Critical Defense Ammo vs Critical Duty

[Big Bad]

I got onto this subject while contemplating the types of US made ammo that was never sold here or will likely soon disappear. The brand of 9 mm ammo that's most relied on in duty and, in the US, concealed carry weapons are the two types seen below, both made by Hornady. They are the product of intense research and development of a type that has probably never been seen for another calibre of ammo, mostly thanks to their use by law enforcement in general and the FBI in particular. Thinking this will be of interest to Canadians who rely on 9 mil long arms against bears and such. NB that as stated below, the Critical Duty rounds will not work as advertised in a short barreled firearm, only full size handguns and, obviously, sub guns and rifles.

Critical DEFENSE® = Backup​

Weapons/Off-Duty Carry​

Critical DEFENSE® handgun ammunition is ideal for backup weapons, off-duty carry or for those serving in executive protection, undercover operations, or any dedicated close quarters situations.

Critical DEFENSE® provides controlled expansion while reducing the potential of over penetration. The patented FTX® bullet and associated Flex Tip® technology used in Critical DEFENSE® ammunition eliminates the clogging and inconsistent expansion and penetration that often plagues hollow point bullets.

All Critical DEFENSE® ammunition is loaded in nickel-plated cases for improved feeding and increased visibility in low-light situations. Critical DEFENSE® is unaffected by thick, heavy clothing (including denim and leather) and delivers superior controlled expansion with deep wound cavities over a wide range of velocities. Premium low flash propellants have been specifically tailored for short-barreled handguns to deliver proven performance.

*As defined by the "FBI Protocol" handgun ammunition tests.

---

Critical DUTY® = On-Duty/​

Patrol/Tactical​

Critical DUTY® handgun ammunition is built to meet the diverse on-duty requirements of law enforcement and tactical professionals. Critical DUTY® ammunition delivers superior barrier penetration and subsequent terminal performance, while still minimizing the liability of over-penetration.*

The FlexLock'" bullets loaded in all Critical DUTY'" offerings are rugged, heavy-jacketed bullets that deliver "barrier blind" performance when shot through common urban barriers* (bare gelatin, auto glass, sheet metal, plywood, drywall, and heavy clothing). In addition, Critical DUTY'" loads are designed to work in ALL handguns. However, these loads deliver optimized performance through the FBI Protocol test when used in full-sized handguns.

All Critical DUTY® ammunition is loaded in nickel plated cases for improved feeding and increased visibility in low-light situations and features waterproof sealant around the primer and the case mouth to provide superior performance no matter your environment.

*As defined by the "FBI Protocol" handgun ammunition test.

 

[Big Bad]

Accidentally omitted from the above...

Critical DUTY® ammo is packaged in 50-count boxes for Law Enforcement.​

Critical DUTY® ammo features waterproof sealant around the primer.

Critical DUTY® ammo features an "H" on the tip.
For a quick guide on how Critical DEFENSE® differs from Critical DUTY® download the Critical DEFENSE® vs Critical DUTY® flier.

https://www.hornadyle.com/the-difference-between-critical-defense-and-critical-duty

 

[Zulu10]

Speer Gold Dot also has a good line up of duty and personal protection ammo. It is another popular choice with law enforcement in the USA and can be had in common pistol and long gun calibers. Plenty of real world data on Speer GD officer involved shootings where the threat was successful stopped.

Some of the site sponsors here carry it including Tenda, Firearms Outlet Canada, CSC/Canadas Gun Shop and Rangeview.

https://www.speer.com/ammunition/gold-dot/

 

[Craig0ry]

I find my self something of a defensive ammo connoisseur, both Duty and Defense lineups are great, and do each serve their own purposes. I we were allowed to carry up here personally I would carry Federal HST.

As for people who rely on bear/woods defence and only have 9mm available to them I would carry the Hornady back country defence DGH, it's made for such the occasion.

My personal favorite even though it's design is dated and newer bullets have new advancements, will still always be Winchester SXT.

 

[struff55]

I got onto this subject while contemplating the types of US made ammo that was never sold here or will likely soon disappear. The brand of 9 mm ammo that's most relied on in duty and, in the US, concealed carry weapons are the two types seen below, both made by Hornady. They are the product of intense research and development of a type that has probably never been seen for another calibre of ammo, mostly thanks to their use by law enforcement in general and the FBI in particular. Thinking this will be of interest to Canadians who rely on 9 mil long arms against bears and such. NB that as stated below, the Critical Duty rounds will not work as advertised in a short barreled firearm, only full size handguns and, obviously, sub guns and rifles.

Critical DEFENSE® = Backup​

Weapons/Off-Duty Carry​

Critical DEFENSE® handgun ammunition is ideal for backup weapons, off-duty carry or for those serving in executive protection, undercover operations, or any dedicated close quarters situations.

Critical DEFENSE® provides controlled expansion while reducing the potential of over penetration. The patented FTX® bullet and associated Flex Tip® technology used in Critical DEFENSE® ammunition eliminates the clogging and inconsistent expansion and penetration that often plagues hollow point bullets.

All Critical DEFENSE® ammunition is loaded in nickel-plated cases for improved feeding and increased visibility in low-light situations. Critical DEFENSE® is unaffected by thick, heavy clothing (including denim and leather) and delivers superior controlled expansion with deep wound cavities over a wide range of velocities. Premium low flash propellants have been specifically tailored for short-barreled handguns to deliver proven performance.

*As defined by the "FBI Protocol" handgun ammunition tests.

---

Critical DUTY® = On-Duty/​

Patrol/Tactical​

Critical DUTY® handgun ammunition is built to meet the diverse on-duty requirements of law enforcement and tactical professionals. Critical DUTY® ammunition delivers superior barrier penetration and subsequent terminal performance, while still minimizing the liability of over-penetration.*

The FlexLock'" bullets loaded in all Critical DUTY'" offerings are rugged, heavy-jacketed bullets that deliver "barrier blind" performance when shot through common urban barriers* (bare gelatin, auto glass, sheet metal, plywood, drywall, and heavy clothing). In addition, Critical DUTY'" loads are designed to work in ALL handguns. However, these loads deliver optimized performance through the FBI Protocol test when used in full-sized handguns.

All Critical DUTY® ammunition is loaded in nickel plated cases for improved feeding and increased visibility in low-light situations and features waterproof sealant around the primer and the case mouth to provide superior performance no matter your environment.

*As defined by the "FBI Protocol" handgun ammunition test.

if you take a 9mm of any kind for bear defence be prepared to go to the other side

 

[crazy_davey]

I find my self something of a defensive ammo connoisseur, both Duty and Defense lineups are great, and do each serve their own purposes. I we were allowed to carry up here personally I would carry Federal HST.

As for people who rely on bear/woods defence and only have 9mm available to them I would carry the Hornady back country defence DGH, it's made for such the occasion.

My personal favorite even though it's design is dated and newer bullets have new advancements, will still always be Winchester SXT.

Bear defense and 9mm should never, ever, be used in the same sentence!

 

[ADK]

if you take a 9mm of any kind for bear defence be prepared to go to the other side

Nor should it be encouraged. Unless it’s loaded with Semtex or C4 lol. I get the whole “all I have is….” argument, but it’s best not to perpetuate it either. On that note I’m surprised no one has been posting about the gold standard for bear defence that’s so hard to come by in Canada and has been on shelves ( CSC and SFRC ) here for at least the past two months; Brenneke 12 gauge slugs.

 

[I Dont Care About You]

if you take a 9mm of any kind for bear defence be prepared to go to the other side

The statistics say otherwise. 9mm is highly successful at stopping bear attacks.

Bear defense and 9mm should never, ever, be used in the same sentence!

Maybe do a little reading on the subject before spouting cr@p?

There are LOADS of cases of people using 9mm to successfully deter an aggressive bear. There are very few, to no cases of people who used a 9mm being subsequently mauled.

The mistake everyone makes here is they assume a gun / cartridge must kill the bear to stop the attack. That is baloney. A successful bear defence only requires dissuading the bear from attacking or continuing to attack. It would appear that the noise of the shot and a pain stimulus is enough to deter a bear.

 

[maifire]

No hate to HST-it is a legend.
PDX1 and SXT are among my favourites, not that I have a real reason or legal ability to do anything with them!
The critical lines are nice additions to the options out there…among the newest.

 

[smellofspentcasings]

This is off kilter already. Talking about stopping bears. The above mentioned rounds are for two legged monsters either which should do the trick .

 

[BLCB]

if you take a 9mm of any kind for bear defence be prepared to go to the other side

FWIW I watched an RCMP member dispatch a large black bear with a single round from his pistol. The bear was immediately incapacitated and effectively dead in under a minute. It will never be my first choice but seeing that I won't dismiss it.

 

[crazy_davey]

The statistics say otherwise. 9mm is highly successful at stopping bear attacks.



Maybe do a little reading on the subject before spouting cr@p?

There are LOADS of cases of people using 9mm to successfully deter an aggressive bear. There are very few, to no cases of people who used a 9mm being subsequently mauled.

The mistake everyone makes here is they assume a gun / cartridge must kill the bear to stop the attack. That is baloney. A successful bear defence only requires dissuading the bear from attacking or continuing to attack. It would appear that the noise of the shot and a pain stimulus is enough to deter a bear.

When you crawl out of your mom’s basement give me a call.

Ever been around bears? Ever killed any? Ever been charged by one? I have. I also live in bear country.

I have killed many. Been charged by grizzlies and had stand off’s with black bears(face to face or damn near on multiple accounts). Also have friends who have killed charging grizzlies at very close range with rifles, pea shooters left at home for the armchair experts.

I don’t give two ****’s about your internet accounts of bears with a 9mm. If you want to carry a pea shooter for defence for bears, good for you. A .22 would make a bang too and hopefully scare one off as well.

Next you’ll throw bear spray out there. When you live in a place that it’s crazy windy 300 days a year, you can shove your bear spray up your caboose!