SD Ammo for a pocket 9mm

rpc55

New member
I recently bought a Sig P290RS and I am now researching for a good round for the short barrel 9mm. There are so many choices available it can get overwhelming. Choosing the ammo may be more difficult than choosing which weapon to buy. I googled and watched lots of youtube videos. There are MANY opinions... A lot people rely on the real world data (with good reason), but most of the real world data available from LE are from full size pistols. Will these brands perform the same out of a 3" barrel? I have settled on a few brands I would like to try to see which brand is the most accurate and reliable. So now choosing which grain? Lighter with less recoil and more expantion, or the bone crushing, deep penatrating heavy grain 147's? Should I go with standard or +P pressures??

I'm gonna start with standard pressure mid range grain.
Gold Dot Short Barrel 124
Federal HST 124
Hornady Critical Defense 115
federal XTP 124

What round have you settled on with your pocket pistol 9?
 
Hornady Critical Defense or some Hydra-Shocks. Gold dots are always a good deal, too.

Of the 4 mentioned, I'd go with the Hyrda-Shocks...so long as the feed and chamber reliably in your pistol. Buy a couple boxes of each and run them through the paces.
 
I've considered the Hydro-shok's but the HST's performed very well on the youtube video's. shootingthebull410 has very good testing with a short barrel 9mm. At this point in time i am relying heavily on gel data like his and a few others. BUT, lots of people don't take too much stock in gel tests. I think its a good test to compare bullets from the same pistol in the same media.
 
Quote from DocGKR on tacticalforums.com:
"This subject has been covered previously. For review, there appears to be minimal differences in terminal performance for most law enforcement and military caliber handgun bullets when fired in service weapons with barrel lengths between 3.5 to 5 inches. The vast majority of our testing is performed with 4 inch barrel handguns."

His review of pistol ammunition can be read here:

http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?4337-Service-Caliber-Handgun-Duty-and-Self-Defense-Ammo

FWIW, I carry Gold Dot 124gr +P in a M&PC.

rpc55 brings up a good point with shootingthebull410. If I remember correctly, he stated on a podcast review that you should strongly consider the +P offerings for the pocket pistols based on his ballistic gel testing.
 
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Critical Duty. If for nothing more than the low signature propellant. Muzzle flash at night is blinding to you and the assailant, it's going to be even worse in a snubby. Can't hit what you can't see.


Chupa
 
hey chupa, I looked into this round. The critical Duty is designed as a barrier round for full size pistols. In the short barrel testing, it did not perform well(with lower velocity, it did not expand properly and over penatrated). However the Critical defense performed better under the conditions of the tester (denim and gel). The Crit. def. does use the low flash propelant but the knock on the crit. def. is that its not designed to be a barrier round.

{url]http://www.hornady.com/support/critical-duty-and-critical-defense[/url]
 
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Originally Posted By: rpc55hey chupa, I looked into this round. The critical Duty is designed as a barrier round for full size pistols. In the short barrel testing, it did not perform well(with lower velocity, it did not expand properly and over penatrated). However the Critical defense performed better under the conditions of the tester (denim and gel). The Crit. def. does use the low flash propelant but the knock on the crit. def. is that its not designed to be a barrier round.

{url]http://www.hornady.com/support/critical-duty-and-critical-defense[/url]

Very interesting, looks like I need to re-read some things. I know at one time the low sig propellant was only used in the Duty line. Guess that has changed. I was not however aware of the differences in projectiles. I appreciate that.


Chupa
 
If "GC" doesn't chime in shortly I'd highly recommend that you shoot him a message and inquire. If my aging memory is correct, he purchased a Ruger compact as a backup (although it may have been a .380). And I can assure you that if Gary trusted his life to a compact 9mm he put various different ammo through some serious tests. He might be able to shed some experienced light on your situation.

Steve.
 
I went through the same decision not too long ago..... I did a bunch of reading (most of it anecdotal as it is hard to find good objective data on the issue) and settled on the 124gr HST.
 
There are a ton of ammo tests on youtube. In watching them, one of the eye openers for me was what denim can do to expansion when it plugs up a hollow point. Just the same, I think that about any good quality defense ammo will do the trick if you can plug them two or three times within the first couple of seconds. Most defensive handguns don't have enough power to reliably stop a man with one shot anyways. 3", 4", .45 ACP, .40, 9mm, whatever. I would go with whatever ammo shoots best in your gun, as long as it is made by a reputable manufacturer with a quality bullet. Then I would train extensively to be able to hit your target multiple times in a high stress situation.

In my XDS9, the Winchester Ranger T-series 147 grain shoots very well, as do Hornady XTP, 124's.

This guy has a ton of tests posted, as do a couple of others.




 
Originally Posted By: simojoQuote from DocGKR on tacticalforums.com:
"This subject has been covered previously. For review, there appears to be minimal differences in terminal performance for most law enforcement and military caliber handgun bullets when fired in service weapons with barrel lengths between 3.5 to 5 inches. The vast majority of our testing is performed with 4 inch barrel handguns."

His review of pistol ammunition can be read here:

http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?4337-Service-Caliber-Handgun-Duty-and-Self-Defense-Ammo



Good info.
 
I just bought a sig p-938 and after looking at tons of data I went with corbon 95gr DPX ammo tested @ 1300fps from a 3" barreled pistol. I rate it at the top of the heap in a short barreled 9mm.
 
Originally Posted By: gary paughI just bought a sig p-938 and after looking at tons of data I went with corbon 95gr DPX ammo tested @ 1300fps from a 3" barreled pistol. I rate it at the top of the heap in a short barreled 9mm.

Very interesting concept. I might have to try some and see how they shoot.

A quick search turned this up. This is quoted from Mike Shovel of Corbon, "The 95 gr 9mm DPX was designed to perform from the smallest 9mm pistol we could find. That's either a Kahr PM9 or Rohrbaugh 9mm. They penetrate and expand from those small pistols just like the 115 gr +P load does from a full sized duty pistol."

Does it shoot well in your Sig?


 
Originally Posted By: crowslayer17First choice Federal HST 124gr and second choice Speer GDHP 124gr.


Me too.

I saw an ad when the HST first came out, and the petals of the expanded bullets looked so perfect that I thought the ad was Photoshopped.

So we shot 8 rounds of 45 ACP, 230 grain into jello (30 pound blocks of PermaGel).

Every one of the 8 looked exactly like the one in the ad.

All of them penetrated 12" (+/- 1/2") and every one of the bullets expanded to 0.90 to 0.95"

Gold Dots are almost as good.



 
I carry a Diamond Back 9mm (mini, mini-Glock for all practical purposes) and since it's not rated for +P ammo, I selected the Hornady 95gr due to velocity, accuracy, and reliable function in the firearm...

Is it the 'absolute best',,,I really don't know, but I'm willing to stake my life on it...
 
Originally Posted By: OldTurtleI carry a Diamond Back 9mm (mini, mini-Glock for all practical purposes) and since it's not rated for +P ammo, I selected the Hornady 95gr due to velocity, accuracy, and reliable function in the firearm...

Is it the 'absolute best',,,I really don't know, but I'm willing to stake my life on it...

Pay attention folks ..... that's a strong recommendation.
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