The title of this article is simply 9mm Ammo
. It doesn't sound that complicated, and it's not very exciting, but take a minute to read on. I'll bet that you can find a little something that you may not have known about this caliber. It gets a little twisted at points in the article because it's a very versatile round, but I'll narrow it down, usually everything circles back to 9mm, 9x19, 9mm Parabellum, and 9mm Luger; same thing, just identified by 4 different names. 9mm Ammunition is the world's most popular ammo. It is popular among militaries, law enforcement, personal home defense, and a favorite caliber for concealment. Here in the United States, when we say 9mm, we are usually referring to the 9mm, 9x19, 9mm Parabellum, or 9mm Luger
, remember, same thing, it just has 4 different identities. Unless designated as another 9mm caliber, when Americans say that their concealed carry is a "9", we all know what they are referring to. I know there are a lot of the variations of the 9mm, and I found in researching this article that I also don't know about a lot of others. I figured for this article, history was not as important as the ammo, after all if I told you about the history and every 9mm diameter piece of ammo, you would stop reading this article right about now. 9mm ammunition can be pistol ammo, revolver ammo, or rifle ammo. There are 63 variants of cartridges containing a 9mm bullet. The variants of 9mm ammo range in diameter of the cartridge from 8.91 (.351) to 9.8 (.386). The 8.91 is the .351 Winchester Self Loading round, and the 9.8 is .41 Long Colt round. Cartridge lengths vary greatly for 9mm bullets. Cartridge lengths include all lengths from 17.3 (.680) to 74 (2.925). Popular calibers within cartridge length variables containing a 9mm bullet include everything from .380 Auto, .376 Steyr, 9.93x66 SAKO, 9x 57mm Mauser, .38 Super, .357 Magnum, and so on and so on and so on.......really. 21 pistol rounds hold a 9mm bullet, 10 revolver rounds, and 32 rifle rounds. There's way too many to discuss every single one. So how about a review of 9mm ammo for rounds that actually contain "9mm" in the name.  

9mm BROWNING

While the bullet diameter is very similar to the 9mm Luger
, there are differences in the rim and neck diameters, so you can't use this ammo in a 9mm chambered firearm. This round is actually a .380 ACP
. The .380 ACP, especially in other parts of the world, also wields the designation of 9x17mm, 9mm Browning Court, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Corto, and 9mm Short.

PMC Bronze 380 ACP 90gr FMJ Ammunition

9x18mm Makarov

Like other 9mm rounds, this Soviet-developed round is also known by other names; the 9mm Makarov and the 9mm PM. With only slight differences, it is basically the Soviet's answer to the 9mm Luger. The minimal differences, however, do not make this cartridge safe to fire in a firearm chambered for 9mm Luger. There is a tiny difference in bullet diameter and the cartridge is a bit shorter. Because of the tiniest difference in the bullet diameter, loading a 9mm Makarov into a pistol designated for a 9mm Luger could lead to a definite jam, and possibly a catastrophic barrel explosion.

Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics 9x18 Makarov 95gr FMJ Ammunition

9x23 Winchester

The 9x23 Winchester
round was developed in the 1990s, and was designed specifically for the shooting sports. Because it is 23 millimeters in length, it is not interchangeable with a 9mm Luger either. It hasn't taken off as expected in the shooting sports, but it's a pretty accurate round.

Winchester Best Value 9x23 Winchester 124gr Jacketed Soft Point Ammunition

9x21mm

This round was developed by Israeli Military Industries (IMI). This round is completely different from the 9mm Luger. The cartridge is longer, and the neck and bullet diameter is also different. You will likely hear this round called a 9mm IMI.

PPU Handgun 9x21 IMI 124gr FMJ Ammunition

9x23mm SR

This is a pretty uncommon round, one you will not likely see at the range or used for personal protection. This round is more commonly known as the .38 ACP, not to be confused with a .380 ACP; totally different. The cartridge is semi-rimmed (SR), and not interchangeable with a 9mm Luger.

9x19mm NATO

Finally, a round that is interchangeable in a 9mm Luger firearm. The dimensions are exactly the same as a 9mm Luger. Because it has the same dimensions, it will load into a firearm chambered for 9mm Luger. While it will load into a 9mm Luger weapon, be careful. The 9mm NATO round was designed for military use, meaning it is loaded to deliver energy and greater velocities. This is the result of the round being manufactured at a higher pressure. An easy comparison to this round would be like adding +P. For safety reasons, make sure that your 9mm firearm is rated for higher pressure cartridges before you use this NATO round.

MagTech 9NATO 9mm NATO 124gr FMJ Ammunition

The Rest Of 'Em

The aforementioned 9mm ammo listings are just a few that you are likely to see, but to give you an idea of exactly how many variables of 9mm ammo that there are, just for amusement, I'm going to attempt to list them all. Here we go: 9mm Win Mag, 9x23mm Win, 9x25mm Mauser, 9x25mm Dillon, 9x25mm Super G, 9x23mm Largo, 9mm Largo, 9x23.. Steyr, 9x21mm Gyurza, 9x21mm, 9x19mm Parabellum, 9mm Luger, 9mm Browning Long, 9mm Glisenti, 9mm NATO, 9x18mm Ultra, 9mm Japanese, 9mm Federal, 9mm Jonson, 9x57mm Mauser, 9x39mm, 9.3x57mm, 9.3x62mm, 9.3x64mm Brenneke, 9.3x66mm Sako, 9.3x72R, and 9.3x74mmR :). I am not absolutely sure that my list includes every 9mm designated ammo example, but hopefully you get the idea.

9MM Ammo Types

Unjacketed 9mm ammo could prove to be slower and less powerful than other 9mm rounds. The most common 9mm ammo is the full metal jacket (FMJ), which is great for range time and practice. Don't discount the FMJ for home defense, overpenetration, although not impossible, is not a likely scenario. Jacketed hollow-point (JHP) will increase your stopping power by expanding and creating a larger wound tract. There are 9mm Ballistic cartridges as well. They are designed more for pistol hunting, with great stopping power and more distance. 9mm OTM (Open Tip Match), are mostly for competition and target practice. They are less likely than hollow-point ammo to be lethal, but in return, they will deliver consistent accuracy.

PMC Bronze 9mm 115gr Jacketed Hollow Point Ammunition

The Skinny of it All

9mm is the most popular and most purchased ammo in the world. It's used by militaries, law enforcement, for personal defense, and is a standard competition round. Tests have shown that in the exact case scenario, 9mm Parabellum (9mm Luger) performed well and yielded the same results as .40S&W calibers in close combat situations. 9mm Parabellum is widely available and relatively inexpensive. You should always practice with the round that you carry, and 9mm allows you to do just that. Reasonably priced and produced by every ammo manufacturer, you won't have any problem finding your favorite. Shop All 9mm Parabellum/9mm Luger Ammunition
Shop All .380 ACP/9mm Browning Ammunition
Shop All 9x18 Makarow Ammunition
Shop All 9x23 Winchester Ammunition
Shop All 9x21 IMI Ammunition
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