Handgun Ammo

Your Essential Handgun Ammunition Guide: Understanding Bullet Types, Calibers, and Smart Buying for Every Shooter

Are you a new handgun owner wondering "what's the best handgun ammo for my 9mm for target practice?" or a seasoned shooter asking "which handgun bullet type offers the best terminal performance for personal defense?" Navigating the vast world of handgun ammo, from 9mm handgun ammo to specialized hollow points, can seem complex. This comprehensive guide from DEGuns demystifies handgun ammunition, covering essential bullet types, popular calibers, and how to conveniently and legally get handgun ammo for sale to fill your ammo boxes.

At DEGuns, we stock a complete range of handgun ammo for everything from casual practice to serious hunting and critical self-defense. We carry a massive inventory, including full metal jacket (FMJ) handgun ammo, soft point (SP) handgun ammo, hollow point (HP) handgun ammo, and lead projectile (LP) handgun ammo, with over 20 ammo suppliers and numerous calibers to choose from. Whether you're a prepper, hunter, range shooter, or collector, getting fresh handgun ammo boxes from DEGuns is an exciting and easy experience, even for beginners.

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What Exactly Is Handgun Ammunition and Why Do Handgun Bullet Types Matter?

Ammunition refers to the materials and components launched, dispersed, or ignited from weapons. While it encompasses items like bombs and missiles, in the context of firearms, it primarily refers to handgun rounds or cartridges. These are self-contained units embodying all necessary elements—bullet, casing, primer, and propellant—in one compact package, specifically designed for your pistol or revolver.

Understanding different handgun bullet types is critical because the design of the bullet directly influences its performance, safety, and suitability for various tasks from your handgun. The right bullet for the right job ensures effectiveness and can prevent unwanted outcomes like over-penetration or insufficient stopping power.

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Understanding Specific Handgun Ammunition Types: FMJ, SP, and Hollow Point

When you're searching for "best handgun ammo for practice" or "most effective handgun self-defense rounds," you'll encounter specific terminology. Let's break down the primary bullet types specifically for handguns.

Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Handgun Ammo: Ideal for Practice and Training

What is FMJ handgun ammo?
Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) handgun ammo features a soft metal core, typically lead, that is completely encased in a harder metal jacket, usually copper. The outer jacket fully covers the inner core, distinguishing it from expanding bullets, making it a staple for your handgun ammo box.

Why is FMJ handgun ammo popular for training?

• Affordability: FMJ is often the most cost-effective cheap handgun ammo available, making it ideal for high-volume shooting sessions at the range.
• Reduced Fouling: The full metal jacket minimizes the residue, or 'fouling,' left in the barrel compared to unjacketed lead bullets, making cleaning your handgun easier.
• Reduced Lead Exposure: The jacket significantly reduces the shooter's exposure to lead, enhancing safety during prolonged range sessions.
• Consistent Feeding: The smooth, uniform jacket design helps ensure reliable feeding in semi-automatic handguns, reducing malfunctions during practice.

When should I use FMJ handgun ammo?
Full metal jacket handgun ammo is highly recommended for:

• Target practice: Perfect for honing accuracy and familiarization with your handgun's operation.
• Range days: The go-to choice for casual shooting, drills, and training courses.
• General training: Allows you to practice fundamental shooting skills and build muscle memory without breaking the bank on more expensive defense rounds.

While some debate the use of FMJ for self-defense, it's widely accepted as the industry standard for practice. You can effectively use cheap FMJ handgun ammo to get a feel for your handgun's overall operation. Once you've mastered the basics, then load some high-quality personal defense handgun ammo to observe any subtle changes in firearm operation with different bullet weights or designs.

Soft Point (SP) Handgun Ammo: Balanced Performance for Hunting and Defense

What is Soft Point (SP) handgun ammo?
Soft point handgun ammo is closely related to full metal jacket handgun ammo but features an exposed lead tip at the end of the bullet. This exposed lead allows for controlled expansion upon impact within soft targets.

Why choose Soft Point handgun ammo?

• Balanced Expansion and Penetration: Soft point handgun ammo offers a crucial balance between expansion (causing more damage to soft tissue) and penetration (the ability to penetrate light obstructions or heavier hide before reaching the vital areas of a target).
• Versatile Use: Its controlled expansion characteristics make it a viable choice for some handgun hunting applications (e.g., small to medium game) and can also be considered for handgun self-defense where a balance of penetration and expansion is desired, especially if hollow points are restricted.

Historically, soft point ammo emerged in 1890, just eight years after the invention of full metal jacket ammo (1882), representing an early advancement in bullet design for improved terminal ballistics specifically relevant to expanding handgun projectiles.

Hollow Point (HP) Handgun Ammo: Maximum Expansion for Self-Defense

What is Hollow Point (HP) handgun ammo?
Hollow point handgun ammo features an easily recognizable hollowed-out dimple at the tip. These types of handgun bullets are specifically designed to expand significantly on impact, creating that iconic "flower" shape, to maximize energy transfer within the target.

Why is Hollow Point handgun ammo preferred for self-defense?

• Reduced Over-Penetration: Hollow points are engineered to expand rapidly and transfer their energy within the target, making them less likely to over-penetrate (shoot all the way through and potentially hit unintended targets behind the primary one). This is a critical safety and liability concern in self-defense scenarios, especially in urban or residential environments.
• Increased Tissue Damage: Their propensity for controlled and significant expansion results in more energy transfer and damage to the soft tissue of your actual target, maximizing effectiveness at neutralizing a threat.
• Common Use by Professionals: Due to their superior terminal performance characteristics and ability to manage over-penetration risks, hollow point handgun ammo is one of the more common ammunition types used by police officers and civilians with handguns for personal defense.

Are there restrictions on Hollow Point handgun ammo?
Yes, some states have specific laws regarding the possession and use of hollow point handgun ammo. For example, New Jersey allows for the possession of these handgun bullet types only in your home, or only while hunting (and traveling to and from your hunting location), and only to hunt specific types of game. It is paramount to always check your local and state laws before purchasing or possessing hollow point handgun ammunition.

Historical Note: The Hague Convention (1899) prohibited the use of bullets that flatten easily on impact in instances of international warfare, predating even the Geneva Conventions. While the United States did not agree to that particular article, the U.S. military generally refrains from using expanding ammunition in international conflict, reserving it for scenarios where overpenetration would cause a risk of unwanted collateral damage, a concept directly relevant to why hollow points excel in self-defense scenarios for handguns.

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Handgun Ammunition Measurements and Lifespan: Understanding Your Ammo Better

Beyond bullet type, other characteristics like bullet weight (grain) and shelf life are important for every handgun shooter to understand for optimal performance and reliable handgun ammo storage.

What Does Handgun Ammo Grain Mean?

What is 'grain' in handgun ammunition?
The "grain" of handgun ammo refers to the weight of each bullet. Grain is a standard unit of measurement (1 pound = 7,000 grains) used to classify bullets. For instance, 9mm handgun bullets are commonly measured in weights like 115 grains, 124 grains, and 147 grains. Heavier grains like 147gr 9mm are often favored for suppressed handguns due to their subsonic speed.

Why is grain weight important for handguns?
Understanding grain weight is essential for buying the right kind of handgun ammunition for your specific handgun and intended use, as it impacts:

• Recoil: Heavier handgun bullets generally produce more felt recoil in a pistol or revolver.
• Velocity: Lighter handgun bullets typically achieve higher muzzle velocities from a given barrel length.
• Trajectory: Bullet weight influences how much a bullet drops over distance, which is particularly relevant for longer-range handgun shooting or hunting.
• Terminal Performance: Different bullet weights and designs can perform differently upon impact, affecting energy transfer and penetration in a target.

How Long Does Handgun Ammo Last?

How long can I store handgun ammunition?
Modern handgun ammunition is designed for impressive longevity. Today's handgun ammo can last over a decade if stored under the proper conditions. This means keeping cartridges in a dry storage environment with low humidity and away from extreme temperature fluctuations. There have even been documented instances of handgun ammunition being fired successfully 30-40 years after removal from long-term storage, highlighting its robust shelf life when properly maintained. Implementing proper handgun ammo storage solutions, such as airtight containers or ammo cans with desiccant packs, can significantly extend its useful life.

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Most Popular Handgun Ammo for Sale: Calibers That Dominate the Market

Of course, the type of handgun you own (e.g., a 9mm pistol, a .45 ACP revolver) will dictate the caliber and types of handgun bullets you can use. DEGuns is home to the most popular and biggest selection of handgun ammo, all conveniently available online and in-store. If you’re looking for "handgun ammo near me," checking DEGuns first is always a smart move for variety, availability, and reliable service.

The Enduring Reign of 9mm Handgun Ammo

Why is 9mm handgun ammo so popular?
Among popular handgun bullet types like 9mm handgun ammo, 5.7 handgun ammo, and 10mm handgun ammo, 9mm Luger is by far the most ubiquitous and popular globally. Since its inception, it's become one of the most standard formats available for handgun ammunition.

• Historical Evolution: While initially overshadowed by larger calibers like .45 ACP in WWI due to perceived stopping power, the advent of effective hollow point handgun ammunition significantly boosted 9mm's effectiveness. The combination of increased terminal performance from hollow points with the 9mm's smaller size meant less recoil for the shooter, making follow-up shots faster from a handgun.
• Affordability: 9mm handgun ammo uses less material in manufacturing, making it excellent cheap handgun ammo for practice and bulk purchases, especially important for training with your handgun.
• High Capacity: Its smaller size allows more rounds to fit into standard handgun magazines, offering a higher capacity for self-defense scenarios or competition.
• Professional Standard: Law enforcement officers widely use 9mm handgun ammo, and civilians often follow this standard when making purchasing decisions, trusting its proven effectiveness and availability for their personal handguns.

5.7 Ammo (or 5.7x28 Ammo): High Velocity and Penetration for Handguns

What is 5.7 handgun ammo?
5.7 ammo, often referred to as 5.7x28 ammo (the two terms are interchangeable), is a small-caliber, high-velocity round specifically designed for firearms like the FN Five-seveN pistol and various pistol-caliber carbines. It was developed by Fabrique Nationale (FN) in 1990.

• Intended Purpose: It was initially developed as a potential replacement for 9mm for standard-issue NATO handguns, primarily because 9mm ammunition has a drawback of being stopped by most military body armor.
• Penetration Capabilities: By comparison, 5.7 handgun ammo is significantly more capable of penetrating body armor. This capability even led to unsuccessful lobbying attempts to ban the ammo type, which ironically increased its popularity and spurred more gun manufacturers to produce handguns and other firearms chambered in 5.7x28 ammo.
• Ballistic Performance: Due to its high velocity, 5.7 handgun ammo is incredibly effective at short-to-medium distances. It exhibits minimal bullet drop over significant ranges (e.g., only a couple of inches over 200 yards, depending on barrel length), a stark contrast to the much greater drop seen with 9mm handgun ammo under the same conditions. This makes it unique among handgun calibers.

.380 Ammo: Compact Power for Concealed Carry Handguns

What is .380 handgun ammo known for?
.380 ACP ammo was first introduced by Colt in 1908 alongside the Colt Model 1908 pistol. Designed for simplicity and accessibility, it saw widespread use in both World Wars but was largely phased out by NATO in the 1960s in favor of 9x19mm formats.

• Modern Popularity: Today, pistols firing 380 ammo are exceedingly popular as concealed carry handguns due to their inherently small size and lightweight design, making them easy to carry discreetly. Examples include the Glock 42 and Sig Sauer P238.
• Manageable Recoil: For many, the recoil of .380 handgun ammo is more manageable than larger calibers, making it a good choice for new shooters or those sensitive to recoil, especially in very compact handguns.
• Important Distinction: .380 ammo shouldn’t be confused with .38 Special ammo, which is a longer, more powerful rimmed cartridge typically used in revolvers and sometimes referred to as .38 Special handgun ammo.

10mm Ammo: Powerful Handgun Cartridge

What is 10mm handgun ammo?
10mm Auto ammo is a powerful semi-automatic pistol cartridge. It was originally developed in 1983 as a high-velocity, flatter-shooting alternative to the .45 ACP, intended to offer superior ballistic performance.

• Power and Energy: The 10mm Auto delivers significantly more energy and momentum than the 9mm or .45 ACP, making it a formidable round for self-defense, hunting (especially for medium-sized game), and bear defense in certain areas.
• Penetration: Its higher velocity and energy often result in greater penetration, which can be an advantage in some scenarios.
• Recoil: Due to its power, 10mm handgun ammo typically produces more felt recoil than 9mm or .45 ACP, especially in lighter handguns.

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Popular Handgun Ammo Brands: Quality and Reliability You Can Trust

When it comes to handgun ammo brand selection, DEGuns offers an unparalleled choice. Regardless of your use case, there are plenty of reputable brands with handgun ammo for sale at various price points to meet every budget and performance expectation.

Some of the best-selling and most trusted handgun ammo brands we carry include:

• Federal ammo: Renowned for consistent quality across a wide range of handgun calibers and bullet types, from practice FMJ to high-performance handgun self-defense loads like Hydra-Shok.
• Hornady Ammo: Celebrated for its innovation and precision, particularly with handgun hunting and handgun self-defense specific loads like Critical Defense and Critical Duty.
• Magtech: Offers reliable and affordable handgun ammunition, making it a popular choice for handgun range training and bulk purchases.
• Winchester ammo: A historic and respected brand offering a diverse range of handgun ammunition for all shooting disciplines, including popular options like White Box FMJ for range practice.
• Remington ammo: Another long-standing name in the industry, providing dependable handgun ammunition for hunting, target shooting, and defense.
• Speer Ammo: Known for its high-quality handgun self-defense and law enforcement ammunition, such as Gold Dot, which is widely trusted for its consistent expansion.
• CCI Ammo: Popular for its reliable rimfire handgun ammunition (.22 LR) and Blazer Brass line for affordable centerfire practice.

When it’s time to fill your handgun ammo boxes with 10mm ammo, 9mm ammo, .45 ACP ammo, .380 ammo, .38 Special ammo, or .22 LR handgun ammo, be sure to check out our handgun ammo for sale first. We always carry a massive inventory of handgun bullet types and calibers to ensure you get high-quality handgun ammunition precisely when you need it for your pistol or revolver.

Happy & safe shooting with your handgun!