Hornady Critical Defense

brokenarrow41 · March 23, 2012, 03:19 PM

Does anyone know the material used in the tip of one of these rounds and is it worth trying to duplicate in other hollow points? It looks like Permatex high heat form a gasket.

MrDontPlay · March 25, 2012, 11:06 AM

Unless you're going to use them for SD I don't think it's worth it. That stuff is there so the bullet doesnt get clogged with fabric from clothing. Cans and animals dont have clothes.

PawPaw · March 25, 2012, 12:36 PM

Yeah, I was looking at those the other day. It seems to me that the hollowpoint is already clogged with a squishy plastic. It should keep denim out, but what additional purpose it serves is beyond me.

I'm sure that they're good bullets, Hornady has made a name for building good bullets.

3kgt2nv · March 25, 2012, 04:04 PM

its a plastic polymer. you can pull them out with a metal pick to mess with them if you wanted to but they dont go back in.

its there to prevent the hollow point from getting "clogged" with whatever it is penetrating and to force expansion when it encounters an object.

think of using a wedge to split a log. it has to force the wood apart because it has nowhere else to go. same with the polymer plug. it cant move down the bullet so it pushes out on the sides forcing the bullet to "flower" open. All the ones i shot at water jugs look just like they do in the pictures. nice and open.

Its why i use the critical defense and the critical duty as my round of choice for carry.

Cascade1911 · March 25, 2012, 06:23 PM

OK, nobody out there has tried some silicone? Really?

zeke · March 26, 2012, 06:14 PM

google "silicone in jhp's"

dacaur · March 26, 2012, 11:10 PM

Just an FYI.... I had been under the impression that critical defense was a bonded bullet for some reason, its not. Found that out shooting phone books when the jacket/core sperated)

after I switched to speer gold dot (yes that one is bonded) I shot both types at some 3/4" Plexiglas.... the hornady made it in about 1/8" and bounced out... didn't find it and didn't hear it ricochet so dont know what happened exactly... A FMJ and a Speer gold dot both penetrated completly and stopped in the Plexiglas (its tough stuff!!!)....

The other reason I dont like the critical defense.... the plastic tip can drag on the mag and slow things down just enough to cause a misfeed....

March 23, 2012, 03:19 PM	#1
brokenarrow41 Member Join Date: February 28, 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 24	Hornady Critical Defense Does anyone know the material used in the tip of one of these rounds and is it worth trying to duplicate in other hollow points? It looks like Permatex high heat form a gasket. __________________ NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT

March 25, 2012, 11:06 AM	#2
MrDontPlay Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2010 Posts: 587	Unless you're going to use them for SD I don't think it's worth it. That stuff is there so the bullet doesnt get clogged with fabric from clothing. Cans and animals dont have clothes. __________________ Someday I'll be good enough to know if a gun is accurate or not.

March 25, 2012, 12:36 PM	#3
PawPaw Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Location: Central Louisiana Posts: 3,137	Yeah, I was looking at those the other day. It seems to me that the hollowpoint is already clogged with a squishy plastic. It should keep denim out, but what additional purpose it serves is beyond me. I'm sure that they're good bullets, Hornady has made a name for building good bullets. __________________ Dennis Dezendorf http://pawpawshouse.blogspot.com

March 25, 2012, 04:04 PM	#4
3kgt2nv Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: hudson valley NY Posts: 517	its a plastic polymer. you can pull them out with a metal pick to mess with them if you wanted to but they dont go back in. its there to prevent the hollow point from getting "clogged" with whatever it is penetrating and to force expansion when it encounters an object. think of using a wedge to split a log. it has to force the wood apart because it has nowhere else to go. same with the polymer plug. it cant move down the bullet so it pushes out on the sides forcing the bullet to "flower" open. All the ones i shot at water jugs look just like they do in the pictures. nice and open. Its why i use the critical defense and the critical duty as my round of choice for carry.

March 25, 2012, 06:23 PM	#5
Cascade1911 Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2011 Location: Dutchess County, NY Posts: 450	OK, nobody out there has tried some silicone? Really?

March 26, 2012, 06:14 PM	#6
zeke Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 1999 Location: NW Wi Posts: 1,671	google "silicone in jhp's"

March 26, 2012, 11:10 PM	#7
dacaur Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2010 Posts: 733	Just an FYI.... I had been under the impression that critical defense was a bonded bullet for some reason, its not. Found that out shooting phone books when the jacket/core sperated) after I switched to speer gold dot (yes that one is bonded) I shot both types at some 3/4" Plexiglas.... the hornady made it in about 1/8" and bounced out... didn't find it and didn't hear it ricochet so dont know what happened exactly... A FMJ and a Speer gold dot both penetrated completly and stopped in the Plexiglas (its tough stuff!!!).... The other reason I dont like the critical defense.... the plastic tip can drag on the mag and slow things down just enough to cause a misfeed....