# 9MM 124 Grain Vs 147 Grain



## Secretariat

I am looking for a very good carry and defense load ammo in 9mm.I am thinking of either getting a 124 or 147 grain ammo.How do both loads compare to each other?What are the advantages of each over the other and which would you choose as a defense load?And why?
Thanks in advance.


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## hud35500

My personal favorite is Federal's HST in 124gr. Both 124 and 147 grain perform about the same, but there is less recoil with the 124gr. The heavier load would probably perform better if penetrating a hard surface is involved.


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## TOF

147's are subsonic for those using suppressors. If not using suppressors either work. My preference when using 9MM is 124Gr.


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## shaolin

I would go with the 124 gr because of better expansion and it has enough penetration to stop a felon while the 147gr tend to over penetrate and dump less energy into the enemy. Only use the 147 gr if you plan on shooting the person through drywall or glass and maybe in winter time if you live in a very cold area where the perp is wearing lots of clothing but even then I would prefer the 124 gr cause it has a better track record of stopping a felon. Look at NYPD data...


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## rex

Here's some info from an older test I ran into.It was comparing the performance difference between a Glock 19 and 26,but I just pulled the 19 info.Penetration was into wet phone books.

Round and weight = penetration = expansion

Win RA9T 147 13 5/8" .595
Rem 147 G.Sabre 13.5 .623
Speer 147 G.Dot 13.0 .552 
Rem 124+P bonded 12 1/8 .595
Speer 124+P G.Dot 12.0 .571
Fed 147 HST 11.0 .711

comparing the 26 to the 19 with the same ammo:

Penetration was -1/2" to +1"
Diameter was -.033 to +.021"
FPS was 38fps slower to identical.

In the big picture between the 2 guns average expansion was 54.96%.The Win RA9T was the best in both but the HST was a full 3" less in penetration in the 26.

So,it's hard to say what's best without testing in your gun.

I would run the Win or Golden Sabre 147,only because I think if you're running +P you could have picked a better cartridge instead of having to push the one you got.

This data is slightly old also,I'm presuming a year or 2 but it wouldn't have been posted if it wasn't relevant today.


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## Secretariat

Thanks a lot for all of your replies.By the way,someone told me that with new 9mm ammo today,they are almost as good as the 40 SW caliber as a defense load.I guess,he meant the stopping power of the 9mm ammo.Is this true?
Thanks again in advance.


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## Secretariat

In regards to +P ammo in 9mm,is there a big difference between it and a none +P ammo?The reason for me asking this question is because I live here in the Philippines and at the moment,+P 9mm ammo are out of stock.
Thanks.

PS.After reading all your replies above,I might choose the 124 grain 9mm load instead as here in the Philippines,we have a warm climate and people seldom wear heavy clothing.I am thinking of getting the Remington 124 GR. ammo.Do anyone of you out there have had any experiences with this round?If yes,what do you think of the RemingtonGolden Saber 124 GR. 9mm ammo.Is it any good?
Thanks again.


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## Shipwreck

In the past, 147 grain was known to have poor expansion, statistically. JHP would routinely act like FMJ instead.

Bullet technology is better, but out of habit, I still prefer 124 grain rounds.


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## rex

When it all comes down to it,there really isn't a huge difference in them.I've heard it said that the 9 is getting better and equaling the 40,but I call BS.Bullet design improves across the board for calibers,I really don't see a company only concentrating on one caliber and neglecting the others,that would be income suicide.

The 124 will bw just fine and the Golden Sabre has long been a good bullet design,along with the Gold Dot from speer.The Gold Dot really isn't a jacketed bullet,it has a plating thicker than normal target ammo but works quite well also.The only thing I would do is shoot a good amount of the Golden Sabres,the bullet shape can be a finicky feeder in some guns.

In your hot climate,the 124s should fit in quite well with thin clothing.115gr would even work,but I think the 124 is a better weight.The +P,as I said I'm not a fan of them and don't see much of a benefit over the fact you're increasing wear on the gun and your follow up shots are slower.Just my opinion though.


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## Bisley

I like 147 grain because they shoot closer to POA in my compact pistols, which all seem to shoot low with 115 gr. practice ammo. 124 grain is OK, though.


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