Hornady’s Critical DUTY® handgun ammunition is built to meet the needs and requirements of LAW ENFORCEMENT and TACTICAL PROFESSIONALS, as well as those law abiding citizens who prefer a full-size handgun for their personal protection and demand superior barrier penetration and subsequent terminal performance.
The FlexLock® bullets loaded in all Hornady Critical DUTY® offerings are rugged, heavy jacketed bullets that deliver virtually “barrier blind” performance (i.e. total penetration, weight retention and expansion are practically the same) when shot through common urban barriers* (bare gelatin, auto glass, sheet metal, plywood, drywall, heavy clothing*). In addition, Critical DUTY® loads are “full power loads” designed to function full-size handgun slides. Although designed to work flawlessly in ALL handguns, these loads are NOT optimized for short barreled, concealed carry style handguns; they will deliver standard recoil during firing.
FLEXLOCK® BULLET incorporates two revolutionary Hornady features: the patented Flex Tip® that initiates consistent expansion every single time while preventing any clogging, and the heavy duty InterLock® band that locks the jacket and core together.
CANNELURED BULLET WITH CRIMPED CASE ensures no bullet setback during feeding.
INTERLOCK® BAND works to keep the bullet and core from separating for maximum weight retention and proven terminal performance through all FBI test barriers.
CORE is made of high-antimony lead making it extremely tough, delivering controlled expansion for unparalleled terminal performance consistency through all FBI test barriers. It’s also more economical than similar bonded bullets.
If I only had one choice of ammunition to use in my handgun for use in many applications, I would choose Hornady Critical Duty 220gr. +P first. My second choice would be Federal Premium HST +P JHP 230gr. My third choice is Speer Gold Dot JHP +P, then Black Hills.