What do you carry for defensive ammo?

Federal 124 grain hydra shok 9mm. I tried the critical defense. First box I bought some years ago. Put a few mags through my carry gun to try it out. Third round went "click". Tap rack bang and finished the mag. Not a light strike, nice dimple in the primer just no bang. It happened a second time from another box.

No more Critical Defense for me.
 
I have speer gold 180 gr in my G23 just found some federal HST 150 gr micro for my wife's LC9s. I have never seen it before and haven't shot it yet.
 
I used to run CorBon DPX until I took the GOAL EDC course. We shot through a windshield and the CorBon, being a non-bonded bullet, came apart while the bonded bullets (Gold Dot in my case) did not. Now I run Gold Dots in everything.
New materials and technologies are utilized to deliver reliable expansion and adequate penetration, even when shooting through obstacles. Bonded bullets that lock the jacket and lead core together, even passing through hard barriers such as sheet steel and windshield glass, are available from the major manufacturers. CorBon has taken this concept one step further with their all copper DPX bullet, which performs very well against all sorts of obstacles.
https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/hot-shot-a-look-at-premium-ammo/
 
Since most of our posts here are saying "Hornady" or "Federal HST", am I the only one who's thinking that sometime in the next month or two the Department of Homeland Security, the US Postal Service, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Departments of ____ (fill in the blank etc etc) will all combine to purchase anywhere from eighty-five to ninety BILLION rounds of....."Hornady" and/or "Federal HST".

Just sayin'
 
Since most of our posts here are saying "Hornady" or "Federal HST", am I the only one who's thinking that sometime in the next month or two the Department of Homeland Security, the US Postal Service, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Departments of ____ (fill in the blank etc etc) will all combine to purchase anywhere from eighty-five to ninety BILLION rounds of....."Hornady" and/or "Federal HST".

Just sayin'

HST and Gold Dots are already in use by many PDs and Fed agencies.
 
Hornady Critical Defense in my 9mm and 40 S&W. The first time I shot the Critical defense in low light I was sold. They use a low flash powder that results in very little muzzle flash from my subcompact 9mm this makes for easier follow up shots. House gun gets Federal Nyclad .38 Special- Standard velocity low recoil for the wife, very soft lead flying ashtray of a bullet for the bad guy, no over penetration for the neighbors.
 

Well that's interesting and I certainly don't dispute it because I have no data other than what I posted. Full disclosure, the CorBon rounds we shot at the windshield were probably 3 years old at the time, and we took the EDC class over 2 years ago. So maybe CorBon has made some changes in the meantime. The article is from 2013 so it's certainly possible that things have changed. All I know for sure is that the CorBon jackets separated from the core when shooting through the windshield, and the Gold Dots did not. There were other folks there shooting Hornady critical and duty rounds, and they did not separate either. If you want to pursue this further I would suggest contacting Jon Green at GOAL, because by now he has probably seen how lots of different rounds perform in the windshield test.
 
A electroplated chrome whistle That has the ability the be very high sounding piercing sound if you have good set of lungs and a small nose
 
At Northeast Arms in Peabody?.. A little more than some of the bigger retailers in the state...BUT...owned and operated by one of the nicest and best little guys on the planet so I sometimes don't even ask Steve (a guy who will LITERALLY go out of his way to help you) what the price of something is. I just buy it - to help keep him in business.

Quick story: Years ago, I lived in Malden... There used to be a liquor store on Highland Ave owned by a family and they were great people, always a smile, always some good conversation to prevent you from rushing back out into the rat race known as life, always a "thank you" and a "see you again?" with honesty and sincerity behind it. Then Stop & Shop became their "competitor". Stop & Shop started selling beer and ordered every brand, and ordered literally everything by the "We'll take three pallets of each"...
And I often "stop & wonder" what became of that nice family that owned what used to be that friendly (but now shuttered) package store on Highland Ave...

It's not always about "Prices". [emoji6]
 
Last edited:
At Northeast Arms in Peabody?.. A little more than some of the bigger retailers in the state...BUT...owned and operated by one of the nicest and best little guys on the planet so I sometimes don't even ask Steve (a guy who will LITERALLY go out of his way to help you) what the price of something is. I just buy it - to help keep him in business.

Quick story: Years ago, I lived in Malden... There used to be a liquor store on Highland Ave owned by a family and they were great people, always a smile, always some good conversation to prevent you from rushing back out into the rat race known as life, always a "thank you" and a "see you again?" with honesty and sincerity behind it. Then Stop & Shop became their "competitor". Stop & Shop started selling beer and ordered every brand, and ordered literally everything by the "We'll take three pallets of each"...
And I often "stop & wonder" what became of that nice family that owned what used to be that friendly (but now shuttered) package store on Highland Ave...

It's not always about "Prices". [emoji6]

Hmm.. the couple of times I been in Northeast Arms I was looked at like I didn't belong. I much prefer Baystate Firearms across the way.
 
I carry Hornady Critical Defense in M&Pc and plan on carrying Federal HST in my Vp9 once I get my hands on some

9fcad1a320a40f239717f1a041b4b05c.jpg


f022533e5abd94d92e4e770f54b09e8e.jpg

Federal Premium HST either 124gr SP or 147gr SP. Whichever is available at the time..
 
When I had a .380 I carried Ruger ARX (Polycase bullet) but I always wanted Lehigh Defense Extreme Penetrator (or the Underwood version) but never could get my hands on any.

9mm - Federal HST 147 grain (standard pressure now but I my try +p for the heck of it).
.45 - Federal HST 230 grain +p.
.38 Special - Ruger ARX.

Look at the ballistics tests on the ARX and Lehigh Defense ammo and you will see why I chose those for the .380 instead of traditional HPs.
I chose the ARX for the .38 Special because it is my wife's gun and the lighter bullet produces a more comfortable recoil for her.
Look at the ballistics tests for Federal HST, very impressive stuff.
 
Back
Top Bottom