That bunk has been a template for the antis ever since.

Can this be a problem in court after a legitimate self-defense shooting?

Of course it can.

This photo shows a Springfield Armory 9mm 1911 handgun with Federal Ammunition 124-grain hollow point bullets. The load has proved to be accurate and effective in defensive shootings.

Hollow point bullets represent a significant portion of the defensive-style ammunition designed for handguns. This Springfield Garrison 9mm 1911 is shown here with Federal Punch ammo.

Does that mean you shouldnt load them in your defensive firearms?No!

Explaining the Use of Expanding Bullets

A little bit of history is in order.

I used the following four arguments.

Shown in this digital image are four cartridges for revolvers. Each uses a different projectile which is the point to the illustration. From left to right, they are a lead round nose, semi-jacketed soft point bullet, a semi-jacketed hollow point bullet and a lead semi-wadcutter. A special note about the LSWC bullet — some effective hollow point bullets are made with semi-wadcutters. They have an open front, deep cavity and use soft lead to increase the probability of expansion.

Bullet configurations, from left: round nose, semi-jacketed soft point, semi-jacketed hollow point, and semi-wadcutter. Hollow points are recommended for typical defense purposes. Image: Massad Ayoob

He turned out to be a retired surgeon, a dominant juror as it were.

The prohibitionists argue, So, you want to kill your victim faster!

The sooner he is stopped, the better Societys good intentions are served.

In this photograph, we see the politician Dudley Dudley during the 1970s. She opposed the freedom of Americans to purchase effective ammunition for self-defense. Fortunately, her attempts to pass the anti-rights legislation were defeated by rational arguments and reasonable people.

New Hampshire politician Dudley Dudley attempted to ban hollow point ammunition in her state, but was effectively countered by the rational arguments offered by the author. Image: Circa 1970s/Public Domain

All of the above points are so well-established as to be simply unquestionable.

How can that be?

See the third reason, above.

In this photograph, the author has a Speer G2 expanded hollow point in ballistic gel. Speer’s Gold Dot and G2 lines are exceptional for protecting good men and women in these United States of America.

Speer G2 147 grain 9mm, with synthetic insert in hollow point cavity, performed well in ballistic gel. Image: Massad Ayoob

In my opinion, dont use ineffective, old-fashioned ammunition.

In this photograph, Hornady Critical Duty 45 ACP FlexLock bullet penetration testing shows the bullets penetrate between 13" — 14" which many people consider to be ideal.

Shown here is a Hornady Critical Duty .45 ACP bullet penetration test. The goal of a hollow point bullet is to penetrate enough without over-penetrating. Image: Hornady Manufacturing Company

Shown in this digital image, a Springfield Armory Prodigy is shown with Federal Punch 9mm ammo.

The Springfield Armory Prodigy is suitable for competition, home defense and duty carry. It is shown here with Federal Punch 9mm hollow point ammo.

In this photograph, the author shows us a recovered .45 caliber expanded hollow point bullet that was used to harvest a wild pig during a hog hunt.

The author instantly killed a large hog with this Federal HST 230 +P hollow point. It created a wide wound track and with ideal penetration through heavy bone and soft tissue. Image: Massad Ayoob

In this photograph, we see several police officers conducting performance and penetration testing of hollow point ammunition in ballistic gel. This test was done in Utah.

Shown here is a police test of bullet penetration. The testing was conducted in Utah using FBI formula ballistic gelatin. Image: Massad Ayoob

1911 Garrison

1911 DS Prodigy™ Series

Federal Personal Defense Punch 9mm Luger 124 Gr.

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