There’s a school of thought that says if you’re in doubt about what kind of ammo to buy, find out what you’re local police department carries and carry that. After all, they’ve supposedly already done the testing and everything. Plus, if a prosecutor ever tries to tell a jury that your ammo is too deadly for self-defense purposes, you’ve got the perfect counter to that.

As a result, there are a lot of folks who like to know what various departments carry and even what federal law enforcement carries. For those, the FBI has made a selection for carry ammo.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has completed an extensive evaluation process and Winchester has been chosen as its primary source for .40 S&W pistol ammunition. This includes a bonded jacketed hollow point (JHP) service cartridge as well as full metal jacket (FMJ) and frangible training loads. Winchester has been supplying the FBI with service and training ammunition for many years and is honored to be awarded the most recent contract and continue to support our nation’s premier law enforcement agency. The 180 gr. bonded jacketed hollow point (JHP) cartridge selected by the FBI is designed with patented technology that utilizes a reverse-jacketed, bonded bullet that can penetrate a wide variety of intermediate barriers while maintaining very consistent target penetration and reliable expansion. The nickel-plated cartridge prevents corrosion and ensures smooth feeding and extraction. Flash suppressed powder is used in this cartridge to maintain an agent’s night vision and meet the FBI’s stringent darkened range evaluation. “The FBI uses one of the most rigorous ammunition tests ever developed and we are very proud that Winchester has been identified as having the best product performance.” said Matt Campbell, vice president of marketing and sales for Winchester.

Winchester is obviously a venerable name in the firearm industry, not just for guns but also for ammunition. Frankly, there’s a certain amount of comfort with the name “Winchester.” That means the FBI picked a quality load.

Whether you should carry it or not is a different matter.

None of my pistols are currently loaded with Winchester. It’s nothing against the round, but I’m a bigger fan of Gold Dots myself. None of that is because I think Winchester is bad ammo by any stretch.

In fact, the FBI’s testing probably was as extensive as advertised. It seems unlikely that they’d want another Miami on their hands. They’re not likely to play around on their ammo choice, not after that one.

If you’re someone who wants to follow what law enforcement agencies are carrying, then go right ahead. Take a good, long look and if that’s what you want to carry, more power to you. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Just check out things yourself, just to make sure you’re making the right decision for you. After all, it’s your life on the line here, not some bureaucrat at the FBI’s.