Review: Possibly the best self-defense ammunition.

     My father-in-law recently bought me a box of  Hornady's Critical Defense® ammunition. The message I got with it was that he had converted his carry ammo to this product as well. Right off, I was impressed that he put that much stock into ammunition. He also left with it an article from a reputable gun magazine. (Guns & Ammo and Shooting Times have both done articles, as have quite a few more.)

A little back-story...

     About a month prior, a few conversations happened about ammo. First, my father-in-law was discussing with my wife the pros and cons of hollow point rounds after a debate happened at the local sporting goods store. The clerk basically took the position that my wife's 9mm  hollow points were not effective in Alaska in the winter, due to the heavy jackets worn up here. He argued that the round would mushroom too soon and not get proper penetration.

     Around the same time-frame, my father-in-law asked me to start thinking about what kind of ammo I would like to carry in my new XDm 45 ACP. The conversation again went to ballistics, although our conversations get more in depth with velocity in relation to bullet weight as well. I quickly set to looking up some options, but he would drop the Critical Defense rounds off before I gave him an answer.

     Back to the ammo itself. I really like the concept of this round, and the videos put out by the manufacturer are pretty impressive. In the cutout image, you notice a filler in the hollow portion of the bullet. One would think that this would cause the round to act more like ball ammunition, but this is not the case. In fact, what Hornady discovered in testing this bullet, is that the clerk wsa only 50% right. He was correct that standard hollow points were less effective for me to shoot someone wearing a Carhart coat. Where he was wrong is that the round would not mushroom too soon, and in fact may not spread at all!

     What got the ball rolling (according to the story in the magazine I read) was a presentation of ballistic tests to the FBI. Apparently, all the impressive images of the damage done to ballistic gel seemed convincing until an agent said words to the effect of - "that's great if I'm shooting a naked suspect."

     So, that got people thinking. It was discovered that when shooting through FBI standard winter coat material, a standard hollow point would in fact cut a swatch (think cookie-cutter) that would remain in the hollow area. This material would then prevent the expansion normally caused by the body's blood and fluids exacting pressure on the inside of the hollow point. The end result was much more like shooting someone with a full metal jacket round. (Therefore, the clerk's theory of less penetration was completely wrong.)

.45 acp test

     The end result would be a hybrid round that combined elements of Hornady's FTX rifle bullet and the standard jacketed hollow point. The material you see inside the hollow cavity is designed to be flexible to a specification that is consistent with the round's weight and velocity. The material in the .380 bullet is not the same as you find in the .45acp round. The filler allows the round to penetrate the clothing without clogging the nose. Once the projectile is through the coat and enters the body, the bodily fluids have enough pressure to push the flexible material inward and then out evenly. The tests show that the result is proper penetration and nearly perfect mushrooming each time. This means that maximum damage is done past the coat and in the body (6-7 inches worth) with an additional penetration of a few inches more past that. In other words, the maximum energy occurs where tissue and organs are... a more fatal shot.


     The price? Depending on your caliber, you are looking at $1.00 to $1.50 per round (about $22 to $30 per box of 20.) My one wish is that I could get this in a 24-30 round box, as I use high capacity magazines.

     These are only available as a factory loaded round. That is due to the fact that the powder used is part of the specification to get the velocity that corresponds to the filler material, and the bullet is crimped to avoid setback. (Setback is the result of the bullet being pushed further into the case by repeated chambering, which causes excessive pressure when fired. This excessive pressure could cause damage to a semi-automatic pistol.)

    I highly recommend this round. Unfortunately, I can't give you my personal test results because I can neither afford to buy blocks of ballistic gel, nor can I just go shoot someone with one. I will however embed the YouTube video that Hornady provides, and you can click the link in the first paragraph to read the features I didn't cover in this blog.

     As a disclaimer... These are my personal views on this product. I have not been paid by any company for this review. I have made every attempt to use my own language throughout this posting, and any similarity between what I have said and any other article is coincidental. The images belong to Hornady, and are used only for reference purposes.

In the NEWS - November 24, 2010

Rep. Tom Hackbarth's loaded gun costs him leadership post

    We once again see an example of poor judgment. In this case, no one was hurt. However, we should all use this article (click the link above) as a reminder. Although we have a right to carry (Hackbarth even had a CCW), we need to know that certain situations should be avoided when we are armed. Regardless of what the intention was here, it is the perception that makes everyone nervous here. Hackbarth (allegedly) made this worse by being belligerent when contacted by authorities.

    The good news in this article comes at the end. He had a permit, and he got his gun back. While I think this guy is an idiot for putting himself in this situation, I support his right to carry until such time that a conviction or diagnosis disqualifies him.

 

Two arrested on gun charges

    I'm torn on this one. On one hand, we have another case of idiocy. Like the first article, these ladies (allegedly) had a firearm in a situation where leaving it at home would have been advisable. The counter-point is that if they are willing to break one law, why not another? I can think of one reason... The theft is 5 years, the gun can get them 50 more. But hey, why commit ANY crime, right?

    Where I am torn is on the "Class 2 felony possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony" part. If the gun was in the center console, then do they have proof that the gun was on her while in the store? Does the commission of a felony include driving out of the parking lot, or does the act technically start and end at the front door? Without seeing the law as written or prior case law (precedence) I have no clue. I'm curious if this is a case of tacking on more charges to help get a conviction on the original charge, which is common practice. I suppose it doesn't matter either way, because they stole enough to make the theft a felony. Even if they drop one charge, the other will negate their right to carry if convicted.

 

In the NEWS - November 22, 2010

    I will periodically post my take on U.S. news stories concerning firearms. Today is the first installment of what I hope will become a regular (and popular) thing on this blog. So let's get it started!

 

Portsmouth teen sentenced in school shooting 

   In Virginia, a boy was sentenced to 10 years suspended and 10 years probation for taking a gun to school and discharging it into the air. (Click the headline above for the story as written.) 

     Question one is how did this boy get his hands on a firearm that was already loaded or had ammunition readily accessible?  As I just posted previously, one of the most important things we must do as gun owners is ensure that no unauthorized person can obtain our firearm(s). If there are children in the house, this is exponentially important. This kid was 15 at the time of the offense. Teenagers are by nature in a very transitional phase of maturity. They often act without first weighing the consequences and wear their hearts on their sleeve. With small children, having a gun on a tall shelf might cut it, but for a teen that is not secure enough. While the teen is the perpetrator, one must wonder if the gun owner is also to blame. If the kid managed to crack a locked safe, then you might have an argument against that. But if it was just in a nightstand drawer with no lock? 

    Another factor here is that this kid obviously was not taught proper respect for a firearm. Kids should not learn everything they know about guns from television. The only exception to that I can think of is the Eddie Eagle video that the NRA used to circulate for young children. 

Bottom line here is that an ounce of prevention can be a ton of protection. Educate kids that firearms are not to be handled except by responsible adults. Find a way to get through to them how to RESPECT guns rather than fear them. Teach them the legal and practical uses, and that television violence is fiction meant to entertain. While there are bad people in the world, intelligent people that value life do not commit these acts.

Road rage incident with gun leads to St. Cloud man's arrest

    In Minnesota, this young man allegedly pointed a gun at a man and his children after a near-collision. Road rage is becoming an increasing issue around the country as more and more cars enter the roadway. What the story does not say is whether the firearm was legal. More specifically, did the suspect legally own and have the right to possess that gun? (Did he have proper permits if required in his state?) The optimist in me likes to think that a gun owner knows better than to brandish a firearm in this situation, but that is never a given.

   It is folks like this that fuel the fire for the gun control lobby. As citizens we can only let people see responsible owners carrying responsibly, even if we wish we could do more. We unfortunately have to let law enforcement take the idiots off the street, and hope that eventually that shallow gene pool will dry up. Continue to set the example fellow gun owners, and remember: Always treat it like it's loaded!

Gun Safety 101

Many of you that will see this already know what I am about to talk about here.

Many of you don't.

Either way, I would not do this blog any justice if I didn't start with these basic tips to avoid accidents.

The tips here are the same as the rules listed on the NRA website. There really is no better place to learn (or remind yourself of) basic firearms safety. It starts with three fundamentals that I recommend you cement into your brain whether you own a gun or not.

The fundamental rules for gun safety are:

1. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. When every other protective measure fails, this one detail is the difference between a bullet landing harmlessly and one that kills. Keep that muzzle aimed away from all living beings!

2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. A modern firearm that is well maintained will not go off unless a deliberate trigger pull is performed. Keep that finger outside of the guard until you are aimed in a safe direction and know your target.

3. Always keep the gun unloaded until ready for use. A fireman knows that to have a fire you must have heat, oxygen, and fuel... and if you take away any one of those three the fire goes out. Similarly, a gun is only lethal when loaded with ammunition. 

I like to combine these three rules into one phrase that sums up gun safety and is easy to remember...

Jack's Rule #3a is: Always treat a firearm like it is loaded.  Always means even if you believe it is unloaded, you still MUST act as if it could go off.

The rules above are considered to be the most important, but there are many other things to consider when handling a firearm.


Know your target and what is beyond. Whether shooting a target on a range or a person that is attacking you, you must be aware of where the projectiles may end up if you miss, there is risk of ricochet, or it passes completely through the primary target. It does you no good to shoot a perpetrator only to have the round go through him/her and strike your family member.

Know how to safely operate the gun. Before you even consider loading a firearm, you should be 150% familiar with the gun and all of its safety features. Learn how it operates and practice operating the gun with dry-fire exercises. If you don't think you could teach someone else about the gun in your hand, then you may not want to fire it yourself.

Be sure the gun is safe to operate. You want to be sure and do a full functions check and ensure cleanliness before loading and firing.

Use only the correct ammunition for the gun. Read the caliber on the gun and never attempt to use anything but that specific round. If using reloaded (a.k.a. non-factory or recycled) ammunition, never exceed the maximum load.

Wear eye and ear protection. Gunshots can harm your hearing and the burning powder can harm the eyes. If the firearm should have a critical failure, proper safety gear can protect you from fragments.

Never handle a firearm after drinking an alcoholic beverage, or taking ANY drug. Even over-the-counter medications can effect your physical reaction and mental capacity. Prescription and illicit drugs certainly will. This is not only a guideline, but also a law.

Store guns so that they are not accessible by unauthorized persons. Only persons that are of age, properly instructed, sober, and trustworthy should be able to access a firearm. Obviously, a gun should never be left within reach of a child, but even a house guest can represent a potential accident.

Maintain your firearm. Proper cleaning, lubing, maintenance, and inspections will ensure safety and protect your investment. As a reminder, be sure that your gun is unloaded, cleared, and that no ammunition is in the area while cleaning.

My new pistol: Springfield Armory XD(M) .45acp

Some of you may be sick of hearing about it, but what can I say.... I am overjoyed. My Father-in-Law may be one of the few people I know that likes guns more than I do. So when we were talking about pistols that I would consider carrying, safety features, etc... he was obviously listening. So, here it is:

Caliber:	45ACP
Magazines:	2 – 13 Round, Stainless Steel
Barrel:	4.5" Steel, Melonite®, Fully Supported Ramp
Sights:	Dovetail Front and Rear (Steel) 3-Dot
Trigger Pull:	5.5 - 7.7lbs.
Frame :	Black Polymer
Slide:	Forged Steel
Overall Length:	8"
Height:	5.75"
Weight w/ empty mag:	31 oz .
Available colors:	Black and Bi-Tone
*High Capacity Magazines may not be available in some states.

In the top image, I have pointed out two nice features. On top of having a trigger safety and a grip safety, the pistol tells you if you have a round in the chamber (as indicated by the indicator on top near the ejector port) and if the pistol is cocked (as indicated by the pin sticking out of the rear of the slide.) So yes, to demonstrate these indicators I had the pistol live for the photo. Have no fear, I cleared it afterward.

 Above you see that the Springfield Armory XD(m) .45acp comes packaged with a lot of great items.

• Hard case.
• 2 magazines.
• Small, Medium, and Large grip back straps.
• Paddle Holster
• Magazine holster. (holds two)
• Speed loader.
• Lock
• Brush

Part of "The (M) Factor" is the match grade barrel which most sets this pistol apart from it's predecessor.  The tighter tolerances of this barrel seem to add to accuracy and durability without increasing malfunctions. That's a win-win.

At the range, this pistol has less recoil than you expect for the caliber and is very accurate. Because you can change the grip size, it fits your hand and the grip texture is easy to hold onto without adding grip tape like some Glock owners do.

If you have any questions about this pistol, feel free to leave a comment and I'll respond as time allows.