West Coast Armory

Submitted by Robert C., 10/18/2021:

Like a lot of us, if not all that are in the shooting/firearms community, I have gone through a very trying time of not only finding but, being able to reasonably justify, buying ammo for practice (don't even get me started on the cost/availability of self-defense ammo!) in a quantity that would allow me to stave off the perishable skill of proficient firearm use - much less to get out and shoot for the fun and social aspect of the sport!

I was recently at West Coast Armory while they were stocking a delivery that had just arrived and I was talking to an employee there who was telling me about some new ammo they were about to bring out; a private-label, proprietary 9mm, 115-grain, indoor range-friendly ammo, with a load developed by and especially for, West Coast Armory, that would be consistently available. I was intrigued. It is called Sergeant Major and it is made and manufactured by TulaAmmo, specifically for them.

Now, I have stayed away from steel and aluminum cased ammo (for reasons I'm afraid I can't reasonably articulate) but the employee explained the steel-case is nickel-plated to aid in consistent feeding and ejection and for whatever reason, that fact allowed me to give it consideration. He then quoted me a price of $329 for a case of 1000 rounds - that's $16.45 for a box of 50! Now, I don't know about you, but that's a very good price, in my opinion, at this particular time - all things considered. I decided to take a chance on it and I am glad that I did! I have shot over 1000 rounds of this ammo and in my opinion, it is a consistent round in all aspects - which means I have had zero issues with hard primers, feeding or ejection and I find it to be quite accurate as well. Furthermore, in my experience, it is a rather clean round - as clean as, or cleaner than other, more recognizable/popular name brands!

I am not positive about specs on this particular round, but my experience with how it shoots and feels, makes me believe it is in the neighborhood of 1,200 fps and definitely not a poofy competition load (no disrespect intended to competition shooters). I enjoy shooting the round and because of the price and that I have been assured that this will be consistently available, I feel a bit more relaxed about indulging in some good ol' range therapy; shooting more often and with a little higher round count when I do! So, do yourself a kindness/favor, buy a case of the proprietary TulAmmo Sergeant Major 9mm ammo - try it out and have a great time with your shooting buddies, or by yourself, making a solid piece of paper into confetti!!!