Most defensive 9mm on the shelf is a lead-core hollow point: a lead core inside a thin copper jacket. The VX9 is one solid piece of copper. Here's what that difference changes, and where it matters. How a lead-core hollow point is built A jacketed hollow point is two parts. Lead makes up most of the weight because it's heavy and soft, and the copper jacket holds it together and lets the nose open. When it works, it works well. The weak spot is where the two metals meet. Hit s

"Barrier-blind" is on a lot of ammo boxes now. Here's what it's supposed to mean, and what our VX9 actually did when we put it through the FBI's barrier test. Most defensive hollow points are built to open fast in soft tissue, and they do that well. The trouble starts when something hard is in the way: a windshield, a car door, a wall. A standard hollow point can plug up, break apart, or shed most of its weight before it ever reaches what's behind the barrier. A barrier-blind

Premier projectiles are made of solid copper, which not only improves the structural integrity of the projectile, but also facilitates...