9mm Ballistics – the 9mm for Defense

One of the classic arguments in the world of handguns is the comparison of the 9mm vs .45 ACP for personal defense. Check out any forum dedicated to concealed carry and hand guns for self defense and you will find arguments about the benefits of the 9mm round compared to the .45 ACP. 9mm Ballistics compares the 9mm for Defense.

The problem with these arguments is that most of the “proof” is anecdotal and opinionated. If the two calibers are compared statically then the heavier larger diameter round will win. There is just no way to dispute that the larger .45 ACP makes a bigger hole. But any self defense scenario is not static but is dynamic where many more variables come in to play. For instance, the target is moving, the shooter is in some heightened emotional state induced by fear of death that ranges somewhere between mild agitation to uncontrolled panic.

Another variable is shot placement. Even if the target was standing completely still, and the shooter was completely calm and not in some state of duress there is no guarantee that the fired bullets would hit a vital organ and stop the threat.

A benefit that the 9mm has over the larger caliber is more ammunition, the ability to carry more ammunition in a smaller easier to conceal package.

The 9mm is commonly available in 115 grain, 124 grain, and 147 grain bullet weight. I prefer the lighter 115 grain for the 9mm because the lighter weight bullet will have higher velocity when it hits the target. However, the chart data does not support my assumption. Also note that the measured energy of the CorBon, MagTech, and Black Hills brands is equivalent to a 230 grain .45ACP. The 9mm bullet is about .355 in diameter before being fired and typically expands to .5 to .55 inch upon impact. As can be seen in the pictures below, the expansion characteristics of the 9mm rounds make them quite suitable for self defense.

While visiting the KelTec Owners Group forum I found a research project by a fellow KelTec PF9 owner that not only provides excellent comparison data of various brands of 9mm self defense JHP ammunition but also shows high quality pictures of the expansion and fragmentation of the tested 9mm rounds. The chart project and pictures compare the 9mm ballistics of various brands of 9mm for defense. Chart and pictures courtesy of Dr Don, who happens to hold a PhD in physics from MIT. The following is an exerpt from his original post:

“help you find a brand of SD ammo that is both reliable (the #1 requirement) and effective (penetration and expansion). Getting all these to happen simultaneously with a single brand of ammo in your own gun may be a daunting proposition.

As for me, I spent a lot of time (and yes, more money than I would have wanted) to test a wide range of 9mm rounds. The following table summarizes my results so far, and the photo following the table gives a rogue’s gallery of the expansion tests (fired through two layers of denim into water filled milk jugs). No, it’s not ballistic gelatin, but still provided me enough data to find what works best in my PF-9.”  Read the original post and view the chart at the KTOG Forum.

9mm Ballistics compares the 9mm for Defense

9mm Ballistics Using KelTec PF9 9mm for Defense

After studying the results I decided that I will use the Speer Gold Dot 115 grain and the Federal Personal Defense 115 grain rounds for my 9mm personal defense ammunition. As you can see in the pictures there are several other brands of 9mm that show excellent expansion and penetration under these simple test conditions. It isn’t possible to say definitively which is the best 9mm defense round but it is easy to select several examples that exhibit characteristics to show the 9mm is suitable for self defense.