I think I’m going to do a bit of a series here. I’m going to go over a few basics. Those of you that have carried for years can probably skip this one. For the rest, these are some things I wish I’d known when I started. I’m not sure how many entries there will be; we’ll just have to see how it shakes out.
To be clear: if you meet the legal requirements to carry a gun where you live then I’m not in any way telling you that you should not do so. It’s your right and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t or shouldn’t do it.
These are just some things I think might be a good idea. Today we’re going to talk about ammunition and practice.
OK. So you bought a gun. You’ve purchased some good defensive ammo and some practice ammo. You’ve gone out and gotten some training and put in some practice time.
Is it enough?
Table of Contents
What do I mean defensive and practice ammunition?
I’m going to talk a bit about approximate prices. These numbers can vary, but I’m looking at a couple online sites as I write, so the numbers are close as of 9/4/2022.
One thing that I am sure of; good JHP ammo is always more expensive than good FMJ.
Good defensive ammo can be a bit pricey. Even now, after things are returning to something like normal, it’s in the vicinity of $1 a round for normal, popular autoloader calibers: 9mm, .45 ACP, and .40 S&W. It was there before COVID, so that’s not really surprising. If you can afford that, by all means go ahead and practice with that as much as you want.
I’m somewhat more frugal (aka, cheaper) than that. So I buy hardball, FMJ, round nose, whatever you want to call it. The stuff that’s currently around $.30 – $.35 a round for 9mm.
The picture below is a sample; there are certainly other good brands than CCI. I have some Israeli Military Industries round nose around here somewhere that works fine.
Compare this to defensive ammo. The picture below shows what I use; I’ve used Federal HST ever since I started carrying. There are certainly other good options, but I’ve found something that works; I’d need a compelling reason to change and I just don’t have one now.
Although I came close recently since it’s not always easy to find this right now.
One thing I want to mention: the practice ammo pictured is 115 gr and the defensive is 124 gr. I don’t normally do that. I prefer the two types to be as close as possible. In this case, I had an issue: COVID prices/availability. I had to get what I could.
And, realistically, the difference between 115 gr and 124 gr 9mm is pretty marginal. I’d be more worried if one of the two was 147 gr.
How to use the two types.
The majority of your shooting will be with the FMJ. That’s where you’re going work on your trigger, stance, sight alignment and picture, etc.
You honestly should do this as much as you can afford. Shooting is a perishable skill. Short version: I was unable to get to a range for a couple months and I got much, much worse.
I’ve been able to get back; I’m back up to at least every other week, and I’m mostly doing weekly. My targets show the results.
I’ve mentioned before that dry fire is a great training aid, but sooner or later you’re going to have to put rounds down the barrel to get the full experience of the noise, blast, and recoil. And you have to see where the rounds are going.
We’ve talked you, now let’s talk the tools.
So your skill level matters. So does your gun. It’s not common in modern guns, but at one time the recommendation was that you put at least 500 rounds of break-in through a gun before you trust it.
I still do the 500 round thing. It may not be necessary for a modern gun with modern manufacturing techniques. It also does not hurt in the slightest. Besides, that 500 rounds lets you get used to the gun.
I can remember a few failures in the first 500 rounds of my 1911, but it’s been flawless since. On the other hand, all my more recent acquisitions but one have gone through the 500 with no hiccups. I speak of: my Glock 19, my Sig P365, and my Sig SP2022. The Taurus PT-22 is something of an exception.
Finally, I normally do 100 rounds of that 500 with the expensive, defensive ammunition. Why? Because FMJ feeds easier than JHP. Again, this is less of an issue with modern guns. Still, it would suck to fire a round then have your gun jam because the top round of the magazine didn’t feed.
The weirdest things can happen sometimes.
I’ll share an experience I recently had with a revolver. I carry my J-frame Smith a lot. I’d not shot my carry rounds out in quite some time. I normally think it’s a good idea to do that a couple times a year. I’ve been carrying them next to me; they’ve gotten sweat, dirt, heat, etc. on them so it’s time for them to go.
The gun wouldn’t fire. Since I live in AZ, rattlesnakes can be a concern. So, ever since I’ve been carrying the J-frame, the first two rounds have been CCI shot shells. Great idea. What could go wrong?
Turns out that the little blue cup that holds the shot in place can pull out slightly. When that happens, the round becomes too long and the cylinder won’t turn. No turn, no bang. It’s also a little tricky to open the cylinder. Once I got it open and the rounds ejected then it was easy to see, and correct, the issue.
Nevertheless, I would have been in for a rude awakening had I needed those two rounds. Or any of the other three, for that matter. Clearly, I need to change something there. I see two possibilities.
- Either shoot off the shot rounds a lot more often than I do the hollow points.
- Get a derringer for anti-snake duties.
Speaking of weirdness, I was at the range this morning and ran into something less critical. As I said, I’ve got some IMI practice ammunition. I ran out of the CCI in the picture from above and started using the IMI.
The SP2022’s slide would not lock back on an empty magazine. Why? No idea. I was shooting it, the Glock, and a Springfield Hellcat. Only the SP2022 was affected. Every round fired; every round ejected. It just wouldn’t lock the slide back on the one gun.
I only ran through two to four magazines, so maybe it was a fluke.
Conclusion.
Today we talked about ammunition and a little about guns. I have more coming, just not sure how much yet.
As I said at the top, carrying is your right and you should do so whenever you feel ready. I’m just trying to put out some information I wish I’d known.
