Determining The Type Of Ammunition You Need For Your Shooting Style
A 9mm handgun can be a versatile firearm with many different uses, and the 9mm ammo you purchase for your firearm can vary depending on how you are using the gun. The ammunition differences often come in the form of bullet variations. Still, there can be other things to consider, so visiting a gun shop or sporting goods store for help is often an excellent place to start.
Shooting Range Ammo
If you are taking your handgun to the firing range to relax and enjoy some shooting and target practice, the 9mm ammunition best used is a simple FMJ or full metal jacket ball ammo. This 9mm ammo uses a lead bullet coated in copper and is the most common and often least expensive ammo available.
The FMJ ammo works well in most guns, and the copper jacket helps the cartridge feed smoothly into the chamber, reducing jams and allowing you to fire more rounds between cleanings. If you plan to be on the range all day, buying full metal jacket 9mm ammo often makes the most sense and can help your gun perform properly throughout the day.
Self Defense Ammo
If you carry your 9mm handgun for self-defense, there are some specific 9mm ammo options that you may want to consider. Standard ball ammo like you use when shooting at the range is not good self-defense ammunition because it is coated with copper, and the lead bullet does not expand well when it hits a target. Often the result is a round passing through the target with very little damage.
In a self-defense situation, it is essential that the bullet expands and exerts its energy into the target to knock it down and disable it. A semi-jacketed hollow point bullet is often more effective in this situation, and the outside of the bullet is still coated in copper for better feeding, but the bullet has a hole in the center so that it will mushroom out on impact. This allows the bullet to transfer energy into the target more efficiently.
Another 9mm ammo variation used for defense is a type of hollow-point that has no jacket on the bullet and has serrations along the bullet's body. The serrations allow the bullet to fragment as it impacts the target and produces an extremely high energy transfer from the bullet to the target.
9mm ammunition like this is typically used by law enforcement or in situations where the threat against a person is extremely high, and the ammunition needs to perform well and be extremely effective. The gun shop in your area can show you all these different 9mm ammo options and go over their uses with you when you are ready to buy ammo for your firearm.