Ok, I'm second-guessing myself here. I bought a case of this for right around $210 incl shipping, figuring that was a good enough price to stock up.

Thing is, I've become accustomed to Fiocchi, Sellier and Bellot and PPU, and it seems like these Euro rounds (along with GECO) are a little bit hotter. I'm putting these through fullsize metal pistols, and they seem like the appropriate load.

Now, I'm beginning to see some of these other rounds at or around the same price point, and I wonder if I moved too soon.

What's the general consensus on Blazer Brass?

Stuff is good to go. Used it to break in both of my HK 9mm's.

I think BB is decent ammo. It just seems to be on the lower end of the power scale. At least, to me it feels like it has less recoil than American Eagle, WWB, and Fiocchi. It's advertised velocity is less than Blazer aluminum.

Ok, I'm just talking about the 115gr. Never shot the 124gr.

It's fine range ammo. Nothing amazing but works and does what it was ment to do.

Lower advertised velocity than any of the above-mentioned Euro rounds, too. Oh well, it's for the range, so if it cycles and is accurate, that makes it fine I guess.

I suppose it's actually probably better to use lower powered rounds for just plinking, especially if it's going to be with some older guns. After all, I don't need to beat anything to pieces.

I've had good luck with the Blazer brass loads. Certainly at least the equal of other bargain-priced loads, and the brass is good reloading material.

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Pisgah

The ONLY Blazer ammo I am familiar with are their Aluminum cases and I have never bought them due to the fact that they are un-reloadable. If they are NOW making them out of Brass, I am unaware of that.

As far as Fiocchi ammo is concerned - YES it's HOT! I have shot their .38 Super, .38 Special, .357 magnum and 12 gauge Rifled Slug ammo and it is noticeably hotter than their American counterparts. The way it was explained to me is that Europe uses a different set of specifications and does NOT use our SAAMI spec's. - for better or for worse........

Yes, they began offering a brass-cased option several years back. I think it was a good business move at the time, because the aluminum-cased rds were well regarded, but a lot of folks (like you) want the brass. At first glance the box looks a lot like PMC Bronze, same color scheme etc. I hadn't seen it locally for several years, seemed to vanish in the first ammo crunch.

I used Blazer Aluminum about a decade back and preferred it over WWB and UMC. At the time, I only had 1 pistol in 9mm, it was before the collecting bug really took hold, and cash was tighter.

About the same time my pistol collecting took off, the previously easily available ammo disappeared from the store shelves. I got a few boxes of PMC from a LGS, and then started to get ammo online. That's how I discovered S&B (Czech like my CZ, so I tried it), then Fiocchi, then PPU. I found these each carried a little extra kick over my older choices in my first pistol (a Norinco in 9mm), and my newer, "better" pistols functioned very well with them.
There are a bewildering amount of specs listed out there, and the manufacturers don't help by placing numbers on boxes without clarifiying what length barrel their measurements for muzzle velocity were based on.

Here's what I think is going on- I think the various European rounds are all NATO spec. The max NATO load is lower than the top end of the US SAAMI spec, but NATO requires a minimum load too, so the rounds are all pretty uniform, and towards the higher end of the SAAMI scale. It would make sense, as I imagine the primary intent of this ammo is military, and a few companies have decided to tap into the US market as well for profits, since we love to shoot over here. They probably don't make a "range/plinking" load, so while the cases aren't sealed per spec, they are loaded to it.

Here in the States, we don't adhere to that, and so there are a lot of softer loads, like Blazer for example, primarily intended for range usage.

It's made me hesitant, but I guess it should still be plenty good enough to plink with, and that's what I'm doing.

Due to the price and quality the 124gr Blazer Brass is about all I use for range ammo lately. It's worked 100% in 4 different pistols for me however none of them have been picky with anything that's been run through them. Not the cleanest ammo out there but definitely not the dirtiest and so far has seemed to be very consistent. Recently picked up some Speer Lawman in 124gr for about $10 more than BB (SGAmmo was out of the BB at the time). I've read it's a little hotter but haven't had the chance to shoot any yet.

I've also run the BB 40 S&W 180gr in my M&P 40c with the same results as the 9mm. Great stuff at a really good price especially when you're just dumping it into a dirt berm.

Brass is a good thing................

I have yet to buy aluminum or steel case ammo.

If it does not shoot well, you can make it better.

I've used it at the range with no problems. My 3rd Gens all cycle fine with it and it seems accurate.

I've also shot a few boxes of Blazer Aluminum cased ammo with no problem.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

Its a cream puff load, but it cycles just fine in all of my pistols.

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-Mike-

At a little over $10 for a box of 50, it's a fun way to get 9mm brass for reloading. It's dependable, and being lower power, enjoyable enough to shoot lots of it in one outing to facilitate breaking in a new gun.

Nothing wrong with Blazer Brass it at all... much better than Winchester White Box.

And that Geco stuff... wow, I bought some .45acp for $14.95 a box and it kicks like a mule in my poly framed M&P full size pistol, I'll relegate the Geco to my heavier 4506-1.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

In the absence of hard data you are doing lots of speculating
and for the most part you are mistaken. I confess to a great
fondness for the 9mm round and I have several 9mm autos
and a good bit of ammo on hand. As you mention the 9mm
is and has been made all over the world for many years and
there seems to be an endless variety of cartridges around
for it. Quite fascinating really. I have chronographed many
different 9mm rounds over the last 30+ years and have
learned a few things. Way too much to go into here but in
general the common belief that European ammo is all hotter
than US ammo probably started after WW2 when lots of
foreign military ammo was imported. Most import ammo
today is made for the US market and is underloaded. You
cannot go by factory specs or subjective reaction to firing
different brands to evaluate ammo. DO THIS. Buy a $99
CE Pro Digital Chronograph and prepare for a lesson. I
buy and shoot mostly 115 gr 9mm but realize that your
Blazer Brass ammo is probably hotter than a lot of import
brands. Buy a chronograph. Believe this, by no means are
all the European rounds NATO spec.

This is sort of related, so I will post here. Blazer must be pushing hard for sales; as I said I recently grabbed a case of the BB in 9mm 124 gr for my 9mm's.
My brother owns a couple of Colt 1911's, a WW2 refurb and an 80 series. His stated experience has been that ammo in actual stores tends to push 50 cents a round.
Today I was able to stumble across a deal I couldn't refuse on a 1911, which left me with a nice new toy and no ammo. After doing a search online vs what I saw in the gun shop, I ended up grabbing a case of Blazer Brass 45acp, and will give him a bunch for Christmas. It was $12.95 a box, plus shipping.

Regarding velocity and American versus European loads I'm copying something I posted about a year ago:

" H. P. White Company tested various 9mm loads after WWII. This is from W.H.B. Smith's "The Book of Pistols and Revolvers, 2nd Edition". The list is by name, weight, velocity measured 20' from the muzzle, and penetration of yellow pine in 2" planks at 25' (I assume with no spacing, unlike the usual 7/8" boards quoted above). The pistol was a Walther P-38 with a 4 7/8" barrel.

(a) Remington Commercial 124gr 1193fps 5"
(b) Western War Contract 115gr 1231fps 4 15/16"
(c) German Govt. 1918 123gr 1207fps 5 19/64"
(d) German Govt. 1941 (Pist) 124gr 1242fps 6 3/4"
Historically, 9mm has been no slouch."

Notice that, while the German military standard pistol ammunition is fairly hot, the two American loads from WW2 days are not mild, either. I think today's standard practice ammunition such as loaded by the big companies is definitely a little lower, but not much. Winchester's NATO load would seem to duplicate that Remington Commercial load.

I bought two cases of BB 115 last month for $189 plus shipping per case at sgammo.com.

Only shot 150 rounds so far, but 0 issues with it in my HK VP9 so far.

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Take your time, fast. J.Hughes

The chronograph data that I have from the last few years indicates
that CCI 9mm FMJ of various types, aluminum or brass, runs a bit
faster than the other companys' offerings in domestic brands. The
worst is Remington. Their 115 gr FMJ chronos less than 1100 fps and
won't cycle the action of some of my pistols.