Author Topic: 115gr or 124gr NATO  (Read 6555 times)

Offline oldsarge

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115gr or 124gr NATO
« on: August 06, 2020, 10:05:31 PM »
Hello - I am new to the 9mm. I have relied solely on a .45, shooting 230 gr. Nothing else.  Just seemed like the thing to do.  Also, I do not reload.   I just purchased a CZ 75BD and thinking 124 gr NATO ammo from Winchester. Like the .45, this will be for range use (not too frequent) and self defense.  I am not too keen on hollow points. Am I making a mistake?  The ammo is plentiful and inexpensive and if good enough for the military it should suffice for me.  But if the CZ cannot handle it, I need to know.  Thanks!
David B.
US Army (1970-1995)
Colt 1911
Sig 556R
Mossberg .410 Home Defense
CZ 75BD

Offline spongemonkey

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Re: 115gr or 124gr NATO
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2020, 02:44:48 PM »
Hello and welcome to the forum!  My best advice is to purchase a few different boxes of various ammo and see what your handgun likes best.  Good hollow points perform better than fmj ammo in self defense situations  in my opinion.  For self defense ammo, I like the Federal 124grn HST ammo.  For range and plinking occassions, I pick which ever 115 or 124grn ammo is the least expensive regardless if brass cased or steel cased. 

Offline oldsarge

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Re: 115gr or 124gr NATO
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2020, 04:14:41 PM »
Thanks for the reply and the advice.  I know what the FBI says about penetration and cavity size which pretty much dictates HP; and FMJ has a habit of over travel which is frowned upon for personal defense. I will consider all that you said and again many thanks.
David B.
US Army (1970-1995)
Colt 1911
Sig 556R
Mossberg .410 Home Defense
CZ 75BD

Offline old tanker

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Re: 115gr or 124gr NATO
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2020, 10:13:42 AM »
My CZ-75 was purchased new from the Grafenwöhr Rod & Gun Club in 1978.  It has been, and still is, a solid working gun. Burned up a bunch of M882 9mm GI ball after it became easy to get.  If you were combat arms, there is some chance you have seen how the cartridge performs in real life.

Offline oldsarge

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Re: 115gr or 124gr NATO
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2020, 09:56:56 PM »
For the time being, I am sticking with what I am familiar with aka hard ball. In time I will grab a box or 2 of JHP.
David B.
US Army (1970-1995)
Colt 1911
Sig 556R
Mossberg .410 Home Defense
CZ 75BD

Offline noylj

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Re: 115gr or 124gr NATO
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2020, 04:01:55 AM »
Home defense means HP. Weight of bullet means very little—accuracy is what determines the bullet to use. For plinking and fun, go with the lighter bullet. Heck, go with the cheapest non-corrosive ammunition you can find, no matter the bullet weight.
JMB designed the 1911 to shoot 200gn bullets. The Army wanted heavier, so he or the ammunition company gave them 230gn.

Offline oldsarge

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Re: 115gr or 124gr NATO
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2020, 10:50:35 AM »
I have S&B 124 hard ball and 124 jhp Hornady. I think I am good to go.
David B.
US Army (1970-1995)
Colt 1911
Sig 556R
Mossberg .410 Home Defense
CZ 75BD

Offline frgood

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Re: 115gr or 124gr NATO
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2020, 09:12:12 AM »
I was under the impression that the CZ-75 9mm line was designed around the 124 NATO cartridge. I have found the most reliability and accuracy using 124s.

Offline old tanker

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Re: 115gr or 124gr NATO
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2020, 12:28:22 PM »
In 1975 Czechoslovakia was firmly with the Warsaw Pact. The Warsaw Pact was created in 1955 in reaction to the integration of [/size]West Germany into [/color][/size]NATO[/color]. With the collapse of Communism in 1991[/size] the Pact was declared at an end[/color][/size] at a meeting in [/color][/size]Hungary[/color][/size],  In [/color][/size]the following 20 years, the seven Warsaw Pact countries outside the USSR each joined NATO (East Germany through its reunification with West Germany; and the Czech Republic and Slovakia as separate countries), as did the Baltic states which had been part of the Soviet Union.[/color]

[/size]Having spent a good chunk of may adult life, in those years, patrolling that border, looking at the Russians looking at me, I wonder how much of an export market to the West CZ was hoping to get?[/color]

Offline spongemonkey

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Re: 115gr or 124gr NATO
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2020, 02:29:59 PM »
Home defense means HP. Weight of bullet means very little—accuracy is what determines the bullet to use. For plinking and fun, go with the lighter bullet. Heck, go with the cheapest non-corrosive ammunition you can find, no matter the bullet weight.
JMB designed the 1911 to shoot 200gn bullets. The Army wanted heavier, so he or the ammunition company gave them 230gn.
Home defense equals hollow point.  Your claim of "weight of bullet means very little" means that you know nothing of which you speak!  Too light of a hollow point and it will expand too quickly and not penetrate deep enough.  Go back to school and learn something you stupid troll!  When did your momma let you out of the basement?
« Last Edit: October 16, 2020, 02:34:38 PM by spongemonkey »