Purchased Ruger LC9 What Ammo Would You Recommend For Personal Protection


theohiostate77

New member
Just purchased the Ruger LC9 was looking for some input on the best personal protection ammo. Any recommendations would really be appreciated.
 

I carry Hornety Critical Defense. I've shot a few at the range and seem to work successful with the milk jugs and wet paper. Just remember the LC9 is not recommend for +p or +p+
 
:pleasantry:One thing to remember about a shooting incident is that you are responsible for where your round goes after the gun goes bang. For best personal protection, you want ammunition with enough penetration to do the job without over-penetrating. My recommendation is any reputable brand in semi-jacketed hollow point. This gives good penetration, and for the most part, not too much over-penetration. Talk to some of your local defense instructors to see what they recommend. Stay away from ball ammunition and wad cutters as they have a tendency to over-penetrate soft tissue.
 
I have a question also about ammo for LC9. Is Speer Gold Dot 124 good to use. The dealer where I bought my gun said it should be okay. What do you guys think
 
I use PMC Bronze for target/practice shooting, and Federal Premium hollow points for CC protection. Have fired lots of each and never had a problem.
 
Although I do not own an LC9, I have had very good luck with the Speer Gold Dot 124 gr. It functions flawlessly in my Kahr PM9 and HK P30. I have also had good luck with the Hornady TAP/FPD rounds. MOST IMPORTANTLY -- Take your gun and carry ammo to the range and try it. Be "beyond certain" that it will feed and function in your weapon!
 
choosing 9mm self defense ammo

Just purchased the Ruger LC9 was looking for some input on the best personal protection ammo. Any recommendations would really be appreciated.

Congrats on your purchase.

Everyone has their favorite, but before you go any further I highly recommend that you read this web page as it is chock full of information.

Link Removed


Excerpt regarding 9mm ammo:​



If you take all of these criteria into account, the lists should come as no surprise. Please note that all of the recommended pistol loads listed below have been personally tested and vetted by Dr. Roberts. THEY ARE NOT IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE, SO ANY BULLET ON THE LIST IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE.


9mm
  • Barnes XPB 115gr HP (35515) loaded by Cor-Bon (DPX09115)
  • Winchester Partition Gold 124gr JHP (RA91P)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 127gr JHP +P+ (RA9TA)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 147gr JHP (RA9T)
  • Winchester Bonded 147gr JHP (RA9B/Q4364)
  • Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP +P (53617)
  • Speer Gold Dot 147gr JHP (53619)
  • Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP (GS9MMC)
  • Federal Tactical 124gr JHP (LE9T1)
  • Federal Tactical 135gr JHP +P (LE9T5)
  • Federal HST 147gr JHP (P9HST2)

You might notice that the list does NOT include any lightweight bullets with the exception of the Barnes 115gr version. The reason - especially if you've read the beginning of this article - should be clear already, but Doctor Roberts sums it up nicely as well: "With the exception of the Barnes 115 gr XPB all copper projectile, in general, most 9 mm 115 gr loads have demonstrated greater inconsistency, insufficient penetration, poor intermediate barrier capability, and failure to expand in denim testing than other 9mm bullets. For those individuals wanting to use lighter weight, supersonic 9 mm’s, I think a better alternative than the vast majority of 115 gr loads is to use the slightly heavier 124 to 127 gr bullets or the Barnes 115 gr all copper bullet"​


Based on the data on that web page (similar data posted elsewhere on the web) and also the information found on this page:

Ammunition For The Self-Defense Firearm

I carry Cor-Bon DPX 9mm 115gr JHP (which is +P) in all of my weapons (listed first). It has excellent speed vs. weight characteristics, as well proven expansion capabilities.

NOTE: for ANY self-defense round, you should run several rounds through your weapon to make sure that your weapon will fire that bullet without fail. Yes, I know that self-defense rounds are expensive, but trust me: it is far better to put a few hundred dollars of SD rounds down range than to find out that your gun jams with the rounds of choice at a crucial moment.

Additionally, you should inspect EVERY SELF-DEFENSE ROUND that you load into your self defense gun, and check them for flaws.

Best of luck finding something that works for you.
 
+1 for Hornady CD

It seems to me you want controlability with lethality in a personal defense round. Hornady Critical Defense appears to provide a great compromise between recoil and penetration.

My $0.02 worth.

Be safe out there.

/Lee
Harrisburg, PA
 
speer gold dot for sure. The critical defense is cool but the reviews I have seen show it does not shoot at the advertised feet per second and is not designed to shoot through walls, glass, etc. You never know what you will need it for and gold dot or corbin is a better way to go
 
Hornady Critical Defense is the best possible ammo that you can run through your pistol. It has great penetration and expansion just what you need for personal defense. Try it, you can't go wrong.
 
First run 150 rounds of FMJ Ball ammo thru your LC9 -- then run 50 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense ammo thru it.
You will really like the Hornady, shoots well, low muzzle flash, low recoil, accurate. I use Hornady Critical Defense in both my carry guns.

:victory:
 
I use 9mm hollow point hydrashock ammo in my for daily carry.

i agree with the hydra shock ammo. It expands on contact, and although this is more deadly, the primary reason I like it is that the "target" takes most of the kinetic force and the projectile is less likely to hit someone else. This is assuming that you can hit your target.
 

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