Hi folks
I have been going through my stuff, sorting odds and ends and I found some loose unfired projectiles which were previously in loaded cartridges. I have pictures of the cartridges at the time that the bullets were removed, so I am hoping that the images can be used to identify the cartridges. These are all 9mm.
Number 1 is this cartridge stamped AMT97:
Number 2 is this cartridge stamped FC (small hollow point, no post inside):
If someone can ID these rounds, it would help a lot.
Thanks in advance.
Did a quick Google search and came up with this document: http://gigconceptsinc.com/files/hstcodes.pdf
There’s a couple of clues there. The AMT is on the first page, which states it is South African manufacture, which could help track down who made it.
The FC is on down in the document, which shows that it is US manufacture, probably Federal Cartridge.
Here’s some more: 
From here: Municion.org
Doesn’t tell a lot about the projectiles, but there’s at least some clues.
The FC cartridge is Federal Classic 9mm +P+. 9BP is the stock number if I can recall. It was a popular police load in the 90’s. We used them in our P7M8s. I am pretty sure they were 115 grain HPs.
You are correct, sir. It was 115gr and here is a IWBA test from 1990:
Sig P226:
Velocity: 1237fps
Bare Gel: 11.25" / .53"
Heavy Clothing: 10.6" / .62"
This is not a maximum expansion measurement as all the ammo companies put out. This is the “recovered diameter” FBI measurement which measures the expanded bullet at its greatest expansion diameter, and its smallest expansion diameter and takes the average. It is a much more accurate measure of wound volume as in most actual shootings the recovered bullets are not perfect little flowers, but are bent all over and the petals are often folded back against the bullet trunk.
Thanks, fellas, that information matches up with what some guys have told me on another forum.
As an aside, I love that the AMT-97 round’s bullet is so polished your reflection can be seen in the picture: