Still surprised. Hornady's standard power .38 Special Critical Defense has a mixed but largely good record in the testing I've researched, comparable to other popular loads.

Doc GKR's bare gelatin testing got FBI protocol worthy penetration and expansion at an average velocity of 876 fps using a J snubby.

In the first test, there was overpenetration and no expansion with denim and gelatin, but in a follow-up test the Critical Defense load aced both the bare and denim tests.

<b>.38spl: Hornady FTX vs. Speer 135gr GDHP vs. CorBon 110gr DPX</b>

Brassfetcher gets decent penetration and expansion in bare gelatin, again with a snubby barrel, and in bone and gelatin test Hornady standard pressure CD is one of two (CorBon DPX being the other) to at least partially expand; all the others plugged and overpenetrated (Speer GD SB; Buffalo Bore FBI load; Winchester SXT; Federal Hydra-Shock).

http://www.brassfetcher.com/38%20Spe...%20Special.htm

And Stephen Camp got excellent results, again from a 1-7/8 snubby, in informal tests:

hi-powers--handguns: Informal Tests: Hornady Critical Defense .380 & .38 Special

It would seem that in a properly functioning four inch revolver, the Hornady load would perform properly.