Ammunition Suggestions Please...

[acroreef]

I am a police officer and just purchased a CM9 for off-duty carry. Any suggestions for the very best defense ammo? Thanks in advance to everyone who responds.

[Bawanna]

If your duty gun is also a 9, I'd try that same brand to see if it works.
Kahrs generally are not ammo sensitive. The very best kind of ammo is free ammo so if you get an alottment from your agency as some do that would be my first choice.
At my dept we've had 9's, 40's, and now 45's. I'm allowed to issue practice or carry ammo if or as long as I have it on hand. Oddly we're critically low on 45 right now, can't seem to keep up the inventory.

Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST, Golden Sabre heard several here that use and like it in their 9's.

The Winchester is good. Heck theres tons of good stuff to choose from now days.

I'll let others who use the 9 more address this some but you got lots of choices.

The CM 9 should make a very good backup/off duty gun for you. They are a great little gun.

[MW surveyor]

"Oddly we're critically low on 45 right now, can't seem to keep up the inventory."

^^^Now why would I not doubt that.^^^

[jdavis]

Bawanna has given good advice.
A couple of other good rounds to consider are:
Winchester PDX1 124 GR +P bonded JHP (expanison similar to Black Talon)
Speer Gold Dot 124 GR JHP "Short Barrel"

[O'Dell]

Bawanna speaks the truth. I like GS's and HST's, but there's ton of good ones out there.

[Too Tall Todd]

Critical defense work well in my p9

[jocko]

I am a police officer and just purchased a CM9 for off-duty carry. Any suggestions for the very best defense ammo? Thanks in advance to everyone who responds.

as I hate to admit it, Bawanna is right, shoot the same ammo u presently carry if u carry a 9. U got a real dandy with that cm9, now if anything do read the karh tech section kahd hit on two great stickys

#1 Kahr lube chart

#2 Propper prepping of ur new kahr.

then just shoot it lie u stole it--copper!!!

[acroreef]

Thank you gentlemen for the excellent suggestions. We carry a SIG 40 but I think I will really love my CM9. I purchased it from a private seller with 200 rounds through - looks new. I will read/follow the prep threads.

Thanks again for the civil and very helpful tone of this board. You fellas are a class act!!

Acroreef

[bonjorno2]

I use speer gold dot, but see what round feeds well and is best for your gun!

[bonjorno2]

oh yeah, make sure you shoot it at least 150-200 times fmj and a few magazines of self defense ammo... stay safe out there!

[Tmygun]

Thank you gentlemen for the excellent suggestions. We carry a SIG 40 but I think I will really love my CM9. I purchased it from a private seller with 200 rounds through - looks new. I will read/follow the prep threads.

Thanks again for the civil and very helpful tone of this board. You fellas are a class act!!

Acroreef

I use Rem. 124gr.+P Golden Saber ammo in my CM9. GS ammo has been around for a while and has a very good reputation. But there are many other good choices.
Thanks for serving your community as a law officer, Acroreef. Stay safe.

Tmygun:)

[RVER]

I have had 100% functioning with Corbon 115 Gr +P JHP and Speer 124 Gr GDHP. I am issued the Speer 124 Gr GD JHP (standard velocity) but wanted a bit more velocity. Cheaper Than Dirt has the Federal 9BPLE +P+ JHP load in 50 roud boxes for about $17.00. Stay safe.

[Rainman48314]

I am a police officer and just purchased a CM9 for off-duty carry. Any suggestions for the very best defense ammo? Thanks in advance to everyone who responds.
I find this Federal to be inexpensive enough that I can shoot it at the range regularly. It works well in my M&P9 and Kahr PM9. These are 50 round boxes while most other JHP comes in 20 or 25s.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AMM4061-1.html

I use Speer LE Gold Dots in my Sig P238 because the Sig repair shop uses them in testing and recommends it in .380 Auto. I'm sure its good stuff in 9x19 too, just more costly.

If you wouldn't mind sharing where you carry and with what holster, if any.

[Chowser]

I'm still waiting for mine to come in. we stock winchester ranger in 147gr SXT and Bonded JHP, so that's what i'll be carrying.

funny, our duty round is the .357sig and we stock 125gr for that.

[CJB]

Nice to see a LEO here, and using Kahr. Good show!

[RogerP9fan]

Federal HST 147g +P here.
Have you seen tnoutdoors you tube ballistics testing of this? OMG And it wasn't even the +P variety. Unbelievable. Anybody who ever doubted the 9mm should watch the results of those tests.

[ricklee4570]

I like the Hornady Critical Defense as far as functioning and accuracy. I have yet to hear any "street results" from this load, but it does look good in ballistic gel and other lab testing.

[TominCA]

I have good results with Black Hills 115 grain HP Extra Power. Box of 50 won't break the bank.

[myname]

I use these - Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P HP Short Barrel in my PM9 ( I'm gonna send some to 45HST so he can be properly armed ) :D

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z336/barry9461/DSCF0974.jpg :eek:

[green02crew]

I'm still waiting for mine to come in. we stock winchester ranger in 147gr SXT and Bonded JHP, so that's what i'll be carrying.

funny, our duty round is the .357sig and we stock 125gr for that.


I second Chowser. I just put an order in for the Winchester Ranger 147gr Bondeds #RA9B. That is my off duty carry round as soon as it comes in. Reviews are phenomenal. Civilian version as well, same round with part #: S9MMPDB1
Might be easier to come by locally in that version, just couple bucks more a box. I read online from Winchester that the recommend the 147gr in short barrels over the +P rounds in 124gr. Story goes the 147gr stays in the barrel longer, burning the powder while the +P's shoot out fast with excess burnoff after the round has exited the short barrel. Just a thought.

Did I mention the FBI has a contract for those rounds? Might be a reason...
For more convincing, check out this thread:
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=23210
Pay close attention to the emails received from Paul Nowak, Senior Technical Specialist at Winchester Law Enforcement Ammunition

[carnesee]

Ditto on Too Tall Todd's Hornaday Critical defense.

[10Kahrs]

You can't go wrong with Speer gold dots 124gr +P in 9mm.

[Barth]

From our friends at Speer -
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++
Speer® LE Gold Dot® Short Barrel Duty Ammunition
Packing a short barrel once meant less velocity and less reliable expansion. Speer has created an entire category of specialized ammunition designed specifically for back-up guns. Gold Dot Short Barrel was introduced in 2004 and designed from the ground up to work in 2-inch barrels. We redesigned select Gold Dot bullets to make the cavity larger for reliable expansion at the reduced velocities common to short barrel handguns. You also get less "kick" to keep you on target when wielding sharp snapping .357 and .44 Magnum revolvers. And if a semi-auto is your gun of choice, our offerings are ideal for expansion in barrels as short as three inches. Available in 9mm +P, 38 Special +P, 357 Magnum, 40 S&W, 44 Magnum and 45 Auto.

[green02crew]

I love ammunition discussions. Velocity is just a factor in an ammunition choice, it is not the end all be all. You also want to consider penetration and mushroom of the round once it hits the target, unless of course you're going for fragmentation. A heavier round will penetrate further than a lighter grain bullet, even though it is travelling at a lower velocity. It also has the tendency to be more stable and have greater mushroom effect due to the larger round size. Speer Gold Dots are not bad rounds at all. But are they the best for this gun? I don't know. It depends what your gun will shoot well and more importantly what you can shoot well. +P ammo has the tendency to give a larger recoil than a heavier grain bullet with standard pressures. That has an effect on ones follow up shots. All in all, the best bullet to carry is the one with you that you are able to fire accurately. There are as many theories on ammunition as there are on how the world started. Find one that you shoot well and that works and stick with it. My vote still goes for the ones that were specifically designed for a large government contract. The same round was designed in 5.56 to fit the bill for everything, hence a $97 million dollar contract. Says a lot right there. Now government agencies are purchasing them for .40, 9mm and .45. Lots spent in testing and R&D right there. Science is hard to beat when it comes to ammunition, as close as you can get to the real life trials.