{"id":4817,"date":"2023-03-03T10:47:10","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T10:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/?p=4817"},"modified":"2023-03-03T19:44:54","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T19:44:54","slug":"hornady-critical-defense-38-special-p-110gr-ftx-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/hornady-critical-defense-38-special-p-110gr-ftx-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110gr FTX Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110gr FTX is a round you’ll find in many everyday carry revolvers. Hornady’s Critical Defense line of ammo is a popular choice among shooters as a self-defense round. Hornady offers the line in a number of handgun, rifle, shotgun and even rimfire calibers. Despite its popularity, the Critical Defense’s efficacy as a self-defense round is also hotly debated.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110 grain FTX review, we’ll be evaluating the round to see how it stacks up as a self-defense load. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110gr FTX Specifications<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Hornady designed the Critical Defense line to be a self defense round for use in short barreled firearms, as opposed to the Critical Duty<\/a> line which Hornady designed for law enforcement use. Critical Defense rounds feature Hornady\u2019s FTX bullet<\/a> and low-flash propellants for limited visual disturbances when shooting at night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Under normal circumstances, Hornady loads the Critical Defense round with nickel-plated cases. Nickel-plated cases resist corrosion and are easier to see when chamber checking in low-light situations. However, due to supply chain issues, Hornady suspended the use of nickel-plated cartridges in May of 2021. As of February 2023, Hornady has not brought the nickel-plated cases back into production.<\/span><\/p>\n

The FTX Bullet\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

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Hornady loads the Critical Defense round with their Flex Tip eXpanding (FTX) projectiles. They originally designed the FTX bullet for use in lever guns as a solution to typical hollow points that expand too quickly and sacrifice penetration at higher velocities. The company claims that the FTX bullet expands reliably and doesn\u2019t clog when passing through heavy clothing and other barriers \u2013 an issue that plagues other hollow point bullets.<\/span><\/p>\n

The FTX bullet has a soft, red tip that compresses into the bullet. This initiates immediate expansion. The lead core consists of a single piece that is locked to the jacket with an InterLock ring that aids in weight retention, which Hornady claims results in deep penetration.<\/span><\/p>\n

Accuracy and Performance<\/span><\/h2>\n

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I tested the Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110gr FTX out of the Smith & Wesson 342PD AirLite revolver. Most shooters carrying this round are likely carrying it in a smaller snubnose revolver.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hornady based the FTX\u2019s design off of the XTP bullet, a bullet known for its accuracy and used by many competition shooters. So, it\u2019s no surprise that the Critical Defense had no accuracy issues. When shooting from a bench rest at 15 feet and freestyle from 10 feet, the groupings were acceptable with no notable accuracy issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a shooter with a weaker grip, shooting the Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110gr FTX was unpleasant due to heavy recoil. That\u2019s probably because the 342PD AirLite is an extremely light gun at 10.8 ounces. Out of a slightly heavier gun, the recoil is more manageable, though with overpressure ammo<\/a>, snappy recoil is to be expected.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110 Grain FTX Ballistics<\/span><\/h2>\n

Hornady claims that the Critical Defense is a top round for self defense. However, some firearm experts claim<\/a> that in certain calibers, the Critical Defense is not an adequate defensive round.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We decided to see how the Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110 Grain FTX<\/a> stacks up by testing its muzzle velocity and penetration in ballistic gel out of a Smith & Wesson 342PD Airlite.<\/span><\/p>\n

Muzzle Velocity<\/span><\/h3>\n

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Hornady advertises the Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110gr. as having a muzzle velocity of 1090 fps from a 4-inch barrel. From our own test using a LabRadar Chronograph and shooting with a Smith & Wesson 342PD with a 1.8-inch barrel, our five recorded muzzle velocities were:<\/span><\/p>\n