Military Issue: Armor Crewman should be authorized to utilize hollow point 9mm Ammo in order to increase stopping power and reduce the risk of over-penetration which could cause undesired damage or injury

Problem: armored vehicle crewman in the army, serving on vehicles like tanks, Bradleys and Strykers should be authorized to use hollow point ammunition in their 9mm pistols in order to provide more stopping power. The reason being is that it is our most accessible, and most rapidly employable weapon that we can use to defend ourselves while operating in an urban environment.

Defending yourself and your vehicle out in the open desert is easier, you could use the vehicle mounted weapons or take the time to pull your rifle out of the inside of your vehicle and engage enemy. It is different while patrolling / operating in an urban environment, you don’t have any stand-off range from people and structures so you will need to identify, react and engage a threat very quickly in order to protect yourself, your crew and your vehicle.

The NATO 9mm round (non-hollow point) that we utilize now just doesn’t have enough stopping power to stop a threat quick enough. Even if the Army goes to a larger caliber, which is a possibility, we should be allowed to use the hollow point ammunition. Unlike other MOS’s, most of whom don’t even get issued a pistol at all, the M9 9mm handgun, is an armor crewman’s primary weapon for close range self-defense. The Military Police are in the same situation, however they get issued the hollow point to improve stopping power and decrease the risk of over-penetration which could result in unintentional damage.