(TacticalNews.com) – When carrying a handgun for personal protection, you have to be extremely responsible. That means you need to know gun safety, what ammo to use, and how to react to certain situations. The most important detail you need to focus on is situational awareness, meaning you know what you’re shooting at and what’s behind that target.
What’s the Difference?
There are two main types of handgun ammunition in the ammo world — hollow points (HP) and full metal jackets (FMJ). From a visual standpoint, you can already tell the two rounds are very different. FMJs are solid, whereas HPs have a hollowed out tip. Typically, you see FMJ ammunition with a rounded tip. But they do come in a round nose flat point.
Hollow points come in a variety of different types of bullets. The typical HP is basically an all-lead projectile with a hollow tip. Its siblings include the semi-jacketed soft point hollow point (JSP HP), jacketed hollow point (JHP), and the boat tail hollow point (BTHP). Regardless of the hollow point, it’s probably going to cost more than its FMJ counterpart.
When to Use Them
FMJs and HPs have their place. Due to the lower price of FMJs, they’re typically used for target practice. Additionally, some people use them as defense rounds. Yes, they will stop someone from attacking you. The problem, however, is that when you shoot someone with an FMJ round, that bullet is going to go through their body, potentially hitting something or someone else. Likewise, FMJ rounds are great for trying to shoot through a wall. But in reality, you should not be shooting through something you cannot see through.
On the other hand, HPs expand upon entering a person or object. When this happens, it causes a larger cavity inside the body and decreases the chances of over-penetration. This process makes HP rounds ideal for personal protection. However, you should still fire some HPs through your firearm to test the ammo and see how the gun will respond. Believe it or not, guns can be picky about what type of ammo you use. Some brands and styles work better than others.
Final Thoughts
It doesn’t matter what ammo you choose; you should practice with both types. You also need to consider whether you plan to load your carry gun with FMJ. If that’s the case, you could be held responsible for any damage caused by over-penetration. For that reason, you should consider spending the extra money on HP rounds and avoid potential legal trouble.
Having a firearm for personal protection is your constitutional right. At the same time, it’s important to remember that having a carry permit won’t necessarily save you from any mistakes you may make. That being said, check out this article to help you decide whether an open or concealed carry permit is best for you. Once you’ve done that, check out this article discussing how to choose a gun.
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