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Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124gr Review: Punchy 9mm for Plinking

By Wes Littlefield

Last Updated: Mar 4, 2026

Cite this Article

During a recent trip to the range, I was made aware of a couple of glaring problems with my pistol shooting technique by a buddy who's a U.S. Marine.

A few days later, I was tasked with writing this Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124gr review. Naturally, I grabbed a couple of boxes of Sellier & Bellot ammo for my 9mm pistol and headed back to the range to work on my shooting form and technique.

The rest of this article is my thoughts from that shooting range visit. All I can say is I hope you can take a punch! Let's go ahead and get to it.

Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124gr Ammo Overview

Sellier & Bellot has continually produced ammunition since 1825, making it one of the oldest engineering companies in the Czech Republic and one of the world’s oldest manufacturers.

Sellier & Bellot (or S&B for short) is owned by Colt CZ Group, which purchased the company from CBC Global Ammunition in 2024..

Countless shooters in the USA have come to love and trust S&B ammo for their target ammo, self-defense, and law enforcement needs. That’s primarily due to the brand’s reputation for good quality, reliability, and reasonable pricing.

The same can be said about product no. SB9B: the very same 124 gr FMJ ammo this ammo review is about. They are similar in price to Federal American Eagle and Winchester USA ammo, and are just as reliable in my experience.

S&B 9mm 124-grain FMJ is great ammo at a good price, and loaded with brass cases that are good for reloading, Boxer primers, and high-quality powder. In my experience, these rounds go bang every time you pull the trigger and rarely jam, making them a great addition to your range bag.

Our Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124gr Review

Sellier and Bellot 9mm Ammo - 50 Rounds of 124 Grain SP Ammunition

Out of stock

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I considered article titles as I loaded several rounds into my Smith & Wesson M&P Shield mags. One title was "The Gold Standard" because the 124-grain full metal jacket bullets’ copper-alloy coats have a lustrous golden sheen.

While I do consider these rounds to set the bar in many aspects, using that title could cause confusion with Remington Golden Saber. Thankfully, I decided to test out the ammo first and then come up with a title.

The rounds fed smoothly into the chamber and fired every time I pulled the trigger. Though I'm still improving my accuracy by adjusting my stance and technique like I was instructed to, I found these rounds to be just as accurate as any others I've fired through my S&W M&P Shield despite having a little more recoil.

Using a slightly larger Glock, Ruger, or Springfield Armory pistol could cut back on the recoil. I'm not a big guy, yet I found the recoil to be very manageable all the same. That said, I don't think my (much smaller) wife would have enjoyed firing these rounds as much in her own pistol.

When I peeked into the chamber after dropping an empty mag, I was pleasantly surprised to see SB9B wasn't any dirtier than my other cheap target ammo. It did require a quick cleaning after my trip to the range – but what ammo doesn’t?

What Is It Best For?

This 9mm ammo is excellent for training for self-defense situations. Instead of spending a ton of money on jacketed hollow point bullets, you can buy these and get a similar performance.

Overall, after shooting several mags, I believe this ammo to be good stuff and will continue to buy it, especially when it's at such a great price. Buying 9mm bulk ammo drastically lowers the price and is a great way to boost your supply quickly.

Disadvantages

Sellier & Bellot 9mm Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 124 Grain SP Ammunition

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As great as this ammo is, I wouldn't use it in a home defense situation for fear of overpenetration. I'll stick with my JHP loads for that.

I also found it to be a little more punchy than lighter bullets, which is to be expected. While I didn't think it was comparable to a 45 ACP, if you're sensitive to recoil, these definitely aren't the rounds for you.

Pros and Cons

As with all of our ammo reviews on Ammo.com, we strive to remain unbiased. That’s why we’re reporting all the benefits and drawbacks of buying and shooting this ammo. Here is a list of pros and cons that I found while testing these rounds.

Pros

  • Good quality. It goes bang every time and rarely jams.
  • Great price. It's comparable to other major manufacturers like Federal, Remington, and Winchester.
  • It is relatively common and not too tricky to find (especially at Ammo.com).
  • Non-corrosive ammo is better for your gun and long-term storage.

Cons

  • This ammo is only ideal for the range. It doesn't perform as well as JHP bullets in self-defense situations.
  • It has a bit more recoil than lighter bullets.

General 9mm Luger Specifications

For the shooters who love data and numbers, the team at Ammo.com has compiled some general 9mm specs for you to enjoy.

Sellier and Bellot 9mm 124gr Cartridge Specifications

Our Testing Procedure

Instead of over-complicating my ammo testing procedures, I prefer to keep things simple and as similar to a real-world situation as possible.

So, while testing this ammo, I stood about 15 yards away from a steel target, as this is a comfortable range for me to hit where I'm aiming consistently.

I fired a few rounds slowly to test accuracy. I then fired off a few quick ones to try to get it to jam, which this ammo did not.

I also shot some of my Federal American Eagle 115gr FMJs to compare the recoil of lighter bullets and different brands.

Ballistics of Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124gr Bullets

Below is a ballistics table for the S&B 9mm 124-grain ammo compared to 115-grain ammo.

Sellier and Bellot 9mm 124gr Ballistics table

To see how Sellier & Bellot compares against other manufacturers across different bullet weights, visit our detailed 9mm ballistics database featuring data from all major ammo brands.

Alternatives

Several other brands like Blazer, CCI, Fiocchi, and PMC make high-quality, affordable 9mm ammo. I've gathered several excellent options in the lists below:

124-Grain Bullet Alternatives

Federal 9mm Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 124 Grain FMJ Ammunition

$274.99

68 In stock now

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +10

115-Grain Bullet Alternatives

Parting Shots

Now that you've finished reading my Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124gr review, you can see why I enjoyed shooting this ammo. It's great for training for self-defense situations, reliable, and reasonably priced.

What more can you ask for from your 9mm ammunition? Ready to try it yourself? Grab some Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124 grain and see why it's become a range day favorite.

However, if you're recoil-sensitive, I recommend stepping down to the Sellier & Bellot 115 grain FMJ ammo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below, the team at Ammo.com has gathered and answered some commonly asked questions regarding S&B 9mm 124gr ammo.

Is Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124gr worth buying?

Yes, Sellier & Bellot 9mm 124gr is worth buying. It's excellent target ammo at a great price.

What is the difference between Sellier & Bellot 9mm 115gr and 124gr?

The difference between Sellier & Bellot 9mm 115gr and 124gr is the bullet weight, muzzle velocity, muzzle energy, and recoil. The 115gr bullet is lighter and has a higher muzzle velocity, albeit lower muzzle energy and less recoil.

Wes Littlefield
Written by
Wes Littlefield

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