Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 185gr 9mm: 849fps from a 3.1” barrel

Clearly I have been out of the loop.

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/ammo-review-seismic-ammo-185gr-m-9mm/amp/

Elevating the nine to a whole new level 😎

I’ll bet a 155 grain 1,000+fps version would rock.

I like it.

115 grain JHP at 1250 fps would rock even harder...wait

if I'm carrying a 9 I like a bit more speed

Interesting.

If I want a bullet that heavy, I'm just going with a 45.

Kinda like a .40 eh.

Reading my mind. Go to a 230 at 850-950 fps.

I've done my own cast bullet designs up to 180gr for suppressed subsonic loads, and can run those up to ~900 fps. I like my 170gr design a bit better though at about 950 fps.

Other than quiet suppressed loads though, I'm not sure I see a whole lot of value in trying to turn the 9mm into a slower skinnier 40 S&W. That's not where the 9mm's strengths are.

I'll second that emotion.

As MacKay Sagebrush says "you get the fight you get not the fight you want" fact is faster bullet speeds penetrate car doors better than slower rounds.

I think this is basically aimed at the guy who

A. has one or seven 9mms and likes the cheap practice ammo, but
B. wants to launch bullets into the 'light 45 ACP' weight class.

In my opinion this would more easily accomplished by buying any of dirt cheap police trade-in 40s that will accept an aftermarket 9mm barrel.

Neither A or B apply to me but the project demonstrates how handgun bullets have improved in 40 years. Hell I can remember when full snort 158 grain 357s didn't expand any better than these 185 grain 9mms do.

Like the 9 but don't need no mo than about 125 grains of lead and copper in it. Like the 44 Mag. but don't need no mo than about 300 grains in it, and normally not near that much.

For their hot 115gr load Buffalo Bore claims 1,400fps and 500ft lbs ME....

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=118

Prob’ly significant that the shortest barrel they published results on was on a 4” Glock 19.

Federal 9BPLE usually does 1320-1350 from 4-5 inch 9mms.

9mm strengths

Underwood 65 gr.

1800 fps

Twenty years back, the big three all had +P+ loads that were LEO only that hit 1350 fps. IIRC, the one Sarge quoted used to be about 1250 fps and was the best you could do in a conventional non-LEO only loading. It may have been upgraded with better powders.

Edited to say, I believe the non-LEO Federal was a 9BP. It was a standard pressure loading and not +P or +P+.

So a 40gr Vmax is a better at punching through car doors than say a 75gr TSX?

I didn't even know there were such options out there in 9mm....where do we buy those?

Since we are talking 9 mil - JWP - what bullets do you prefer? Guessing a 124 bonded? Ranger or GD? PDX1? Thoughts on HST and even XTP which seem to dig deep in gel tests.

The 9BP and BPLE are legendary perhaps, but they don't seem to hold together great in tests, which makes me pause.

Hope to never have to shoot thru a door, a 556 might do better......did I read a 45 does better than 9? Perhaps that's with FMJ.

Interesting load above, but think 147 tops out a 9 for me. I'd gladly run a 40 or 45 with 180/185s....agree with Sarge, PD trade in's are very good values....in 40