Madcap_Magician
Member
My $0.02:
1. Is carrying FMJ 9mm ammo until I can get quality JHPs OK?
Yes. Any gun and ammo is better than no gun and ammo.
2. Is carrying FMJ 9mm ammo just as good as carrying quality JHPs?
No. FMJ has a tendency to create small, self-sealing wounds that do much less damage than even a partially expanded hollow point. Additionally, FMJ has sufficient penetration that there is an issue of bullets going through intended targets and hitting other people or things.
3. But the military uses FMJ 9mm ammo!
Because they have to.
4. But JHPs don't always expand, so how are they any better than FMJ?
Because FMJ ammo NEVER expands, whereas quality JHPs virtually always at least partially expand. A JHP that does not expand is not much better than FMJ, true, but an FMJ is never as good as a JHP that does expand.
5. Total misses are more dangerous and more frequent than overpenetration.
True, but irrelevant. The fact that one is more dangerous and frequent does not excuse you from taking precautions against the other.
Related: People keep saying the FBI says cops only hit 20% of the time when shooting. I do not believe this is accurate. I believe it is a bastardized and misattributed quote from outdated NYPD shooting statistics. It is true that the NYPD's hit rate when shooting against an opponent who is shooting back is low- around 20%. However, other departments with more rational firearms and training policies do better. Ayoob cited the Salt Lake City Police and Sheriff's Departments as having 70%+ hit rates.
5. I can't find (insert convincing number of cases) cases of anyone ever being shot by an overpenetrating bullet.
There are such cases. The fact that they are infrequent does not mean you should ignore the risk that such a situation poses.
6. But cops carried .38 Special Lead Round Nose bullets for years.
Yes, and they were relatively ineffective, which is why they now all carry quality JHP ammunition in more powerful calibers.
1. Is carrying FMJ 9mm ammo until I can get quality JHPs OK?
Yes. Any gun and ammo is better than no gun and ammo.
2. Is carrying FMJ 9mm ammo just as good as carrying quality JHPs?
No. FMJ has a tendency to create small, self-sealing wounds that do much less damage than even a partially expanded hollow point. Additionally, FMJ has sufficient penetration that there is an issue of bullets going through intended targets and hitting other people or things.
3. But the military uses FMJ 9mm ammo!
Because they have to.
4. But JHPs don't always expand, so how are they any better than FMJ?
Because FMJ ammo NEVER expands, whereas quality JHPs virtually always at least partially expand. A JHP that does not expand is not much better than FMJ, true, but an FMJ is never as good as a JHP that does expand.
5. Total misses are more dangerous and more frequent than overpenetration.
True, but irrelevant. The fact that one is more dangerous and frequent does not excuse you from taking precautions against the other.
Related: People keep saying the FBI says cops only hit 20% of the time when shooting. I do not believe this is accurate. I believe it is a bastardized and misattributed quote from outdated NYPD shooting statistics. It is true that the NYPD's hit rate when shooting against an opponent who is shooting back is low- around 20%. However, other departments with more rational firearms and training policies do better. Ayoob cited the Salt Lake City Police and Sheriff's Departments as having 70%+ hit rates.
5. I can't find (insert convincing number of cases) cases of anyone ever being shot by an overpenetrating bullet.
There are such cases. The fact that they are infrequent does not mean you should ignore the risk that such a situation poses.
6. But cops carried .38 Special Lead Round Nose bullets for years.
Yes, and they were relatively ineffective, which is why they now all carry quality JHP ammunition in more powerful calibers.
