Hornady Critical Defense or Duty for Shield 9mm?

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tennisguy

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Have any of you shot the Hornady Critical Duty or Critical Defense out of the Shield 9mm? What round do you carry in the winter to deal with heavier and thicker clothing?

I have Speer Gold Dots 124 and 124+p now to shoot out of my Shield 9mm.
 
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I carry Hornady Critical Defense spring, summer, winter, fall, in my shield 9mm. Shoots great through anything people would wear.
 
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Critical Duty was designed to pass all FBI protocols for barrier penetration, while maintaining minimum standards for expansion and body penetration. I prefer the shallower penetration of the critical defense load.
 
The loads your currently using (especially the +P version) is one of the top 9mm rounds for defense use. I'd also recommend either the Federal 147gr. HST or Winchester 147gr. Ranger T. Dale
 
I have an M&P9 FS but I carry Gold Dot 124gr +P. My other choice is also Fed 147gr HST. They are both carried by police departments and have been "field proven". The Critical Duty does defeat all FBI barrier tests but use against live subjects is unknown, AFAIK.
 
tennisguy said:
Have any of you shot the Hornady Critical Duty or Critical Defense out of the Shield 9mm? What round do you carry in the winter to deal with heavier and thicker clothing?

I have Speer Gold Dots 124 and 124+p now to shoot out of my Shield 9mm.
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The one I tried worked very well with these two excellent 9mm premium defense loads:

1. Federal 9BPLE (115 grain JHP +P+)
2. Winchester Ranger 127 grain JHP +P+

I think it would be pretty hard to find a load that has a better track record as a "stopper" than either of these. Both worked perfectly in the 9mm Shield.
 
shawn mccarver said:
The one I tried worked very well with these two excellent 9mm premium defense loads:

1. Federal 9BPLE (115 grain JHP +P+)
2. Winchester Ranger 127 grain JHP +P+

I think it would be pretty hard to find a load that has a better track record as a "stopper" than either of these. Both worked perfectly in the 9mm Shield.
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It may have worked for you, but are you aware that Smith & Wesson says in their manual that +P+ must not be used? Apparently, since there's no standard, the pressure can vary significantly with dangerous results. Are they being overly cautious, or is their warning to be taken seriously?
 
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What about te pdx-1s? I've used them (and their predecessors) for a while and have always liked them regardless of caliber
 
I know they say good 147gr does fine even at such slow speeds, like 825-900fps (and I'm a HUGE fan of 147gr out of 4+ inches barrels), but for the Shield I'm using 124gr Federal HST. I may go to all 147s just so I can buy one ammo for the Shield and G19: if so, it would be HST or Ranger-T

Personally, I have a few cardinal rules of ammo:
a) I don't buy any ammo unless it comes in 50rd boxes; the 20rd ammo is priced at a ridiculous premium in the hopes people will pay it and assume it's the best--but at the moment, you can still get equal or superior stuff for less (Winchester ranger, federal HST, Speer GD, etc.). Hornady is hot at the moment, and seems to do well--so if I found 25 for $15-$16 I might get it...if I couldn't 50 get HST for $26-$30.
b) I don't use +P ammo For CCW because I don't think the extra speed offsets the slower follow-up shots. If I had time and money to practice with a bunch, maybe I'd use them; at SD ranges of 3-8 feet, I just don't think the extra fps (how much is it in a 3" barrel) will matter much.

That said, in .380, it's gotten hard to get 50rd boxes and/or testing has shown that some of the best rounds (CD and GD) only come in 20-25rd boxes. Thankfully, there are so many 9mm buyers, the price-scam hasn't been fully embraced by all makers (though it seems everyone is testing the waters).
 
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Gold dots are excellent in any variety. One of the best sites I've seen for ammo testing is tnoutdoors9.
Critical duty in 9mm did very well.
 
Since bad guys like the dark I decided to check my ammo in low light conditions
The Critical Defence had very low flash, I was able to identify the target & get quick follow up shots - the rest not so good , the other brands I was blinded by the flash or I had to wait till the flash to dissipated before a second shot.
FYI
 
I have Critical Defense as my load in my 1st Shield - the one I carry daily. Finding the ammo locally is tough, though.

After running some thru the guns, I don't have enough left over for both guns. My second Shield has 124gr Gold Dots (non +p). They shot fine as well, and were accurate.

I have shot Critical Defense, 124gr Hydrashok, 124gr Golddot and 147 gr WWB JHP thru both of my 9mm Shields with no issues at all.
 
Badkarma 1 said:
The loads your currently using (especially the +P version) is one of the top 9mm rounds for defense use. I'd also recommend either the Federal 147gr. HST or Winchester 147gr. Ranger T. Dale
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I agree. I like the gold dots much better than the hornady rounds. I think the HST's would be a good choice also but gold dots are much easier for me to find so that's what I prefer.
 
Plenty of great 9mm loads out there. Speer being one of the finest. But in the Hornady family, I really like the Critical Defense and shoot it quite often in many guns/cals.
I wouldn't use the Critical Duty in any weapon which I might pull out in a home defense situation for fear of over penetration thru walls, etc. So, IMO, the Critical Duty doesn't offer enough benefit to overcome what I see as a dangerous detriment.
 
shield said:
It may have worked for you, but are you aware that Smith & Wesson says in their manual that +P+ must not be used? Apparently, since there's no standard, the pressure can vary significantly with dangerous results. Are they being overly cautious, or is their warning to be taken seriously?
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Yes, I am well aware, as are the MANY agencies that spec and use +P+ ammo. The factory warning is of no concern to me, but by all means, if it concerns you, find a less powerful round, or go to a bigger caliber.
 
Firefightermdc said:
What about te pdx-1s? I've used them (and their predecessors) for a while and have always liked them regardless of caliber
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I like the 124 grain PDX1s and they worked well also. I am just not sure they have been out long enough to have a proven track record.
 
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