Performance
The round was originally designed to be lethal to 50 m, although the bullet does travel and is lethal at slightly longer ranges.
The 9 mm cartridge combines a flat trajectory with moderate recoil. According to the 1986 book Handloading: "the modern science of wound ballistics has established beyond reasonable doubt that the 9mm cartridge is highly effective."
The energy delivered by most 9 mm loads allows for significant expansion and penetration with premium JHP bullets. Illinois State Police, Border Patrol, Federal Air Marshals and United States Secret Service favored and used 7.5 g (115 gr) +P+ 9 mm loads at 400 m/s (1,300 ft/s) for years with excellent results.Massad Ayoob has stated that the "Tried, Tested, and True" 7.5 g (115 gr) +P or +P+ is the best self-defense load in this caliber. Proponents of the hydrostatic shock theory contend that the energy of the 9mm cartridge is capable of imparting remote wounding effects known as hydrostatic shock, in human-sized living targets.
9×19mm Parabellum pistols with standard (not extended) double-stack magazines can hold up to 20 cartridges, such as the 9mm version of the SIG Sauer P226 Tactical Operations.
The table below shows common performance parameters for several 9×19mm loads. Bullet weights ranging from 115 to 147 gr (7.5 to 9.5 g) are common. Loads are available with energies from just over 400 J (300 ft·lb) to over 750 J (550 ft·lb), and penetration depths from 200 mm (8 in) to over 1.0 m (40 in) are available for various applications and risk assessments.
| Manufacturer | Load | Mass | Velocity | Energy | Expansion | Penetration | PC | TSC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cor-Bon | JHP | 7.5 g (115 gr) | 410 m/s (1,350 ft/s) | 630 J (465 ft·lb) | 14 mm (0.55 in) | 360 mm (14.2 in) | 56 mL (3.4 cu in) | 631 mL (38.5 cu in) |
| ATOMIC Ammo | JHP+P | 8.0 g (124 gr) | 400 m/s (1,300 ft/s) | 630 J (465 ft·lb) | 15 mm (0.60 in) | 330 mm (13 in) | 0 mL (0 cu in) | 0 mL (0 cu in) (est) |
| Speer | Gold Dot JHP | 8.0 g (124 gr) | 400 m/s (1,310 ft/s) | 640 J (472 ft·lb) | 18 mm (0.70 in) | 337 mm (13.25 in) | 84 mL (5.1 cu in) | 616 mL (37.6 cu in) (est) |
| Federal | HydraShok JHP +P+ | 8.0 g (124 gr) | 370 m/s (1,220 ft/s) | 560 J (410 ft·lb) | 17 mm (0.67 in) | 340 mm (13.4 in) | 77 mL (4.7 cu in) | 734 mL (44.8 cu in) |
| Remington | Golden Saber JHP | 9.5 g (147 gr) | 300 m/s (990 ft/s) | 430 J (320 ft·lb) | 16 mm (0.62 in) | 370 mm (14.5 in) | 72 mL (4.4 cu in) | 544 mL (33.2 cu in) |
| Winchester | Silvertip | 7.5 g (115 gr) | 373 m/s (1,225 ft/s) | 519 J (383 ft·lb) | 18 mm (0.72 in) | 200 mm (8.0 in) | 54 mL (3.3 cu in) | 274 mL (16.7 cu in) |
| Winchester | WWB JHP | 9.5 g (147 gr) | 300 m/s (990 ft/s) | 430 J (320 ft·lb) | 15 mm (0.58 in) | 400 mm (15.9 in) | 69 mL (4.2 cu in) | 321 mL (19.6 cu in) |
| Winchester | FMJ | 7.5 g (115 gr) | 352 m/s (1,155 ft/s) | 462 J (341 ft·lb) | 9.1 mm (0.36 in) | 620 mm (24.5 in) | 41 mL (2.5 cu in) | 174 mL (10.6 cu in) |
| Doubletap | JFN+P trail defense | 9.5 g (147 gr) | 346 m/s (1,135 ft/s) | 570 J (420 ft·lb) | 9.1 mm (0.36 in) | 1,000 mm (40 in) | NA | NA |
Key:
Expansion: expanded bullet diameter (ballistic gelatin).
Penetration: penetration depth (ballistic gelatin).
PC: permanent cavity volume (ballistic gelatin, FBI method).
TSC: temporary stretch cavity volume (ballistic gelatin).
Read more about this topic: 9×19mm Parabellum
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