here is the FBI Report every gun owner should read......
i have looked over this thread and read alot of good info, but also alot of misguided info. first let me start off by saying that to the original question if you are looking for a 9mm with the most knockdown power for defense go with the 124 grain. now i realize most of you think im an idiot. hear me out. when looking at a defense round you want knockdown power. now i read someone on here mention bigger bullet=deeper penetration=better, that is wrong. knockdown power the transfer of kenetic energy from the bullet to the target, a bullet that penetrates deeper, heavier grains, hold on to the energy longer equaling less knockdown power. i mentioned knock down power is the transfer of kenetic energy. obiously the more kenetic energy the bullet has means the more knockdown it has. many will tell you this automatically means get the heavier 147 grain. again WRONG. between calibers heavier/bigger is better, for instance a 147 grain 9mm Hornady TAP with a velocity of 975 FPS has 310 ft/lbs of kinetic energy, a 230 grain .45 acp hornady TAP with a velocity of 950 FPS has 460 ft/lbs of kenetic enrgy, between calibers, bigger/heavier is better. within one caliber it is the opposite. proof= a 147 grain 9mm hornady TAP with a velocity of 975 FPS has 310 ft/lbs of kinetic energy, a 124 grain 9mm hornady TAP with a velocity of 1110 FPS has 339 ft/lbs of kinetic energy. also the lighter grain will dump more of its energy faster within the target. and when looking for knockdown you want higher kenetic energy with more energy dump/transfer. i hope this information has helped to correct some of the misinformed ideas and helped you make a decision for what you want. again i would say go with the lighter wieght 124 grain, you WILL get MORE knockdown, its all in the numbers
"a gun is just a chunk of steel, only when it is combined with intelligence does it become a weapon"
when looking at a defense round you want knockdown power. now i read someone on here mention bigger bullet=deeper penetration=better, that is wrong. knockdown power the transfer of kenetic energy from the bullet to the target, a bullet that penetrates deeper, heavier grains, hold on to the energy longer equaling less knockdown power
chances are that ill never need to use it. if a guy can take down an attacking bear with a 22 (very lucky) i think a 9mm or 380 in any grain will do fine for self defense. thanks for the response to all
I agree, use whatever you're comfortable with. But I highly recommend that you invest $20 or so into some good hollowpoints for your carry piece. They are much more effective.
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I have heard several supposedly experts argue against hollow points for .380 and below. Expansion is no good if it only travels a few inches, and then there is the time of year. I don't carry my 9X18 in cold weather, if I do it is with FMJ. My concern with self defense ammo is it hitting an innocent. In my Star 9 mm Largo I use only hollow points, in alloy framed guns hollow points can damage the feed ramp. I am looking for 12 inches of penetration from any round, if a hollow point cannot do that I stick to FMJ, or soft point ammo. I use pure lead in my 38 spl, they flatten out nicely and penetrate.
Ok, why do you need 12 inches of penetration? Just how thick is this guy that you want to stop? If he's not a foot thick, you have just lost atleast a third of your energy transfer. That is what stops the bad guys. I'd rather have 6 inches of penetration than 18. Overpenetration is a huge loss of KT.
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Ok, why do you need 12 inches of penetration? Just how thick is this guy that you want to stop? If he's not a foot thick, you have just lost atleast a third of your energy transfer. That is what stops the bad guys. I'd rather have 6 inches of penetration than 18. Overpenetration is a huge loss of KT.
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When more than 1/3 of U.S. adults are obese, it's a lot more likely than you'd think. I'm 6'3" and weigh about 160 pounds, not heavy by any standard. My abdomen is over 6" from front to back. Your also assuming that an attacker is directly facing you, allowing for a straight head on bullet trajectory and not standing at any sort of an angle with his side facing you, or above/below you elevation wise. I would definitely agree that over penetration is not a good thing, but you have to balance it out is what I'm trying to say.