JHP or FMJ for defensive carry?

[nimravus01]

I choose JHP for reasons already stated. Not all hollow points are created equal, though. I recently switched from Federal Hydra-shok to Federal HST in my 9mm.

Here is a very comprehensive test of the most popular SD rounds available: http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-de ... tic-tests/

[The Annoyed Man]

I absolutely never use FMJ for defensive carry. IMO this would be irresponsible. Over penetration. Over penetration. Over penetration.

What Joe said.

FMJ has notoriously poor stopping ability in 9mm. I once had a 15 or 20 minute conversation with a guy who had been shot right in the heart with a 9mm FMJ. He would have eventually died. But he was laying there quite calmly, talking in normal tones to me, while we were prepping him for surgery. The bullet had punched all the way through and exited his back, and the holes in his pericardium had sealed up, and he was bleeding into the pericardial sac causing a tamponade - which would have eventually killed him, but just not right away.

What if there had been an innocent 3rd party standing behind him? He was in the middle of trying to rob a liquor store, and the clerk shot him. What if someone had walked in the door right at that moment? That bullet may well have seriously injured that 3rd person.

The JHP is far more likely to stay in the target person's body. Unless they fail to open up, they will cause a larger permanent wound channel. If they do fail to open up, they are at least no worse than an FMJ. JHPs are often a hotter load, being propelled to slightly higher velocities than an FMJ of similar weight.

Inside the home, a FMJ is far more likely to penetrate walls, possibly hurting or killing whomever is on the other side. Do you have kids?

FMJs should only be carried as self-defense ammo if there are no alternatives, OR, if your gun is unreliable enough that it will only feed FMJ with some degree of reliability. But if you gun is that bad, you don't have an ammo problem, you've got a gun problem.

[pushpullpete]

JHP here. FMJ is good for punching targets, it goes through too many other things.

[twomillenium]

The only exception for fmj in my EDC would be 230 gr .45 fmj. Everything else, jhp.
In a 9mm especially, go heavy and/or fast (147 or 125+P).

No reasonable excuse for choosing fmj in EDC unless, you carry a 380 acp

[madwildcat]

The only exception for fmj in my EDC would be 230 gr .45 fmj. Everything else, jhp.
In a 9mm especially, go heavy and/or fast (147 or 125+P).

No reasonable excuse for choosing fmj in EDC unless, you carry a 380 acp

For the under-enlightened, why the switch over at 380 (i.e. FMJ in 380, but not at 9mm)?

[GlassG19]

That's easy,,,
Winchester 9mm +P 124gr JHP all the way & for all the reason's as described above. JHP FOR SURE.

[joe817]

The only exception for fmj in my EDC would be 230 gr .45 fmj. Everything else, jhp.
In a 9mm especially, go heavy and/or fast (147 or 125+P).

No reasonable excuse for choosing fmj in EDC unless, you carry a 380 acp

For the under-enlightened, why the switch over at 380 (i.e. FMJ in 380, but not at 9mm)?

It has to do with the penetration ability of the round. A .380 does not have the kinetic energy(velocity, mass) that a larger round has.

[Mike S]

The only exception for fmj in my EDC would be 230 gr .45 fmj. Everything else, jhp.
In a 9mm especially, go heavy and/or fast (147 or 125+P).

No reasonable excuse for choosing fmj in EDC unless, you carry a 380 acp

For the under-enlightened, why the switch over at 380 (i.e. FMJ in 380, but not at 9mm)?

JHP's reliable expansion are a result of velocity (& design) ,& most .380s & below have slower velocities. There's some that may defy this characteristic like all-copper bullets.

Another drawback to using JHPs in .380 & below is feeding issues with some pistols; but like someone already said, that's a pistol-problem more than an ammo problem.

[Sig Texas]

FMJ is for the range. JHP for self defense.
Speer Gold Dot or Federal HST is my EDC.

[parabelum]

The only exception for fmj in my EDC would be 230 gr .45 fmj. Everything else, jhp.
In a 9mm especially, go heavy and/or fast (147 or 125+P).

No reasonable excuse for choosing fmj in EDC unless, you carry a 380 acp

Unless you are in cold climate where everyone is wearing multiple layers of heavy clothing...
I'd carry 230 .45 fmj there.

[GlassG19]

The only exception for fmj in my EDC would be 230 gr .45 fmj. Everything else, jhp.
In a 9mm especially, go heavy and/or fast (147 or 125+P).

No reasonable excuse for choosing fmj in EDC unless, you carry a 380 acp

Unless you are in cold climate where everyone is wearing multiple layers of heavy clothing...
I'd carry 230 .45 fmj there.

Well, we don't have to carry that ammo (230 .45 fmj) here in South Texas cause definitely doesn't get that cold where you'd have to wear multiple layers here,, not here in South Texas, Houston & Gulf Coast area. Barely gets below '32 degrees in winter & if it does, it doesn't last 1-2 days at most. You'd have to live in the far North panhandle & West Texas. Matter of fact, suppose to be around 88 degrees here in S.Texas tomorrow.

[parabelum]

The only exception for fmj in my EDC would be 230 gr .45 fmj. Everything else, jhp.
In a 9mm especially, go heavy and/or fast (147 or 125+P).

No reasonable excuse for choosing fmj in EDC unless, you carry a 380 acp

Unless you are in cold climate where everyone is wearing multiple layers of heavy clothing...
I'd carry 230 .45 fmj there.

Well, we don't have to carry that ammo (230 .45 fm just) here in South Texas cause definitely doesn't get that cold where you'd have to wear multiple layers here,, not here in South Texas, Houston & Gulf Coast area. Barely gets below '32 degrees in winter & if it does, it doesn't last 1-2 days at most. You'd have to live in the far North panhandle & West Texas. Matter of fact, suppose to be around 88 degrees here in S.Texas tomorrow.

True indeed.

[tms119]

JHP or unless as others have stated its a .380. There are some interesting videos on YouTube that test .380 fmj vs jhp

[Jago668]

In 9mm the Lehigh Defense 90gr xtreme defender is kind of interesting for a solid projectile (not the 115gr xtreme penetrator). You don't get any expansion, but it has extremely consistent penetration even through barriers. Take a lot more testing before I switched from my 124gr Gold Dots, but they are interesting.

EDIT: to clarify

Would take a lot more testing before I would switch from the Gold Dots.

[rentz]

I just use blanks, scare em with noise.
seriously though JHP