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I heart Hornady. I carry Critical DEFENSE. ‘So when the ammunition maker unveiled their new high tech Critical DUTY cartridge I was . . . confused. Not to be critical, but why two Criticals? Surely someone at Hornady considered the possibility that bullet buyers would be baffled by similar sounding product names. Well, if Hornady didn’t think about SKU-challenged consumer before naming their new LEO-oriented-but-you-can-still-buy-it round, they have now. To save you all that unpleasant bending and clicking (to the ammomaker’s website), here’s the 411 on the ALL CAPS critical differences between Critical ammunition . . .
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 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. These loads are NOT optimized for short barreled, concealed carry style handguns. They will deliver standard recoil during firing.
Critical DEFENSE® handgun ammunition was developed to provide the best performance for DEFENSIVE or PERSONAL PROTECTION SITUATIONS and is the ultimate choice for any short barreled, concealed carry style firearm.
The FTX® bullets loaded in all Critical Defense® handgun ammunition were designed to expand and provide the terminal performance needed for close encounters often associated with personal protection situations. Additionally, Critical DEFENSE® is not intended for use in in extreme (law enforcement) situations that require superior barrier performance.* However, the FTX® bullet will expand reliably and will not clog like standard hollow point bullets when fired through heavy clothing.* In addition, Critical DEFENSE® ammunition IS optimized for short barreled, concealed carry style handguns and will not deliver excessive recoil and associated “muzzle flip.”
*As defined by the “FBI Protocol” handgun ammunition tests.
The text fails to mention the low-flash propellant part of the Critical DUTY ammunition. Anyway, any of you tacticool types planning to switch from Critical DEFENSE to Critical DUTY? I’m waiting for Critical THEORY ammo.