I checked accuracy, penetration/expansion and chronographed both loads, which were fired from one of my Browning Mk III Hi Powers.
This Mk III was used with both loads. It has been used in more than a little chronograph work over the years. No accuracy work has been done on this pistol. It outshoots my capabilities as it came from the factory!
Both loads were fired at 15 yards and both grouped very well. When fired into super-saturated newsprint, both bullets expanded as expected.
On the left is the expanded 124-gr. XTP and on the right, the 147-gr. The lighter bullet penetrated 6" in the soaked newsprint, which should work out to about 9" in ballistic gelatin. The 147-gr. made an average of 6 1/2" or probably about 9 3/4" in bare gelatin. XTP's usually penetrate a bit better than today's results in my experience with them in similar "informal tests" and in the field on small and medium sized animals.
Fiocchi lists the 124-gr. at 1290 ft/sec and the 147-gr. at 950 ft/sec. Actual measured velocities based on 10 shots each fired 10' from the chronograph screens yielded signficantly lower speeds. The 124-gr. Extrema averaged 1072 ft/sec compared to 876 ft/sec for the 147-gr. Other 9mm 147-gr. loads I've chronographed averaged between approximately 975 and 1030 ft/sec. I am pretty well satisfied that however Fiocchi obtained its listed velocities for this load, a standard "service size" pistol was not used. (I had brought a Glock 26 along to provide average velocities for folks having smaller 9mm handguns, but didn't even break it out of the range box when I saw these velocity results.)
I have seen some conversations concerning why there is no "+P" designation on the 124-gr. load; the long-and-short of it is that it's just not necessary...for obvious reasons.
It is for individual shooters to decide if this is suitable defense ammunition. For me, it will used as range or target ammunition since it does have both light felt-recoil and very good accuracy at least from the Mk III Hi Power used today.
For folks wanting more specific information on these "informal tests", look here:
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/ammu ... %20XTP.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Best.