History and Info on 9mm Ammunition

9mm ammunition is one of the most widely acknowledged types of firearm ammunition, generally used within submachine guns and handguns. The value 9mm represents the diameter of the bullet but eliminates the diameter of the casing within this measurement. A 9mm bullet has an effective range of around 100 meters, but it can remain lethal over longer distances. It has a flat trajectory and its recoil is moderate.
​
9mm ammunition is used for a wide range of purposes including law enforcement, home defense, civilian self defense and within the military. There are a few basic types of 9mm ammo, including hollow-point, full metal jacket, and soft point. Hollow-point bullets are, as the name suggests, hollowed out and are not pointed in design. As such, they do not just penetrate and pass through their target, but will instead, expand and produce maximum damage to their intended target. Full metal jacket 9mm ammunition is commonly used in assault rifles and pistols as the bullet is encased in a strong metal, such as copper, and therefore it is tougher than most other types of bullets and is able to penetrate armor plating. It can be fired at a high speed and does not leave any lead residue inside the gun. A soft point bullet can come with a dull or pointed tip and can also be jacketed. The characteristic that makes this bullet unique is that its lead is exposed at the tip. Other types of 9mm ammunition that are available include match bullets, frangible projectile ammunition, metal case ammo and lead free bullets.

The 9mm ammunition was first introduced by German firearm designer Georg Luger in 1904. He had previously designed his own firearm, the Luger pistol, which was 7.62mm and 7.65 mm caliber pistol, but many buyers were not satisfied with the stopping power of this particular weapon. To secure larger contracts, he opted to make the gun fire a larger bullet. His design of a round-nosed shell that possessed a diameter of 9 mm and length of 19 mm resulted in his 9mm caliber pistol being selected by the German Army as a standard firearm. The introduction of the 9mm standard inspired many other firearm designers such as John Browning and Signior Beretta to create their own versions of 9mm caliber weapons. In 1938, the Germany military developed a machine pistol that used 9mm ammunition and later on, the Soviets designed their own version of 9mm caliber weapon, named the 9mm Makarov. Within today’s industry, some of the most widely known 9mm handguns and submachine guns include the Beretta 93-R, Heckler and Koch MP-5, Walther PPK, Uzi submachine gun, Ingram MAC-10, and Glock 17 and 18.

Credit - http://www.likesngripes.com/2011/02/9mm-ammunition/