The Best Ammo for Glock 19: Our Top 5 9mm Ammo Picks for 2024

So, you just picked up a Glock 19 and are wondering which 9mm ammunition you should feed it. Rejoice, stranger – you’ve come to the right place.

With so many different 9mm ammunition options available, it can be hard to understand which factory loads work best for your Glock 19 handgun. That’s where I come in!

I’ve tested these rounds in various Glock 19 models I borrowed from my buddies, and ranked them according to how they performed.

Proceed to learn my top 5 picks for the best 9mm ammo you should be loading into your Glock 19 mags.

If you can't wait, then the best overall 9mm Lugerammo for your Glock 19 is PMC Bronze 115 grain FMJ.

The Best Ammo for a Glock 19 on the Market in 2024

Testing Procedure

I consider many critical factors during the ammo testing process, including (but not limited to):

• What was the round designed to do?
• Ballistic performance
• Price
• How well it cycles in a Glock 19
• Accuracy

When discussing the best ammo for any situation, we must consider what the round was intended for. Was it designed for target shooting, self-defense, or strictly for subsonic performance? Each of these applications requires a different bullet style, weight and price point. I believe the best Glock 19 ammo should take every shooting application into consideration.

Ballistic performance varies from gun to gun. With that in mind, one Glock 19 might "love" 9mm ammo that another Glock 19 hates. Guns are temperamental creatures. I did my best to recommend my top rounds with that in mind.

Let’s face it: our budgets are a large contributing factor to which ammo we ultimately purchase. I’m less concerned about price when buying personal defense rounds than I am when buying plinking ammo. Some rounds are simply more important and worth spending more money on – namely, the ones I'll fire in defense of my life (which I'm sure you'll agree is invaluable).

Unless I’m training to clear malfunctions while using dummy rounds, I want my ammo to cycle flawlessly. This is why I shoot at various speeds to determine how well the round will cycle in a Glock 19.

Lastly, if I can’t hit the broad side of a barn with the round, what good is it? Certainly no good for defense against barns. Even if I'm only shooting for pleasure, I'll find it intensely displeasuable if I can't hit my target.

Best Ammo For Glock 19 Overall

PMC Bronze 115 Grain FMJ

PMC 9mm Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 115 Grain FMJ Ammunition

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$259.99

12 Reviews

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Specs

• Case: Brass
• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
• Bullet Weight: 115 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,150 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 338 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

When you’re picking the best ammo for your Glock 19, you want a round that is inexpensive to fire, has low recoil, and goes “bang” every time you pull the trigger. PMC Bronze 115 grain FMJ ammo fits that bill to a T.

While firing this ammo, I found that it has low recoil thanks in part to its 115 grain bullets. The lower recoil also allowed me to be more accurate. I also appreciate the lower cost per round compared to many competitors. I love this range ammo because I don't feel bad about blasting through more than one box at a time!

The only minor downside I found to PMC Bronze is that it is loaded with a traditional full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet instead of a total metal jacket (TMJ). Some indoor ranges require TMJ ammo to minimize lead contamination. If you plan to shoot indoors, it would be a smart move to call ahead and ask what type of ammo is permitted.

However, the low cost per round more than makes up for the standard FMJ bullet, and I found this ammo to be 100% reliable in all my Glock pistols.

Overall, PMC Bronze 9mm Luger 115 grain FMJ is an incredibly high-quality round that is great for target practice and maintaining your marksmanship skills for concealed carry.

Honorable Mention

Magtech 115 grain FMJ – Although a hair more expensive, Magtech 115 grain FMJ ammo is a close second choice for best overall Glock 19 ammo. I found these factory loads to be incredibly reliable and accurate in all my Glocks. Magtech's brass cases are also reloadable. This puts Magtech 115 grain FMJ ammo in a close second place finish – a great alternative when PMC isn’t available.

Best Self-Defense Ammo for Glock 19

Speer Gold Dot 124 Grain JHP

Speer 9mm Ammo - 20 Rounds of 124 Grain JHP Ammunition

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$29.99

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Specs

• Case: Nickel-Plated Brass
• Bullet Type: Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP)
• Bullet Weight: 124 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,150 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 364 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

Picking the best self-defense ammo for a Glock 19 is a tall order, as there are so many good choices (we have a lot of honorable mentions below). However, we simply could not find a better option than Speer Gold Dot 124 grain JHP ammo.

The Gold Dot jacketed hollow point (JHP) provides exceptional terminal performance, with high enough weight retention to ensure effectively deep penetration even if the bullet has to pierce a barrier before entering the threat. This ammo is often carried by law enforcement officers (many of my police buddies swear by it) as well as CCW permit holders. It has a proven track record in both FBI ballistic gel testing and real-life police shootings.

I found this personal defense ammo to be extremely accurate from shot to shot, with a thorough powder burn that makes cleanup a breeze.

As an avid reloader, I’ve found that nickel-plated brass cases can be somewhat problematic for reloading. However, thanks to the smooth feeding, enhanced reliability, and heightened corrosion resistance of the nickel plating, I didn’t have any jams while testing these rounds at the range.

As I’m sure you can imagine, defense rounds aren’t cheap when compared to FMJ ammo. However, the bullet expansion, reduced risk of over-penetration, and overall better stopping power are well worth the few extra dollars that Speer Gold Dot 124 grain JHP ammo costs.

When it matters most, reach for a box of Speer Gold Dot to load up your EDC Glock 19. You won’t be disappointed.

Honorable Mention

Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain FTX JHP – Hornady Critical Defense FTX offers top-of-the-line performance thanks to features like the patented polymer Flex Tip. This tip allows maximum penetration while eliminating clogging that can occur when a hollow point bullet passes through clothing.

Winchester PDX1 147 grain JHP +P – Descended from the legendary Winchester Ranger hollow point bullet, the newer PDX1 Defender represents the company’s latest advancements in hollow point technology. Featuring a notched hollow point design, the PDX1 is designed to expand rapidly into six even segments when it encounters soft tissue. PDX1 is real powerhouse self-defense ammo.

Federal HST 124 grain JHP – The Federal HST hollow point has become a mainstay for concealed carry and law enforcement. Descended from the mighty Federal Hydra-Shok, the HST represents the next generation of hollow point bullet technology. Designed for rapid expansion through multiple barriers, the Federal HST boasts a nearly 100% weight retention to ensure effectively deep penetration through soft tissue. An excellent choice for concealed carry, home defense, or EDC, the Federal 124 grain HST JHP bullet will deliver when your life is on the line (just at a slightly higher cost per round).

Best Range Ammo for Target Shooting

Winchester USA 115 gr FMJ

Winchester 9mm Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 115 Grain FMJ Ammunition

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$258.99

5 Reviews

76 In stock now

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Specs

• Case: Brass
• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
• Bullet Weight: 115 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,190 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 362 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

Ah, the classic Winchester "white box" ammo. I can almost still smell its burnt powder from when I got my first Glock pistol oh so many years ago. Winchester has rebranded their classic range ammo into new packaging, but don’t kid yourself: this is the classic white box ammo many of us grew up shooting.

For more options, check out our Winchester 9mm ammo page!

In multiple range trips, I found this ammo to be an excellent choice for punching holes through paper targets. It’s inexpensive, accurate, clean burning, and has low recoil, making it a perfect choice for your next trip to the shooting range.

The full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet is exceptional at exploding cheap 2-liter soda bottles, popping tin cans off fence posts, and clanging steel targets with almost boring regularity.

Take care that FMJs are great for working at the range, but a poor substitute for jacketed hollow points when it comes to self-defense. However, when it comes to practicing with your CCW pistol, Winchester USA 115 grain FMJ ammo is unbeatable for its accuracy, value, and reliability.

Honorable Mention

Sellier & Bellot 115 grain FMJ – If you’re looking for an alternative to Winchester, Sellier & Bellot 115 grain FMJ range ammo is an excellent choice. We found that this ammo was a little less expensive than Winchester, but also had higher recoil. This is common for European ammo manufacturers as they will load their cartridges closer to NATO spec. As such, this S&B ammo has about 90 fps higher muzzle velocity compared to Winchester, which translates to slightly higher recoil. It’s a great option if you can’t find any Winchester ammo to run through your 9mm pistols.

Fiocchi Range Dynamics 115 grain FMJ – If you’re looking for high-quality target practice ammo, then Fiocchi Range Dynamics is an excellent alternative choice to Winchester. For over 100 years, Fiocchi has been producing extremely accurate and consistent target and defensive ammo for the American consumer. Loaded with Boxer-primed brass cases, Fiocchi ammo is great if you enjoy reloading – but cheap enough that you won’t feel bad blasting through a few boxes on your weekend range session.

Best 9mm Subsonic Ammo for Glock 19

Federal American Eagle 147 Grain FMJ

Federal 9mm Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 147 Grain FMJ Ammunition

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$294.99

4 Reviews

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Specs

• Case: Brass
• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
• Bullet Weight: 147 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 1000 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 326 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

If you like running a suppressor on your Glock pistols, then you’re going to love Federal American Eagle 147 grain FMJ 9mm ammo. This stuff is extremely accurate and, when fired through a silencer, is 100% hearing safe.

Designed specifically for suppressor use, Federal’s subsonic ammo checks all the boxes: clean shooting to keep your silencer healthy; extremely accurate; and designed to reliably reciprocate semi-automatic slides while maintaining a subsonic muzzle velocity.

The only downside to subsonic ammo is its trajectory, which drops much more steeply (albeit more predictably) than its supersonic brethren. This is a small price to pay for the joy of hearing nothing other than the 147 grain bullets hitting the target and the reciprocation of the slide while shooting suppressed.

Honorable Mention

Sellier & Bellot Subsonic 150 grain FMJ – If you want the absolute heaviest 9mm bullet available, look no further than S&B. These 150 grain bullets shoot well below subsonic velocities to ensure hearing-safe shooting while using a suppressor. The 150 grain bullet is not as common as the 147 grain option, making this ammo a little harder to find. However, if you can get some, make sure you snap it up. This round felt silky-smooth in my Glock 19.

Best Bulk 9mm for Glock 19

Blazer Brass 124 Grain FMJ

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

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$259.99

17 Reviews

96 In stock now

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Specs

• Case: Brass
• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
• Bullet Weight: 124 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,090 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 327 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

When you’re looking to buy bulk 9mm Luger ammo for your Glock 19 (or any 9mm pistol, for that matter), you want to get the lowest cost per round possible. If you’re looking for an amazing value 9mm bulk ammo option, look no further than CCI Blazer Brass 124 grain FMJ.

Although this ammo is nothing fancy, it goes bang every time you pull the trigger and holes appear in your targets downrange. It’s not the cleanest ammo, in my experience, but it works well if you want to stock up on range ammo for any potential supply chain interruptions (and the cases are fine for reloading, to boot).

The main benefit of this ammo is its low price point. That makes it easier to buy in bulk and put away for a long day of fun at the range, or just to have some extra ammo on hand for any situation.

Although FMJ ammo is not ideal for self-defense, Blazer Brass 124 grain FMJ makes excellent target ammo to keep marksmanship skills high without breaking the bank.

Honorable Mention

Remington UMC 115 grain FMJ – You can’t go wrong with "Big Green!" Another extremely popular 9mm ammo to buy in bulk is Remington UMC 115 grain FMJ. Only slightly more expensive than Blazer Brass, Remington UMC is awesome for high-volume shooting thanks to its low cost per round, reloadable brass cases, and rugged dependability.

Parting Shots

Congratulations! You made it all the way to the end of the article. By now, you should be nothing short of an expert in all things 9x19mm ammo and know EXACTLY which defensive ammunition, range factory loads, and bulk 9mm ammo you need to load into your Glock 19.

To check out all the 9mm Luger ammo we have in stock, check out our full 9mm ammo page.

For those interested in larger quantities, be sure to visit our bulk 9mm ammo page for great deals on bulk purchases.

Written by

Wes Littlefield