Everyone should have a 9mm Luger (9x19mm) pistol. The 9mm Luger round feeds/cycles great, recoil is moderate, and a vast array of excellent 9mm handguns are available. And, perhaps most importantly, quality factory ammo is affordable. In fact because 9x19mm ammo is produced in such quantity, it is some of the cheapest centerfire pistol ammo you can buy. Today we’ve found some great 9mm Luger ammo deals for you, with big-name factory stuff for under 20 cents per round.

Should You Reload 9mm Ammo? Run the Numbers, Then Decide…
While this Editor reloads almost all his .45 ACP and .44 Magnum ammo, I generally shoot factory ammo in my 9mm Luger pistols. Why? When you give some reasonable value to the time you spend setting-up and operating your reloading press, it is hard to beat factory ammo at around $10 per 50-count box (i.e. $0.20/round). While once-fired 9mm brass is plentiful (and cheap), you can easily spend 14-15 cents per round just on bullet, powder, and primer*. So reloading may only save you 5-6 cents per round. Hence if you load 200 rounds per hour (including set-up time), you only recoup $10 to $12 per hour (at best) for all your effort. You may decide, as I did, that my time was worth more than that.

Great Deals on 9mm Luger (9x19mm) Factory Ammunition

CCI Blazer 9mm 124gr FMJ at Brownells $195.99 for 1000-rd Case (Case Price is $9.80 per 50-rd box) Free Shipping with CODE M7R	Browning 9mm 115gr FMJ at Grafs.com $102.50 for 500 rds ($10.25 per 50-rd box for 3 or more) Flat Rate Shipping $7.95
Aguila 9mm 124gr FMJ at Sportsman’s Guide $99.90 for 500 rds ($9.99 per 50-rd box; $9.49 Member price) Shipping Extra	American Eagle Syntech 9mm 115gr Total Synthetic Jacket at MidwayUSA $124.90 for 500 rds ($12.49 per 50-rd box) Shipping Extra

* Typical 9mm component costs easily approach fifteen cents per round even with free brass: Bullet ($0.08 – $0.10), Powder ($0.02), and Primer ($0.035). If you value your time, it may not be worth reloading 9mm Luger.

A striker-fired 9mm 1911, with a lower bore axis. That’s how we’d describe the brand-new Hudson H9 pistol, which debuted at SHOT Show 2017. The feel in the hand will be familiar to model 1911 owners — this single-stack pistol shares the ergonomics of the classic J.M. Browning 1911. It also has a trigger feel similar to a 1911 (but there is more take-up than on a 1911).

The big news is up front — that bulky section in the front of the frame below the muzzle allows the guide rod and recoil spring to be carried very low. That permits the slide to be placed lower relative to the web of the hand. This, combined with the striker firing mechanism, all translates to a lower bore axis and lower Center of Gravity. In practice this does reduce muzzle flip and perceived recoil.

We shot the Hudson H9 at Media Day at the Range, and it did seem to be have less muzzle flip than a typical 9x19mm pistol of similar weight. However, we would stop short of calling this revolutionary. To be honest, we think some other gun journalists have gone a bit overboard. The Hudson H9 is an innovative pistol to be sure, but honestly it wasn’t shockingly good. This Editor has shot probably 40 different 9mm pistols, including custom 9x19mm 1911s. The Hudson H9 is good, but, to be honest, my H&K P7m8 is better (in terms of muzzle flip). And HK’s P7 series pistols were designed 40 years ago!

From Russia with Low Bore Axis
If you want to get excited about a low bore axis, check out this Kalashnikov PL-14, introduced in 2015. Note the very low-profile slide, with a grip design that allows the web of the hand to be carried very high. We think this is actually a more advanced design than the Hudson H9. Still, for 1911 fans yearning for a striker-fired option, the Hudson will feel familiar, and it does seem to be well-made and sturdy.