Trigger Talk …Selecting defensive handgun ammunition.
Aren’t all bullets alike? Can I just buy the cheapest? Are hollow-points illegal?… These are questions I often hear from new shooters, so let’s clear up the confusion.
Inexpensive ammo is fine for practice and breaking in a new gun. Buy as many rounds as you can afford and pull the trigger often. A firearm purchased for self defense should have 400 to 500 rounds fired through it before carrying. This break-in allows the parts to smoothly function together improving reliability. The last 50 – 100 rounds should be with your selected self defense ammo to ensure the rounds feed reliably.
Self defense ammo is expensive, while practice ammo may cost $10-$15 for 50 rounds; it is not unusual to pay $30 – $40 for 20 rounds of premium self defense ammo. Remember, you may have to count on your firearm to save your life; you want the same reliable performance from your ammunition that you expect from your gun.
The goal of self defense ammo is to transfer as much energy as possible to the target while preventing over penetration. Practice/Target or Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) ammunition often retains its shape passing cleanly through the threat and continuing on through walls and distances striking unintended objects or people. You are responsible to ensure the safety of others even in a self defense situation.
A common method to promote bullet expansion is a hollow point. The cavity in the front of the bullet fills with tissue and forces the sides outward like the petals of a flower. This increased diameter helps transfer more energy to the threat, preventing over penetration as well as increasing the chance of damaging vitals organs and the nervous system.
Some makers of defensive ammunition use a plastic plug in the tip to aid expansion by preventing the hollow point from clogging with clothing such as denim or leather. Other special features may include special propellants to reduce recoil and muzzle flash for quicker follow-up shots and to protect your night vision, with some rounds specially designed for short barrel guns such as snub nose revolvers.
The profiles of defensive bullets vary greatly and different guns have varying styles of feed ramps so you may have to try several brands before you find one that your gun “Likes” and will feed reliably.
Next month we’ll talk about Sights and Optics. Future topics will include personal defense training, “Concealed Carry” handgun selection, gun cleaning, storage and more!
Until then …….Safe Shooting!
Dick Cupka is an NRA Certified Pistol, Personal Defense in the Home and Concealed Pistol License Instructor. You can reach him by e-mail at….. triggertalk.dc@gmail.com