9mm for home/self defense?

[H.T.]

I have a Taurus PT92AF. At the moment I have Ball ammo loaded in it. I use Silvertip Hollow points in my .45Lc. I have heard that the STHP in a automatic can cause feed jams due to the softness of the round. Any suggestions on a good 9mm round for the home would be greatly appreciated.

God Bless.

 

[Joe Williams]

Your Taurus will likely feed just about any round you put in it. JHP is vastly superior to ball ammo for defensive purposes. Not only does it have a much better stopping effectiveness, it tends to not have the same issues of overpenetration that ball does. Both these are particularly true with 9mm, which has a so-so record with ball ammo, but is a quite effective defensive round with good JHPs. 9mm ball is also heavily overpentrative, even after traversing a bad guy, but not nearly so much so with JHP.

My advice is to find whatever defensive JHP ammo is easily available in your area, buy a few boxes, and test it for function and accuracy. It almost doesn't matter what kind, almost any JHP ammo is better than ball in 9mm.

Still, some very good current generation ammo is:

Winchester PDX1
Federal HST
Speer Gold Dots
Remington Golden Saber

I particularly like the Fiochi Extrema ammo, loaded with Hornady's XTP bullets. Fiochi ammo as always been dependable, very accurate ammo, and the Hornady bullet adds another layer of accuracy. It doesn't expand as much as the other bullets, but seems to expand very consistently even after passing through clothing. The Fiochi ammo is also cheaper to buy.... maybe half as much as the others.

Some older generation, but still good ammo, is the 115 gr Federal 9BP and 9BP +P+ ammo, if you can find any. Older technology bullets, but both have a good record, both have a reputation for working well even in guns designed only for ball (which your gun isn't, again it'll likely feed just about anything, if it doesn't send it to Taurus,) and the 9BP is markedly cheaper than more modern ammo. Federal Hydra Shoks are OK, and the Silvertips are still good personal defense rounds. They don't penetrate well through cover, and older generation bullets don't always perform well after passing through intermediate barriers, but these factors are of lesser concern for private citizens than they are police.

For the record, back when the Silvertip and the Federal 9BP were the bees knees, I put a bunch of the Silvertips through my PT99 and PT92. Worked the same as everything else I fed those guns.... without malfunction. I just liked the Federal ammo better, I found it notably more accurate.

 

[LEaSH]

Hornady 124gr JHP or Winchester SXZ 115gr JHP (it's cheaper) if you're ever find them in a Bass Pro Shop.

Really you're going to have to find what your particular 9mm likes. It's a round that will need to feed and eject with no failure 100%.
Fortunately, your Taurus PT92AF will probably eat whatever you choose - but you'll have to make sure. Try the Winchester if you can find it. It will save you a few bucks.

 

[LotsofGlocks]

My vote is Speer Gold Dots

 

[l c gun guy]

Any good hollow point will work. If you have jam problims with hollow points just putt one in the tube and follow it by fmj.

 

[Colt]

Half way down the following web page

Ammunition For The Self-Defense Firearm

is the following list of 9mm pistols that someone considers very reliable with personal defense ammunition:

First Class pistols are ultra-reliable and high-quality new guns than can feed any hollowpoint and tolerate +P loads with no problems: SIG/Sauer P220 series. Czech CZ75 and CZ85. Walther P5, P5C, and P88. Heckler and Koch USP and P7 series. All Glocks. All Ruger 9mm pistols. Taurus PT-99, PT-92 and PT-92C. Steyr GB. Beretta 92 series. Browning BDM and Hi-Power (if it says "Portugal" on the slide). All Smith & Wessons with a four-digit model number (e.g. 5906, 3913, 6904, 5903) and the Smith & Wesson 900 series. Star M28, M30, M31, and all Firestars, Megastars, and Ultrastars.

 

[swmp9jrm]

HST, PDX-1, Gold Dot, or even Hydra-Shok - I use 124 gr in all of these. I also use 115 gr Critical Defense. All will do a fine job in 9mm.

 

[Junior26]

I like the Hornady Critical Defence. I had a Taurus PT92AF and they feed fine. That is pretty good gun and will eat about anything you feed it.

 

[dye]

Winchester Ranger T Series +P. All my 9mm pistols eat them well.

A good rule of thumb is to run at least 200 rds of your chosen personal defense ammo, in the mags you are going to be carrying or using, to make sure your gun cycles it w/o any problems. Then you can feel confident in a critical situation.

 

[Z71Gunner]

+1 Hornady Critical Defense

 

[g00n24]

I would say if you are using 9mm FMJ/ball for home defense I hope you live by yourself and far away from other homes. I was just reading a Massad Ayoob article in one of the newer Combat Handguns that was talking about the legal issues concerning overpenetration, especially using ball ammo and even some with JHPs. Pretty much any handgun round is going to pass through a number of walls (assuming they don't contact anything on their way) before fragmenting and losing enough energy to stop, even good JHP's. The 9mm is a fast moving round and in FMJ will penetrate WAY farther then you want for any kind of defensive round. Get yourself some decent JHPs (several have been mentioned), right now I have my nines loaded with 147gr gold dots or 124gr Federal HSTs. Overpenetration is definitely something to consider when choosing any defensive firearm, especially if it's for home defense and you have kids or neighbors a few walls away.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I have became found of Winchester Ranger 147 grain SXT's. From what I have read they are very sound ballistic wise!

 

[Todd Levesque]

I prefer Sabre HP by Remington 115gr. They're not too heavy and bullet drop doesn't seem to be as big a factor as some 126gr and 142gr ammo I have tested.
In regards to the over penetration issue. I use a shotgun with a pistol grip for CQB, loaded with bird shot for first two rounds, 00 Buck next 3 rounds, then some very special "take down rounds" after the 00. I have a method to my madness.

 

[jblomenberg16]

I currently carry 147gr Winchester SXT's.

 

[Royal-1]

MagSafe loads

No one has said MagSafe. The first 2-3 rounds in mine are MagSafe.
Then I put Golddots.

Mag Safe Ammo - Pre-Fragmented Saftey Ammunition Handcrafted In The USA

They are much better at both stoping the bad guy and
not going through your neighbors walls.

I would look into them. I did the water jug test on them vs
HP & FMJ. That was a learning exp. I'm sold!

They cost a lot, but are worth it for my

 

[DocIndy]

Back when I kept my Sig P226 as a bedside gun I kept it loaded with Winchester Ranger 127gr. +P+. I found a pile of them at a 1500 and bought a lot. Great HP load. My next choice would be the Speer Gold Dots in a 124gr. +P. I became fond of them when I carried my P229 .357 with Gold Dots. Come to think of it I had some for my .45 (200 gr.)and my .44 Mag.(They were .44 Specials)

 

[ARdysfunction]

Lots of good options have already been mentioned... I favor 147grn Ranger T's.

 

[Joe Williams]

I fired some Hornady 115 grain FTXs through my PT92 today. Functioned well, hit to point of aim, and was VERY accurate. Also superbly easy to control, very low recoil.

I like what I've read about their test results. Supposedly expands very consistently after penetrating clothing, and with about 12" penetration in gelatin. It's not necessarily the round I'd choose if I had to worry about harder barriers like windshields, but for personal and home use it seems just the ticket. Especially the accuracy... simply phenomonal in that regard. It's now what is sitting in the magazine in my gun. Second magazine holds 147 Hornady XTPs. Also functioned flawlessly, and is also very accurate. I figure if a gunfight somehow goes into the second mag (highly unlikely, of course) my targets will have had time to seek hard cover.

 

[451_Detonics]

CorBon DPX.

 

[kolob10]

Speer Gold Dots, Federal Hydra shocks, or hornady critical defense would be my best recommendation. I've used all these and they expand well. Velocity seems to be ok but I have yet to chronograph these loads. I have played with penetration tests also.