that is using jhp factory ammo. While that aint super-great as to general stopping power, it IS stupendously better than a, airweight .38 snub with 158 gr plus p lhps (which is what most people "think" is a top-performing pocket gun) That .38 is likely to fail 40x with 100 chest shots. The 9x21 with split noses, maybe 10 in 100x Making an improvement of 300% aint easy, while still being very controllable and a lot more concealable (in a pocket) than any .38 snub, for a fact. The repeat hits come twice as fast with the 45 grs at 2200 fps, 500 ft lb 9x21 than they do with the airweight 38 and the 158 grs, 800 fps, 250 ft lbs load. The split nose load has a recoil-momentum factor of "10", while that of the .38 load is 13. 30% less, while the auto's action and lower line of recoil help with controlability, too. The 9x21 load is AP, the .38 load is nothing of the kind. The Split Nose creates 2 wound-tracks with each hit, the .38 lhp probably won't expand as it passes thru a lung.
So, yes, the pocket 9x21 is a helluva fine pocket gun, but it's not up to the level of stopping power that can be achieved with a .45 Super alloy commander. the pocket gun only has about half the effective range, too, 10 ft as vs 20 ft When you are being shot-at, that's how bad your accuracy is degraded. Sure, with ear protection and slowfire, good light, on a stationary target, from a braced firing position, the pocket 9 will reliably hit a 12"x24" rectangle at 50 yds. But anyone who "thinks" that he's going to shoot even 10% as "well" while being shot at as he does in practice, is deluding himself, very dangerously so. Fortunately, 10 ft of range takes care of justifiable civilian self defense.
any 9x19 luger barrel can have its chamber deepened 2m (about .080") for the 9x21 cartridge. No i am NOT talking about practicing with this load or even this barrel. get a spare barrel, it costs $70, and about as much more will get it re-chambered to 9x21. You can load 9x21 with most 9x19 dies, too. Starline makes the brass for this caliber, cause people shoot it in Italy.
The entire idea for the longer case (and the huge, conical hollowbase cavity) is to have lots more room for powder. when the bullet is this light, chamber pressures are not the problem. the problem is getting enough powder in the case to make the slide cycle reliably. I aint kidding. you have to use Bullseye powder and you have to use so much of it that it will scare the crap out of you (at first). you use the epoxy cored bullets, to save time and money, to work up your load with a 45 gr bullet. and test it adequately to make sure the gun and all mags are reliable with it. you don't need to slit the split nose for feed reliability evals, either (or at least, not many of them). Make the bullet the same length as the 90 gr jhps and load the rd to the same ogive as 9x19 ball ammo, for best feed reliability.
never work up a hot load with a cold gun or in cold weather. Remove the mag, wear heavy gloves and hug a tree to fire the gun, for each 1/2 gr of powder increase. Fire each developemental load over a chrono. If you don't see a velocity increase to go with the powder increase, BACK OFF. having the mag out gives the gases a place to go if a case ruptures. If you're really worried about this, tie down or clamp down the gun and pull the trigger with a string. Look at each fired case for signs of pressure/leaks around the primer, overly bulged cases at the web, or lots of tears/rim bending from extraction/ejection, and for primers that have "flowed", or backed out of the primer-pocket. you dont want to see anything worse than what you see for factory +p 9mm ammo. With such super lw bullets, and with the hollowbase cavity, you wont.
So, yes, the pocket 9x21 is a helluva fine pocket gun, but it's not up to the level of stopping power that can be achieved with a .45 Super alloy commander. the pocket gun only has about half the effective range, too, 10 ft as vs 20 ft When you are being shot-at, that's how bad your accuracy is degraded. Sure, with ear protection and slowfire, good light, on a stationary target, from a braced firing position, the pocket 9 will reliably hit a 12"x24" rectangle at 50 yds. But anyone who "thinks" that he's going to shoot even 10% as "well" while being shot at as he does in practice, is deluding himself, very dangerously so. Fortunately, 10 ft of range takes care of justifiable civilian self defense.
any 9x19 luger barrel can have its chamber deepened 2m (about .080") for the 9x21 cartridge. No i am NOT talking about practicing with this load or even this barrel. get a spare barrel, it costs $70, and about as much more will get it re-chambered to 9x21. You can load 9x21 with most 9x19 dies, too. Starline makes the brass for this caliber, cause people shoot it in Italy.
The entire idea for the longer case (and the huge, conical hollowbase cavity) is to have lots more room for powder. when the bullet is this light, chamber pressures are not the problem. the problem is getting enough powder in the case to make the slide cycle reliably. I aint kidding. you have to use Bullseye powder and you have to use so much of it that it will scare the crap out of you (at first). you use the epoxy cored bullets, to save time and money, to work up your load with a 45 gr bullet. and test it adequately to make sure the gun and all mags are reliable with it. you don't need to slit the split nose for feed reliability evals, either (or at least, not many of them). Make the bullet the same length as the 90 gr jhps and load the rd to the same ogive as 9x19 ball ammo, for best feed reliability.
never work up a hot load with a cold gun or in cold weather. Remove the mag, wear heavy gloves and hug a tree to fire the gun, for each 1/2 gr of powder increase. Fire each developemental load over a chrono. If you don't see a velocity increase to go with the powder increase, BACK OFF. having the mag out gives the gases a place to go if a case ruptures. If you're really worried about this, tie down or clamp down the gun and pull the trigger with a string. Look at each fired case for signs of pressure/leaks around the primer, overly bulged cases at the web, or lots of tears/rim bending from extraction/ejection, and for primers that have "flowed", or backed out of the primer-pocket. you dont want to see anything worse than what you see for factory +p 9mm ammo. With such super lw bullets, and with the hollowbase cavity, you wont.