{"id":6021,"date":"2024-02-27T16:11:26","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T16:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/?p=6021"},"modified":"2024-02-27T16:11:26","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T16:11:26","slug":"hornady-critical-defense-9mm-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/hornady-critical-defense-9mm-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Hornady Critical Defense 9mm Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0If you\u2019re in the market for a self defense round for your 9mm pistol, it\u2019s likely that you\u2019ve come across the Hornady Critical Defense 9mm JHP round.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing a self defense round that you can trust your life with is no menial task. There&#8217;s a wide selection of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/9mm-ammo.php\">9mm ammo<\/a> on the market, so today we\u2019re reviewing the Hornady Critical Defense 9mm round to see how it stacks up for self defense.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Hornady Critical Defense 9mm Review: Quick Takeaways<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6029 size-full\" title=\"hornady critical defense 9mm\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/hornadycriticaldefense9mm-1.jpg\" alt=\"a box and three rounds of hornady critical defense 9mm on a wood table\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/hornadycriticaldefense9mm-1.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/hornadycriticaldefense9mm-1-300x179.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/hornadycriticaldefense9mm-1-1024x610.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/hornadycriticaldefense9mm-1-768x457.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/hornadycriticaldefense9mm-1-1536x915.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/hornadycriticaldefense9mm-1-200x119.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/hornadycriticaldefense9mm-1-750x447.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/hornadycriticaldefense9mm-1-1140x679.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Some key takeaways about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/hornady-critical-defense-9mm-luger-ammunition-25-rounds-of-115-grain-ftx.php\">Hornady Critical Defense 9mm<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tends to penetrate on the shallow end of the 12&#8243;-18&#8243; penetration standards<\/li>\n<li>Doesn&#8217;t consistently expand to 150% its original diameter, but is not prone to clogging in heavy fabric either<\/li>\n<li>Not designed to work through intermediate barriers like auto glass and dry wall<\/li>\n<li>Often runs reliably in guns that are sensitive to JHP ammo<\/li>\n<li>Exceptionally accurate and consistent<\/li>\n<li>Manageable recoil out of small carry guns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hornady Critical Defense 9mm 115 Grain FTX: Specs &amp; Design<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6039 size-full\" title=\"critical defense rounds\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefenserounds.jpg\" alt=\"two rounds of hornady critical defense 9mm, one standing and one laying on its side to show the round's red tip\" width=\"2000\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefenserounds.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefenserounds-300x144.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefenserounds-1024x491.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefenserounds-768x368.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefenserounds-1536x737.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefenserounds-200x96.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefenserounds-750x360.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefenserounds-1140x547.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hornady designed their Critical Defense line of ammo as a reliable self defense option for shooters, using<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> their Flex Tip eXpanding (FTX) projectile. The company originally designed the FTX bullet for use in lever guns to solve issues that traditional hollow points faced. Hornady claims the FTX bullet, which features a soft, red tip at the front of the bullet, expands reliably and doesn\u2019t clog in heavy clothing and other barriers \u2013 a common issue with other hollow point bullets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Critical Defense round uses a 115gr. bullet that travels at velocities between 1,000 and 1,050 fps. The round is designed for civilian use in smaller carry pistols with short barrels. Not to be confused with Hornady\u2019s Critical Duty line, which is geared towards law enforcement and full sized guns, as we\u2019ve previously covered in our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/hornady-critical-duty-vs-critical-defense\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critical Duty vs. Critical Defense Comparison<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The original design of the round calls for a nickel-plated casing, but due to supply chain restraints, Hornady suspended use of the nickel-plated casings in 2021. While this was supposed to be a temporary change, it has lasted for over two years.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hornady Critical Defense 9mm Ballistics<\/span><\/h2>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-214\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-214\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Gun<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Barrel Length<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Average Velocity<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Average Penetration<\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Average Expansion<\/th><th class=\"column-6\">Average Muzzle Energy<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Sig P365XL<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3.7\"<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1117 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">11.375\"<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">.462\"<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">319 ft\/lbs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Glock 48<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">4.17\"<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1116 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">13.0625\"<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">.487\"<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">319 ft\/lbs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, let\u2019s take a look at how the Hornady Critical Defense 9mm performs ballistically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To measure this, we can shoot the round in ballistic gel, similar to how the FBI performs their ballistic testing. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For our test, we used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clearballistics.com\/\">Clear Ballistics<\/a> 10% synthetic ballistic gel with a 4-layer fabric covering. We fired rounds from a 10-foot distance, in line with the FBI\u2019s testing protocol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We tested five rounds out of two different pistols (total 10 rounds): the Sig Sauer P365XL with a 3.7\u201d length barrel and the Glock 48 with a 4.17\u201d barrel length. Our test included<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0different barrel lengths because the barrel length can affect velocity which in turn affects how the bullet performs upon penetration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll look at penetration and expansion of each round to evaluate how it might perform in a real world scenario.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a deeper look at how a round stops an attacker, check out our post on the deeply misunderstood <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/stopping-power\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stopping power<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Penetration<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6031 size-full\" title=\"critical defense ballistic testing\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlgel.jpg\" alt=\"a ballistic gel block with 5 rounds of hornady critical defense fired from a sig p365xl\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1085\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlgel.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlgel-300x163.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlgel-1024x556.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlgel-768x417.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlgel-1536x833.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlgel-200x109.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlgel-750x407.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlgel-1140x618.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6028 size-full\" title=\"critical defense ballistic test\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48gel.jpg\" alt=\"a ballistic gel block with 5 rounds of hornady critical defense fired from a glock 48\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1033\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48gel.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48gel-300x155.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48gel-1024x529.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48gel-768x397.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48gel-1536x793.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48gel-200x103.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48gel-750x387.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48gel-1140x589.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FBI\u2019s standards call for a penetration depth between 12\u201d and 18\u201d. This correlates with rounds that adequately penetrate soft tissue and reach vital organs and structures, yet don\u2019t over-penetrate and completely pass through the intended target.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We want a round that reliably penetrates deep enough to hit vital organs in order to incapacitate an attacker. It must do that after passing through a 4-layer fabric covering which simulates a heavy jacket and other clothing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the P365XL, our average penetration depth was 11.375\u201d. Two of the rounds came in just under 12\u201d, while the other three rounds penetrated slightly above 12\u201d. The rounds fired out of the Glock 48 performed slightly better, with an average penetration of 13.0625\u201d, and all rounds reaching the minimum of 12\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These results were not surprising to us. The Hornady Critical Defense 9mm tends to penetrate on the shallow side of the 12\u201d-18\u201d range.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expansion<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6030 size-full\" title=\"critical defense expansion\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlexpansion.jpg\" alt=\"showing expanded rounds of hornady critical defense 9mm from a sig p365xl\" width=\"2000\" height=\"990\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlexpansion.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlexpansion-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlexpansion-1024x507.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlexpansion-768x380.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlexpansion-1536x760.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlexpansion-200x99.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlexpansion-750x371.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/p365xlexpansion-1140x564.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6042 size-full\" title=\"critical defense expansion\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48expansion.jpg\" alt=\"showing expanded rounds of hornady critical defense 9mm from a glock 48\" width=\"2000\" height=\"870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48expansion.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48expansion-300x131.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48expansion-1024x445.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48expansion-768x334.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48expansion-1536x668.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48expansion-200x87.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48expansion-750x326.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/glock48expansion-1140x496.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next we\u2019ll look at bullet expansion. Because most self defense rounds use <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/jacketed-hollow-point\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hollow point bullets<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, they should expand upon penetration. We want a round that adequately expands because this causes tissue disruption and a larger wound channel, making the round more likely to stop an attacker. Bullet expansion also prevents over-penetration, which could result in a bystander being hit by the traveling round.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no standard for expansion, but ballistic experts generally look for an expanded diameter of 150% of the original diameter of the bullet. That means for the 9mm, we\u2019ll look for an expanded diameter of .533\u201d. We\u2019ll dig the expanded bullets out of the gel in order to measure them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, the Critical Defense does not show the best expansion. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the P365XL, the average expansion was .462\u201d, with none of the rounds expanding at least 150%. The average expansion out of the Glock 48 was .487\u201d, with only one round expanding over 150%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That being said, all rounds <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">did<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> expand, and you can even see the red tips that prevent clogging.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Velocity<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6033 size-full\" title=\"chronographing\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/velocitytesting-1.jpg\" alt=\"a chronograph and a gun and ammo set up for velocity testing\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/velocitytesting-1.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/velocitytesting-1-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/velocitytesting-1-1024x605.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/velocitytesting-1-768x454.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/velocitytesting-1-1536x907.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/velocitytesting-1-200x118.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/velocitytesting-1-750x443.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/velocitytesting-1-1140x673.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We also measured the muzzle velocity of the Critical Defense round. Our velocity readings came in slightly slower than the advertised 1135 fps Hornady advertises for 4-inch barrels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The velocities of Critical Defense out of both guns were incredibly consistent. The rounds out of the P365XL had an average muzzle velocity of 1117 fps. Out of the Glock 48, the average muzzle velocity was 1116 fps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intermediate Barriers<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest downfall of the Hornady Critical Defense is its performance in intermediate barriers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intermediate barriers can be anything you have to shoot through to hit something on the other side. Examples of intermediate barriers include auto glass, car doors, drywall, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Critical Defense round is not barrier blind, meaning it is not designed to expand upon penetration of soft tissue after passing through an intermediate barrier. It can be argued that the average concealed carrier likely doesn\u2019t need a barrier blind round. However, i<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">f you think you are likely to get into a self defense encounter that requires shooting through intermediate barriers, the Critical Defense shouldn\u2019t be your first choice.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hornady Critical Defense 9mm Shooting Performance<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6032 size-full\" title=\"shooting 9mm\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/shooting9mm-2.jpg\" alt=\"the author shooting a pistol loaded with critical defense ammo\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1096\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/shooting9mm-2.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/shooting9mm-2-300x164.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/shooting9mm-2-1024x561.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/shooting9mm-2-768x421.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/shooting9mm-2-1536x842.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/shooting9mm-2-200x110.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/shooting9mm-2-750x411.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/shooting9mm-2-1140x625.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now, let&#8217;s take a look at the Hornady Critical Defense 9mm&#8217;s reliability, accuracy, and recoil performance.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reliability<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the advantages to the Critical Defense round is its reliability. Some guns struggle with reliably feeding some JHP ammo because of the bullet shape. The Critical Defense tends to not have this issue, reliably feeding in even picky guns.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accuracy<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another advantage of the Critical Defense is its accuracy. The FTX bullet that the Critical Defense uses has a reputation for its accuracy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FTX bullet is based off of Hornady\u2019s XTP bullet. The XTP bullet is popular among competition shooters for its extreme accuracy, so it\u2019s no surprise that the FTX bullet has excellent accuracy as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recoil<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having manageable recoil is an important factor when selecting self defense ammo. If the recoil is too harsh, the shooter may struggle with accurate follow up shots.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While felt recoil has a number of different factors, including gun size and the shooter\u2019s technique, the ammo plays a big part.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Out of a smaller, lightweight gun like the Sig P365XL, the Critical Defense has fairly mild recoil. Shooting powerful rounds out of a small gun can be uncomfortable, but the Critical Defense is not one of those rounds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, if you\u2019re worried about harsh kick back, the Critical Defense may be a viable choice for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6027 size-full\" title=\"p365xl and critical defense\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefensep365xl.jpg\" alt=\"a sig p365xl with a box and three rounds of hornady critical defense 9mm\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefensep365xl.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefensep365xl-300x166.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefensep365xl-1024x566.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefensep365xl-768x424.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefensep365xl-1536x849.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefensep365xl-200x111.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefensep365xl-750x414.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/media\/criticaldefensep365xl-1140x630.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Hornady Critical Defense rounds gets a lot of hate, mostly because it is not designed to perform well when passing through intermediate barriers like auto glass and dry wall. It is not a duty round, and it is not designed to be. Plus, it can be argued that the general population is not likely to encounter a situation that requires a round that defeats intermediate barriers.<\/p>\n<p>Critical Defense is a reliable round, with incredible accuracy and consistency. It tends to penetrate and expand on the shallow side, but is certainly not the worst performing round out there. The round also offers mild recoil out of smaller guns, which can be a huge factor in follow up shots.<\/p>\n<p>When we covered the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/best-9mm-ammo\/\">best 9mm ammo<\/a>, we ranked the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/federal-premium-law-enforcement-9mm-luger-ammunition-50-ronds-of-147-grain-hst-jhp.php\">Federal Premium Law Enforcement 147gr. HST JHP<\/a> as our top self defense round. Sometimes, though, finding it in stock can be an issue. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/hornady-critical-defense-9mm-luger-ammunition-25-rounds-of-115-grain-ftx.php\">Hornady Critical Defense 9mm<\/a> is consistently in stock and easy to find. If in a pinch, the Critical Defense 9mm will make a reliable choice for self defense. Just be sure you run a couple magazines of the round through your gun first to ensure it functions well.<\/p>\n<div class=\"b-share-calltoaction\">\n<div class=\"b-share-calltoaction--text b-share-calltoaction-text\">\n<div class=\"b-share-calltoaction-text__header\">\n<h2>Share this article with your friends!<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<ul class=\"b-social-icons clearfix\">\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\"\n               href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/hornady-critical-defense-9mm-review\/\"\n               class=\"social_icon facebook\">&nbsp;Facebook<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\"\n               href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/home?status=https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/hornady-critical-defense-9mm-review\/\"\n               class=\"social_icon twitter\">&nbsp;Twitter<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\"\n               href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&#038;url=https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/hornady-critical-defense-9mm-review\/\"\n               class=\"social_icon linkedin\">&nbsp;LinkedIn<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\"\n               href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/hornady-critical-defense-9mm-review\/\"\n               class=\"social_icon pinterest\">&nbsp;Pinterest<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0If you\u2019re in the market for a self defense round for your 9mm pistol, it\u2019s likely that you\u2019ve come across&hellip;<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-item-meta\"><span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-content\/themes\/generatepress_child\/svg\/clock.svg\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" alt=\"\"><time class=\"published\" datetime=\"2024-02-27T16:11:26+00:00\">Feb. 27, 2024<\/time><\/span><span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-content\/themes\/generatepress_child\/svg\/comment.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"\">No comments<\/span><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/hornady-critical-defense-9mm-review\/\"><span>Read more <\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-content\/themes\/generatepress_child\/svg\/chevron-right.svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6040,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-self-defense"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6021"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6048,"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6021\/revisions\/6048"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.targetbarn.com\/broad-side\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}