preferred Kahr PM gun loading....?

[JERRY]

what is your preferred carry load in your PM Kahrs be it PM9, PM40, or PM45.

i ask this about these guns specifically because the size, weight, and ergonomoics can make one round "feel" different in similar size guns....

what i mean is a light weight officers .45acp can make the Win STHP 45acp round feel different than when that same round is fired out of a P45....

so, what is your preferred carry load for each PM gun and why? what makes it your choice?

[Bill K]

I've carried (and still carry) both Black Hills 115 EXP and 124 +P. Felt recoil is about the same to me. Where I do notice a difference is in how much farther the 124 +Ps casings get ejected than the 115 EXPs casings.

[TucsonMTB]

I like Winchester Ranger JHP, both 135 and 180 grain, because they were cheap when I discovered them and performed well in the "Internet expert YouTube" tests I saw. Of course, most of us look for supporting data after we make up our minds and there are plenty of positive comments about this ammo to be found.

Finally, I did my own expansion test in water jugs through my PM40. Now I really like this bargain ammo that feeds with 100% reliability in both my guns.

It's worth noting that this 135 grain in "fotay" seems to have about the same recoil as friend's 9mm in the very limited number of PM9's I have had a chance to fire. Life is good. :D

[JERRY]

that 135gr. 40cal load zips along at a pretty good clip even from a short barrel and while not optimal for police work, for up close personal defense is more than adequate.

does anybody use FMJ in their short barrel .45acps? this is not intended to start a caliber war or whatever, but given the .45acp low velocity and even lower speeds from shorter barrels, and the inherent feed reliability of FMJ, the likelyhood of over penetration on a solid hit is minimal.

regarding the use of FMJ, ive always preferred a h.p. over FMJ in service calibers if they are equally reliable in the specific gun; and that one is more likely to miss a target completely than have a round over penetrate and strike an inocent down range.

[Shark1007]

9mm I like the 147 grain HST and the 127+p+ Ranger., also Gold Dot 124+p.

.45 I like the Gold Dot 230 hp, the HST 230 hp and the RangerT 230

.40 I like the 165gr RangerT and the 180 gr HST

I carry 147 HST primarily in the nine, 180HST in the .40 and 230HST in the PM45 along with Gold Dot most often. I never rechamber a round for carry twice and practice with carry loads.

I have some .45 Corbon DPX, but don't us it too much. I've had a feeding issue or two and others with Corbon.

What makes the choices above is research on dependability, state of the art bullet techniques and a proven street record. God forbid we'd ever have to fire a round to save our life or a loved one's, but I stay prepared, things don't seem to be getting better.

I had a cancer bout recently and found that the one thing I could do that would occupy my mind was to immerse in research on handguns and ammo. I was LEO back in the day and had a fair base of knowledge, but those sleepless nights were spent researching and evaluating. I have a CM9, K40 Covert and PM45 and have shot all the above with great accuracy and performance.

[muggsy]

For the 9mm I use the Speer 127 gr. gold dot and for the .380 auto Remington 102 gr. Golden Saber.

[WMD]

My preferred round in 9mm, 38spl, 357mag, and 45acp is Rem Golden Saber. In 45 I have also used Gold Dot and look at that as choice number 2. the GS has low felt recoil. There was a test of self defense ammo in a trade mage a short time ago and GS came in second. If I recall, Critical Defense wa their first choice. The difference they described between the two rounds were so slight, it did not concern me. I think if I hit someone with Gs they are not going to say.... "ha ha, you should have shot me with Critical Defense!". :D

Actually, I think any of the name brands are pretty good as long as they function in your CCW.

[JERRY]

In my pm9 i currently have federal hst 124gr. Seems to work well.....but i feel most any mid weight standard pressure load will do well in this little gun.

If and when my pm45 proves itself worthy i would have no problem carrying it with fmj if thats whats the only reliable configuration it will shoot reliably; given the low speed, large profile of the .45acp

[Bawanna]

It should shoot most defense ammo, hollow points etc. If it doesn't it still needs work. They really aren't ammo sensitive.

[wyntrout]

I prefer BONDED bullets where the jacket stays with the lead and goes along causing more damage with the sharp pointy bits.
P380: Buffalo Bore 90-gr +P Gold Dots
PM9: 124-gr +P GDSB
K9: Double Tap 124-gr +P GD's or regular Speer 124-gr +P GDs
P40: 165-gr GD's
PM45: 230-gr GDSB
Larger .45's get 230-gr GD's or Bonded Remington Golden Sabers (BJHP=Brass jacketed Hollow Points)

Wynn:)

[Nimrod]

In my 9mm's I use Cor-Bon 115 gr JHP +P.
In .40's I use Federal Hydra-Shok 155 gr.

These work well in my Kahrs.

[wyntrout]

Speaking of .45 Blazer and deals... Natchez has a good deal: CCI Blazer 45 ACP 230 gr FMJ Ammunition 50/box




http://www.natchezss.com/images/products/_med/CC3570_med.jpg (http://www.natchezss.com/images/products/CC3570.jpg)
Product Number: CC3570 Web Product Title: BLAZER 45 ACP 230GR FMJ Item Price: $24.83 http://www.natchezss.com/images/misc/spacer.gif http://www.natchezss.com/images/misc/now.jpg$14.99 Multiple Qty Discounts: 10 items at $13.99 each Availability: In Stock Shipping Weight: 2.34 lbs.
45 ACP, 230gr., FMJ

Ammo prices getting you down? Want more practice shots per dollar? Get CCI Blazer. We perfected the economical cartridge case and pass the savings to you. Non-reloadable cases are aircraft grade aluminum that's heat treated for maximum strength. Add to that famous Speer bullets and reliable CCI Primers and you have economy, accuracy, and performance. We offer a variety of bullet weights and types not found in "white box" ammunition from other manufacturers. Blazer is the perfect training companion to Speer's Lawman and Gold Dot ammunition. Available in calibers from 25 Auto to 45 Colt. 50/box



http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=CC3570&lsrc=NZ&utm_source=NZ&src=BE1015

There may be better deals out there... and brass-cased ones, but I don't reload and this was in my email from Natchez.

Wynn:)

[JERRY]

Natches wont ship to alabama.

[wyntrout]

Under the Ammo Sub Forum there are several threads where we posted our favorite ammo links:

http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=11302

http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?p=137336#post137336

There are several compilations of favorites.

Wynn:)

[Sgt.K]

PM9 and Glock 26, Speer 124 gr +P, practice 124 NATO.

[el_presidente]

I've researched ammo a fair bit over the years by looking at different wetpack/water jug/gel tests on different forums, and I've never seen anything bad about Remington Golden Sabre at any barrel length in any caliber I've cared to carry (.380, 38, .357, 9, .45). That being said, I have some Ranger that I do use for carry in my 3" XD subcompact. I'd be happy to use any out of Speer and Winchester, but I really love the GS.

[garyb]

The commercial SD ammo out there is all very good and will work effectively. For my PM40 I went with 165gr Win Ranger T's (Talons) because they were inexpensive for the volume and I like the way they expanded - aggressive. Turns out they shoot great. However, I could have just as easily gone with Corbons, Feds HST's, other Wins, Hornady, etc.... in 165 or 180's. Honestly, don't think it matters all that much, as long as you select something decent. Some may be slightly better than others, but all are very good. Anymore, I have decided that I would not get too hung up on arguing/supporting any one product or caliber or gun. Just Know Your Sword. JMO.

[Barth]

Glock G27 40-9mm
SD: Winchester Ranger T-Series 127 gr +P+
Range: Winchester Nato 124

HK P30 40
Winchester Ranger T-Series 165 gr
Winchester WWB 165 gr
Kahr MK40
Speer GDHP 180 Short Barrel
Any 180 FMJ

H&K HK45C
Winchester Ranger T-Series 230 gr +P
Federal HST 230 gr +P
Winchester WWB 230 gr

[SDGlock23]

I've ran a number through my CM40, and with the .40 it's hard to find a bad JHP load really. 180's are the softest shooting, but I do like 165's in general, while the 155's and even 135's aren't bad choices. Most factory 165's hover around 1100 fps from the 3" Kahr CM40.

I've even loaded 200gr JHP's and clocked them going almost 1000 fps from the 3" barrel, and 180gr JHP's doing 1100 from a 3" bbl...which can definitely create some recoil, but it's all just part of the fun of trying different things out.