In addition to a suitable handgun, it is not so much the caliber as the right ammunition that is decisive for an effective impact on the target. The focus of this new ammo from GECO is on one capability: the stopping effect. It can be used in back-up pistols for hunters or in all types of 9 mm handguns for self protection. In both situations the controlled mushrooming effect of the bullet makes the difference and makes it much more effective - also on short distances - compared to a full-metall jacket (FMJ) bullet.
GECO's goal in developing the Action Extreme ammunition was to design a reliable cartridge for self-defense and hunting - where allowed by law, of course: it should be remembered that in Europe hollow-point bullets can't be used for self-defense and hunting with handguns, because they are prohibited in most European countries, where these kind of bullets can therefore only be used for sports shooting.
In any case, the requirements that a 9 mm Luger caliber ammunition had to meet for this special uses were clearly defined: fast and controlled mushrooming, high penetration power and the highest possible residual bullet weight.
The GECO Action Extreme handgun ammunition is designed to score points with its high penetration power on the one hand, but on the other hand to transfer the entire bullet energy to the target thanks to its great expansion - this should produce a unique stopping effect - even after penetrating a strong wild game body on a short distance.
In order to put these properties to test, we used ballistic gelatin blocks from Clear Ballistics - in the 10% version - as it's used in the so called FBI test.
Video: Testing GECO Action Extreme 9 mm pistol ammunition
GECO Action Extreme ammunition: excellent expansion behavior
With this cartridge we immediately noticed a very uniform picture as far as penetration is concerned. Penetration depth for repeated shots was a reliable 11” / 28 cm - exactly as deep as specified in the manufacturer's official data sheet. As expected, the bullet mushroomed very quickly into the target. Based on high speed images, we were able to analyse the cavity in the block and convince ourselves that the energy of the projectile had been released quickly and in a very short time. The result is a hard or excellent stopping power due to a knock-down effect.
But how is this effect achieved with a 9 mm cartridge from the barrel of a handgun? The GECO Action Extreme is a cold-formed solid copper hollow point bullet. Upon penetration, the front section of the bullet immediately mushrooms up into 4 "skives" in a controlled manner. The bullet removed afterwards resembles a four-leaf flower. We could measure the diameter of the "flower”: 22-23 mm - as wide as indicated by GECO.
A special combination of material design and construction guarantees this distinctive deformation, which ensures a well-defined wound canal and complete energy transfer. The remaining weight of the bullet remains 100% intact. The expansion in the 0.8-0.9” / 22-23 mm range is very uniform, regardless of the distance of the target thanks to the full velocity range of 329 to 420 m/s.
The most important features of GECO Action Extreme at a glance:
- Reliability: uniform penetration, approx. 11”/ 28 cm on average. Very even expansion to 23 mm thanks to the full velocity range of 329 to 420 m/s. Extremely even penetration and mushrooming in gelatin and Clear Ballistics blocks.
- 4 "skives" for great stopping power: Srapid mushrooming with extreme expansion of the front section thanks to the 4 "skives". They ensure complete energy transfer with a cleanly defined wound channel and 100% residual mass.
- Prioritising function: reliable chambering of the GECO Action Extreme thanks to the almost rounded bullet tip. Improved ballistic performance with low speed loss thanks to the aerodynamic bullet shape. The sealed structure ensures that no material gets into the hollow point. In this way, the bullet preserves its expansion capabilities.
- Fits all barrel lengths: the new pistol cartridge always delivers the same performance at the target - whether it is shot from full-size, compact or sub-compact pistols.
For our test-firing with GECO Action Extreme Ammunition, we used the new 9 mm STRYK B pistol.
We alredy published a full test on the Arsenal Firearms (Archon Firearms in the US) STRYK B / TPYE B. To sum it up, it's a polymer-framed, striker-fired, compact-sized pistol featuring the lowest bore axis on the market and the peculiar AF-Speedlock locking system - the barrel does not tilt during cycling, but instead makes linear movements. All this results in lower muzzle rise and mild recoil. Since our first test, the gun has been further refined and improved: the sharp corners and edges have been smoothed out so that now the gun is much more comfortable to manipulate. What didn't change is accuracy, which is excellent.
Our conclusions on the GECO Action Extreme 9 mm handgun ammunition...
As an all-purpose ammunition for hunting, home- and self-defense, the new GECO handgun cartridge meets all the requirements you can expect from modern ammunition for these uses: excellent expansion with very good ballistic properties. Thanks to its aerodynamic shape, the bullet offers consistently high performance with low speed loss.
In addition, the reliability of the cartridge is an important factor - after all, it's all about the shooter's safety. Thanks to the almost sealed bullet tip, a low susceptibility to jamming is ensured by reliable feeding into the chamber.
The GECO Action Extreme is very versatile: the cartridge can be used in 9 mm pistol carbines as well as in full-size, compact and sub-compact pistols.
One thing we can definitely confirm after testing the new handgun cartridge: you can rely on the new GECO Action Extreme!
For more information please visit the GECO ammunition website.
