Guns 2012-08.pdf - Jeffersonian

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9mm Handloaded Ammo Performance,
Beretta M9, 4.9" barrel
Bullet Powder Charge Velocity group Size
(brand, bullet weight, type) (brand) (grains weight) (fps) (inches)
remington 115 FMJ Blue Dot 8.5 1,256 3.19
remington 115 FMJ HS-6 7.0 1,269 2.23
Saeco Cast 118 Longshot 5.0 1,109 2.75
hornady 124 XTP Blue Dot 7.8 1,141 1.52
hornady 124 XTP AA No. 9 10.2 1,205 3.77
hornady 124 XTP Longshot 5.7 1,147 2.19
Speer 147 Gold Dot Power Pistol 5.0 1,018 1.77
Speer 147 Gold Dot Longshot 4.5 932 1.70
Notes: All loads were fired in Federal brass with CCI 500 primers.
Leading U.S. Manufacturer
of Scope Mounts Since 1967
husband, however, she rarely sells any
of her firearms, so kept all but one
her acquisitions—the full-size HK,
which didn’t go far, ending up in my
modest collection. Out of all Eileen’s
semi-autos, however, her favorite is
probably a Beretta M9, essentially
the same handgun adopted by the US
military.
It was interesting to accompany her
during the semi-auto shopping trips.
Several of my local friends in the retail
gun biz tell me woman tend to shop
differently than men do and, since we
live in Montana (one of those states
where citizens tend to cling to their
firearms), they see a large sampling of
women gun shoppers.
Buying Parameters
Women, they say, usually come into
the store with fewer preconceptions
about what rifle, shotgun or handgun
they might buy. The first item on the
list is how any firearm feels in their
hands, including how the grip fits,
the overall weight, and whether they
can aim quickly without any major
adjustment. Next they work the action
to see if there’s any major problem,
partly because women don’t usually
have as much upper body and hand
strength as men. After all that they
often ask if it kicks a lot. (In contrast,
men usually come in with some specific
firearm in mind, often one they read
about in a magazine or heard about on
the Internet. Or they browse until they
find something interesting, because of
the model or chambering. They often
buy firearms that kick too much for
them, not a bad deal for the store, since
the firearm often returns in a trade,
and the store gets it back for a reduced
price.)
Eileen didn’t ask about kick, since
she’d already shot a wide variety of
handguns up to the .44 Magnum. Her
first test was grip fit and balance; if
the gun felt right then she’d try all the
mechanical stuff, including clicking
the trigger a few times, since she’s
really trigger-picky. The Beretta fit her
hand really well, she could pull back
the slide quite easily, and the trigger
felt pretty good, even double action.
I don’t own a 9mm Parabellum,
having never found one that really
appeals to me, but Eileen graciously
loaned me the M9 for the tests. I’d
already worked up a cast bullet practice
load for it a couple of years before,
but trying various jacketed bullets
provided a reminder of why the 9mm is
so popular the world over. Most of my
handgun shooting involves either .22
rimfires or centerfires that often kick
quite a bit. The 9mm doesn’t!
Western Powders, Inc.
(Ramshot & Accurate Powders)
P.O. Box 158
Miles City, MT 59301
(406) 234-0422
www.gunsmagazine.com/
western-powders-inc
Alliant Powder
P.O. Box 6, Radford, VA 24143
(800) 276-9337
www.gunsmagazine.com/alliant-powder
Beretta USA
17601 Beretta Dr. , Accokeek, MD 20607
(800) 237-3882
www.gunsmagazine.com/beretta
Hodgdon Powder Co.
6231 Robinson, Shawnee Mission, KS 66202
(913) 362-9455
www.gunsmagazine.com/hodgdon
Hornady
3625 W. Old Potash Hwy.
Grand Island, NE 68802
(800) 338-3220
www.gunsmagazine.com/hornady
Remington Arms
P.O. Box 700, Madison, NC 27025
(800) 243-9700
www.gunsmagazine.com/remington-arms
Speer Ammo
2299 Snake River Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501
(800) 627-3640
www.gunsmagazine.com/speer-ammo
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WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • AUGUST 2012