120 gr TC for 9mm

[thx997303]

I was thinking about using these, and was wondering if I might be able to get them to expand at 9mm velocities. Maybe flatten and penetrate is the better goal description.

What do you guys think?

What kind of alloy would they need to be cast out of?

[fredj338]

If you could get them to shoot well w/ a 30-1 alloy, run them to 1100fps, you might get some flattening on a large/firm target, but I wouldn't expect much.

[fecmech]

If you are looking for expansion in handguns, hollow points are the only reliable way to go IMO. Use the cast TC's for practice and load some XTP's or Gold Dots for serious use.

[thx997303]

Interesting, thanks for the info.

[dualsport]

I have to agree, if you know you're going to a gunfight(and you bring a handgun for some reason) you don't want any ammo related problems, or handload lawsuits for that matter. My 9mm will be loaded with j---- bullets loaded from the factory, probably plain jane fmj. On the other hand, I mess around with cast bullet loads in my Tanfoglio TA-90 for practice and entertainment.

[Ricochet]

Handload lawsuits are an invention of Massad Ayoob's fevered brain and haven't happened. Not an issue. If it ever were a claim in a suit, it would be hard to make it stick that you set out to cause excessive pain and suffering by using your standard practice load of a cast boolit instead of using one of the commercial hollowpoint defense loads. If plaintiff lawyers thought they could get anywhere with suing over use of handloads in a defense situation, it would've been done by now, because it's been an ongoing topic of discussion on every gun board for many years.

[thx997303]

I agree with Ricochet on this one. At the very least I could say I had gone to the range and forgotten to switch magazines.

A DA would be hard pressed to prove otherwise.

[Ricochet]

The DA wouldn't care if you used truncated cone boolits, Gold Dots or an 8 bore double rifle. The question would be whether the situation justified the use of deadly force. The "handload suit" fear is that a plaintiff attorney hired by the shot bad guy or his heirs for a civil liability suit would claim that you loaded ammo especially to make his pain and suffering more severe. Anyway, it's never been pulled off and I don't think it will, if he needed shooting. You need sound justification for the use of deadly force in either case.

[Houndog]

My wife is a county comissioner and at a recent legislative seminar I asked the Tennessee Attorney General this specific question. He said a shooting is either justified or not. It doesn't make any difference whether you use factory loads or reloads, neither does the bullet type or weapon used. He also said if a shooting is justified, the plantiff is prohibited by law from sueing for civil damages in our state. I will add that the threshold for a justifiable shooting can be as simple as being in fear for your life! We also have the "castle doctrine". If someone breaks into your house and you shoot them, it's a justifiable shooting.

[lead_her_fly]

Handload lawsuits are an invention of Massad Ayoob's fevered brain and haven't happened. Not an issue. If it ever were a claim in a suit, it would be hard to make it stick that you set out to cause excessive pain and suffering by using your standard practice load of a cast boolit instead of using one of the commercial hollowpoint defense loads. If plaintiff lawyers thought they could get anywhere with suing over use of handloads in a defense situation, it would've been done by now, because it's been an ongoing topic of discussion on every gun board for many years.

If it could've it would've!

Ayoob uses a completely different situation, a suicide deemed murder with plenty of evidence to that affect, to espouse his view point.

We have bumped heads over this on the Smith site many times.

One problem he has when he explains this is that we both know of a cop that uses a 44Mag for a duty gun stoked with his own handloads!

Sure, it's "hickville Indiana" but it's true none the less!

As to the OP's original question, I load a #7 H&G in some of my Sigs. While I have never shot any meat with them, they function flawlessly and are accurate. I'm sure they aren't going to be any worse for penetration than ball ammo.

If you hit bone, it's going to flatten especially if it is soft and 1100fps.

[Gee_Wizz01]

In Florida, if its a justified shooting, the perp or his survivors can not sue the shooter.

G