The author recommends that when one chooses self-defense handgun ammunition that one should consider the following:
Quote:
Price: Honestly answer this question: What value do you place on your life, or those of your family members?
Expectations: Where do you live? From where do you anticipate a threat to emerge? What measures are you willing to take to stop a threat?
Reliability: Reliability is paramount in a defensive load; the ammunition must feed, fire, extract, and eject every time in your handgun.
Velocity: Bullets are designed to work within a specific window of velocities, and deviating from that range can cause the projectile to fail to expand (i.e. acting as a FMJ), over-expand, thereby reducing penetration, and even experience jacket-core separation or unintended fragmentation.
Accuracy: This is purely subjective. Does your ammunition/handgun combination need to be able to shoot 1” groups at 25 yds. to stop a threat? Or is 5” to 6” adequate? What about at 7 yds. with a “pocket” pistol? Is 2” sufficient? Choose wisely.
Cases: Nickel-plated or brass cases?
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He states by no means is this list all-inclusive; for example, one could also consider recoil (full power vs. reduced-recoil). But, hopefully this gives you some food for thought. It’s a potentially life-saving decision that shouldn’t be made haphazardly.