Best 9mm Ammo For Glock – Practice and Defense

Winchester USA 9mm FMJ Ammo

Winchester’s FMJ (full metal jacket) 9mm ammunition is America’s bread-and-butter general-purpose ammo. If you’ve been shooting for a while, chances are you have a classic grey box of Winchester hanging around somewhere.

Winchester’s 9mm FMJ features a fully-jacketed (copper covered) 115-grain lead round with a solid point and a brass casing. Many shooters prefer brass casings, as the softer metal makes malfunctions less likely. Additionally, Winchester’s 9mm FMJ isn’t steel-core, so it’s safe to shoot at any shooting range.

Winchester’s 115-grain bullet is on the lighter side for 9mm rounds, which usually range from 115 to 147 grains. Like most things, bullet weight is a tradeoff. What you lose in hitting power, you gain in velocity. Remember, it’s not necessarily how hard you hit the target—it’s how effective the bullet is when it hits the target.

This round exits the barrel with a muzzle velocity of 1,090 feet per second, making it fast, accurate, and dependable. Its relatively low bullet weight reduces recoil, so most shooters can handle it with ease.

Reliability is a significant selling point for Winchester full metal jacket 9mm ammo. That’s not to say that the Glock 19 itself isn’t reliable—Glock is legendary for dependability. But there’s no room for malfunction when your life (and your confidence in your weapon) depends on it. Full metal jacket rounds are less likely to deform during feeding. They also offer enhanced penetration.

However, penetration isn’t always advantageous in defensive situations. Full metal jacket rounds sometimes penetrate the target and the wall behind them, which risks injuring bystanders.

When you combine Winchester’s high manufacturing quality with the positive characteristics of this round, you get a reliable go-to cartridge for typical shooting activities and (if necessary) defensive situations. And while it’s not the most effective self-defense or hunting round, Winchester USA 9mm ammunition is some of the best 9mm ammo for the range.

Federal Premium Punch Defense 9mm Ammo

Federal is another well-known ammunition manufacturer with a reputation for American-made quality. Federal Premium Punch Defense combines the reliability of full-metal-jacket rounds with the stopping power of hollow points.

Hollowpoint rounds are ideal for defensive situations. This heavy-hitting 124-grain jacketed round offers superior stopping power to solid-nose rounds. As seen on the box, these Federal hollow point 9mm rounds expand when they hit the target, effectively mimicking the effects of much larger calibers.

Despite its heavier 124-grain bullet, Federal Premium Punch 9mm has a velocity of 1,150 feet per second. This is higher than Winchester FMJ, making Federal Premium Punch a superior all-around defensive cartridge. It hits hard, fast, and wide, thanks to an expanding hollow point.

This round features a copper jacket, which is the most common kind of plating used for jacketed rounds. Copper is reliable and doesn’t damage the barrel, but it can lead to unsightly green copper fouling that’s difficult to clean.

Generally speaking, hollow point ammunition feeds somewhat less reliably in automatic pistols. Federal makes up for this disparity using nickel-plated brass cases, which reduces friction and encourages smooth chambering and ejection.

I would describe Federal Premium Punch as an excellent introduction to ‘premium’ defensive ammunition. This isn’t your plinking cartridge—it’s the cartridge you carry every day and practice with carefully.

Federal Premium Punch is some of the best 9mm self-defense ammo available today. It’s ballistically superior to any solid-nose round for defense. It offers both higher weight and velocity than the average 9mm cartridge. Increased recoil could be a problem for some shooters, but the added effectiveness of the round could make all the difference in a defensive situation.

Remington Ultimate Defense 9mm Ammo

Here we have Remington’s take on a high-end defensive hollow point. Remington Ultimate Defense 9mm ammunition is designed specifically for home and personal defense. This premium 9mm cartridge offers superior accuracy and higher-quality materials than the average brand.

Like Federal Premium Punch Defense, Remington Ultimate Defense features a nickel-plated brass casing for better feeding. But unlike Federal, Remington opted for a brass jacket instead of copper. Brass jackets won’t foul the barrel as quickly as copper, which increases long-term accuracy and reduces cleaning time.

Remington’s heavy 124-grain hollowpoint bullet is uniquely conical and narrow. In other words, the bullet itself looks ‘pointy’ and thin. But there’s a good reason for this—the tapered round reduces friction and increases accuracy, which is a big plus for precision-grade shooting.

Remington Ultimate Defense falls on the high end of the velocity spectrum at 1,130 feet per second but falls short of Federal Premium Defense. This could be an advantage, as lower velocity can slightly reduce recoil.

As we mentioned before, hollow point rounds are superior to solid-nose in defensive situations. Remington’s round expands upon impact with a target. This simultaneously increases effectiveness and reduces the chance of a stray bullet going through a wall and threatening bystanders.

Overall, Remington Ultimate Defense is an excellent self-defense cartridge offering superior accuracy and easy cleaning. It retains the hard-hitting qualities of other popular hollowpoints while simultaneously reducing maintenance requirements. If you’re obsessed with accuracy, Remington Ultimate Defense 9mm is an excellent choice for defending your home and business.

Remington UMX 9mm Ammo

Here’s another Remington product designed with target shooters in mind. Remington UMX 9mm is a solid-nose full metal jacket cartridge. It’s made right here in the United States and backed by Remington’s reputation for high-quality materials and manufacturing.

Remington UMX is comparable to Winchester’s FMJ 9mm solid-nose ammunition in quality and overall utility, but the round differs in a few key areas. Remington UMX 9mm has a velocity of 1,145 feet per second, which is higher than the competing Winchester cartridge. However, both products share a 115-grain copper-jacketed lead bullet.

Copper jacketing offers superior performance to unjacketed lead rounds. It also increases reliability, as copper prevents the round from deforming during feeding. Remember, copper jackets increase barrel fouling over time and complicate cleaning.

Remington UMX ammo is ideal for people who spend more than a few minutes at the range. This ammunition is harder-hitting than the comparable Winchester round, but it also has increased recoil. But the difference is marginal and shouldn’t be an issue for experienced shooters.

Remington UMX 9mm is an excellent cartridge to stock up on. And although Remington Ultimate Defense is a better option for self-defense, UMX will certainly work if the need arises. This ammunition is a premium ‘general purpose’ round and a fantastic choice for stocking-up.

Many shooters purchase hundreds or thousands of these rounds at a time. Remington UMX 9mm is a wise choice for an all-day trip to the range or when training with your Glock 19. This ammunition is ideal if you need a hard-hitting and reliable round for practice. Throw a couple of boxes in the safe and a few more in your range bag, and you can plink all day without trouble. But if you’re brand new to shooting, you may want to consider Winchester instead for lighter recoil.

Barnes TAC-XPD Personal and Home Defense 9mm +P Ammo

Barnes TAC-XPD 9mm +P ammunition is a uniquely engineered defensive round that’s ideal for everyday carry in a Glock 19. This hollow point cartridge is on the high-end of defensive ammo, and it’s ideal for shooters who want the latest breakthroughs in ammunition design. If you’re looking for a high-caliber punch in a small cartridge, then Barnes TAC-XPD +P may be the ammo for you.

Barnes TAC-XPD ranks among the best 9mm ammo for defense. It’s classified as a +P round, meaning it’s more potent than a standard 9mm cartridge. But how does +P designation translate to the real world? In this case, the light 115-grain bullet exits the barrel at a higher pressure and achieves a respectable velocity of 1,125 feet per second.

The bullet itself is all copper and features an unusually deep hollowpoint cavity. Through in-house testing, Barnes demonstrated the ballistic superiority of this design and claims they achieved the best and most consistent performance in the market.

There are real practical advantages to the all-copper hollow point round, especially at higher (+P) pressures. The deeper hollow cavity allows for increased expansion, and the added strength of the copper holds it all together. Additionally, all-copper rounds are acceptable in areas where environmental laws prohibit lead ammunition.

But before shooting with +P ammunition, be sure to check if it’s safe to use in your gun. Some older firearms aren’t designed for the increased working pressures of +P ammo.

Barnes TAC-XPD ammunition features everything you’d expect from a premium defensive round, including a nickel-plated casing for reduced friction and increased reliability. Accuracy is excellent, and the round reports a modest drop of 1 inch at 50 yards. Interestingly, the Barnes 9mm +P bullet experiences less drop than a comparable .45 ACP +P round.

Overall, I’d recommend the Barnes TAC-XPD cartridge for Glock owners who carry daily and expect maximum stopping power. Whatever disadvantages hollow point ammunition may have are likely outweighed by the precise engineering of this defensive round.

Hornady Critical Defense 9mm Ammo

Hornady Critical Defense ammo is a popular high-end defensive 9mm hollowpoint round. Hornady has a reputation for experimental ammo designs, and they produce premium self-defense and hunting ammo. The patented Hornady FTX bullet has a few tricks up its sleeve and offers numerous advantages to typical 9mm rounds.

Hornady’s Critical Defense 9mm cartridge features a red synthetic inlay in its hollow cavity, immediately distinguishing it from the other products on our list.

At first, the idea of sending a bullet with a plastic insert down a hot gun barrel may seem absurd, but it’s actually part of Hornady’s FTX bullet system.

The FTX system ‘flex tip’ is Hornady’s solution to the problem of expansion. The red rubber-like insert controls bullet deformation and helps the round fray out evenly after impacting a target.

The plugged nose also stabilizes trajectory when the bullet flies through the air. This effectively eliminates the (obvious) accuracy problems caused by drilling a hole in the tip of a bullet.

Hornady didn’t stop there. In addition to an advanced bullet design, the company also utilized a proprietary powder blend that reduces recoil and muzzle flash. However, this seemingly perfect cartridge has some notable drawbacks.

Hornady Critical Defense 9mm is the fastest and heaviest ammunition on our list. It has a bullet weight of 115 grains and a velocity of 1,125 feet per second. In the Glock 19, the recoil difference between this round and most standard 9mm ammo is noticeable. It’s much ‘snappier’ and louder than the average cartridge, which can be an issue for some shooters.

Overall, the Hornady Critical Defense 9mm cartridge is a big winner for hunting and defense. It’s ideal for everyday carry, vehicle carry, and home defense.

However, it’s not the best general-purpose or target practice round, as the added recoil and overwhelming ‘crack’ can be fatiguing after just a few magazines. Some shooters describe shooting this powerful round as “just a bit too much” for regular plinking.