Handgun Ammo

Handgun ammunition splits cleanly into two jobs. Range ammunition is full metal jacket, bought by the case, and chosen almost entirely on price per round — its only requirement is that it goes bang and cycles the gun. Defensive ammunition is jacketed hollow point, bought by the box, and chosen on how it behaves after impact.

The one thing worth doing regardless of which you buy: fire at least a box of your chosen defensive load through the actual gun you carry. Hollow points feed differently from ball ammunition, and a pistol that runs flawlessly on range fodder can be picky about a specific bullet profile. Bullet weight matters less than most arguments suggest — 115, 124 and 147 grain 9mm all work; what matters is that your gun likes the one you chose.