Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr JHP – Stellar Low Flash Defense Load

Description

The Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr JHP is the conventional lead core version of Buffalo Bore’s hottest 9mm loading. A 115 grain jacketed hollow point at 1400 fps produces roughly 500 ft-lbs, with a flash suppressed powder behind it. It is loaded to +P+, a pressure level above SAAMI +P, so it belongs in a sound modern pistol. Twenty rounds per box, item 24A/20.

• Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr JHP Overview
• 9mm +P+ Jacketed Hollow Point Ammo Ballistics
• Why The 115 Grain JHP Defense Bullet Still Works
• Specifications
• Pressure Notes For This Flash Suppressed 9mm Luger Load

Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr JHP Overview

This is a traditional jacketed hollow point with a lead core, not a copper monolithic. That is a deliberate choice rather than a compromise. A lead core bullet driven fast expands readily and violently, and at 1400 fps this one has all the speed it needs to open every time.

Buffalo Bore built it around a flash suppressed powder. Their own reasoning is worth repeating: the great majority of defensive shootings happen in poor light, and a fireball from a four inch barrel at night takes your vision away at the exact moment you need it, which is why a flash suppressed 9mm Luger load is worth paying for.

On compatibility, Buffalo Bore is refreshingly direct. They say there is such a variety of 9mm pistols in use that they will not decide which guns suit which loads, and that it is up to the owner to determine whether a given load suits their pistol. That is honest, and it puts the decision where it belongs.

9mm +P+ Jacketed Hollow Point Ammo Ballistics

The published real gun figures are close to the nominal number, which is unusual and worth noting. A 4.6 inch Browning Hi Power MK III gives 1426 fps, a 4.9 inch Beretta 92F gives 1402, and a four inch Glock 19 gives 1389 fps.

Those work out to roughly 519, 502 and 492 ft-lbs. For comparison, a standard 124 grain 9mm at 1150 fps makes about 360, and a common 115 grain +P load lands near 420. This 9mm +P+ jacketed hollow point ammo is producing meaningfully more than either.

The spread between the three pistols is only 37 fps, which tells you the powder is burning efficiently in a four inch barrel rather than relying on length. That matters if you carry a compact.

Why The 115 Grain JHP Defense Bullet Still Works

The 115 grain bullet spent a decade out of fashion. Heavy for calibre loads took over defensive 9mm because a light bullet driven hard tended to fragment, dump its energy early and fall short on penetration tests. That criticism was fair when it was made, and the Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr JHP is the answer to it rather than an example of it.

It is less fair against a bullet loaded and built for the speed. A 115 grain JHP defense bullet at 1400 fps expands violently and immediately, and against an unobstructed target that rapid energy transfer is exactly what you want. This is the old 9mm +P+ recipe that built the reputation of the cartridge in the first place.

The honest counterweight is penetration. A fast light lead core bullet will generally not drive as deep as a 147 grain load or a solid copper bullet, particularly through heavy clothing or an intervening limb. If maximum depth is your priority, the heavier loads in this catalogue are the better choice.

What you get in exchange is speed and a flatter trajectory. And because recoil scales with bullet mass as well as velocity, a high velocity 9mm carry ammunition load with a light bullet is quicker back on target than the energy figure suggests.

Specifications

Pressure Notes For This Flash Suppressed 9mm Luger Load

Understand what +P+ means. There is no SAAMI specification for it. +P is a defined ceiling above standard 9mm pressure, and +P+ simply sits above that. Buffalo Bore declines to say which pistols are suitable, which means the judgement is yours: a sound, modern, full size or compact service pistol in good order, not a worn gun or one with a poorly supported chamber.

Expect faster wear if you shoot a lot of it. Recoil springs and locking surfaces work harder at this pressure. Carrying a magazine or two and practising with standard ammunition is the sensible pattern.

Verify function with a box before you rely on it. The recoil impulse is different from what most pistols are tuned around, and while reliability is generally excellent, that is something you confirm rather than assume.

Check your point of impact. A 115 grain JHP defense bullet at 1400 fps leaves the barrel sooner than your practice ammunition and will often print a little differently in a fixed sight pistol.

High Velocity 9mm Carry Ammunition Availability

This flash suppressed 9mm Luger load is in stock and ready to ship from MAG5 Firearms, a family owned FFL dealer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Ammunition orders ship to most states, and local customers are welcome to pick up in the shop. If you need case quantities or another high velocity 9mm carry ammunition option from the Buffalo Bore catalog, call us and we will check what our distributors have on hand.

Manufacturer details are on the Buffalo Bore site. For an all copper bullet at the same pressure, compare the 9mm +P+ 95gr Barnes TAC-XP or the deeper driving 9mm +P+ 115gr Barnes TAC-XP. You can also browse our full ammunition selection.