Best 9mm Ammo for Short Barrel Pistols

The police and military both use it on official business. It’s the most popular centerfire handgun cartridge on the planet. It’s the 9mm Luger, or 9x19mm, or 9mm Parabellum, or whatever you care to call the ammo you’d stake your life on.

You have chosen to carry a short barrel 9mm pistol for defense. This is smart. You’ll quickly begin feeling every ounce of your loadout if you spend any amount of time on your feet, and snagging your carry weapon on nearby objects isn’t something James Bond would do. The less gun you have to tote around, the better.

A compact handgun also helps you avoid the inconvenience of upsetting some shrieking anti-gun lunatic when you’re just trying to buy cookies at the store. There’s nothing worse than becoming part of a whole scene when all you want is snickerdoodles, so you’d do well to do whatever you can to avoid printing (within reason; for example, wearing a parka wherever you go works better in Bangor than it does in Brownsville).

Best Ammo for 9mm Short Barrel Pistols

Speer Gold Dot 9mm +P 124 Grain JHP

• Product nos. 23617GD, 53617

First things first: There is no difference between Speer 9mm Gold Dot Personal Protection and Speer Gold Dot Law Enforcement (LE). The former is packaged in boxes of 20; the latter, 50. That’s it. You get some of the highest-quality American-made police-grade 9mm +P defense ammo on the market either way.

This is overpressure (+P) ammunition. That means its maximum chamber pressure is higher than standard: 38,500 psi, as opposed to 35,000 psi. The extra boost launches the middleweight 124 grain bullet at a higher muzzle velocity, causing it to strike its target up to 25% more forcefully. Overpressure ammo is of especial benefit if you carry a short barrel pistol for defense. Sure, 9mm +P kicks harder, but it also helps compensate for a short barrel’s inability to deliver as high a muzzle velocity as a longer one.

Speer Gold Dot really is tops. It’s loaded with bonded jacketed hollow point bullets that (A) achieve reliable penetration by resisting fragmentation during penetration of barriers, and (B) are programmed to expand consistently fast and wide. Nickel-plated cases are always a worthwhile addition to defense ammo, too. They reduce metal-on-metal friction that could have impaired smooth operation of a semi-auto, protect the underlying brass against corrosion, and are a little easier to see in a dark chamber.

Unfortunately, we only have ballistic data for a 4” test barrel, but it still gives you some idea of what Speer Gold Dot offers.

Gold Dot Short Barrel 9mm +P 124 Grain JHP

• Product no. 23611GD

If you can find it, Speer 9mm Gold Dot Short Barrel is preferable over the standard Gold Dot. You’re not underequipped if you go with the other stuff, but Gold Dot Short Barrel is optimized for reliable feeding in subcompact handguns, generates less recoil (which is especially advantageous when you’re firing a subcompact), and loaded with a bonded jacketed hollow point that penetrates and expands reliably in conjunction with a barrel as short as 1.9”.

Note how this round’s muzzle velocity is lower than the analogous Gold Dot: 1,150 fps, as opposed to 1,220 fps. That’s partly because Speer used a 0.5” shorter test barrel to record its muzzle velocity. With some exceptions, a shorter barrel produces a lower muzzle velocity than a longer one, as it gives exploding propellant less time to exert its force against the bullet.

Federal Premium HST 9mm +P 124 Grain JHP

• Product nos. P9HST3, P9HST3S

Same story as Gold Dot: Outside of their packaging, there is zero difference between Federal’s Personal Defense HST and Tactical HST label ammo.

If Speer Gold Dot isn’t the most popular choice among law enforcement officers, then Federal HST most certainly is. The 9mm +P 124 grain ammo is an excellent choice for defense with any firearm that can chamber it – compacts and subcompacts included.

What Makes HST Unique?

Like the Gold Dot, the HST jacketed hollow point (JHP) is engineered to excel at the FBI test protocol for defensive ammunition. The robust bullet consistently penetrates heavy clothing, sheet metal, plywood and drywall without shedding a large portion of its weight – hence its ability to conserve the momentum it needs to penetrate flesh to a depth of 12 to 18”. The HST bullet’s hollow point nose cavity is designed to avoid clogging with debris, thus preserving its ability to commence terminal expansion. It’s even seated in that smooth-cycling nickel-plated brass case we always like to see (every round on this list has one).

Again, we only have ballistic data for this ammo with a 4” test barrel.

Hornady Critical Duty 9mm +P 135 Grain FlexLock

• Product no. 90216

At this point, astute readers will have noticed a trend. These recommendations have so far only included ammo that is intended for police use (but also available for sale to the general public).

Don’t confuse Hornady Critical Duty for Critical Defense. The latter is effective under most circumstances, but lacks a robust enough bullet to exhibit reliable terminal ballistics when the threat is shielded by a very tough barrier, such as auto glass. Civilian defense scenarios rarely require the good guy to fire on a threat who has taken cover, but why not prepare for the unlikely?

The Critical Duty’s tougher bullet is called the “FlexLock.” It’s a JHP with a polymer Flex Tip insert that prevents debris from jamming up its nose cavity. And although it isn’t bonded, the FlexLock’s proprietary InterLock band does an excellent job of anchoring its thick copper jacket and high-antimony alloyed core together during high-velocity penetration of barriers and soft tissue alike.

What Makes For Good Ammo In A Short Barrel 9mm Pistol?

To be certain, you can safely fire most any 9mm ammo in a modern, correctly functioning compact or subcompact 9mm pistol. It is best to avoid 9mm +P+, which is potentially safe for your handgun but not technically loaded to specifications which firearm manufacturers are obliged to follow. You should also avoid handloads unless they are (A) your own, or (B) made by someone you trust. The Ziploc bags of remanufactured ammo commonly offered for sale at gun shows are potentially safe yet notoriously unreliable. Outside of those, any 9mm or 9mm +P ammo is suitable for a small pistol.

Any 9mm ammo ought to do just fine for target shooting so long as you find it affordable, reliable and accurate. Selecting training ammunition with similar recoil and point of aim as your preferred self-defense loads is ideal, as doing so helps you become better acquainted with your most important ammo’s performance.

Test Your Initial Choice

Which ammo, then, should you actually choose for defense with your short barrel pistol? Your best course of action is to determine the answer to that question yourself. Get a bunch of one-gallon plastic jugs, fill them with water, line them up in a row, and shoot the one in front from a distance of around three to seven yards. Locate the jug that trapped your bullet and see how uniformly it expanded. If it has remained mostly intact and opened up all the way, then you’ve got a strong contender for your carry load.

That’s an unscientific approach to terminal ballistics testing, but it is illustrative. Unfortunately, it’s also not always practical. Many of us lack the land for jug shooting, and gun range staff get fussy when patrons do that kind of thing on their premises. In all seriousness, whatever round you initially select, be sure to fire it at the range to ensure it functions well with your firearm.

The Takeaway

Choose extremely high-quality, purpose-built self-defense ammo for your short barrel 9mm pistol. You may find you prefer standard pressure ammo over +P. Sure, you may also choose a 115 or 147 grain bullet instead of 124 or 90. At the end of the day, the ammo you feel most confident firing is your best bet under most circumstances.

Test out a few different options. Conduct an impromptu water jug test if you’re able. Ask others who carry the same pistol as you which ammo they prefer. Or if you’re pressed for time, just fill your mag with any of our recommendations and rest assured you’re packing enough firepower to quickly neutralize a threat.