Growing up in the shooting community, I often heard the old adage: “Why do I carry a .45? Because they don’t make a .46!” Back then, the prevailing wisdom was simple: bigger equals better. However, advancements in ammunition technology, ballistic science, and real-world encounters have since challenged that mindset.
The Catalyst: The 1986 Miami Shootout
The shift in modern ballistics can be traced back to the infamous FBI Miami shootout. During the engagement, one suspect was struck center-mass with a 9mm 115-grain Silvertip. The round failed to reach his vital organs; as a result, he remained an effective gunfighter for approximately four minutes.
Despite receiving wounds that were technically non-survivable, he killed two FBI agents and wounded three others before finally expiring. His wounds were lethal, but they were not immediately effective.
Defining the Standard: The FBI Protocol
In the wake of this tragedy, FBI wound ballistics symposiums determined that penetration is the most critical factor in law enforcement ammunition. This led to the FBI-test-protocol. The FBI Ammunition Testing Protocol evaluates projectiles through bare gelatin, heavy clothing, and intermediate barriers like auto glass, metal, and sheetrock.
At a recent FBI ballistics presentation I attended, the bureau confirmed that their lab data correlates directly with real-world outcomes. This came through examination of projectiles recovered at autopsies and comparing them to lab data. They have found that projectiles performing well in the gel consistently perform well “on the street.”
A note on gel. While preparing this article, I learned that some of the commercially available clear “ballistic gels” will give you false results. Ballistic gel uses particular ingredients, made, stored, and calibrated inside certain parameters. So keep that in mind when consuming information posted online.
By 2015, advancements in projectile engineering led the FBI to switch from .40 S&W back to 9mm. While the average shooter and taxpayer can appreciate the lower cost of 9mm, the Bureau also prioritized:
- Reduced wear: Less parts breakage compared to the high-pressure .40 S&W.
- Capacity: Higher round counts in 9mm service pistols vs. .40 S&W.
- Control: Significantly reduced recoil, allowing for faster, more accurate follow-up shots.
Lessons from the Field: A Personal Account
I learned the “bigger isn’t always better” lesson firsthand during a violent line-of-duty shooting. I engaged a suspect at point-blank range with a Glock 22, striking him with a .40 caliber 180-grain Hydra-Shok hollow point. The projectile traveled through a rib, the lower lobe of his heart, his spleen, and his diaphragm before stopping just after it struck a second rib.
Despite this devastating internal damage, the suspect did not immediately stop. He grabbed my duty gun, and we engaged in a struggle for the gun. I had to intentionally fire the weapon to disable it (his hand was wrapped around the slide & I knew it would jam the gun) and drop the magazine in case he got the pistol from me. Approximately six to seven seconds passed before he finally expired. In a life-or-death encounter, seven seconds is an eternity—plenty of time for things to have turned tragic for me.
The Modern Choice
During the FBI seminar that I attended, the presenter discussed the two 9mm duty rounds currently in use by the Bureau. His personal recommendation, noted for its consistent performance in both full-sized service pistols and sub-compacts like his Glock 43X, is the Hornady Critical Duty 135-grain +P.
The 9MM Luger +P 135 gr FlexLock Critical Duty
Designed to meet the needs of those who demand superior barrier penetration, Critical Duty is loaded with the tough Hornady FlexLock bullet that delivers “barrier blind” performance when shot through intermediate barriers. The FlexLock bullet incorporates two revolutionary Hornady features to deliver superior barrier penetration and consistent performance in FBI protocol ammunition tests.
The patented Hornady Flex Tip design eliminates clogging and aids bullet expansion. A large mechanical jacket to the core InterLock band works to keep the bullet and core from separating for maximum weight retention, excellent expansion, consistent penetration, and terminal performance through all FBI test barriers. Additionally, all Critical Duty ammunition is loaded with low-flash propellant to help preserve night vision in low-light firing.
The FBI Ballistic expert at the seminar I attended provided all the terminal ballistic data on the 135-grain +P critical duty round. FBI tests showed it not only performs in full-size duty guns, but in the shorter barrel guns as well. After testing the accuracy and functionality in different platforms, I was pleasantly surprised. The accuracy, as seen in the above 25-yard HK CC9 10 shot group picture, measured approximately. 3″, minus one flier in the 8 ring.
The ammunition functioned flawlessly and accurately in the HK CC9, Sig P365, Glock 26 Gen 5, Glock 48, Glock 47, and Glock 19 Gen 6.
In the above picture is the author’s 25 Yard Group shot with Hornady Critical Duty 135 gr. +P, an iron sighted Glock 26 Gen 5 & unaided 51 year old eye balls. Like the HK CC9 group, this group was also shot standing, freestyle from 25 yards. While a red dot or my prescription shooting glasses would have likely produced similar results to the HK CC9’s three-inch group, I will take the 92, 1X!
Whether you are looking for 9MM duty ammunition for a full-size gun or carry ammo for a slimline sub-compact, you need to take a hard look at the Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain +P. It proved accurate and reliable through the multiple platforms I tested it with, and excellent results in both the FBI’s test protocol and street encounters. What more does anyone need in duty or defensive ammunition, than Hornady Critical Duty 135 Grain +P?!
