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P938 Defense Ammo Testing

6K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  christak 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm sure you all have read some of the various articles on 9mm self defense ammo and it's performance. The Lucky Gunner and published FBI list of approved self defense ammunition are good places to start.

There's no replacement for testing out of your exact firearm, with your exact barrel length, though. Most of the FBI testing and LG testing use closer to a 4" barrel - and the shorter barrel of "pocket guns" can have a negative impact on round velocity and thus the expansion of even modern JHPs.

This guy on YouTube has tested/is testing almost ALL of the popular 9mm self-defense rounds out of a P938 Extreme. He's doing it to exact FBI specifications, through 4 layers of heavy denim and into calibrated 10% ballistics gel.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgNSGOEQko_M90AMdRCDMgd-w4Yozc27i

I've watched almost all of the videos and found the results to be very comparable to the Lucky Gunner tests. Some rounds (like the Remington Golden Saber, which I was previously carrying) had their performance significantly impacted by the shorter barrel of the P938.

It seems the best rounds out of our particular handgun are the Federal HSTs (Regular or Short Barrel variety), the Winchester Defend, and some of the Winchester Ranger-T's (which may be the same bullets as the Winchester Defend). I personally have just ordered 500 rounds of Federal 147GR +P HST rounds to carry in my P938, despite having about 400 rounds of Golden Saber on-hand. I'll probably continue to use the GS in my larger-framed 9mms as it is generally a well-regarded round.

Some of the other generally-praised defense rounds did NOT do so well out of the P938. definitely worth a look to see how your preferred ammunition did, if it's on the list!

If you haven't read the Lucky Gunner tests, they are also worth checking out:

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#9mm for 9mm - there are also tests for .380 for you P238 owners.
 
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#2 ·
The most definitive 9mm ammo tests I have seen out if a 3" barrel were done by Ammoquest. His results clearly demonstrated that the HST 124 & 147gr ammo is the top performer. I carry Federal LE HST 147. One of my local ranges is owned and operated by the Sheriff's Dept for the use of their officers plus being open to the public. They also sell the assorted ammo that the local Dept use for training and carry - Federal LE HST 147.
 
#3 ·
...that's what I just posted. :) I went the +P because, even though it had a little bit less penetration, the extra velocity and momentum/mass is more likely to do more damage with a solid bone hit. All parts of the human body don't resemble ballistic gel, and if it hits bone, I want all the force I can get!
 
#7 ·
When I got my Glock 43, I watched a lot of the videos from Ammo Quest. I figure that my Glock would perform in a similar fashion to the 938. As a result of those videos I chose 124gr HST.
 
#9 ·
I find most ammo ballistic testing videos to be useless. They usually consist of watching someone shoot assorted bullets into ballistics jell. Then they measure penetration and discuss expansion. When you are done watching the video you come away knowing less than you knew when you started. They almost never draw any conclusions. Ammoquest - and the series he did on 9mm ballistics in a 3" barrel does an excellent job of looking at most of the options - ruling out the unerperformers - and finally declares a WINNER - HST
 
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