by Ted Hitchcock
9mm ammunition, also known as 9x19mm or 9mm Luger, is a popular cartridge for handguns and submachine guns. It was first developed by German arms manufacturer Georg Luger in 1902 and is currently used by many militaries and law enforcement agencies around the world.
The 9mm cartridge is a rimless, bottlenecked design with a diameter of 9mm and a length of 19mm. It typically has a bullet weight of around 115 grains and a muzzle velocity of around 1,200 feet per second. The cartridge case is made of brass or other metals and is typically reloadable.
One of the main advantages of 9mm ammunition is its high capacity. Many 9mm handguns can hold up to 17 rounds in a single magazine, while submachine guns can hold even more. This allows for a higher volume of fire, which can be useful in certain situations. Additionally, the 9mm cartridge is relatively inexpensive, making it a popular choice for target shooting and training.
However, there are also some disadvantages to 9mm ammunition. One issue is that the cartridge has a relatively low energy transfer, meaning it does not transfer as much energy to the target as some other cartridges. This can lead to reduced stopping power, which is why some law enforcement agencies and military units have switched to cartridges like the .40 S&W and .45 ACP.
The 9mm Luger is a popular cartridge for self-defense and law enforcement use due to its manageable recoil, high magazine capacity, and comparatively low cost. But it has been criticized for having low stopping power, particularly when compared to cartridges like the .45 ACP or .357 Magnum. However, it is important to note that the stopping power of a cartridge is not only determined by the caliber size but by other factors such as bullet design, velocity, weight, and energy. For example, the 9mm Luger cartridge has been improved by the development of more effective bullet designs such as the JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) and the V-Crown JHP (V-Shaped Crown Jacketed Hollow Point) which have been shown to have better terminal performance than traditional round-nose full metal jacket (FMJ) bullets.
Another issue is that 9mm ammunition can be prone to overpenetration, meaning the bullet can pass through a target and continue on, potentially hitting unintended targets. This is why law enforcement agencies often use hollow point or other types of ammunition that are designed to expand upon impact, reducing the risk of overpenetration. Hollow point bullets are designed to expand upon impact and create a larger wound channel, which can increase the chances of incapacitation. In addition, they are less likely to over-penetrate and hit unintended targets, as they tend to stop inside the target.
In recent years, the 9mm Luger cartridge has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to technological advancements in bullet design. The rise of newer, high-performance hollow point ammunition has led to the 9mm Luger becoming a more viable option for self-defense and law enforcement use. The Federal HST, Hornady Critical Defense, and Winchester PDX1 are among the most popular high-performance self-defense ammunition available today.
The 9mm Luger is also a popular cartridge for competition shooting, particularly in the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) and the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). The 9mm Luger cartridge is well-suited for these types of competition because it has low recoil, low noise, and is relatively inexpensive to shoot. Additionally, many of the newer, high-performance 9mm Luger ammunition options on the market today are well-suited for competition shooting as well.