Favorite 9mm training ammo?

[JAH 3rd]

Winchester's NATO-spec stuff does have hard primers but should run unless you've been playing with your ignition system. My three PX4s love it and they actually have reduced-power hammer springs. My P99C loves it too, and it's striker-fired. Ditto with my Sig P6.

My Beretta M9 civilian is completely stock save for the "D" trigger spring that replaced the stock one. Runs 100% in my M9 with all ammo, never a misfire with any ammo.

[0ddl0t]

Win NATO had the only FTF out of ~12,000+ rounds fired in my P365. Primer showed a decent hit, but apparently not enough to ignite. The other 149 Winchester NATO rounds fired fine...

[JRV]

The most accurate (FMJ) ammunition I have shot in the past three years, particularly out of my Glock 19, has been GECO 124gr. It's pretty hot, but it feels shy of NATO spec or +P. I think they might use a long (6-7") test barrel for velocity figures.

For softer shooting, and better recoil characteristics in my Commander, I shoot 124 gr Federal AE.

Both have been exceedingly reliable and shoot to POA. No ignition issues.

Both are stupid cheap.

[jetfire]

Win NATO had the only FTF out of ~12,000+ rounds fired in my P365. Primer showed a decent hit, but apparently not enough to ignite. The other 149 Winchester NATO rounds fired fine...

We had a bad lot number of Winchester produced training ammo at work not too long ago. Dozens of dead rounds that not even the fearsome mainspring of a military issue M9 could crack.

[Shades]

I can't tell much difference among the various 115/124gr ball ammo I have and have shot. The only FMJ ammo I have that is noticeably louder/snappier is some Federal-produced M882 (boxes have stickers that say "Factory seconds"). They are almost identical in report and recoil to Speer GD 124gr +P. I have some Win NATO stuff but haven't had a chance to shoot any yet. The rest - WWB, Fed AE, Speer Lawman (124gr.), Fiocchi, Blazer Brass - all seem much the same. I haven't had any issues with any of them either, which may just have been good luck, judging from some others' experiences.

[Medusa]

I used to use a lot of Fiocchi, but it chronoed slow out of one of my Px4CC (too slow even given the shorter barrel ) and sometimes was requiring second hits to knock down steel even with adequate to good first hits. That’s why I went to lawman.

[revchuck38]

I used to use a lot of Fiocchi, but it chronoed slow out of one of my Px4CC (too slow even given the shorter barrel ) and sometimes was requiring second hits to knock down steel even with adequate to good first hits. That’s why I went to lawman.

Which bullet weight? IME, 124-grain stuff seems to be more reliable on steel than the 115-grain versions and generally gives a higher power factor. S&B 124-grain ammo runs about 1100 fps from my full-size PX4 and not much less from my 3.5" P99C. Independence 124-grain ammo runs about the same from the PX4, haven't chronoed it from the Walther.

[paherne]

We had a bad lot number of Winchester produced training ammo at work not too long ago. Dozens of dead rounds that not even the fearsome mainspring of a military issue M9 could crack.

Did you scrap the whole lot, or press on and practice malfunction drills? I have had bad luck with Win duty ammo and 5.56 ball in the early 2000s. But, with the war on terror raging, we bought what we could get. Rem UMC was crap then, too. But, when it's either crap ammo, or no ammo, well, you get the idea.

I think ammo availability is much better, currently. I was able to get 10 k of 124 grain Lawman in about 4 days when we ran low on practice ammo this week.

[Medusa]

Which bullet weight? IME, 124-grain stuff seems to be more reliable on steel than the 115-grain versions and generally gives a higher power factor. S&B 124-grain ammo runs about 1100 fps from my full-size PX4 and not much less from my 3.5" P99C. Independence 124-grain ammo runs about the same from the PX4, haven't chronoed it from the Walther.

It was 115, which is my customary weight, and the weight of the lawman with which I replaced it. The lawman gave me 138 pf as noted above from a full-size LTT. I shoot 124 lawman when training at the range which requires you to run it and buy it there (which happens to be where Mr. White holds court) but otherwise 115.

[jetfire]

Did you scrap the whole lot, or press on and practice malfunction drills? I have had bad luck with Win duty ammo and 5.56 ball in the early 2000s. But, with the war on terror raging, we bought what we could get. Rem UMC was crap then, too. But, when it's either crap ammo, or no ammo, well, you get the idea.

I think ammo availability is much better, currently. I was able to get 10 k of 124 grain Lawman in about 4 days when we ran low on practice ammo this week.

We just pressed on with training. It was rough because we were using the ammo for base pop qualifications.