9mm ammo

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 25, 2009
Messages
948
Location
Chicago
I'm still relatively new to firearms. I own a Ruger SR22 pistol for about a year now. It wasn't until after i owned a firearm i learned about the brands and grains of ammo and how some guns like X brand over the other. How some have FTE/FTF and etc.

My SR22 doesn't like golden bullets by Remmington. I've gotten about 8 FTE now out of 100rounds. CCI mini-mags seem to be regarded at one of the better ones, i haven't found any yet.

The 22LR options are pretty slim compared to what you have in the 9mm world. Mainly because 9mm are one of the most popular and you can get reloads as well.

I'm considering getting a CCW, either grabbing a G26, Shield or XDS9.

Could someone sum up the tiers of ammo brands and etc for 9mm?

I've only shot 115g Winchester whitebox on the shield and no issues.
 
.22 semi autos need a hot round to cycle the slide. My walther needs cci velocitors, or stingers to function.
A 9mm pistol should cycle just about any fmj ammo. I don't shoot tula or wolf ammo. I stick to winchester, cci blazer etc.

Expanding ammo is where you have to shoot a good variety to see what cycles in your gun. I carry my 9mm with corbon powerball.
 
Originally Posted By: bowlofturtle
I'm still relatively new to firearms. I own a Ruger SR22 pistol for about a year now. It wasn't until after i owned a firearm i learned about the brands and grains of ammo and how some guns like X brand over the other. How some have FTE/FTF and etc.

My SR22 doesn't like golden bullets by Remmington. I've gotten about 8 FTE now out of 100rounds. CCI mini-mags seem to be regarded at one of the better ones, i haven't found any yet.

The 22LR options are pretty slim compared to what you have in the 9mm world. Mainly because 9mm are one of the most popular and you can get reloads as well.

I'm considering getting a CCW, either grabbing a G26, Shield or XDS9.

Could someone sum up the tiers of ammo brands and etc for 9mm?

I've only shot 115g Winchester whitebox on the shield and no issues.


The 9mms that you listed should have no issues with any brand of ammo.
I would stay away from Tulammo or wolf as it is a copper plated steel jacket and most ranges do not allow steel cased ammo.
Winchester white box, Federal, CCI, PMC, Remington or just about any brand should perform flawlessly for you.
I have a Glock 19 and have put thousands of rounds of different brands thru it and have not had a single FTF, FTE.
Some ammo is "dirtier" than others, Remington in particular.
9mm ammo is available in 115g, 124g or 147g. My personal preference is 115g.


I have a SR22 myself (actually, it's supposed to be my wife's but I have put a LOT more rounds thru it that she has) It's a great little gun and so much fun to shoot.
I have tried many different brands of 22LR ammo in it and have only had issues with Winchester bulk ammo & CCI stingers. No issues at all with the golden bullets.
 
I with TOMJ on the guns you mention. For SD I use 147gr Speer Gold Dots or Federal HST. All the major brand SD is good just make sure it works well in your gun.
 
Nice post! I have an SR22 as my first (and presently only) firearm as of this last fall. I'm shopping for a 9mm as well, thinking about the Glock 19.

I'll be watching the thread for ammo info.
 
Good 9mm pistols (like the brands you listed) will have no issues with any ammo.

I distinguish between range ammo and Self Defense ammo.

My personal preference for range ammo is the Winchester White box, at Walmart, it's $27 for 100. There are some cheaper deals, but I shoot only new ammo with brass cases...that's just me. PPU makes good (and cheap) ammo, and in truth, anything that meets SAAMI specs is fine.

For SD ammo, there are lots of good choices. I've got Speer Gold Dot for mine, but Federal, Cor-Bon, and others all make good ammo. You want a JHP, with a good track record. There are subtle differences between the bullet weights and velocities, but the energy/weight discussion would take pages. Simply, they all do pretty well.

The key point with SD ammo is to make certain that your gun/magazine combo feeds them reliably. I wouldn't feel comfortable using any SD ammo where my life could depend on it, unless I'd put at least 100 rounds of that brand/weight through my gun.
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14

I wouldn't feel comfortable using any SD ammo where my life could depend on it, unless I'd put at least 100 rounds of that brand/weight through my gun.


Forgot to say that but Astro14 is right on! I shoot at least 100 rounds of expanding to make sure it has no failure to eject or failure to feed

If its a new gun, i would shoot at least 200- 300 rounds( then clean and lube) before doing my self defense ammo test. This allows the gun to break in a bit, the springs may soften up a tad.
 
Last edited:
Some online retailers like ammunitiondepot have Geco 124gr FMJ in stock. Stuff is loaded to NATO spec from what I've heard. Hot and accurate. Best of all, its made in Germany and the quality is absolutely top-tier. No, wait.. best of all, the price is the same as Federal 115gr plinking ammo at Wal-Mart, even after shipping. Just order a bunch of it to amortize the shipping expense.
 
This post is definitely in my arena. Any of the brass cased ammo's should do pretty well. Aluminum case Blazer ammo is excellent also. Steel case Russian ammo is hit or miss. I usually avoid it since the cost difference isn't THAT much.

For a new gun, I like to run hotter European spec ammo or 9MM NATO for at least the 200 round break in. European spec ammo is S&B (great stuff), Italian made Fiocchi, Privi Partizan, and IMI. American made ammo is typically loaded 50-100 feet per second slower than European ammo.

For self defense ammo, pick anything on this list. Winchester Ranger, Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST, and Remington Golden Saber are among the top performers.
http://www.ar15.com/ammo/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/#9mm

PS- Critical Defense ammo sucks. It is HIGHLY marketed and popular, but it doesn't perform.
 
My baby is a Glock 26 (G26) (obtained Spring 2014 - cycled ~3,200 rounds since). I have previously been assigned/owned/carried Beretta (92 (9mm)) and Sig Sauer pistols (228 (9mm) / 229 (.40 and 357 SIG) / 239 (357 SIG)), but am a Glock convert and believe in the 9mm. My other baby is a G19.

Favorite Practice Ammo: 1) Speer Lawman FMJ 115 grain OR 2) Federal American Eagle FMJ 115 grain

Favorite Duty/Carry Ammo: Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 124 grain

In my OPINION, if you haven't had a squib round with 9mm Winchester White Box ammo, you haven't shot it through your weapon enough. This may have been an anomaly, but over the past three months, I have shot through a case of it and had four squib rounds. I only had the ammo because it was free, as was the previous case of CCI Blazer aluminum cased ammo (no issues), but if I have to buy ammo, or am given a choice as to which to shoot, I choose the Speer or Federal.

For all ammo, I PREFER brass cased ammo to all others because it is softer than steel and aluminum, which is easier on the extractor. Yes, I know extractors are made of steel, but if you cycle enough rounds through ANY weapon, and it has a weakness, it will be exposed.

Finally, if you are shooting through an SB gun like the G26, using the Gold Dot SB ammo is ideal. If you don't believe me, pick your favorite SD/duty/carry ammo and shoot it at a target (my favorites are the blue Transtar silhouettes) two to three feet away from the end of the muzzle. Next, shoot the Gold Dot SB from the same distance and observe the target. Typically, the non-SB ammo will leave more stippling on the target caused by powder not burned in the barrel behind the bullet where it is supposed to, and needs to, burn to give you maximum velocity. Often times the SB ammo leaves no powder stippling at all. Also, the GD bullet does not shed its jacket, which allows maximum weight retention for deeper penetration in your, ahem, "target"; the only other HP bullet I have not seen shed its jacket when shooting through auto glass is the Barnes DPX, which has no jacket, as it is 100% copper.

Again, all if this is my OPINION, and others may disagree with my assessment. When all is said and done, practice practice, practice.
 
Here's the deal with ammo- extremes=bad. Extremely heavy and slow, bad. Extremely fast and light, bad. Middle of the road gives you the best combination of velocity, penetration and expansion. In my 9mms I carry 124gr standard or 124 grain +p, usually Winchester Ranger or Gold Dot. Other rules to live by, Bonded ammo = good. I have personally seen three people shot with 9mm. Two were dead, one thought he was going to die. All were out of the fight. Only one was shot with a hollow point. Dont get too much into the hype. Get a nice round, nothing extreme, shoot center mass, good things will happen.
 
Originally Posted By: 95busa
Here's the deal with ammo- extremes=bad. Extremely heavy and slow, bad.

Fiocchi 158gr 9mm chronographs around 700 fps and is useful for short range suppressed work.
Review: http://www.gunnuts.net/2010/10/26/fiocchi-158-grain-fmj-9mm/
The groupings look pretty great in that review, but every gun is different in terms of rifling and what non-standard super-heavy grain round that may work well in one gun might not work well in the other.
 
if you practice at home or at a family farm there is nothing wrong with using Tula or wolf for plinking.

I use a little of everything when i shoot. IMO the tula stuff shoots just as well as any of the brass cased stuff. My SR9C isnt picky, however.
 
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Originally Posted By: 95busa
Here's the deal with ammo- extremes=bad. Extremely heavy and slow, bad.

Fiocchi 158gr 9mm chronographs around 700 fps and is useful for short range suppressed work.
Review: http://www.gunnuts.net/2010/10/26/fiocchi-158-grain-fmj-9mm/
The groupings look pretty great in that review, but every gun is different in terms of rifling and what non-standard super-heavy grain round that may work well in one gun might not work well in the other.

700 FPS.....none of us are Delta. If this dude has a reason for "short range suppressed work" he wouldnt be asking this question on a motor oil forum. Just because a round functions in a weapon does not mean you get meaningful terminal ballistics out of it. That round is a specialty round, probably as you say, for suppressed weapons. Generally, when defending yourself, you need a round that will function in your weapon, hit where you aim, and deliver effects on targets through heavy clothing and other intermediate barriers as reliably as possible. Specialty rounds do not do that. A very light, very fast round typically does not penetrate well or reliably. A slow, heavy round like you mentioned is a short range round that also may have penetration problems, especially on intermediate barriers, and certainly lacks the energy of say, a 124+P Ranger at 1200 fps. So yes, if this dude was shooting people in the face out of a suppressed pistol, carbine, or SMG that would actually feed it reliably, it would be a good round. I just dont recall him saying "I need a heavy, slow round for some close in suppressed work on the next bin Laden raid.", I am sure if that was the case, he would use whatever Delta issued him. Sheesh....
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 95busa
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Originally Posted By: 95busa
Here's the deal with ammo- extremes=bad. Extremely heavy and slow, bad.

Fiocchi 158gr 9mm chronographs around 700 fps and is useful for short range suppressed work.
Review: http://www.gunnuts.net/2010/10/26/fiocchi-158-grain-fmj-9mm/
The groupings look pretty great in that review, but every gun is different in terms of rifling and what non-standard super-heavy grain round that may work well in one gun might not work well in the other.

700 FPS.....none of us are Delta. If this dude has a reason for "short range suppressed work" he wouldnt be asking this question on a motor oil forum.

I just dont recall him saying "I need a heavy, slow round for some close in suppressed work on the next bin Laden raid.", I am sure if that was the case, he would use whatever Delta issued him. Sheesh....

Dude, that's friggin' hilarious!
laugh.gif
I was thinking more along the lines of pest control (snarling raccoon) than Rainbow Six. Sorry if I sounded like Gecko45 there.

By the way some of us here do happen to be Delta... just not Delta Force, haha.
 
LOL you guys are crazy. The good kind tho.

I'm mainly looking for range type ammos for now. Getting a good feel for everything.

Lot of people just tell me to stick with 115g for price and less issues. Sadly a lot of walmarts near chicago do not stock ammo at all. My best bet is finding a place that is willing to SHIP locally to chicago or cabela's 30miles away.

What is decent price per round? With the 22LR its hard to find because of "shortage" but i've been able to grab 22LR for .05-.09/round. I just bought UMC FMJ 147g for $.28/round at a local store. Seems to be norm of prices.
 
28 cents/round for FMJ 9mm is a good price. It's back in stock around here. And I am a big fan of Midway ( www.midwayusa.com ). Their prices are good and the shipping is cheap. When the craziness was going on, they didn't gouge...I've bought thousands of rounds from Midway...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top