[Bren]

I will use anything that is American made. I avoid most cheap imports and steel cases.

 

[Maccabeus]

I use S&B and Blazer Brass. They both work well.

Same here. Whichever has the best sales price. I'd buy Magtech or Norma, too, but it's usually the same or better price for Blazer brass or S&B.

I'll buy either 115 or 124, whichever is cheaper. If prices are the same, I'll get 124 to better approximate my carry ammo.

I also buy a case at a time to maximize discounts and get free shipping.

 

[GeorgiaGlocker]

I like UMC Remington for range ammo and have been using it for years. Gold Dots for carry.

 

[Cranky old cop]

Whatever comes cheaper, just avoid Turkish ammo!

The Turk stuff is just fine in my Glocks

 

[racer88]

Winchester white box ranges from poor to junk in the various calibers. I would not buy any.

I agree. I've had some very inconsistent "flyers" from WWB. By now I am pretty decent at "calling my shots" and know when I pull one. But with WWB, I've had some impacts that I KNOW I didn't pull that way. So I'm never buying WWB again.

While not the least expensive, I prefer Win NATO 124. I replicates self-defense ammo in terms of recoil.

I don't believe I've tried Win NATO 124, but the WWB turned me off of Winchester. But I have been using a lot of CCI Blazer Brass 124-gr with very good results. Right now, running about 26 cents per round at online retailers.

 

[MarkCO]

I will use anything that is American made. I avoid most cheap imports and steel cases.

So all you can buy in the future is Winchester...

 

[MarkCO]

I don't believe I've tried Win NATO 124, but the WWB turned me off of Winchester.

I hear you, but the Win Nato 124 is some of the stoutest, non-premium, non-defense ammo on the market. Never had a problem with it. But then, I shoot mostly reloads.

And I still miss my old school 30 caliber 180 grain Winchester Silvertips. The "first" of the tipped bullets.

 

[USAF_PJ]

I use Lawman, Magtech and Blazer with a fair degree of success. I am not a fan of Winchester white box, (imo) it is not as consistent and really dirty.
I try to keep most of my purchases to bulk orders, but impulse buy per box on occassion.
I do shoot 115 gr to practice on occasion when I am working out something, but move to 124 as soon as I think I have mastered "it" (like a new trigger or sight for example) since that is what I carry.
I really try to avoid the cheapest (including reman) because if the poi is not consistent I may not be able to determine the reason - consistent ammo removes at least one variable when I am practicing or working on a change.
(I do not want to start a **** show but) if the end price of Lawman is $.28/round and something else is $.26/round we are talking $2/100 rounds...for cleaner more consistent shooting. I can go through a lot of rounds but if I go through 500 rounds of 9mm and the cost is $10 more (for cleaner/consistent), I feel like I am getting a good deal on ammo.

Blazer is usually the least expensive stuff I will buy and I I keep it to brass case only - again just for consistency.

I have had good luck with Norma as well, price is not too bad and very consistent.

 

[TNOUTDOORS9]

I have tried literally everything in 9mm the past 25+ years. My top range choices based on reliability, consistency, availability, and price.

Winchester NATO
Sellier & Bellot 115 or 124
Speer Lawman 115 or 124
Browning 115 or 124
Blazer 115 or 124
Fiocchi 115 or 124

I like these options because the 115's are generally well above 1150 fps (some are 1200) and the 124's are 1180 to 1200, etc. They also run well in my Ruger PCC MLOK with formidable velocity increases. There is so much weak crap 115 and 124 FMJ on the market these days with really low velocities, both domestic and imported. I get it; let's not force people to deal with legitimate 9mm recoil and wonder why their handgun doesn't function 100%.

Back in the day I originally stocked up on Winchester 115 WWB and still trying to shoot through all of it. Today, even if it's a deal I will walk away from it.

 

[glockforlife100]

I have used all of the following for more than a decade with no problems whatsoever - Winchester White Box, Federal American Eagle, Speer Lawman (all 147 grain).

 

[gh1138]

I've become a big fan of Magtech for practice/plinking. IMO it shoots at least as clean as Blazer, PMC, or WWB, if not cleaner. If you're buying cheap and stacking deep, they also pack the Magtech more compactly than most other brands, so you can fit more boxes in an ammo can.

 

[unit1069]

Winchester NATO 124gr or Sellier & Bellot SB9B 124gr. I only shoot and recommend 124gr.

Those are the two I like best. However, I will add that Winchester makes two NATO advertised rounds, one given as 1140 fps and the 1200 fps with my opinion the faster is much better because it closely resembles the premium JHP self-defense ammo I normally carry. The S&B velocity is given at 1180 fps, if I remember correctly.

 

[Cranky old cop]

I use Lawman, Magtech and Blazer with a fair degree of success. I am not a fan of Winchester white box, (imo) it is not as consistent and really dirty.
I try to keep most of my purchases to bulk orders, but impulse buy per box on occassion.
I do shoot 115 gr to practice on occasion when I am working out something, but move to 124 as soon as I think I have mastered "it" (like a new trigger or sight for example) since that is what I carry.
I really try to avoid the cheapest (including reman) because if the poi is not consistent I may not be able to determine the reason - consistent ammo removes at least one variable when I am practicing or working on a change.
(I do not want to start a **** show but) if the end price of Lawman is $.28/round and something else is $.26/round we are talking $2/100 rounds...for cleaner more consistent shooting. I can go through a lot of rounds but if I go through 500 rounds of 9mm and the cost is $10 more (for cleaner/consistent), I feel like I am getting a good deal on ammo.

Blazer is usually the least expensive stuff I will buy and I I keep it to brass case only - again just for consistency.

I have had good luck with Norma as well, price is not too bad and very consistent.

I use carry ammo to “ work things out “ and when I make changes. Bring a few of several practice rounds and see what is closest to carry ammo point of aim

 

[fredj338]

I will use anything that is American made. I avoid most cheap imports and steel cases.

I’m also fine with some foreign stuff like pmc or fiocchi.

 

[wild cat mccane]

It bothers me to use bullets that are brass in color vs copper in color knowing that the means the bullet material was less expensive gilding metal

Also bothers me to know Blazer is historically the thinnest copper coated bullet on the planet. For usually a dollar more, you get a better product per box. Zero outcome on usage I'm sure. Just a personal quibble with what you get and pay for. I don't think anyone now lists Blazer as a no go on ported barrels, but they did before.

 

[ssweet97]

I've been shooting Freedom Munitions 115 gr. reman FMJ in my 19 and 43x for years now without any issues. There remanufactured ammo is made on the same machines as their new ammo.

 

[RearMainSeal]

For me, and I think a good practical approach.

Practice
Defensive Ammo:
really any top name defensive round performs well, I like Gold Dot 124+p, but I’m open to deals I find. I like to stay on 124 best I can. Really, if shooting a Glock, it should shoot anything.

Rounds counts:
I like to have at least 200rds of defensive, I rotate out yearly. Often more on hand, but 200 is my minimum. Practice ammo, as much as I can get and shoot. I don’t bulk stock it, I shoot it up and buy more.

5.56 is a different story

 

[Tuscany]

I’m also fine with some foreign stuff like pmc or fiocchi.

Agree.

I buy American made on most things when possible, but in ammo I don't make a preference based on origin. Yes, Korean PMC and Italian based Fiocchi are foreign, but my Fiocchi 9mm boxes say "assemble in America" and they have manufacturing/assembly plants in Ozark, Missouri and Little Rock, Arkansas. Both brands are excellent.

After Sandy Hook I got caught short on 9mm and 5.56 when the average shelf life of a box of 9mm was about 5 minutes. When ammo became available again and got cheap I stocked up. For 9mm I have used over the many years, both before and after Sandy Hook, a lot of Czech Sellier & Bellot, American Eagle, Mexican Aguila, Speer Blazer and Lawman, Israeli IMI and German MEN in addition to PMC and Fiocchi. All good stuff with no problems at all.

I don't know how many thousands of Winchester White Box in 9mm I shot over the years but it's a lot. Never had any problems until the last few years when some of the rounds were not sized correctly and would not fully chamber in my handguns. So I don't buy it any more. I bought four boxes of Brazilian made Magtech locally and several of the bullets in those boxes had part of the bullet ground off, like they had been stuck in machinery somewhere in assembly. Never seen anything like that in factory ammo in all my decades of shooting. So I won't buy Magtech again. These two brands are the only No Nos I've had in factory 9mm.

OP, I prefer 124 grain 9mm but also use a lot of 115 grain when I've found it on bulk sale. Similar to you, I have two Walther PDPs along with two PPQs and a PPS. All worked correctly right out of the box with whatever range or self defense ammo I've feed them. I have never needed a "break in period" on my handguns and you won't either on a quality handgun like Walthers.

Pick a good brand like mentioned in this thread and you should be fine. I don't used steel cases in my handguns or rifles, but that's just my preference.

But don't buy commercial reloads. Ask me how I know.

 

[RearMainSeal]

Glock, if it seats it yeets.

 

[pewNerds]

... I don't have any experience with Sellier & Belot...

I bought 10k rounds of S&B 115 gr before the covid madness price increase and I've had 0 ammo related failures with it from any gun I've used it in. I've shot about 3k - 4k rounds of that stuff. Hard to find it at a good price currently though.