Hornady Critical Duty 9MM

ch3777

Amateur
My agency is making a transition to 9mm. I would like to stick with Hornady to stay in line with all of our other duty ammo. Does anyone have experience/data with the 135gr, 135+P, and 124+P variants of Critical Duty? I am leaning towards the 135+P, but would greatly appreciate input on advantages of their other products. We are moving to the P320 full size, and ammo will also be issued for off duty or backup guns, mainly subcompacts.
 

Mike_IA

Regular Member
We are issued P320 full sizes but also have the compact and concealed models in service. In 2015 we tested ammo and 135+P Critical Duty beat 6 other types and weights of 9mm ammo and was the only ammo we tested to pass all the FBI protocol barriers. This year we went back and tested 124+P Critical Duty against 135gr +P critical duty iut
If the shorter barreled weapons and 135+P out performed the 124+P Critical Duty.
 

ch3777

Amateur
Thanks Mike. Thats what I was gathering from my research but needed a little confirmation to bite the bullet(pun intended).
 
Question for those in LE agencies that use Hornady Critical Duty 9mm 135gr +p (or standard pressure):

Have there been any officer involved shooting incidents with this round that you know of, and if so, how did it perform? The one criticism I see most about the Critical Duty is that it hasn't established a "street record", but most of that was said back when the round was new. However, I've yet to find much talk about OIS's involving this ammunition.

I currently keep HST 147gr in my 9mm, but various tests seem to show it performing below FBI minimums (even in bare gel sometimes), which is in line with Mike's reported test results.

Thanks.
 

CK837

Amateur
We switched to Hornady's Critical Duty 9mm 135gr +p when we switched over to the 9mm. We went from the Sig P320 in .40 S&W to 9mm. No shootings as of yet, but for what it's worth we're getting 1111 average FPS out of it as tested by my Labradar. We hardly shoot it, but when we do it's been feeding and cycling reliably.
 

Mike_IA

Regular Member
There have been shootings in the slower loaded FBI spec load, and the commeral load. It works exactly as testing show it would. Depending on your job Hornady or other agencies may or may not have more specific data for you.
 
There have been shootings in the slower loaded FBI spec load, and the commeral load. It works exactly as testing show it would. Depending on your job Hornady or other agencies may or may not have more specific data for you.

While I do carry a pistol for my courier job, I doubt it would qualify to get that type of information from Hornady. I'll just have to take the word of those who are more in the know than I. It sounds as if the Critical Duty must be doing something right out on the street.

I wonder if the +p penetrates more than the standard pressure, or the other way around.
 

Mike_IA

Regular Member
Only shoot +P defensive ammo, assuming your gun is designed to fire it. The non-+P critical duty load does not perform the same or similar to the +P loading.

Hornady is soon going to be discontinuing the non+P 135gr Critical Duty anyways, so sooon it won’t be a concern.
 
Reach out to the Gwinnett County Police Dept, GA. I believe they were the first large agency to adopt the round and should have the data you seek.
 
Top