9mm ammo question

I thought 9mm Luger WAS regular 9mm. (9x19, Parabellum, etc.)

Let's tap the brakes for a second. (Not a dumb question.)

"9mm" - while a colloquial expression is not really a caliber. It is widely assumed that without a modifier, you're talking about 9mm NATO, 9mm Parabellum, 9mm "Luger" or 9x19mm - those are all the same caliber, the one most associated with the term "9mm" - so, got that?

Now, having said that - even in the U.S. market you will occasionally see 9mm Makarov - which is an Eastern Bloc cartridge similar to the Western cartridge 9mm Kurz, but is packaged in the United States almost exclusively as .380 ACP. (ETA: I realize this might be confusing as originally written - 9mm Kurz is sold in the U.S. as .380 ACP, normally. When you can find it, 9mm Mak is sold as 9mm Mak.)

So, if you are CERTAIN your weapon is chambered in 9mm Luger, then you can use ammo labeled 9mm NATO, 9mm Parabellum, 9x19mm or 9mm Luger.

It is the most common centerfire handgun cartridge in the United States.

If you have a weapon chambered in another flavor of 9mm, then I would strongly suggest you sort that out before you fire anything through it.

I like federal 147 gr bonded. Check out the ammo section of pistol-forum.com

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What’s a good specific 9mm ammo great for conceal carry.

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I'm not sure what this means - I think Federal HST, standard pressure, 124gr is probably the gold standard for 9mm defense ammo. I would say look at the research for their 150gr "Micro" HST 9mm round if your CC weapon fits the parameters they were working with - Federal spends a shite ton on research, and their research tends to be right when it comes to reliable, effective defense ammunition.

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124gr hst is the goat

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Why the 124gr and not the 147gr HST?

I rotate between Federal HST 147gr +P and Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P. Both are common rounds used by law enforcement that have been proven to be effective.

As for the OP, check the stamping on your barrel to make sure it has one of the names of 9mm that Ace listed. If it does, go buy a few boxes and have some fun.