A LOOK AT HOW SELF DEFENSE HANDGUN AMMO HAS CHANGED.

Technology has certainly brought self defense handgun ammunition into a higher grade of performance.

Let’s take a look at how handgun self defense ammo has changed over the decades.

In this modern day of high tech ammo specifically made for a purpose we often forget how far it has really come. Originally a soft lead round ball fired from a smooth bore “horse pistol” was the go to for every game animal and even in times of war. While a lead launching infantryman or hunter might get lucky with a soft lead projectile flattening out on impact, giving it more damaging power, it was just sheer luck. That was the name of the game back then, and if you were lucky that was all needed for that situation.

Back in the First World War, the British “Dum Dum Bullet” became a reality for rifles, and, of course, invented in Dum Dum, India. Sometimes it seems even history has a sense of humor. This hollow recessed projectile expanded upon impact, causing greater tissue damage and increased stopping power. Interesting enough, the concept even predated this time and was present during the Zulu War in 1879.

The hollow point design did not just stop there with rifle ammunition. In 1979, the Winchester Silvertip high performing expanding ammunition was introduced for handguns. Original caliber offering were in 9mm and .45 ACP., with other calibers offered shortly after.

Was this the end of the story of self defense handgun ammunition? No, the quest had just begun for the perfect projectile for protection. In police shootings such as the infamous North Hollywood Shooting in 1997, better handgun stopping power became a quest that continues to this day. This has been in the form of high tech ammo and new cartridges that always promise to be better than previous offerings.

The Winchester Black Talon, introduced in 1991, became a great stopping cartridge and quite the poster boy for those who wanted to ban hollow point ammunition all together. They expanded well, and certainly performed to what they were made to do.

In today’s modern self defense ammo market there are a lot of choices to pick from. One of my favorites is the Remington Golden Saber. It finds itself often in my own Ruger LCP pocket pistol in .380 ACP and with a heavier weight of 102 grains and a brass jacket it expands at a low velocity.

Here is what Remington has to say about it:

Based on the same platform trusted by law enforcement professionals to protect the American way of life, now available for personal defense. Loaded with our high performance Golden Saber Brass Jacketed Hollow Point (BJHP), these rounds deliver massive expansion and deep penetration for ultimate stopping power. Premier nickel-plated cases resist corrosion and cycle dependably after extended storage. Available in loadings maximized for full size as well as compact pistols and revolvers, as well as in the most popular calibers.

EXCLUSIVE BRASS JACKET – Its precision nose cuts control expansion and optimizes energy transfer
CASE MOUTH AND PRIMER WATERPROOFING – For maximum reliability
NICKEL-PLATED CASES – To reduce oxidation and improve feeding and extraction
SPECIALLY TREATED POWDERS – To suppress muzzle flash

COR®BON has been a big player in the defensive ammo market. Check out what their jacketed hollow point .357 SIG ammo boasts:

The 357 Sig 125gr JHP from COR®BON is a defensive round designed to do one thing: stop the threat—fast. Specifically, it was developed to outperform traditional hollow points. This high-velocity load expands rapidly and delivers brutal stopping power when it matters most.

Performance Against Barriers

While many jacketed hollow points clog with clothing or fail to expand in soft tissue, COR®BON’s original “HOT STUFF” load shatters that standard. Furthermore, with a tested muzzle velocity of 1425 fps and 564 ft-lbs of energy from a 4-inch barrel, the 357 Sig 125gr JHP dumps energy immediately on impact. As a result, it provides rapid expansion, deeper wound channels, and minimal over-penetration.

Unlike ball ammo that zips through a target with little damage, this 357 Sig 125gr load mushrooms on contact. Specifically, it doubles in diameter, transfers maximum energy, and stops a threat with minimal shots fired. That’s why it has earned a 90%+ one-shot stop rating in independent studies.*

Bullet Construction

The bullet features a soft lead core inside a gilding metal jacket. Additionally, internal and external scoring ensures uniform, controlled expansion with every shot. This precision is critical when your life is on the line.

Specifications and Features

Caliber: 357 Sig
Bullet Weight: 125 grains
Bullet Type: Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP)
Muzzle Velocity: 1425 fps
Muzzle Energy: 564 ft-lbs
Barrel Length (Tested): 4.0 inches
Use Case: Self-defense, duty use
Rounds Per Box: 20
Made in the USA

The Glaser Safety Slug has been an absolute revolutionizer of the handgun defensive technology. If you are worried about over penetration of your projectile, this choice is for you:

The Glaser Safety Slug^® was designed in 1974 in response to the possibility of having to use a handgun on an airplane by the Sky Marshals. The concerns at that time were over penetration on soft tissue and ricochets on hard surfaces and possible excess penetration. In 2002, we purchased the company, because we knew that Safety Slug would be a perfect compliment to the COR®BON family of products and a great home defense round. With a bit of engineering enhancement, today, Glaser^® offers this excellent performing self defense round for civilian use. It’s the perfect round for apartment complexes, and close quarter security areas such as; courthouses, hospitals, amusement parks.

Glaser Safety Slug^® is designed as a pre-fragmented projectile using a traditional copper jacket. Instead of a solid lead core like conventional hollowpoint ammunition, it has a compressed core of lead shot. It’s capped with a polymer ball that ensures flawless feeding and rapid follow up shots.

The Glaser Safety Slug® is filled with a compressed load of #12 lead shot.

Caliber: 9mm Luger +P
Bullet Wt.: 80gr Glaser Safety Slug®
Velocity: 1500fps
Energy: 399ftlbs
Test Barrel Length: 4.0 Inches
Rounds: 20 rounds per box.

What about a hollow point projectile that is helped out by a small polymer ball that helps out with functioning and allows a quick full expansion? Now load that in many of your favorite calibers. I do love a 10mm cartridge with a great projectile!

The 10mm Auto 135gr Pow’RBall by COR®BON offers hard-hitting terminal performance with smooth feeding reliability. Built for self-defense in full-size semi-automatic pistols, this round delivers explosive expansion, fast energy transfer, and deep, controlled penetration—making it one of the most effective defense loads in the 10mm class.

What makes Pow’RBall different is its patented polymer ball seated in a traditional jacketed hollow point cavity. This polymer tip improves feeding in all types of pistols, especially older or finicky models, while ensuring consistent and rapid expansion upon impact. Once the tip compresses into the hollow cavity, it initiates full expansion and creates a wide wound channel for decisive stopping power.

Pushing 1400 feet per second with 588 foot-pounds of energy, this load harnesses the full power of 10mm Auto without compromising on control or reliability. It’s ideal for open carry, home defense, or duty applications where performance matters most.

COR®BON loads every cartridge with precision-matched components, including high-grade brass, flash-suppressed powders, and non-corrosive primers. Every round is proudly manufactured in the USA to exacting standards trusted by professionals and responsible citizens alike.

Specs:

Caliber: 10mm Auto
Bullet Weight: 135 grains
Bullet Type: Pow’RBall (Polymer-Tipped Expanding Projectile)
Velocity: 1400 fps
Energy: 588 ft-lbs
Use Case: Personal Defense / Duty Use
Rounds per Box: 20
Made in the USA

What about the R.I.P. pistol cartridges? They certainly are marketed as the end all for personal defense and more.

14″– 16″ of Penetration
2″ Groupings at 25 yards
9 Separate Wound Channels
Solid Copper / Lead Free
up to 6″ Diameter Spread
Precision Machined
Defeats all known barriers such as sheet metal, sheet rock, windshields, plywood, heavy winter clothing.

What about a solid copper bullet that doesn’t expand but uses the force of hydraulic energy to cause a huge permanent wound cavity? Underwood Ammo offers that freedom seed!

The Xtreme Defender is based on the popular Xtreme Penetrator product line. The XD ammunition has an optimized nose flute, total weight, and velocity to achieve a penetration depth up to 18 inches* with a permanent wound cavity (PWC) that is just simply enormous; no other expanding hollowpoint comes close to achieving anywhere near this diameter and volume. Not only is the PWC over 100% larger than any other expanding bullet, expansion is achieved despite being shot through barriers. The solid copper body ensures that wallboard, sheet metal, and automotive glass will have no effect on the Permanent Wound Channel.

A permanent wound cavity (PWC)that is 2 times greater than any expanding bullet
Reduced recoil
Radial flutes that force the hydraulic energy inward to build pressure
Minimal surface area to increase the force at the point of contact and sharp cutting edges that defeat barriers
Improved Corrosion Resistance of the Copper: There will not be any oxidation (brown spots) or darkening of the copper projectile over time or extended storage. In aggressive applications such as wet, humid and even salt water, the coating will protect the copper from oxidation or verdigris. This is very beneficial for self-defense ammo that is often purchased and stored for use for extended periods of time.
Improved Lubricity & Enhanced Feeding: The finish provides excellent dry-film lubrication that helps with feeding in all actions of firearms. The coating is very forgiving on modified guns since it reduces the friction of the projectile against the feed ramp as well as the chamber entrance.
Reduced Barrel Wear: The coating reduces barrel wear over a standard monolithic projectile.

Nickel-plated brass casings, our nickel plating process provides several key benefits, not limited to but including; improved feeding in all actions of firearms enhanced corrosion resistance over traditional brass, improved cosmetics, and ease of cleanup during reloading. Nickel-plated casings will not tarnish like brass during storage or when in contact with foreign materials such as leather, moisture, and other metals.

As with all of Underwood Ammo™ rounds, we utilize flash suppressed powder so that your vision will not be compromised if it becomes necessary to use your firearm in low light.

This ammunition is new production, non-corrosive, in boxer primed, reloadable brass cases.

This ammo is for cartridge size 9mm Luger +P.
The bullet is made from Copper.
The diameter (caliber) of this bullet is 0.355.
This bullet weighs 68 grains.
This bullet leaves the barrel at 1800 feet per second.
The ammo case is made from Nickel Plated Brass.
This ammo is a proven round for hunting.
The bullet in this product does NOT contain lead.
This round is designed to be supersonic and travels faster than the speed of sound.
The muzzle energy of this ammo is 489 ft lbs.
This product has been designed to be an effective choice for the ultimate in self-defense applications.
The bullet in this product has a Sectional Density, (SD) of 0.0770822115793352. SD is the ratio of an object’s mass to its cross sectional area with respect to a given axis. It conveys how well an object’s mass is distributed (by its shape) to overcome resistance along that axis.
This ammo IS SAFE to use in a suppressor.
The bullet in this ammo has a ballistic coefficient (G1) of 0.087 – Generally, the higher the coefficient, the more stable the projectile will be in flight.
Each box of ammo contains 20 loaded pieces of ammunition.
This ammo is manufactured by Underwood Ammo

In dangerous predator country in the wilds a deep penetrating projectile with wide meplat is in order. Big bears don’t take well to shallow flesh wounds a standard hollow point might make. This is where solid heavy weight projectiles come into play. Federal Castcore ammo in a large caliber like the .44 Magnum is a good choice. Garrett Cartridges also has quite a selection of big bullets for big scary furred problems you might encounter afield.

Do your own research and decide what load is right for your defensive needs. Each load and caliber has positive and negative attributes that the end user must decide what they need in a handgun personal defense cartridge. The choices just keep on growing and growing…