If there is a pervasive trend in the development of modern handgun ammunition, it is the development of more effective personal-defense ammunition. Much of this effort can be traced to the early years of the Wondernine Wars, when various makers struggled for supremacy in building double-action 9 mm pistols. To match the guns, ammo makers focused great attention on effective 9 mm ammo that would reliably stop criminal attacks. They developed some great loads and the effort to improve continues. Eventually, these techniques were expanded to apply to all kinds of handgun bullets in many calibers. The result is handgun ammo that really does what we want it to, both in terms of penetration and expansion. This is a matter of great interest to this handgunner and I have watched over the years as handgun ammo became better for real-world effectiveness. Today's police ammunition is far better than the 200-grain lead round-nosed stuff I was issued as a rookie cop in the ‘60s.
March 08, 2011
