G&A "Handguns" review of Hornady handgun ammo

[kmitch200]

Picked up a gunzine yesterday, Guns & Ammo Handguns   issue Feb/March 2012.

Dick Metcalf does a review of the new Hornady Critical Duty ammo. Harder lead, locked in thicker jacket, but still retains the polymer insert of the FTX to prevent plugging. Bullet has cannelure for crimping to resist bullet setback from chambering. It defeats ALL the FBI barrier tests and still penetrates past the 12" minimum.
He states "no expanding bullet handgun load has ever passed all the penetration tests - the killer barriers being the glass and auto-body steel."

Sounds like this will force the other manufacturers to keep those R&D Depts working.

Now for the part that pissed me off....
Metcalf writes:
But it is critically important for the armed citizen understand that personal defense ammunition standards and law enforcement ammuniton standards are not the same.
 Police officers may be called upon by their duty to exchange fire with criminals concealed behind walls....or inside a vehicle. But for an armed citizen, legally justifiable "personal defense" is just what term implies: personal. Up close, exposed, face to face.
Even in the most armed-citizen friendly states, a civilian who shoots at a criminal hidden behind a wall or inside a vehicle will likely be considered by law to be engaged in a gunfight, not engaged in self-defense.

WTF!?!?!?
I've got a news flash for Dick Metcalf - IF I'M IN A GUNFIGHT, IT IS MOST DEFINITELY SELF DEFENSE!!  I am not going to be shooting at Pedro and Jamal because they're slingin' crack on "my" corner. If I'm in a gunfight it's because some SOB is trying to kill me. The distance that might take place at is not going to be my choosing.
And the "shooting at someone behind a wall is not self defense"? What if the azzhole is shooting at me through the wall IN MY HOUSE? I'm supposed to wait for the BG to get "face to face" in my bedroom? I may choose to deal with some drywall dust.
What if the vehicle glass or auto body I'm wanting to shoot through is MY TRUCK because I'm inside and can't hit the gas to get outta Dodge?  

I realize that cops and citizens have different responsibilities. That's why I don't pull people over for 'swerving while texting' and almost hitting me. But to think that two groups of people who are using low powered pop guns (handguns) to stop a deadly threat have vastly different ammo needs is ludicrous.
As the guys at Hornady informally put it, Critcal Defense ammo is for us. Critcal Duty ammo is for cops.
Give me a friggin break.   At least Hornady doesn't resrtrict sales to LEO...not that the restrictions of others amounts to squat anyway.

[tombogan03884]

He gets paid by the word, he has to fill space.
I can't count all the stupid sh!t I have seen in "gun magazines".

[bafsu92]

I know of a case right down the street from me where a guy heard someone in his car-port breaking into his car. He came around the corner, saw the guy in his car and preceded to dump 7 or 8 rounds of 9mm right through the door and windshield killing the would be car thief. His defense and claim of self defense was he knew he left a pistol in the glove box of his car and since the thief was in the car he presumed that the thief was now armed. It worked perfectly he was not even taken in for further questioning, let alone charged with anything.

[Pecos Bill]

Whoa, ease up kmitch, Metcalf is from IL. Have a little respect for his deprived up bringing. He has to remain politically correct.

Pecos

[tombogan03884]

Whoa, ease up kmitch, Metcalf is from IL. Have a little respect for his deprived up bringing. He has to remain politically correct.

Pecos

Just because he lives in the State of Denial is no excuse for assuming we all do.

[Sponsor]

[Solus]

Idiot aside, it sounds like another advance in SD ammo.

Bittersweet news.....all of a sudden I feel like my stock of carry ammo just became 'range rounds'

Well, I'll get over it...just marketing psychology...since I'm inot in a position to make replacements.

[bafsu92]

I wouldn't worry about your stock solus, as long as it's a good quality factory defense load, gold dot, golden saber, hydra shock or similar it's still more than adequate for defensive use. Every new development in ammo tries to convince people that all previous loads are now obsolete but we're still a long way from that. The most important thing in defensive ammo is that it functions 100% reliably in the weapon you're loading it in. That and a well placed shot will do way more than any "innovation" in design.

As far as this quote: "Even in the most armed-citizen friendly states, a civilian who shoots at a criminal hidden behind a wall or inside a vehicle will likely be considered by law to be engaged in a gunfight, not engaged in self-defense."

Really, has he never heard of castle doctrine. I know Florida, Texas and many other states have adopted the principle that if you're in your own home you have no further duty to attempt to retreat or otherwise abstain from any means of deadly force. If someone is in my house and I know I can effectively eliminate the threat by shooting through a wall or other barricade and I can do this without putting my family at risk then I'm sending rounds through said wall. If the perpetrator is in my home I have little to no restrictions on how I choose to eliminate the threat.

[kmitch200]

Whoa, ease up kmitch, Metcalf is from IL. Have a little respect for his deprived up bringing. He has to remain politically correct.
Pecos

Metcalf must be drinking from the same well as the Crook county politicians. Gotta keep an eye on that northern IL water.

Solus, like you I won't be burning up my carry stores anytime soon. Blasting ammo that sells for close to or over a $1 a round into a berm isn't in my near future. The Gold Dots, Golden Sabers, Cor-Bons, etc. are going to be in my house for a while.
I like the idea that Hornady came up with - it should give the other ammo companies a kick in the butt to refine their loads. 

[Pecos Bill]

Metcalf must be drinking from the same well as the Crook county politicians. Gotta keep an eye on that northern IL water.

Naw. he's from a town about half way down state and on the western border. He's just an old Illinoisan who doesn't know better. I lot of folks I know have learned to ignore most of what he writes. Keep your ammo it all works.

Pecos

[robheath]

Just because he lives in the State of Denial is no excuse for assuming we all do.

AMEN Brudda