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Minor PF FMJ ammo for self defense?


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What do you guys think of low power FMJ rounds for self defense? Handgun rounds just make holes, including hollow points. Low PF ammo has the advantage of low recoil and low blast, and hence better follow up shots. FMJ also feeds better. I also suspect subsonic FMJ rounds would not significantly over penetrate. Then, why bother with expensive and snappy +P hollow points that may or may not expand? This could all be a marketing gimmick.

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Many a soldier was killed with 9mm ball in WWII. Also I talked to a trainer once who subscribed to the theory of more rounds on target with regular old 9mm ammo.

 Most of my mags are loaded with factory 9mm FMJ

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28 minutes ago, Sarge said:

Many a soldier was killed with 9mm ball in WWII. Also I talked to a trainer once who subscribed to the theory of more rounds on target with regular old 9mm ammo.

 Most of my mags are loaded with factory 9mm FMJ

How about 125PF minor power factor FMJ like we use in competition vs factory (full power) FMJ like you favor? Most of us are capable of putting 3-4 rounds of such ammo into the A zone in under 1 sec using small carry guns. Doing the same with full power 9mm is much harder. I am curious of the reason behind your choice of factory FMJ.

 

Regarding penetration: I have seen FBI gel tests with 380 auto FMJ's that penetrate around 25 inches. They have the same PF as our minor competition ammo, and the same diameter. So I suspect minor PF rounds would penetrate like 380 auto. Full power 9mm FMJ's penetrate 40 inches or so. 

 

In any case, FMJ penetration is much more reliable because it is not reliant on expansion, and is a direct function of energy, so less powder would generally mean less penetration. They are also clothing/barrier blind.

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4 minutes ago, Tango said:

How about 125PF minor power factor FMJ like we use in competition vs factory (full power) FMJ like you favor? Most of us are capable of putting 3-4 rounds of such ammo into the A zone in under 1 sec using small carry guns. Doing the same with full power 9mm is much harder. I am curious of the reason behind your choice of factory FMJ.

 

Regarding penetration: I have seen FBI gel tests with 380 auto FMJ's that penetrate around 25 inches. They have the same PF as our minor competition ammo, and the same diameter. So I suspect minor PF rounds would penetrate like 380 auto. Full power 9mm FMJ's penetrate 40 inches or so. 

 

In any case, FMJ penetration is much more reliable because it is not reliant on expansion, and is a direct function of energy, so less powder would generally mean less penetration. They are also clothing/barrier blind.

Most non SD 9mm barely makes minor PF unless you get RANGER or NATO. WWB, Blazer etc is pretty tame.

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54 minutes ago, Sarge said:

Most non SD 9mm barely makes minor PF unless you get RANGER or NATO. WWB, Blazer etc is pretty tame.

Not really; for example 147gr speer lawman FMJ is 145PF, and feels much more snappier than my 147gr 125PF minor rounds. Less blast because mine are subsonic. AND, factory speer will over penetrate for sure.

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2 hours ago, Tango said:

Not really; for example 147gr speer lawman FMJ is 145PF, and feels much more snappier than my 147gr 125PF minor rounds. Less blast because mine are subsonic. AND, factory speer will over penetrate for sure.

Yeah lawman was another I should have mentioned as being a hotter load.

 But you get what I’m saying I believe. I have a few cases of Speer Blazer Brass that I carry. It’s 125-130 if I recall.

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There is an old saying, "Every shot you fire in self defense has a lawyer attached to it." It is for this reason that I have never used the latest hi-tech manstoppers or high power calibers for self defense. The house gun is a ,380 firing 95 gr. FMJ. I have other guns on hand if the situation calls for it.

 

But keep in mind, 9 times out of 10 an attacker is going to run at the very sight of a gun. 9 out of 10 of the rest will run upon seeing that gun pointed at them and 9 out of 10 of the remainder are going to lose their will to attack upon being shot with ANYTHING. I don't need to kill an attacker to stop him. And that means less chance of dealing with a dozen lawyers trying to paint me as a psychopath LOOKING for an opportunity to kill someone.

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And it looks like a fine time to wrap this up....

 

"Intent
This Forum is for firearm, technique, and conceptual discussions pertaining to training and competition. (And various unrelated topics.) While the occasional defensive shooting post is not prohibited, in general, defensive shooting discussions or debates are discouraged. And please, no hunting or "killing animals" (of any kind) threads."

 

 

Merry Christmas, all...

 

 

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