For my fellow gun guys

[ExGeeEye]

Instinct tells me that if I shoot 115gr 9mm instead of 124gr, there will be less pressure/wear/tear on the gun.

(It's a Star BM, formerly the property of the Spanish Cuerpo Nacional de Policía.)

Right?  Wrong?  Doesn't matter?

Thanks!

[Old n Grumpy]

It makes no difference unless you’re using +P rounds.

[DefiantSix]

Sorry. My wife is the only one in our family who carries 9mm, and I keep her stocked with 147gr JHPs.

Afraid I'm not much help.

[Eupher]

Any difference would be unbelievably negligible. The component that wears out is the recoil spring(s) and they go out or loosen anywhere between 5,000 rounds (shooting +P and overpressure rounds), 10,000 rounds (carry gun) and 20,000 rounds (competition gun).

One resource I read claims that a cold hammer-forged barrel will last anywhere from 3,000 - 5,000 rounds before losing its "match grade" tightness.

The upshot is, unless you are shooting thousands of rounds per month with the same gun and you're a competition shooter, this probably isn't an issue. Use whatever bullet weight works for your application.

I tend to use 115 grain in 9mm for normal range ammo, but I always run some HP 124 grain through my EDC while at the range. I do have some 147 grain, but I don't tend to shoot that very often. I'll be dead long before my pistol barrels wear out.

[ExGeeEye]

Any difference would be unbelievably negligible. The component that wears out is the recoil spring(s) and they go out or loosen anywhere between 5,000 rounds (shooting +P and overpressure rounds), 10,000 rounds (carry gun) and 20,000 rounds (competition gun).

One resource I read claims that a cold hammer-forged barrel will last anywhere from 3,000 - 5,000 rounds before losing its "match grade" tightness.

The upshot is, unless you are shooting thousands of rounds per month with the same gun and you're a competition shooter, this probably isn't an issue. Use whatever bullet weight works for your application.

I tend to use 115 grain in 9mm for normal range ammo, but I always run some HP 124 grain through my EDC while at the range. I do have some 147 grain, but I don't tend to shoot that very often. I'll be dead long before my pistol barrels wear out.

Most informative answer.

My range rounds are 115gr FMJ, and my Business rounds are 115gr JHP.

[Eupher]

Another thought - if you're shooting a 1911 (or even 2011) with a regular, normal bushing, that bushing also comes into play from an accuracy standpoint. Most 1911s I saw/used when I was active duty before 1985 featured fairly sloppy bushing tolerances.