Mouseguns Preface: I found this excellent article on the internet and decided to give it another home. It is marvelously informative, and I believe you will enjoy it. Read on!
AMMUNITION FOR THE SELF-DEFENSE FIREARM
Opinion
by Anonymous
|
INTRODUCTION This is a guide to help you select the
best ammunition for your defensive firearm. Most of these opinions are based
upon the work of Massad Ayoob, Evan Marshall and Ed Sanow, police officers
who have extensively studied the issue of firearms, ammunition and stopping
power. I refer all interested parties to the excellent series by Ayoob ('In
the Gravest Extreme,''Stressfire,' 'The Semi-Automatic Pistol in Police
Service and Self-Defense', 'Stressfire II: Advanced Combat Shotgun') and the
comprehensive book 'Stopping Power' by Marshall and Sanow. In particular, it cannot be stressed too
heavily that all gun owners should own a copy of 'In the Gravest Extreme' and
re-read it periodically. Once you have read it you will understand why. Buy
it. (The Ayoob titles - and other items like Cor-Bon ammunition and Spyderco
'Clipit' folding knives - are available mail order ($9.95@ and $3.95 shipping
and handling) from "Police Bookshelf," P.O. Box 122, Concord NH
03302; telephone # 1-800-624-9049. American Express, VISA, Mastercard, and
Discover cards gladly accepted. Order today - you will be grateful.) These three policemen are the world's
foremost authorities on choosing ammunition for real-world defensive use.
Their views are based on exhaustive review of thousands of police and
civilian shooting incidents, autopsies, and ballistic tests. Some other authorities rely entirely on
the latter (e.g. Dr. Martin Fackler, the FBI Wound Ballistics Lab, the
National Institute of Justice Ballistic Research Laboratory) which is
insufficient to make reliable predictions. Human beings react differently to
being shot than gelatin, goats, or other test media, and bullets that perform
spectacular feats in the laboratory sometimes give mediocre results on the
street. A perfect example of this are the silly
1989-90 FBI tests which resulted in the FBI choosing the mediocre 10mm
S&W Model 1076 and the 180 grain JHP round. For this reason, I have
chosen to rely on Ayoob, Marshall, and Sanow when it comes to selecting my
ammunition and strongly advise you do the same. What follows is essentially a
distillation of their opinions. I urge you to research the sources listed for
a more detailed discussion than is possible here. I cannot stress too heavily that the
primary determinant of stopping power is BULLET PLACEMENT. A cool, deliberate
marksman with a little .32 Walther PPK will beat a panicky, inaccurate man
with a .357 Magnum or $1200 customized .45 auto every time. Whatever firearm
and caliber you select, you must practice firing hundreds - thousands - of
rounds in realistic defensive scenarios until you can confidently make
disabling hits on your target. Tactics and marksmanship win gunfights - not
having the latest 'wonder bullet' in your gun. Unfortunately, I cannot teach you tactics
in this short essay, only recommend proven ammunition. You MUST seek out
competent training in tactics and marksmanship from a qualified instructor in
your area. In the meanwhile, studying Ayoob's great book 'Stressfire' will
get you off to an excellent start. Self Defense Ammunition Generally American ammunition is the best in the
world. Stick to Federal, Cor-Bon, Remington, Winchester or CCI (the Big Five)
ammunition. Some foreign stuff is pretty good (PMC, IMI-Samson, Fiocci), some
foreign stuff is great (Dynamit-Nobel, Norma, GECO), some foreign stuff is
practice-only junk (e.g. CDM - Mexico, military surplus), but no foreign
stuff is anywhere near as good as domestic ammunition when it comes to
vanquishing hostile attackers. Buy American. Never use hand-loaded or re-loaded
ammunition for self-defense! You may encounter some joker who says he can
hand-load ammunition so powerful it will knock anything on two legs down for
the count, but don't buy it. This junk will either misfire or ruin your gun. Use
only fresh factory-loaded cartridges, period. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this
rule: use factory-loaded cartridges only. Handguns One should carry only hollowpoint
ammunition in a defensive handgun. Hollowpoint ammunition has much better
stopping power than full metal jacket or round-nose lead, and stopping power
is what you need when being assaulted. The point is not to wound or kill the
adversary: the point is to stop him in his tracks and make him cease
attacking you. "Stopping power" (sometimes called "knock-down
power") refers to a particular bullet's ability to incapacitate an
attacker - the greater that ability, the less chance that your attacker will
be able to continue shooting, stabbing, or beating you after you have shot
him. Handguns are not death-rays; despite what
you see in the movies, the vast majority of people shot with handguns survive
(over 80%). Handguns are weak compared to rifles and shotguns, and thus you want
every edge you can get. Great ammunition is no more expensive than mediocre
ammunition, so carry the best. Rifles and shotguns have stopping power to
spare; handguns do not. Thus you must select your handgun load very
carefully, and the detail of the handgun ammunition section reflects this. Hollowpoint ammunition is NOT more lethal
than ball (full metal jacket) ammunition. You may have seen media hype about
"killer dum-dum bullets" but this is nonsense. Hollowpoint bullets
usually expand and stop in the human body, and thus the attacker absorbs much
more of the bullet's kinetic energy than if the bullet had merely zipped
through him and left two small holes. Hollowpoint ammunition is also safer
for all parties concerned. * You are safer because your attacker is
more likely to be incapacitated after one or two shots and thus unable to
fire back, stab you, or whatever. The decreased likelihood of your attacker
dying from hollowpoint bullets saves you the moral and legal complications
and expense you will experience from killing a man. There are some exceptions to the
"carry only hollowpoints in a handgun" rule. Some older or cheaper
automatic pistols, will jam with hollowpoint rounds. With these guns one must
use ball rounds (or "full metal jacket" rounds - the terms are
synonymous), and I specify "reliable with ball only" models by
caliber. It is crucial for you to test your pistol to make certain it is
reliable with specific loads - don't rely on my advice. My life will never
depend on the reliability of your handgun. Your life may. Rifles Generally speaking, hollowpoint bullets
are the best choice for rifles. Some soft-point designs are recommended, and
these will be specified. Shotguns Use buckshot. Slugs and birdshot are
useful in some limited and uncommon situations. A Note On Exotic Ammunition There are several exotic ammunition
designs on the market today, such as the Glaser Safety Slug, Mag-Safe, GECO
BAT 9mm, Thunderzap, et cetera. Generally speaking, I recommend that you
avoid them. Exotic ammunition is expensive, inaccurate, and often unreliable.
These rounds cost so much ($2-$4 each) that you will never practice with them
and thus will not be certain of their reliability and accuracy in your gun.
This is a big mistake: you should not carry a particular type of ammunition
until you have fired at least 150 rounds through your semi-automatic gun to
ensure reliable feeding (this doesn't really apply to revolvers, but you
should still fire the ammunition you intend to carry to assure yourself of
its accuracy). 'Glaser Safety Slugs' are one exotic round
I can fully recommend, but only for revolvers in a few scenarios. The Glaser
is a proven man-stopper and has very good quality control, but may not feed
or cycle reliably in your automatic pistol. Because you cannot afford to fire
enough Glasers to establish that it feeds reliably in your pistol (i.e. 100
test-fire rounds will cost $300), I cannot recommend them for pistol owners
(if you insist on Glasers, carry one in the chamber and load the magazine
with a proven hollowpoint. Be aware, however, that the Glaser may not have
the power to cycle your slide, and thus you may be carrying a single-shot
gun. You can always cycle the slide manually, of course, but this takes time
and both hands; two things you may not be able to spare when fighting for
your life. The Walther PPK, H&K P7 series and SIG P230 are notorious for
this failure-to-cycle problem with Glaser Safety Slugs). With revolvers feeding is not an issue, of
course, but there are other factors to consider. The Glaser is designed for
easy break-up and minimal penetration, which is great for cutting down
ricochet and over-penetration dangers but drastically limits its ability to
penetrate light cover between you and your foe. A car window, hollow-core
door, or even thick winter clothing between you and your assailant can cause
the Glaser to disintegrate and leave him unharmed. Bad news for you....great
news for him. There are some situations where the Glaser
is a good choice, however. I keep my bedside .357 revolver loaded with .38
Special+P Glasers because I live in a thin-walled apartment building and want
to be able to put down an intruder rapidly without worrying about injuring my
neighbors. I chose .38 over .357 Magnums because I am likely to be in a
just-awakened daze and would rather not be blinded and disoriented by the
flash, kick and blast of firing a .357 Magnum in a (probably darkened) room.
You may have a similar situation (e.g. retail store defense) where injury to
third parties is of concern, and you'll likely be facing an assailant at
extremely close range where the Glaser's inaccuracy and inability to
penetrate cover will not be drawbacks. In these narrowly defined scenarios,
the Glaser is a good choice, but keep a couple of speedloaders of hollowpoints
handy, just in case. I do. Glaser Safety Slugs are available in
"Blue" or "Silver" versions. The latter are a little
heavier for better penetration, but performance is similar. I would be happy
with either, but Sanow prefers the Silver. It's up to you. Mag-Safes are imitations of Glasers, and I
cannot recommend them due to poor quality control. Reliability is the number
one requirement of a self-defense handgun, and Mag-Safes don't make the
grade. GECO "Blitz Action Trauma" or
BAT 9mm rounds from Germany are a proven design. Called the "GECO Action
Safety" in Europe, this is a high velocity (1400 feet per second)
lightweight (86 grain) hollow bullet that has proven itself to be very
reliable and successful on the street. I recommend them, but they are very
tough to find. Save yourself the trouble and use a good American-made
hollowpoint. Thunderzaps are ultra-lightweight bullets
made of aluminum. They are made in .38 Special caliber only, as of this
writing, and have not yet been proven on the street. Other exotics are best avoided. You may
occasionally encounter "Omni-Shocks," "Terminators,"
"Annihilators," "Kaswer Law Grabbers," and other such
marginalia in gun shops. Stay away. If you want to gamble, go to an Indian
reservation. Don't gamble with your life, or the lives of others. Glasers and
GECO 9mm BATs are the only proven exotics. Terminology I have tried to keep specialized technical
jargon to a minimum, but it will be helpful for you to understand a few terms
and acronyms: - 'Ball' is round-nosed metal jacketed
ammunition. It is used for self-loading firearms like pistols. All military
pistol and rifle ammunition uses full metal jacket bullets. Synonyms for ball
include FMJ ("full metal jacket"), MC ("metal case") and
TMJ ("totally metal jacketed," a term used only by the ammunition
maker CCI). Ball rounds do not expand and are always the worst choice in a
defensive round. The military uses ball because it feeds well (i.e. rarely
jams), penetrates far, and the military is required to use ball under the
Geneva Convention. Fortunately, you are free to choose better ammunition, and
should use ball for practice only. - 'Wadcutters' and 'semi-wadcutters' are
sharp-shouldered revolver bullets with an odd cylindrical appearance. True
wadcutters are very weak rounds used for target shooting only. Unless you own
a .38 or .357 revolver, forget about these. - 'Jacketed soft-points' are jacketed
bullets with exposed lead at the tip. These make poor defensive rounds for
handguns but may be effective for rifles, due to the latter's high velocity.
Never use JSP rounds in a handgun for self-defense. Never. - 'Jacketed hollowpoints' are the best
choice for handguns and most rifles. JHP rounds have a hollow cavity in the
nose and usually expand (and stop) in the body of your attacker, transferring
all their kinetic energy for maximum stopping power. They are the safest and
best bullets available. JHP bullets are always best for self-defense. -'Round-nose lead' (or RNL) are generally
revolver bullets without any metal jacket around the bullet. These are
worthless for self-defense, and I don't even use them at the range. If you
come upon a bargain lot of RNL ammo, feel free to buy it for target practice.
You will be scrubbing out your barel until the wee hours, however, as all-lead
bullets scum up barrels something fierce. Use 'Flitz' metal polish to scour
out the grimy residue. HANDGUN AMMUNITION BY CALIBER (Note: for an excellent and comprehensive
look at the best handgun rounds by caliber, see the article 'What Are The
Best Loads For Defense?' by Ed Sanow in the July, 1995 issue of Petersen's
'HANDGUNS' magazine) .22 Long Rifle You should really be using something
bigger than a .22 for self-defense, but even a .22 beats nothing. There are
some really nice .22 pocket autos, and they make a lot of sense for women
reluctant to tote a bigger gun around. Choose any Federal, Remington,
Winchester or CCI metal-plated 37 grain (or lighter) high velocity
hollowpoint round. I recommend CCI "Stinger" 32-gr. or Remington
"Yellow Jacket" 33-gr. hollowpoints, as they have been very
reliable in my Beretta 21A and Walther TPH pistols. Shoot a lot of rounds through your
self-defense .22, the ammo is cheap and you want to be sure to pick a
reliable round. If high-velocity solids don't cycle reliably try
standard-velocity. There is little difference in power but it may improve
your gun's reliability (e.g. Jennings J-22 pistols are more reliable with
standard-velocity solids). Marksmanship is crucial with such a tiny gun, so
practice drawing your .22 and firing it rapidly into a melon at ten feet or
so. Also keep your .22 autoloader meticulously clean - these tiny guns cannot
function reliably with much gunk in them. If you carry your .22 in a pocket,
purse or ankle holster inspect it daily and brush off any dust or grit with
an old toothbrush. Lubricate it properly, too. This is very important. .25 ACP (6.35mm) The best .25 load is the Hornady 35-gr.
XTP-HP round. If it jams, use any Federal, Remington, or Winchester 50 grain
ball round. Winchester has an odd 45 gr. "Expanding Point" round
that should be OK if it is reliable in your gun (it seems to work fine in
Beretta 950 pistols, for example), but don't expect any improvement in
performance over the 50 grain ball rounds. The excellent Walther TPH .25
should be loaded with ball. The Hornady 35 grain JHP should be
considered only if it is 100% reliable in your pistol - fire 200 rounds
through your gun to see. Ed Sanow recommends the MagSafe 22 grain
"Defender" and Glaser 40 grain Safety Slug. .32 ACP (7.65 mm Browning, 7.65x17mm) Use the Winchester 60 gr. Silvertip
Jacketed Hollow Point (X32ASHP) if it is reliable in your gun. I personally
would only carry Silvertips in a Seecamp LWS .32. Most of the common .32
autos on the market are only reliable with 71 grain ball: Llama, Walther PP
and PPK, Czech CZ-24 and CZ-70, Davis P-32, Colt Pocket Model, Mauser HSc,
etc. .32 Smith & Wesson Long The best defense load for this obsolescent
revolver caliber is the Federal 98 gr. lead wadcutter (32LA). Shoot
carefully. .32 H&R Magnum Federal 85 gr. Jacketed Hollow Point
(32HRB). Stock up; this ammunition won't be available for long. Federal will
drop it soon due to lack of demand. 7.62x25mm (a.k.a. 7.63mm Mauser) If you're using this obsolescent communist
caliber I can only assume that you have an old CZ-52 or Chinese Tokarev. Only
87 gr. ball ammo is available, so leave the cheap Chinese military stuff for
practice and carry Fiocchi 7.63 Mauser ball in your gun. .380 ACP (9mm Short, 9x17mm, 9mm Kurz) Now we're getting into some decent
stopping power. The three or four best .380 JHP rounds have better stopping
power than ANY bullet fired out of 2" barrel .38 Special snub-nose. All
of the Big Five make good hollowpoints for this caliber. The Remington 88
grain JHP is the most reliably-feeding hollowpoint but slightly less
effective than the Hydra-shok or Cor-Bon. Reliability is crucial, and thus
you must test the rounds before carrying. I recommend the following two cartridges
above all others: -Federal 90 gr. Hydra-shok (P380HS1) - the
best standard-pressure .380 JHP load, period. These are the two best .380 loads, and I
recommend them for these guns: Other good .380 ACP jacketed
hollowpoints: - Remington 102 gr. Golden Saber BJHP
(GS380M) - Another excellent .380 load (the BJHP stands for "Brass
Jacketed Hollow Point"), the heaviest one available. I prefer the
Cor-Bon and Hydra-shok, but many (including Sanow) like this new Remington
round for its deeper penetration. I'll stick with the Cor-Bon and Hydra-shok,
but the choice is yours. .380 ACP hollowpoints to avoid: -Winchester 85 gr Silvertip (X380ASHP) I
really cannot recommend this weak and jam-prone round. It works reliably in a
few modern European guns (e.g. SIG 230, Beretta 84F), but every load named
above offers better performance. The Silvertip will likely jam in any
American-made .380 automatic. Russian .380 Makarovs and PPK series guns may
jam with the Silvertip, as well. The .380 Silvertip was once
state-of-the-art, but has since been superceded by superior designs. It is
also quite expensive. Look elsewhere. 95 gr ball: Davis P-380, Accu-Tek, EAA .380, Tanarmi,
AMT/OMC/TDE "Back-Up," Heritage, FIE, Jennings, Bryco, Lorcin,
Llama, or "other." Hollowpoints should never be used in these
low-priced guns. 9mm Makarov (9x18mm) Cor-Bon makes the only 9mm Mak hollowpoint
on the market, an excellent 95 grain JHP that is totally reliable in all East
Bloc pistols. Go buy it. If you cannot find it, order it by mail. Use ball
only as a last resort, or for practice. .38 Special Loads for Full-Sized .38 Revolvers With
4" or Longer Barrels: The Numero Uno .38 Special defense load for your
4" barrel revolver is the Cor-Bon .38 Special+P 115 grain JHP. It is
very high-pressure load and should be used only in modern six-shot revolvers.
It has less felt recoil and muzzle flip than the #2 choice, which follows. When
I carry a 4" .38, I want it loaded with this cartridge. The second-best choice is the .38
Special+P 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter hollowpoint (LSWCHP) available from
Federal, CCI, Winchester and Remington. Ayoob has found the latter to have
the greatest expansion, so I would choose Remington (catalog #R38S12). This
unjacketed all-lead round (often called the "FBI load" or
"Chicago load") is a proven manstopper, about on par with .45 ball,
when fired from a 4" barrel. Your fixed-sight .38 revolver it will shoot
to point-of-aim with this load: lighter bullets will shoot low (some very
low). All fixed-sight .38s are regulated at the factory to shoot accurately
with 158 grain bullets, as this was the weight of the long-time standard
American and Canadian police load. * Federal makes the FBI load in their
Nyclad line covered with a thin Nylon jacket (#P38G). I don't know why you
would want this over their all-lead version (#38G), but if you like it, fine.
It works as well as the all-lead round, and you won't have to worry about
airborne lead particles clogging up your lungs, or whatever. Note: .38 Special ammunition is loaded to
two pressure levels: standard pressure and +P. Standard pressure loads may be
used in any .38 Special revolver, but +P loads should be fired extensively
only in steel-frame .38 Special revolvers. Firing a few (under fifty) +P
loads in your aluminum-framed .38 Special revolver will not destroy it or
cause it to explode, but will damage your aluminum-framed revolver if you
fire more than a hundred rounds. If I carried an aluminum-framed .38 Special
revolver for protection, I would not hesitate to carry +P .38 Special loads
yet use mostly standard pressure loads for practice. The main problem with
carrying +P .38 Special loads in an aluminum-framed .38 Special revolver is
that the kick is nasty and slows repeat shots. Thus I recommend standard
pressure ammunition for aluminum-framed .38 Special revolvers, as it is much
easier to score fast hits. Other .38 Special Loads for Your
4" Barrel Revolver: IMI-Samson also offers a lightweight, very
high pressure load, the 110 gr. +P+ JHP. This is said to be a ballistic
duplicate of the law-enforcement-only "Treasury" load that T-men
used to carry. Who cares? The Cor-Bon 115 gr. +P load is superior. And never
use any 147 grain bullet in any caliber. They are cursed. All major manufacturers catalog light
.38+P hollowpoints, from 95-129 grains. None of these are as successful as
the Cor-Bon .38 Special +P 115 grain JHP or 158 grain +P LSWCHP, so why carry
them? Light +P loads only make sense in a 2" barrel snub (more on this
later). The Federal Hydra-shok and Winchester Silvertip may look cool, but
the boring-looking Cor-Bon and FBI loads do the job in a 4" revolver.
Stick with them. PMC makes a bizarre 66 grain tubular
hollow bullet load. Some enthusiastic gun-shop salesman may try to sell it to
you. Refuse politely. Stay the hell away from the weird and idiotic Remington
"Multi-Ball" (R38SMB) - I have no idea what they were thinking when
they created this worthless load. Also avoid the Remington 95 grain +P SJHP
(R38S1) due to inadequate penetration. The Glaser Safety Slug is a good choice
for self-defense in a .38 revolver of any barrel length (see caveats under
"exotic ammunition," above). It is crucial to keep the chambers and
frame interior absolutely free of oil or solvents when carrying Glasers, as
you don't want any Breakfree CLP or Hoppe's #9 solvent seeping into the
primer pocket and deactivating the round. This is important for all rounds,
of course, but the Glaser isn't known for particularly good sealing against
such mishaps. You may also want to consider carrying two Glasers as the first
rounds to be fired, and JHP loads for the rest. This gives you a bit of
insurance if your assailant tucks himself behind a sheet rock wall or doorway
or some other flimsy cover that JHP rounds can blast through. A Special Note on Snub-Nose .38 Revolvers
With 2" or 3" Barrels: The Cor-Bon .38 Special+P 115 grain JHP and
158 grain LSWCHP FBI load are not the best choice for 2" or 3"
barrel revolvers. The short barrel does not provide enough velocity to ensure
reliable expansion with these load, and the unpleasant and hard-to-control
recoil hurts snub-nose accuracy (as well as your hand). Controllability is
crucial, and I recommend lighter +P loads, or even non +P standard pressure
loads, for the .38 snub-nose. Good +P choices for a steel-frame
2" .38 snub-nose revolver are: * Federal 125 grain +P Nyclad LSWHP (P38N)
- my preferred .38 2" barrel snub-nose revolver load (a.k.a. the
"Chief's Special Load"). Standard Pressure (non +P) Loads. If you carry an aluminum-frame snub nose
.38 (e.g. S&W Model 38 Bodyguard, 642, 442, 37, or Colt Cobra) I urge you
to carry a standard pressure (non +P) .38 round. Firing a few +P rounds won't
ruin your gun, but extended +P use will cause some damage (say, over 100
rounds). Lightweight snubbies kick like a mule with the FBI load or other +P
rounds, and more controllable standard loads will enable you to get more hits
in rapid fire (remember - only hits count). The best standard pressure .38
load is the Federal 125 grain Nyclad lead hollowpoint (P38M). This P38M
hollowpoint - known as the "Chief's Special load" - was
specifically designed to expand at lower velocities and is the industry
leader in standard pressure .38 rounds. I particularly recommend this round
for women who carry .38 snubs (steel- or aluminum-framed), as women tend to
be weaker and more sensitive to blast and kick. This may seem sexist, but
it's also true. Another acceptable standard pressure .38 load is the
Winchester Silvertip 110 grain JHP (X38S9HP), but I strongly prefer the
Federal Nyclad P38M .38 Special. Note well: if you have a J-frame Smith
& Wesson snub-nose .38 (i.e. the five-shot Model 36/37 Chief's Special,
Model 38/49/649 Bodyguard, the 640/642/442/940 Centennial) you can greatly
improve the controllability of your gun by installing Uncle Mike's "Boot
Grip." This is a $14 godsend. The skinny little wooden grips that come
on these guns are worthless. Installing good grips does wonders for your
ability to control your .38 snub-nose revolver in rapid fire for more hits. 9mm Parabellum (9mm Luger,9x19mm, 9mm
NATO, or simply "9mm") This is unquestionably the world's most
popular pistol round. For this reason it has been the subject of a lot of
experimentation, because 9mm ball - used by every army in the Western world -
is a mediocre manstopper. Jacketed hollowpoints are a must if one wishes to
rely on the 9mm as a defense round. Use ball ammo for practice only. 9mm ammunition is available in two
pressure levels: standard and "+P." The latter should only be used
in newer guns (made since 1985 or so), and is best used sparingly. I will
deal here with only commercially available ammunition: there are specialized
loads available only to law enforcement personnel. Civilians should not
worry, as there are commercial loads as good or better than anything
restricted to law enforcement usage. I will now tell you the best 9mm Luger
load for self-defense: it is the Cor-Bon 9mm 115 grain +P Jacketed
Hollowpoint. This is the most powerful and street-proven manstopper available
in this caliber. It is a high velocity (1340 fps) and high pressure round,
and more effective than any load restricted to law enforcement use (such as
the Federal 9BPLE). Unfortunately, it is also likely to jam
many older guns. For this reason I add a table at the end of the 9mm section
discussing round suitability for different guns. Modern hollowpoints may
either (a) jam, or (b) be too powerful for some older guns. This load is
suitable only for First Class pistols (see table). The best standard pressure 9mm load is the
Federal 115 grain JHP (9BP). Its effectiveness and accuracy make it the world
standard. Buy several boxes. Other excellent standard pressure 9mm loads are
the Winchester Silvertip 115 grain (X9MMSHP), Federal 124 grain Hydra-shok
(P9HS1) and Federal Nyclad 124 grain (P9BP) JHP. The Nyclad may feed better
(than the metal-jacketed 9BP) in some older guns - such as Browning Hi-Powers
- which is good enough reason to use it in your older pistol. It is nearly
equal to the excellence of the 9BP in terminal performance. For guns that may jam with the Cor-Bon or
Federal 115 grain hollow-points, the Remington 115 grain +P JHP is a good
choice (R9MM6). For older guns I would use the Remington standard pressure
115 gr. JHP (R9MM1). Now it is time to impart some crucial
information: NEVER use 147 grain ammo in a 9mm pistol! There was a stupid fad
for 147 grain hollowpoints a few years ago, and many were suckered into
buying these weak, worthless and malfunction-prone rounds. I don't care what
you've heard: never use any 9mm hollowpoint heavier than 125 grains. 147
grain hollowpoints often jam in many popular 9mm guns like the Browning Hi-Power,
SIG, Beretta 92, S&W and Glock. Ignore the gun magazine hype and stick to
what works. If you want to gamble, go to Reno. Don't gamble with your life.
147 grain ammo sucks. German GECO "Blitz Action
Trauma" or BAT 9mm rounds are a proven man-stopping design. Called the
"GECO Action Safety" in Europe, this is a high velocity (1400 feet
per second) lightweight (86 grain) hollow bullet that has proven itself to be
reliable and successful on the street. I recommend them, but they are very
tough to find. Save yourself the trouble and use good 115 grain hollowpoints
like the Cor-Bon or Remington +P or Federal 9BP. Bad 9mm Loads to avoid (and certainly
NEVER carry). Numbers given: Federal Gold Medal 9mm 147 grain JHP (9MS) Table Of 9mm Pistols. (Note: just because your pistol appears in
Class 3, say, doesn't mean it is unreliable: it may indeed feed hollowpoints.
But you must fire at least 200 rounds of your chosen JHP carry load to
determine if your pistol will feed them properly. I have placed pistols in
each category according to reputation and experience. These are only meant as
guidelines - your pistol may feed JHP rounds better - or worse - than this
table indicates) 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. Second Class pistols are high quality guns
that may not feed all hollowpoints reliably. Remington 115 gr. hollowpoints
are recommended for these guns: Smith & Wessons with two or three digit
model numbers (e.g. 659, 39-2, 469, 59, 39). Heckler and Koch VP70 and P9S.
Beretta "Brigadier" M1951 and the Egyptian copy, the Interarms
"Helwan." Colt M2000 "All-American" (now discontinued,
for good reason), Colt Series 70 Government Model, Series 70 Commander. Astra
A-70, A-75 and A-100. AMT "On Duty." Daewoo. Bersa 'Thunder 9'. EAA
Witness, and all other CZ-75 copies (e.g. Tanfoglio, Tanarmi, Springfield
Armory P9). Taurus PT-908. Walther P4. Star BK, BKM, Model B and 'Super.'
Browning Hi-Powers without the word "Portugal" on the slide. Llama
Model 82. IMI "Jericho" and "Kareen." Third Class pistols should generally be
loaded with ball for best reliability - experiment with your gun extensively
before carrying JHP: Walther P38, P4 or P1. Luger. Llama. Maverick. MKS Model
JS. Intratec CAT-9, DC-9, KG-9, etc. SWD Cobray Model 11/9 and similar
models. Scarab Scorpion. Kimel AP-9. Bryco Jennings Model 59. All KBI
Hungarian pistols (e.g. GKK, PJ9C, P9HK and other "FEG" products).
"Norinco" or "Sportarms" Chinese Tokarev pistols. Lahti.
Radom. MAB P15 and Model 1950. .38 Super Cor-Bon, Winchester and Remington all make
good jacketed hollow-points in .38 Super. I like the Cor-Bon 115 and 124
grain hollowpoints the best. The Remington will feed more smoothly in many
guns, however, especially Colts and Colt M1911A1 copies like the Springfield
Armory and Auto-Ordnance. The Llama .38 Super tends to jam with anything
except ball. .357 Magnum The most effective handgun round on the
market - regardless of caliber - is the Federal .357 Magnum 125 grain
jacketed hollowpoint (357B). This load has more stopping power than any other
handgun bullet (and this includes more powerful rounds like the .41 and .44
Magnums). I advise all experienced revolver men to carry the legendary
Federal 357B in a .357 revolver, or the equally good Remington full-power 125
grain semi-jacketed hollowpoint (R357M1). There is one caveat, however. The 357B and
other full-power .357 Magnums have a lot of blast and kick. If you are not
comfortable with the buck and roar of full-house .357 Magnums, I would
strongly suggest that you use a lower-recoil round. Controllability is
important, and you will be able to fire lower-recoil rounds more rapidly and
accurately. All of these .357 loads have excellent stopping power, so don't
worry that you are giving up too much. In descending order of severity of recoil
(i.e. the Silvertip kicks the most) I recommend the Winchester Silvertip 145
grain JHP (X357SHP), The Remington Golden Saber 125 grain JHP (GS357MA),
Federal 110 gr. JHP (357D), Remington Medium Velocity 125 grain Semi-Jacketed
Hollowpoint (R357M11) and the Cor-Bon 115 grain JHP. The latter two are
excellent rounds I strongly recommend for .357 Magnum 2.5" and 3"
barrel snub-nose revolvers like the S&W Models 66, 19, 65, 13, the Colt
King Cobra, the Ruger GP100 and especially the small-frame Ruger SP101. If
you still find that your .357 kicks too much, carry the Cor-Bon .38 Special+P
115 grain JHP discussed above. Two or three hits with good .38+P slugs beat
any number of misses with .357 slugs. Note well: if you are using the factory
wood stocks on your S&W or Taurus .357 revolver, you are a fool. Ruger
and Colt .357 Magnums come factory-equipped with recoil-absorbing ergodynamic
rubber grips, and I have no idea why S&W and Taurus continue to put wood
grips on their .357 revolvers. The difference in control is enormous. Get
some good, compact rubber grips from Uncle Mike's or Pachmayr and slap them
onto your .357 revolver ASAP. I used to cringe every time I fired a
full-power load in my .357 Magnum snub-nose. Once I put some compact Pachmayr
grips on it, however, I had no problem firing the 357B accurately and
rapidly. These grips only cost twenty bucks. Buy some.) Other good .357 Magnum loads. The 125 grain jacketed hollowpoints by
Cor-Bon, Winchester, and CCI are all good stoppers. The CCI Blazer 125 grain
jacketed hollow-point is a very good buy, both for practice and self-defense
use. The 110 grain jacketed hollowpoints by Winchester, CCI and Remington are
all good for use in snub-nose revolvers, or for those sensitive to recoil.
You never go wrong with a 110-125 grain .357 jacketed hollowpoint from the
Big Five. All are great stoppers. Crappy .357 Magnum loads you should not
carry for self-defense. Never carry soft-points, semi-wadcutters,
or any of the 158 grain or 180 grain jacketed hollowpoints - these are solely
for hunting or target use. Stick to jacketed hollowpoints under 150 grains in
weight. The heavier bullets kick heavily and will shoot high and confuse you.
All-lead bullets are okay for practice but you will have to spend twice as
long cleaning your gun. And stay the hell away from the bizarre and idiotic
Remington "Multi-Ball" (R357MB) - I have no idea what they were
thinking when they created this worthless gimmick load. .357 SIG There is only one .357 SIG JHP available,
the Federal 125 grain jacketed hollowpoint, so use it. I am unsure what
advantage this caliber is supposed to have over the .40 S&W, but it
should prove to be a good stopper on the streets. .357 SIG ballistics are
quite impressive. .40 Smith & Wesson This caliber is establishing an excellent
track record on the street. Smith & Wesson and Winchester really did
their research when they invented the .40 S&W. Your choice comes down to
either the 180 grain jacketed hollowpoints or the 135-155 grain jacketed hollowpoints
by Cor-Bon, Winchester, Federal, CCI or Remington. All are good stoppers, but
the lighter weight bullets have the best stopping power records on the
streets. The real-world shooting database is small,
but clearly favors the lighter 135-155 gr. JHP loads. I personally would
carry the potent Cor-Bon 135 or 150 grain jacketed hollowpoint or the
Winchester Silvertip 155 grain jacketed hollowpoint (X40SWSTHP). The 135-155
grain JHP kicks less and has higher kinetic energy and stopping power than the
180 gr. JHP loads. The 135 gr. JHP appears to be a real stopper. In short, you cannot go wrong with the .40
S&W - unless you carry ball. Choose a good hollowpoint and stick with it.
Leave the ball for practice (the CCI Blazer 180 grain TMJ is a good inexpensive
practice round). 10mm Auto The 10mm is not living up to expectations.
It was thought to be the ne plus ultra of pistol rounds when introduced in
the late 1980's, but hasn't turned out to be superior to the better 9mm, .40
S&W or .45 ACP jacketed hollowpoints. This isn't to say that the 10mm
Auto sucks - it is a fine stopper. It's just that we hoped for so much more. <P<>10mm Auto
ammunition is available in two power levels, "full-house" and
"medium velocity," as used by the FBI (sometimes called "10mm
Lite"). The "full-house" loads should be left for hunting use:
they kick heavily, blow right through assailants, and are very hard on your
gun. Stick to the medium velocity ammo. I would pick the Cor-Bon 135 grain
Nosler JHP, Federal 155 grain JHP (10E), or Federal Hydra-shok 155 gr. JHP
(P40HS2). The "FBI load" is the 180 grain subsonic JHP, and
Federal, Winchester, and Remington all produce good ones. Take your pick, but
you are silly to ignore the superior real-world performance of the lighter
135-155 grain jacketed hollowpoints. The potent Winchester Silvertip 175 grain
JHP (X10MMSTHP) is close in power to the "full-house" loads, and
may be a good choice for an experienced shooter who is used to heavy recoil.
I personally would only carry the Silvertip or "full-house" loads
in the field, where I might have to shoot big, cranky animals that seem
interested in munching on my bodily parts. In this role the 10mm auto excels. .41 Magnum The best defense choice for this
hard-kicking caliber is the Winchester Silvertip 175 grain JHP (X41MSTHP2).
The Remington 170 grain Semi-Jacketed Hollowpoint (R41MG3) is also a good
round. .44 Special By far the best choice for your .44
Special revolver is the Cor-Bon 180 grain JHP. Glasers or the Winchester
Silvertip 200 grain JHP (X44STHPS2) are also good rounds, particularly for
any 5-shot .44 revolver. .44 Magnum The blast and kick of this powerful
caliber make it less than optimum for defense use, despite what you have seen
in the movies. Cor-Bon's 180 grain or Federal's 180 grain (44B)
medium-velocity JHP are the hands-down choices in this caliber. Glasers, the
Winchester Silvertip 210 grain JHP (X44MSTHP2) or the Federal 240 grain
Hydra-shok (P44HS1) are also acceptable choices. .45 ACP (occassionally called "11.43x23mm"
by some silly Europeans) The .45 ACP is a recognized manstopper,
and there are many excellent loads in this caliber. Some of the best: - Federal 230 grain Hydrashok JHP
(P45HS1): a great load, and my #1 choice. It gives the most stopping power in
this potent caliber. Other good .45 ACP loads. The Winchester Silvertip 185 grain JHP
(X45ASHP2), CCI Gold Dot and Remington Golden Saber (GS45APB) are all good
choices. If you like them, fine, but they have no edge over loads mentioned
above. I say stick to the tried and true. Ball. The .45 ACP "hardball" load (the
standard military 230 grain full metal jacket) is a pretty good stopper, the
only FMJ round I would feel comfortable relying on for defense. Save the ball
for practice, but if you must carry it (because your gun jams with
hollowpoints) feel confident that you will put any assailant down rapidly
with one or two well-placed hits. The Llama, Federal Ordnance, AMT, and
Auto-Ordnance M1911A1 copies often jam with anything except 230 grain ball.
Never compromise when it comes to reliability: if your gun only feeds ball,
then ball is what you carry. .45 Colt I hope your self-defense .45 Colt is a
good double-action design like the Smith & Wesson Model 25 and not some
single-action hunting gun. Load your revolver with the Cor-Bon 200 grain JHP.
The Federal 225 gr. Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollowpoint (45LCA) or Winchester 225
gr. Silvertip JHP (X45CSHP2) are also good. SHOTGUN AMMUNITION BY CALIBER (Gauge) The shotgun is the ne plus ultra of
manstoppers. No other weapon will put a man down as reliably as a shotgun,
and no other weapon is as likely to hit your opponent as a shotgun filled
with buckshot. No doubt you have heard a lot of nonsense about the lethality
of "assault rifles" and "Uzi sub-machine guns" and the
like. The fact is that the shotgun is by far the deadliest and most effective
firearm for short-range personal defense. For example: an Uzi or Heckler
& Koch sub-machine gun has about 340 ft-lbs. of impact energy - a 12
gauge shotgun has 2500 to 3100 ft-lbs. of impact energy, and it is a heck of
a lot easier to hit your target with a shotgun than a sub-machine gun. The shotgun is not a magic weapon that
will slay all foes, but it is simply the most effective man-stopping firearm
yet devised. I invoke the Ascended Master, Massad Ayoob: "It is perhaps
the most efficient close-range killing machine in the world's arsenal of
small arms." For a discussion of the shotgun's strengths and weaknesses
I refer all interested parties to Ayoob's excellent and comprehensive book
'The Truth About Self-Protection' (truly the best $8.95 investment you'll
ever make), which discusses every element of self-defense from locks,
chemical sprays and alarms to defensive driving, firearms and defending
yourself against dogs. A more in-depth treatment of the issue may be found in
Ayoob's book-length volume on shotgun technique, 'Stressfire II: Advanced
Combat Shotgun'. A Note On Terminology Shotgun ammunition falls into three
general categories: BUCKSHOT - shell loaded with
large-diameter lead balls (.24" and up) used for big game hunting and
self-defense. The number of pellets in 12 gauge buck-shot varies from eight
.36" balls in "000 buck" to 27 .24" pellets in "#4
buck". Buckshot ratings are archaic and hard to understand (as are
shotgun specifications and ammunition in general), but thankfully there isn't
much you need to learn. Simply write down the recommended loads, walk into
your local gunshop and announce your desired ammunition (note that
"00" is pronounced "double ought" and "000" is
pronounced "triple ought." Don't say "zero zero" or "oh-oh-oh
buckshot" in front of gunshop employees - they will snicker and mock you
cruelly behind your back). Then practice with both your selected defense load
and low-cost birdshot to fully familiarize yourself with the operation of
your gun and its terminal performance (e.g. patterns at various distances, the
startling effects of buckshot on ballistic melons). BIRDSHOT- small-diameter pellets used for
bird hunting. Its stopping power is poor, except when used at very close
range - out to 20-30 feet. For that reason it is not generally recommended,
except for home defense use. SLUGS are solid lead bullets for shotgun
use. These are big, heavy, fat hunks of soft lead that have enormous stopping
power (e.g. a typical 12 gauge slug is .73" caliber and weighs 438
grains - a 9mm bullet is .355" and 115 grains). Use of slugs ruins the
shotgun's main advantage - superior hit probability - as slugs must be
carefully aimed to be effective. It is important to remember, however, that
shotguns must be aimed with shot, too - do not for a minute think that you
can simply point your shot-loaded shotgun at the foe and let loose. Shotguns
must be skillfully aimed and fired just like hand-guns and rifles. The
shotgun is simply more likely to hit the attacker. .410 Gauge None of the above really applies in this
weak caliber. The .410 is only a half-way decent manstopper with slugs.
Choose the Federal Classic (F412RS) or Winchester Super-X (X41RS5) 1/5 ounce
(88 grain) hollowpoint slug. Never use birdshot. American Derringer Corp. has
produced an odd buckshot load for the .410 (withthree 000 pellets), and I
advise you to ignore it. Lose the .410 and buy a 20 gauge pump shotgun. 20 Gauge The 20 is an excellent self-defense
caliber, particularly for those who dislike the recoil of the 12 gauge. I
recommend the 20 gauge over the more popular 12 for home defense. Choose the
20 gauge 3" shell Federal "Classic" #2 buckshot (F207-2-5PK)
with 18 pellets, or the Winchester "Double XX" Magnum #3 with 24
pellets (X203C3B). If your gun cannot accept 3" shells choose the
Remington #3 with 20 pellets (SP20BK5PK-3). All of these loads provide
definitive short-range stopping power. I specifically recommend the 20 gauge for
women and recoil-sensitive men who dislike the blast and recoil of the 12
gauge. "Delivering roughly the ballistic force of two .44 Magnum rounds
at once," comments the knowledgeable Ayoob, the 20 "delivers 75% of
the lead for only 50-60% of the recoil". Many police departments have
found their officers shoot much more accurately in realistic training
exercises with the lighter-kicking but still potent 20 gauge. If you are new to shotgunning and
considering getting one for self-defense I strongly urge you to buy the
reliable and reasonably-priced "Mossberg 500 Special Purpose"
18.5" barrel 20 gauge pump shotgun (catalog #50451). This tried-and-true
workhorse is the standard shotgun of the U.S. Armed Forces and costs a little
over $200. You'll be much happier with the lighter-kicking 20 gauge than the
12 gauge version used by the military, and - most importantly - you'll shoot
the 20 more accurately and rapidly. For an in-depth look at the 20-versus-12
gauge issue I recommend all shotgun owners (and potential shotgun owners)
read 'Stressfire II: Advanced Combat Shotgun' by Massad Ayoob. Perhaps I am
beginning to sound like a broken record on the theme of Ayoob's books, but
once you've read them you'll understand why I recommend them so highly (and
repeatedly). Note: Ayoob dislikes the 20 gauge Remington 870 pump shotgun and
recommends you choose the Mossberg 500 in 20 gauge for general self-defense
and home-defense use. So do I. For ultra-close range home defense
birdshot will do the trick. Choose any #4, BB or larger high brass lead
hunting load, and have the balance of the magazine filled with #3 buck in
case the birdshot doesn't put them down fast enough. Avoid slug use in 20 gauge; you are better
off defending yourself with buckshot. If you must use slugs, pick the
Dynamit/Nobel or Federal "Classic" (F203-RS) rifled slugs. Using
slugs requires careful aiming and rifle sights: few 20 gauge shotguns have
the latter. 16 Gauge The 16 has slipped in popularity with
Americans. As a result, no shotguns made specifically for defense are
available in 16. If you have a sporting 16, however, it can do double duty as
a great defense gun. Choose the Federal "Classic" #1 (F164-1) or
the Remington #1 (SP16BK-5PK) buckshot load. 12 Gauge If you have a 12 gauge shotgun you own the
most effective and devastating short-range firearm ever created. If you
simply want to know the best defense load, go out and buy: 12 gauge 2
3/4" shell 00 buckshot. You shall live happily ever after, as this is
the most effective man-stopping firearm cartridge yet devised by man. I
recommend the Federal "Classic" (F127-00), Winchester Super-X
(X12RB5) or Remington Buckshot (SP12BK-5PK00) as the best double-ought
buckshot defense rounds. One of these rounds is virtually equal to a
nine-round burst from a submachine gun, with every round hitting. Effective shotgun technique, of course,
requires that one hits with each shot. Don't think that you can merely point
the shotgun in the general direction of your attacker and let fly. Read
Ayoob's book 'Stressfire II: Advanced Combat Shotgun' for the low-down on
good shotgun skills and then practice, practice, practice. Many experienced shooters prefer #4 or #1
buckshot to 00. I really cannot argue, but Lt. Marshall is on record as
stating that 00 is superior, both in penetration and stopping power. Good
enough for me, but if you have a #4 or #1 buckshot jones, go ahead (Ayoob
favors #1). Stay away from 2 3/4" Magnum or 3" Magnum loads,
however - the brutal kick of these rounds makes them a bad choice, and you
gain nothing in stopping power over the 2 3/4" standard loads. Controllability
is important, and standard 12 gauge shells have quite enough kick as it is. A note on shotgun spread: firing your
shotgun does not create a diabolical cone of doom destroying all in its path.
If you have a typical defense or "riot" gun with an 18"-20"
open-choked "cylinder" barrel, the pellets will spread out about
1" for every yard of range. This means that the spread of pellets fired
across a large room (18') will be 6" or so, a circle the size of a
coffee cup saucer. At 50 feet, the spread will be the size of a large pizza
(16"). Test-fire your shotgun at various ranges, using big white butcher
paper targets to get an idea of the pattern you can expect. It is a common
misconception that blasting at foes ten feet away will take out two or three of
them. The spread at that range is just three inches, so you can see that I
meant it when I said that the shotgun must be skillfully aimed and fired just
like handguns and rifles. The shotgun is simply more likely to hit - and stop
- the attacker. Slugs are potent manstoppers, but have
limited application for self-defense. Slug use loses the one big advantage of
the shotgun - its high hit probability. Slugs have ferocious recoil and often
over-penetrate. There are special situations where slugs might be preferred
over buckshot (e.g. road-blocks, barricaded foes), but if you are interested
in such esoterica I again direct you to Ayoob's masterful tome 'Stressfire
II: Advanced Combat Shotgun'. This guide is for general civilian readers;
policemen, soldiers, and gun enthusiasts should rely on Ayoob's in-depth
expertise. Don't be a knucklehead. Stay away from
weirdo rounds like rubber buckshot or neoprene slugs. These are riot-control
rounds designed for massed police use against violent mobs. Don't rely on such
marginalia to save your life. Two things to keep in mind about birdshot.
The first is that birdshot is as lethal as buckshot at close range. Don't
believe for a second that you can just wound someone with birdshot and he'll
go on to live another day. If you aren't justified in killing a man, you
aren't justified in wounding him, either. Never "shoot to wound." I
once again direct you to read Ayoob's 'In the Gravest Extreme' and learn the
truth. The second thing is that birdshot makes a
lot of sense for home defense. I keep my home-defense 12 gauge loaded with
two #4 birdshot rounds followed by 00 buck. Birdshot is much less likely to
penetrate thin interior walls and kill innocent people on the other side, and
has lower recoil than buckshot for faster follow-up shots (I live in a
thin-walled apartment house, however - if I lived in a solid house with a lot
of land around, I would definitely choose buckshot instead). The stopping
power of birdshot should not be under-estimated: at ranges out to thirty feet
or so, birdshot is virtually a solid column of lead (imagine an angry swarm
of bees chasing Elmer Fudd and you'll get the idea). Choose any #4 or BB high
brass lead hunting load. I like the Federal "Classic Lead Hi-Brass"
#4 birdshot (HI26-4) and Winchester "Super-X" #4 high brass
birdshot (X12-4), but there is little difference between the various choices.
Buy whichever you please. If you're a bird hunter, use your favorite hunting
shells as long as they are #6 or larger. 10 Gauge Yow. Load your 10 gauge with whatever the
hell you want. RIFLE AMMUNITION BY CALIBER Rifles aren't a great choice for most
self-defense applications. Quoth Ayoob: "The rifle is not well suited to
the sudden, close-quarters deployment and maneuvering that is required of a
defensive firearm. On the battlefield, yes. In civilian close combat, no
way." Ayoob adds that "the rifle is too bulky for maneuvering
through doors and hallways, too long to quickly and surreptitiously pick up
when the attacker drops his guard, and too easy for the criminal to take away
if the homeowner's attention is diverted." That being said, if all you have is a
rifle then a rifle is what you use. Some liberal-infested cities ban handgun
ownership (Chicago, New York, Detroit), so you are stuck using shotguns and
rifles for home defense. Take some comfort from the fact that rifles have
better stopping power, are a strong visual deterrent, and are much easier to
hit with than any handgun. Never use ball (FMJ) for self-defense in a rifle. .22 Long Rifle A good semi-auto .22 rifle like the Ruger
10/22 or Marlin Model 60 can do the job when nothing else is available. Use
any high-velocity round (I like the CCI "Stinger" or CCI
"SGB" hunting load, #0058) and fire repeatedly. Multiple hits are
crucial with a .22: shoot and shoot and shoot some more. Stay away from the
after-market large-capacity magazines made by Ram-Line, Eagle, Hot Lips, etc:
these plastic nightmares are unreliable, jam-prone and easily breakable. Use
factory magazines only for self-defense, and keep a few spare loaded
magazines handy. .22 Magnum (.22 WMR) Any jacketed hollowpoint. Try the CCI
'Maxi-Mag' 40 grain hollow-point (0024), or whatever you prefer. .223 Remington (5.56x45mm NATO) This is the standard NATO rifle round and
the best choice for a self-defense rifle. Many top-notch rifles are (or were)
available in this caliber: the Colt AR-15, Ruger Mini-14, Steyr AUG, FN FNC,
et cetera. All good .223 defense rifles have been banned as "assault
rifles" - Thank you, Democrats - but you may already own one. If so,
lucky you. All .223 hollowpoints are good stoppers. I
really like the Federal 40 grain P223V high-velocity hollowpoint (formerly
called the "Blitz" round). Marshall says this is the #1 urban
defense load. It is lighter than other .223 bullets, however, so you'll need
to adjust your sights if you carry the P223V (it shoots lower than all other
.223 loads). If you want better penetration than the
P223V offers, choose any good 55-69 grain hollowpoint from a big name
manufacturer (I like Federal). Softpoints offer even greater penetration,
probably more than you need. Note: older .223 guns with a 1 in 12"
rifling twist shoot more accurately with 55 grain bullets (as they were
designed for the old U.S. Army M193 ball round). Newer rifles with a faster 1
in 7" twist (this includes the AR-15A2 and nearly all European models)
prefer the heavier 60-70 grain bullets (like the M855/SS109 ball round).
Ruger Mini-14 rifles have a 1 in 10" twist and do well with either
bullet weight. This is only important at longer ranges. Save the cheapo ball
rounds for practice. 7.62x39mm Soviet(7.62 mm Russian Short,
7.62 mm M43 Combloc) Some prefer this East Bloc cartridge to
the .223 for defense use. It is an excellent round, most commonly used in SKS
and AK-47 derived rifles, as well as the Ruger Mini-30. Use any 123-125 grain
softpoint from Cor-Bon, Federal, Winchester, or Remington. PMC makes a good
low-priced 125 grain softpoint (PMC762B) you might like if you have a lot of
magazines to fill. Russian hollowpoints have been imported recently, but I
know little of them. .30 M1 Carbine Never use ball in your M1 for defense! .30
Carbine ball sucks, but .30 Carbine hollowpoints work very well. Buy the
Winchester 110 grain Hollow Soft Point (X30M1) and forsake all others. I mean
it. .30-30 Winchester This hoary old round has survived so long
for a simple reason: it works. Load your Winchester or Marlin .30-30
lever-action rifle with any hollowpoint - I recommend the Federal 125 grain
(3030C). Leave the soft-points for hunting and practice. .308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO) An excellent rifle cartridge, perhaps the
best. The best .308 round in the world is the Federal Gold Medal 168 grain
Boat-Tail Hollowpoint Match (GM308M). Other boat-tail hollowpoints are good,
too. This is an excellent rifle caliber, the world standard. 9mm Parabellum Generally the same as for pistols, above.
The neat and handy Marlin Camp Carbine is totally reliable with Remington 115
grain jacketed hollow-points (R9MM1), so use them. Heckler & Koch, Uzi
and Colt 9mm carbines will feed anything, so I recommend the Cor-Bon 115 or
124 grain +P JHP. Any reliable hollowpoint is a good choice in a 9mm carbine,
and the long barrel makes for high velocity and effectiveness. .30-06 Springfield This excellent and time-proven cartridge
has too many top-notch loads to list. Knowledgeable men like the Federal Gold
Medal 168 grain boat-tail hollowpoint (GM3006M), using the superlative bullet
that made the .308 Federal Gold Medal a world-beater. .357 Magnum Follow the guidelines for revolvers,
above. The .357 makes an excellent carbine round for urban self-defense in a
Marlin lever-action or (my favorite) an Action Arms/Israeli Military
Industries "Timber Wolf" .357 pump-action carbine. .44 Magnum Pick any good hollowpoint, using the
guidelines for revolvers (above). Don't be tempted to use softpoints - these
hunting rounds will blow right through your foe. .45 ACP Select your hollowpoint according to its
reliability in your gun, using the guidelines for auto pistols, above. The
neat and handy Marlin Model 45 Sport Carbine is totally reliable with
Remington 185 grain jacketed hollow-points, so use them. The long barrel
gives you +P velocities without the damaging effects of +P pressure loads
(which should NOT be used in a Marlin). Auto-Ordnance Thompson semi-autos are
only reliable with 230 grain ball. THE
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