Cartridge profile · Introduced 1902 · Pistol

9mm Luger

Georg Luger's military round, now the most popular handgun cartridge. Self-defense, police and competition with manageable recoil.

Good for: Pistol, Self-defense, Target

A typical factory load is a 124 gr JHP bullet at about 1,150 ft/s, with roughly 364 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.

Typical load
124 grJHP · 4" barrel
Muzzle speed
1,150 ft/s
Muzzle energy
364 ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.15typical, varies by brand
Twist rate
1:10
Practical range
25 yd
Point-blank range
109 yd6" vital zone
Recommended platform
Compact or full-size pistolMild; micro-compacts are snappier

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Made for
Georg Luger's military round, now the most popular handgun cartridge. Self-defense, police and competition with manageable recoil.Pistol · Self-defense · Target
Typical load
124 grJHP · 4" barrel
Typical muzzle fps
1,150ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
364ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.15typical, varies by brand
Twist rate for typical load
1:10
Practical range
25 yd
MPBR (iron sights)
109 yd6" vital zone · Near zero 5 yd · Far zero 92 yd · Min PBR 0 yd · Max PBR 109 yd · Sight-in @25 2.11" high
Recommended platform
Compact or full-size pistolMild; micro-compacts are snappier

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Speed, energy and BC are typical figures for the listed load; real numbers vary by brand, lot and barrel length. Always check the ammo maker's data for your exact load.

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