary recommended defensive tool for most people. Long guns work best, defensively, from static positions being used at a barricade point and generally are not easily accessible in public environments. The information provided may have relevance to long gun defense ammunition selection but it is not under the context of this post.
Your firearm and ammunition of choice work together as a single unit and therefore should be subjected to a Reliability Test annually. It is recommended to shoot 200 of your favorite target ammunition with zero (0) non-user malfunctions, if successful, then shoot 50 cartridges of your selected defense ammunition with zero (0) non-user malfunctions. After successfully passing the Reliability Test you should not only be confident in your defense tool but also in how well the system as a whole operates together and your personal feelings on both the firearm and ammunition.
As mentioned previously all pistol cartridges are a viable caliber as long as it is one you can
consistently
achieve the fastest combat accurate hits as possible. Defensive ammunition comes in various different shapes and sizes; .380acp, .38spl, 9×19, .40s&w, .45acp, .357sig, .10mm, etc and can all be considered capable of stopping a lethal threat. Autopsy reports can not identify caliber by wound alone, I’ve spoken to ER surgeons and experts in the field of combat trauma myself, until the projectile is removed and weighed the initial description is only ‘low’ or ‘high’ caliber. Bullets are wounding weapons, wounds bleed, bleeding enough deprives the brain of oxygen, death is a product of shot placement over base bullet kinetic damage however that should not discount utilizing a heavier bullet for the desired caliber. Bullet weight is measured in ‘grains’, which was developed on the average size of a grain of wheat putting 7000 grains in a pound, and is a major factor of cartridge performance. Target ammunition is typically lighter than dedicated defensive cartridges but there are options listing ‘low recoil’ or ‘lady’s defense’ that sacrifice bullet weight to or below common target ammunition.
The acceptable calibers are far narrower as several factors impede the Wounding Capacity of a specific caliber such as penetration, cartridge capacity, recoil management, cartridge availability, and cost. The .380acp costs more per cartridge than the larger 9×19, has issues penetrating heavy clothing, and being used in typically small and light firearms has a high perceived recoil making it less acceptable than the, 9×19, .38spl, .40s&w, or .45acp.
There are different ways to attach the metal jacket, commonly of a harder metal, to the lead core of the bullet. Bonding is a method that can use soldering, electrochemical, or other proprietary processes which joins the jacket and core at a molecular level. Having the jacket bonded to the core reduces separation of the jacket from the core on impact, provides improved predictability of penetration, and conduction of kinetic energy into the target.
Based on the highest Wounding Capacity, for current and potential concealed carry licensees, the 9×19, 9mm Luger, 9mm, 9x19mm Parabellum, 9mm NATO, 9 mil, 9mm Para, 9mm P, or by any other name is the preferred caliber for self defense with a semi-automatic handgun. The 9x19mm Parabellum originally designed in 1902 by Georg Luger is the most popular and widely used handgun cartridge in the world today by militaries and civilians. Individual cost per cartridge is low allowing more practice for less money and availability is high with it’s lasting popularity worldwide. The relative cartridge size grants a significant jump in carrying capacity over the larger calibers while maintaining reliable penetration and kinetic energy. The felt recoil of a 9mm being subjectively close to that of a .22lr makes combat accurate shots easier and new shooters can get comfortable more quickly.
Avoid gimmicks, reliability is paramount, trust in your own research and knowledge while accepting combat is always evolving but for each success there are innumerable failures leaving good people hurt or worse. Don’t put your life or the lives of those you love in the hands of untested or unproven techniques and technologies, regardless of the cool colors and advanced marketing tactics.
Buy from only major manufacturers that have met minimal performance
standards in FBI testing through heavy and light clothing showing
consistent penetration between 12 and 15 inches in ballistic gel.
I personally carry Speer Gold Dot 124 grain Bonded Hollow Point (GDHP) 9×19 because it’s what my local LEOs carry across the board and has the advantage of a high wounding capacity.
🔥 There is beauty in destruction🔥 