I have been watching the 9mm vs. 40 thread run its course. I know this horse keeps has been run into the ground then kicked then shot a couple of times & now it is getting kicked some more. Anyway I was thinking that just as important as the caliber you choose is the ammunition you choose for it. I am not the most knowledgeable but I do know that a cartridge that works well in a 4" or 5" 9mm pistol isn't necessarily the best choice for a 9mm pistol with a 31/2" or shorter barrel. So my question is what ammunition have you selected for your defensive handguns & why? If you could tell us any pertinent information. Whether it is standard 9mm or .45 or plus P, bullet weight, barrel length you chose it for, etc.
In 9mm, I typically load and carry either the Speer Gold Dot (124- or 147-grain) JHP or the Federal HST (124- or 147-grain) JHP both in their standard pressure forms. When it comes to the .45, I usually load the 230-grain Gold Dot (standard pressure).
According to Dr. Roberts' testing, the ammunition listed below meets the FBI test protocols (and might be 'over-kill' for what most of us are likely to encounter):
9 mm:
Barnes XPB 115 gr JHP (copper bullet)
Federal Tactical 124 gr JHP (LE9T1)
Federal HST 124 gr +P JHP (P9HST3)
Remington Golden Saber bonded 124 gr +P JHP (GSB9MMD)
Speer Gold Dot 124 gr +P JHP (53617)
Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP)
Winchester 124 gr +P bonded JHP (RA9BA)
Winchester Ranger-T 127 gr +P+ JHP (RA9TA)
Federal Tactical 135 gr +P JHP (LE9T5)
Hornady Critical Duty 135 gr +P PT
Federal HST 147 gr JHP (P9HST2)
Remington Golden Saber 147 gr JHP (GS9MMC)
Speer Gold Dot 147 gr JHP
Speer G2 147 gr PT
Winchester Ranger-T 147 gr JHP (RA9T)
Winchester 147 gr bonded JHP (RA9B/Q4364)
.40 S&W:
Barnes XPB 140 & 155 gr JHP (copper bullet)
Speer Gold Dot 155 gr JHP
Federal Tactical 165 gr JHP (LE40T3)
Speer Gold Dot 165 gr JHP
Winchester Ranger-T 165 gr JHP (RA40TA)
Federal HST 180 gr JHP (P40HST1)
Federal Tactical 180 gr JHP (LE40T1)
Remington Golden Saber 180 gr JHP (GS40SWB)
Speer Gold Dot 180 gr JHP
Winchester Ranger-T 180 gr JHP (RA40T)
Winchester 180 gr bonded JHP (RA40B/Q4355/S40SWPDB1)
.45 ACP:
Barnes XPB 185 gr JHP (copper bullet)
Hornady Critical Duty 220 gr +P JHP
Federal HST 230 gr JHP (P45HST2)
Federal HST 230 gr +P JHP (P45HST1)
Federal Tactical 230 gr JHP (LE45T1)
Speer Gold Dot 230 gr JHP
Winchester Ranger-T 230 gr JHP (RA45T)
Winchester Ranger-T 230 gr +P JHP (RA45TP)
Unless you want to test your actual carry ammo for yourself (which is something that I encourage everyone to do for themselves), anything off of the list above ought to serve quite well.