Six Things to Consider When Choosing Self-Defense Handgun Ammunition

[T.S.]

The author recommends that when one chooses self-defense handgun ammunition that one should consider the following:

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?

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.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/blog...4270&cat=13032

Six Things to Consider When Choosing Self-Defense Handgun Ammunition

June 06, 2014