13 Ammunition Lines, Projectiles and Brands for Your Subcompact Pistol

Aguila Ammunition
Aguila offers full metal jacket rounds for practice and to feed finicky pocket pistols that don’t otherwise like hollow points, as well as hollow-point ammunition in .380 ACP and 9mm. The company also offers a particularly deep selection of .38 Special loads. It proudly states that it uses non-corrosive primers. Its 124-grain 9mm load has been proven to slightly lessen the recoil impulse in a pocket pistol. (<a target=blank href=http://www.aguilaammo.com>http://www.aguilaammo.com</a>; 888-452-4019)

Barnes
Barnes is a leading innovator of rifle bullets, though the company has developed some very popular handgun projectiles as well. It was only a matter of time before it started offering loaded cartridges featuring its projectiles, and now Barnes’ factory loads have quite a following. In the TAC-XPD line, intended for law enforcement and lawfully armed citizens, Barnes prefers light-for-caliber projectiles at particularly fast velocities, with loads designed for .380 ACP, 9mm +P, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W and .45 ACP chamberings. (<a target=blank href=http://www.barnesbullets.com>http://www.barnesbullets.com</a>; 800-574-9200)

Black Hills
Black Hills combines high-end components to its own rigorous specifications, using popular projectiles like Barnes’ TAC-XP to create high-performance defense, training and hunting cartridges. In a testament to the company’s product quality, the U.S. military sources plenty of its match rifle ammunition. Black Hills’ .380 ACP Xtreme Defense round offers a truly unique projectile that channels kinetic energy laterally after impact. The company also offers .32 H&R, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, 9mm, .40 S&W, .44 Magnum and .45 ACP loads. (<a target=blank href=http://www.black-hills.com>http://www.black-hills.com</a>; 605-348-5150)

Federal
A top manufacturer of just about every caliber and gauge of ammunition, Federal conducts significant research into its loads’ terminal performance. The Micro line of HST defense ammunition is particularly relevant for pocket pistols and other small-frame guns, as it’s designed to operate with the shorter barrels of micro guns—and for the projectiles to function at those consequently lower velocities. Check out the 99-grain .380 ACP HST round for enhanced everyday-carry performance. (<a target=blank href=http://www.federalpremium.com>http://www.federalpremium.com</a>; 800-379-1732)

Hornady
A maker of fine projectiles, and now a company offering high-end defense ammunition, Hornady has a refreshingly deep line of defensive ammunition in its Critical Defense series. The cartridges are nickel plated, the powder is low-flash to protect your vision in low-light environments and the hollow points are filled with a polymer plug that ensures as-designed expansion regardless of intermediary barriers or layers. Check out Hornady’s Critical Defense loads in .22 WMR, .32 NAA, .32 H&R, 9×18 Makarov, .357 SIG and .410 shotshell, in addition to all of its standard handgun calibers. (<a target=blank href=http://www.hornady.com>http://www.hornady.com</a>; 800-338-3220)

HPR Ammo
HPR Ammo loads two lines of defensive ammunition. First is its traditional copper and lead hollow points that are custom-loaded to the company’s specifications for velocity and terminal performance characteristics. Then there’s the innovative OTF (Open Tip Frangible), a hollow point that is designed to deliver all of its kinetic energy into its target by way of radial fragmentation upon entry. Check out the 9mm Black Ops OTF round, which delivers 1,320 fps for a muzzle energy of 329 foot-pounds. (<a target=blank href=http://www.hprammo.com>http://www.hprammo.com</a>; 928-468-0223)

Magtech
The makers of a full line of practice and lead-free “clean” ammunition, Magtech also has a deep list of FMJ practice and hollow-point rounds that feature its brass cases. The company’s premium First Defense ammunition features bonded bullets that come in 50-round packages, which is nice for the budget, and for having some ammo to practice with while leaving enough to fill your carry magazines. Magtech’s .40 S&W load is a 155-grain bonded JHP that achieves 1,198 fps for 494 foot-pounds of energy. (<a target=blank href=http://www.magtechammunition.com>http://www.magtechammunition.com</a>; 800-466-7191)

Remington
Remington’s Ultimate Defense line uses the company’s brass-jacketed, hollow-point bullets in common carry calibers. In the Ultimate Defense Compact line, however, Remington has engineered its projectiles to perform at the lower velocities produced by the shorter barrels of concealed-carry guns, and optimizing the cartridges for reliable performance in those smaller frames. The Ultimate Defense .45 ACP is worth a closer look for its 230-grain, spiral-relieved, hollow-point projectile. (<a target=blank href=http://www.remington.com>http://www.remington.com</a>; 800-243-9700)

Ruger
In partnership with PolyCase Ammunition, Ruger offers some pretty innovative new rounds that capitalize on the aggressively sculpted nose profile that is being seen in some of today’s newest loads. Ruger makes its ARX projectiles from a hard, “copper-polymer matrix” that is shaped to distribute its kinetic energy laterally (as well as forward) upon impact. The ARX .380 ACP load travels at 1,315 fps and delivers 215 foot-pounds of energy. (<a target=blank href=http://www.ruger.com>http://www.ruger.com</a>)

Sig Sauer
From this leader in self-defense handguns (and rifles and carbines) comes the V-Crown bullet seated in nickel-plated shells over premium powder. The V-Crown has a unique shape inside its hollow point, where a shallow cup gives way to a deep, narrow chute to provide reliable expansion through barriers, all while a mushroom shape maximizes surface area to minimize overpenetration. Calibers include the 12 big ones, from .380 ACP to .45 Colt. Check out Sig’s 147-grain 9mm load, which travels at 985 fps, for a softer recoil impulse. (<a target=blank href=http://www.sigsauer.com>http://www.sigsauer.com</a>; 866-345-6744)

Speer
Makers of the famous Gold Dot projectile, Speer offers loaded rounds that put those Gold Dot bullets into a host of calibers—from .25 ACP to .45 Colt. These projectiles are designed to pass the FBI testing protocol, and even the calibers that the FBI doesn’t test benefit from the design. Most appealing for pocket pistol shooters might be the company’s line of Gold Dot Short Barrel rounds, which include .22 WMR as well as the 9mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W, .44 Magnum and .45 ACP you expect. The 124-grain 9mm Gold Dot load specifically balances power and recoil impulse for small pistols. (<a target=blank href=http://www.speer-ammo.com>http://www.speer-ammo.com</a>; 800-379-1732)

Wilson Combat
Wilson Combat loads rounds with Hornady XTP, Barnes TAC-XP and other premium projectiles to create defense ammunition (and bulk-packed practice ammunition, as well) that’s designed to offer high quality and optimum velocities for controlled terminal performance. The company hand-inspects its Custom Handgun Ammunition rounds for quality control and employs rigid tape crimping to inhibit projectile set-back while in your magazine. Wilson’s 9mm +P round with the 115-grain Hornady XTP travels downrange at 1,250 fps! (<a target=blank href=http://www.wilsoncombat.com>http://www.wilsoncombat.com</a>; 800-955-4856)

Winchester
With various lines to choose from that each offer hollow-point projectiles, we turn our eyes toward Winchester’s PDX1 and Defend lines of personal defense ammunition. These premium rounds are the result of Winchester’s latest research and innovation. The PDX1 loads offer bonded JHP projectiles with notched jackets pushed at pretty high velocities. The Defend rounds are generally a little lighter-recoiling, and pair well with the company’s Train line of FMJ practice ammunition. Winchester’s PDX1 .380 ACP cartridges hit 1,000 fps from a 3.75-inch barrel. (<a target=blank href=http://www.winchester.com>http://www.winchester.com</a>)