Mike McNett (left), President of DoubleTap Ammunition, trains on the range with Travis Roundtree, Manager of Simply Rugged Holsters. The best way to know what users need -- in terms of ammo or holsters -- is to actually use them in a training environment.

The silliness over ammunition has been a long-standing tradition in the firearms trade, much of it from ammunition users – non-sworn citizens and cops alike. Nowhere is it more in evidence than in the inanity seen in the firearms media. It seems that controversy drove magazine sales like it now drives "unique visits," "clicks" and other nonsensical metrics. The purpose of ammunition in the defensive context is to help you stay alive. Anything more than that is frills. The appropriate way to evaluate ammo is straight forward. The most important aspects of defense ammo are (1) reliability in firing and function, (2) accuracy and (3) penetration.

DoubleTap 95 grain Controlled Expansion round went around 18" in the synthetic gel with good expansion. How do they do that?

Fighting ammunition must fire. Dead primers and squibs from lack of ignition are very bad. I've seen bad ammo over the years – in the old days, factory ammo was very good but there were a few bad rounds. It's going to happen in mass production. Likewise, the ammo has to chamber -- that is, fit the chamber and allow the gun to be in-battery (the ability to fire). It has to get the bullet (projectile) far enough to clear the barrel-cylinder gap in revolvers. In semi-autos, the round has to have enough power to move the action through the cycle of operation. You can have too much in the power side of the house. We should conclude that "bullets don't work," particularly handgun rounds, when we talk about stopping fights. While you need enough to run the gun and to penetrate deeply enough, you don't want so much that your "splits" – time between aimed shots – suffers. I can't abide +P loads in .45 ACP in most platforms. You're giving up more than you're gaining. Some balance is in order. Accuracy simply means "accurate enough." How accurate is that? That depends. The attacker sets the stage, determines the distance of engagement, he knows when, how and with what he'll fight. You have to rise to that occasion. One worthy noted that he had to make brain shots – not a 6x6 headbox, but intra-ocular hits, at 25 yards. I have little doubt that he can do that on a square range any old sunny day, with a gentle breeze, comfortable temperature and humidity. In combat, I'd hate to have to rely on that with a handgun – any handgun.

The .38 Special isn't dead. The DoubleTap 110 +P gave 13" penetration from the S&W Model 442 and expanded nicely. DT also loads a hardcast full-wadcutter.

If you can stay on that IDPA headbox at 25 yards with a Ruger LCP, a S&W Bodyguard .380, a J-frame or an LCR, that's likely as much as you can hope for. Some can do vastly better, often they do much better with rooney-guns they never carry. As to penetration, we get far afield. I'm not going to get into the silly FBI protocol except to note that people aren't made of any type of gelatin and the basis for the test was a round that was successful and worked as designed – but the recipient just wasn't enough impressed. A gent who's currently serving with that agency noted to a friend that 9mm NATO ball worked quite well "over there." For the short time I had a pocket .32 Auto, I carried it with ball ammo. As Jeff Cooper would note, there was little to be gained trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Likewise, the .380 ACP. Once you get your particular standards settled, you find the rounds that'll meet your needs. Mike McNett, President of McNett's DoubleTap Ammunition, brought a selection of loads to the Simply Rugged Holsters media event a couple of weeks ago. He brought blocks of synthetic ballistic media and we had a 1975 Ford pickup truck to shoot up. If that sounds like a peachy day at the office, then that's what it is.

The DT 160 grain "Mann Load" gave 14" in the gel, expanded after starting out of the muzzle at around 1,000 fps. Very controllable and NOT a +P, the 29-ounce SR1911CMD-A was very steady with this load.

My notes from the shoot follow. The DoubleTap .380 ACP 95gr. Controlled Expansion JHP gets about 975 fps out of a Ruger LCP. We got around 18" penetration in synthetic ballistic gelatin blocks – quite a bit! – and the bullet expanded. It easily perforated the windshield on '75 Ford pickup and hit the "driver" (target) inside. It is remarkable performance and caused discussion of "magic bullets" and such. The DoubleTap .38 Special Barnes TAC-XP 110 +P was also impressive: Firing on the truck's windshield on the "curve" from a great 3-inch Model 10 square-butt, there was some deviation of flight on the right of the radio antenna, but it flew true to target on the left side of the aerial. The penetration on that part of the windshield was impressive. We got 13" of penetration in the synthetic media from a Smith & Wesson Model 442. This round is a great choice. Another great bit of news for us who like the .38 revolver, DoubleTap Ammunition loads the flush-seated wadcutter. It's hard cast and promises to be a great load. From the Ruger SR1911CMD-A lightweight "Commander-" style pistol, the DoubleTap Tactical "Mann Load" – named for author Richard Mann – launches a Barnes 160 grain TAC-XP bullet at around 1,000 FPS from the 4 ¼" barrel. It went 14" into the synthetic media and expanded nicely. From the full-length SR1911, it got more penetration and slightly more expansion. The "Mann Load" could well become my go-to load for the SR1911CMD-A and the Glock 30s. While the recoil is inconsequential, the muzzle blast is substantial – you don't get something for nothing. The lack of recoil should make for quick return to sights on target, an important aspect of ammunition meant to stop fights.

The DoubleTap 77 grain DT Lead Free HP starts out of a Smith & Wesson Shield at around 1,400 fps and gave 12" of penetration. The round did not fragment out of a 5" 1911 9mm.

The DoubleTap light 9mm load is specifically for the very small 9mm pistols now available. It was fired from one such short gun, a Smith & Wesson Shield, and from a five-inch custom 9mm 1911. In the Shield, the 77 grain DT Lead Free HP gets about 1,425 fps and went 11" into the simulant material. The five-inch gun gave slightly better penetration, 12", and the bullet, running at over 1,600 fps, didn't fly apart. Understanding that the micro-9 is something we'd carry when we "aren't armed," the lightweight hotrod will give the gun plenty of authority and it kicks very little. Combining the DoubleTap 77gr DT Lead Free 9mm with the .380 Controlled Expansion load would make a great marriage between a pair of small guns like the Shield and BG380, the LC9 and LCP or the Glock 43 and Glock 42. Mike has been recommending his .223 Remington 55gr. Barnes TSX Lead Free for LE patrol use and home defense. It gets around 3,090 FPS in a 16" carbine barrel. The projectile lost no weight after going 20.5" in the gelatin blocks. It's quite a load. DoubleTap Ammunition is a great member of the ammo manufacturing team we have here in the states. Mike provides ammo that you can't get elsewhere or does his take on loads that others make as he tries to make them better. A gent deeply into the intricacies of ballistics, he delves into it more deeply so we don't need to. All the controversy aside over what's better than which, DoubleTap cuts through the nonsense and just makes the best ammo they can. And they're always willing to try something new. Forget the magic bullets, go to solid ammo makers. And practice. For more information see DoubleTap Ammunition. -- Rich Grassi