Ammo
 

What's some opinions on Hornady Critical Duty?

My opinion is that it's for law enforcement, thus the Duty. Critical defense is good enough for citizens to carry. Critical Duty is meant to be able to penetrate windshields and such. If you shoot someone through a windshield or a car door, you might have trouble explaining that in court.

Right.

Critical Defense is excellent SD/HD ammo.

Critical duty is really a poor choice.

Wouldn't it make more sense to go for the upgraded ammo. I mean at my LGS it's near the same price. Wouldn't it be smarter to get the most for the money?

Critical Duty is designed to penetrate barriers before expanding. Just my opinion but I don't want to use a round designed to go through sheet rock in my home...Critical Defense suits me just fine...carry ammo is another story entirely but Jersey doesn't allow hollow point to be carried so it's a moot point for me.

Hate to tell you but just about anything goes through sheet rock. Even the metal studs won't stop a .45. Hollow doors in interior rooms will not stop a slug. Get a plan, know where your family is, and be sure of your target and beyond.

They are also designed for different sizes of guns. Critical Defense is designed for short-barreled pistols frequently used for personal protection, while Critical Duty is designed for full-size pistols.

Here's Hornady's explanation.

Hey utf59. I'm altiile newer to owning handguns. What inch barrel would be considered too short for optimal performance o this bullet?

I'm guessing, but I'd say Critical Defense is best in a 3" barrel. That's what a lot of short auto pistols have, and I believe that's what was mentioned in a profile of this ammo on TV (American Rifleman, I believe). I also think the Critical Duty was optimized for a 5" barrel, but again, I'm guessing/trying to remember what was on TV.

Sorry I can't be more help.

4 inch is a good compromise. I prefer a 6 inch barrel, but a 4 inch is a helluva lot better than a 2 inch.

When I need to conceal a 6 inch barrel gun, I wear a shoulder holster.