Wound Ballistic Workshop

No, it isn't what you think. Cindy Sheehan wasn't cloned then used for target practice, but Federal was out and about to show off their new HST cartridge.


Factory Representatives from ATK (Federal Cartridge, CCI, Speer) were present
Wednesday, November 19, 2003 to demonstrate the features and benefits of ATK
centerfire pistol products when shot
using the FBI Wound Ballistic Testing
Protocol.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department,
Olympia Police Department, Auburn
Police Department, Thurston County
Sheriff’s Office, and Puyallup Police
Department were in attendance at the
shoot hosted by the Pierce County
Sheriff’s Department at the Pierce
County Training Facility.

Federal HST was the featured ATK product. However, Pierce County elected to shoot
three of their current duty rounds – Winchester SXT, Remington Golden Sabre (sic),
Remington JHP.

*NOTE* - All Winchester and Remington rounds were supplied by the
department. No Competitor rounds were supplied by ATK or Distributor personnel.

Test Events

Bare Gelatin
All rounds typically perform well in bare gelatin, which is the easiest of all test events.
Previous and current generations of hollow point rounds were and are designed to expand
to 1.5 times the original bullet diameter. Federal’s HST rounds were engineered to
expand well beyond twice the original diameter in bare gelatin.

Federal HST 45 ACP – 1.043”/.452” = 2.31 times larger than its original diameter
Federal HST 40 S&W – 0.945”/.40” = 2.36 times larger than its original diameter
Federal HST 9mm – 0.891”/.356” = 2.5 times larger than its original diameter

Bullet Caliber/Weight Penetration Expansion Retained Weight

Federal HST 45 ACP... 230 gr... 12.75”... 1.043”... 100.96%
Winchester SXT 45 ACP... 230 gr... 12.5”... 0.795”... 100.61%
Remington GS 45 ACP... 185 gr... 14.0”... 0.730”... 100.38%

Federal HST 40 S&W...180 gr... 11.5”... 0.945”... 101.78%
Winchester SXT 40 S&W...180 gr... 13.5”...0.658”... 92.67%

Federal HST 9mm...147 gr...11.5”... 0.891”...101.5%
Federal HST 9mm...124 gr...11.75”...0.839”... 101.05%
Winchester SXT 9mm...127 gr...16.0”...0.718”...94.49%

Heavy Clothing
All bullets performed well in Heavy Clothing. Federal HST again demonstrated the
designed expansion characteristics and outperformed all tested rounds for expansion.

Bullet Caliber/Weight Penetration Expansion Retained Weight

Federal HST 45 ACP 230 gr. 14.0” 0.850” 99.65%
Winchester SXT 45 ACP 230 gr. 12.5” 0.773” 101.26%
Remington GS 45 ACP 185 gr. 14.25” 0.704” 102.22%

Federal HST 40 S&W 180 gr. 13.0” 0.788” 101.56%
Winchester SXT 40 S&W 180 gr. 14.0” 0.757” 91.89%

Federal HST 9mm 147 gr. 13.75” 0.689” 102.38%
Federal HST 9mm 124 gr. 12.0” 0.709” 102.26%
Winchester SXT 9mm 127 gr. 13.5” 0.684” 97.48%

_____________________________________

Wallboard

Wallboard is a harder barrier to overcome. While Federal HST performed flawlessly,
Winchester SXT experienced over penetration, plugged bullets, and core jacket
separations.

Bullet Caliber/Weight Penetration Expansion Retained Weight

Federal HST 45 ACP 230 gr. 11.75” 0.843” 100.35%
Winchester SXT 45 ACP 230 gr. 13.0” 0.75” 100.74%
Remington GS 45 ACP 185 gr. 15.25” 0.698” 98.92%
Federal HST 40 S&W 180 gr. 13.0” 0.786” 101.78%
Winchester SXT* 40 S&W 180 gr. 20.0” 0.475” 100.11%
Federal HST 9mm 147 gr. 13.0” 0.649” 100.54%
Federal HST 9mm 124 gr. 12.5” 0.713” 99.84%
Winchester SXT** 9mm 127 gr. 15.25” 0.430” 69.13%
*Bullet Plugged
**Core Jacket Separation

Plywood

Plywood is second only to glass in difficulty when measured in terms of bullet failures
versus expansion and penetration. Federal HST rounds performed as designed and
expanded at least 1.6 times their original diameter. Winchester and Remington both
experienced over penetrations with plugged, poorly expanded bullets.

Bullet Caliber/Weight Penetration Expansion Retained Weight

Federal HST 45 ACP 230 gr. 13.25” 0.858” 101.61%
Winchester SXT* 45 ACP 230 gr. 29.75” 0.452” 99.65%
Remington GS 45 ACP 185 gr. 12.5” 0.679” 99.84%

Federal HST 40 S&W 180 gr. 12.5” 0.772” 100.33%
Winchester SXT* 40 S&W 180 gr. 21.5” 0.402” 99.72%

Federal HST 9mm 147 gr. 12.5” 0.594” 97.76%
Federal HST 9mm 124 gr. 12.5” 0.656” 102.34%
Winchester SXT 9mm 127 gr. 14.25” 0.671” 96.77%
Remington JHP* 9mm 115 gr. 26.25” 0.356” 99.65%

*Bullet Plugged

Steel

All bullets perform similarly when shot through steel. The hollow points are forced
closed and upon close inspection of the gelatin block you will discover steel discs that
have been cut out of the steel plate. Results of the steel testing are in the attached results
document.


Auto Glass

Auto Glass is the toughest and most difficult of all barrier tests. Federal’s new HST
performed amazingly for non-bonded technology. HST retained its core jacket integrity
3 out of 4 shots – 75%. Winchester SXT and Remington Golden Sabre bullets
experienced core jacket separations 100% of the time. It is important to note that in the
event of a core jacket separation, FBI Test Protocol measures only the single deepest
penetrating fragment of the bullet for expansion, retained weight, and penetration. Both
the core and the jacket were mounted separately on the board.

Bullet Caliber/Weight Penetration Expansion Retained Weight

Federal HST 45 ACP 230 gr. 14.25” 0.649” 89.39%
Winchester SXT* 45 ACP 230 gr. 13.75” 0.546” 75.65%
Remington GS* 45 ACP 185 gr. 9.0” 0.511” 63.35%

Federal HST* 40 S&W 180 gr. 11.25” 0.495” 56.94%
Winchester SXT* 40 S&W 180 gr. 7.5” 0.582 67.83%

Federal HST 9mm 147 gr. 11.5” 0.474 81.7%
Federal HST 9mm 124 gr. 11.75” 0.513 82.58%
Winchester SXT* 9mm 127 gr. 11.5” 0.499” 59.29%

*Core Jacket Separation
________________________________________

Now I'm frickin exhausted. Draw your own conclusions from this information, as each and every one of us has different needs with regards to what we feed our handguns. As a footnote, Heavy Clothing refers to 4 layers of 13 pound denim, so choose well if you're planning a to-do with a biker gang.

Federal HST versus Ranger-T

Ranger-T on the left. Bullets were fired from a Glock 23 .40 S&W through 10% ballistic galatin, and both weighed 180 grains. The Ranger-T was hardly chopped liver for as you can see it covers a nickle. The Federal HST was filet mignon in that IT nearly covers a quarter.

Surprisingly, penetration was nearly identical, with both rounds stopping at approximately 13.5 inches. I'd have thought the Ranger would penetrate deeper due to less expansion, but the greater velocity of the HST...1030 fps versus 995 for the Ranger seems to have made them equally deep hole-punchers.

Either will do very well thank you, even for the "handguns are feeble and weak" crowd, but I'm sticking to Federal HST for now.

And waiting to see if Winchester ups the ante.

Ranger SXT stands for Same EXact Thing, as it is the improved version of their Black Talon that received so very much bad liberal press.

Federal HST stands for Hi Shok Two, and NOT Hydra-Shok Two as some blithering idiots who cannot tell the difference between a Hi Shok and a Hydra-Shok continue to call them. Or Hydro-Shock as the fat blithering idiot at Box O' Truth would say. You know, the obese old shooter who wades through ankle-deep piles of tarnished, spent brass to assume his shooting position, and hasn't a clue that such sloppyness bespeaks so poor an attention to detail as to render offerings and opinions utterly worthless. The same disgusting charlaton who updates once a month and can't even bother will a spellcheck. You know, that guy.

Federal Hi-Shok

So okay. Since Federal HST rounds are scarcer than hens teeth, I ordered some of the new Hi-Shocks. The older versions were quite accurate, expanded reasonably well, and were it not for Ranger-T's or HST I wouldn't mind using them as carry fodder on a regular basis. Since neither are locally available, I "settle" for such as Hi-Shok in order to fill all 30+ .40 caliber magazines lying around because heaven forbid there should be a gun in the house incapable of stopping a chinese division dead in its tracks. Never know. Can't trust those yellow hordes so I expect the worst . Once every three months I shoot off all of my existing premium rounds, and that is done for many reasons. Do they still feed, fire and fling, are the magazines in working order with those bullets being fed into those guns, and while my practice munitions are of the same weight and kick, I like to refamiliarize myself with the real deal as often as practical.

Then the infamous bullet-shortage rears its ugly head and after blowing my cookies in one sitting, I'm forced to scrounge for suitable replacements. Not that I don't have a few mags worth of HST, and Ranger-T, and Golden Saber, and Gold Dots, but I do not have enough to sate ALL of the bottomfeeders and this gives me pause. Hi-Shoks are not chopped liver, but I try and wring every last scintilla of

The round itself is quite different looking than the older variations. There is more of a taper to the bullet which I presume is there for more positive feeding, and the hollowpoint itself appears deeper. We'll see how they look after an up close and personal meeeting with some sodden telephone books, and it's not like I'll take such results to the bank, but it will be interesting to see how mushroomy the little darlin's can be.

Apologies for the horrid pictures. Battery was running low and I wanted to make a point concerning the physical characteristics of the above rounds.

Far right is a Federal HST, to its left is the new Hi-Shok, and to its left a Winchester JHP, Winchesters entry-level self-defense ammunition. The Hi-Shok does have a wider mouth, but how that translates to its terminal ballistics remains to be seen.

And if you're thinking that I'd have more than enough modern ammunition to go around if it weren't for the fact that I share, then bingo. But how can one not do so.

Zipping Along

Back from chronographing some ammunition.

Double Tap 200 grain Controlled Expansion JHP

978 fps from a 3.5" barrel.

1041 fps from a 4.0" barrel.

1116 fps from a 4.5"barrel.

Their Wide Flat Nose Gas Check in 200 grain rounds did so close to the above as to be statistically a dead match. All of the ammunition was quite close to DT's advertised values, and of this I am pleased. Caution should be considered when firing lead bullets from factory Glock barrels, as build-up can become a problem. I've done so for quite some time without mishap, but DO scrupulously clean the guns after each and every trip to the range.

Winchester Ranger-T

165 grains: 1102 fps from a 3.5" barrel/ 1194 from a 4.5" barrel
180 grains: 1026 fps from a 3.5" barrel/ 1071 from a 4.5" barrel

I had run the Rangers before and checked the above just to see if there were any differences in velocity from approximately 18 months ago, and there were none.

Federal HST

165 grains: 1087 fps from a 3.5" barrel
180 grains: 996 fps from a 3.5" barrel

Funny thing about the HST. The difference in a 3.5" to a 4.5" tube was around 45 fps, as compared to DT's 138 fps margin when stepping up an inch. Those that know powder can get together with those that know different kinds of rifling, and hash it all out. As I am not an expert in either, I'll report then shut up rather than prattle on about slow burning powders versus their fast brethren as if I had a clue.

In conclusion: DT's .40 S&W offerings equal or exceed other manufacturers 10mm cartridges with regards to velocity, but because the 40 comes in so very many flavors it must be considered superior, at least for self-defense against bipeds and I don't refer to kangaroos or storks. With modern ammo, the bullet can be as important if not more so than the giddyup, especially when comparing the old fashioned Gold Dot round to a Ranger or Federal HST bullet.

I'll always take a bigger hole, thank you very much, as long as estimated penetration is adequate. None of the above means a damned thing of course, save for an examination of reported velocities versus real world results.

Another interesting note regarding the HST is the fact that all of the spent bullets that could be located appeared to have retained a great deal of their original weight. Crushed and smashed and bent to hell after hitting a somewhat rocky backstop, yes, but for a round that is not referred to as BONDED, they held together as well if not better than some Ranger-T's that were of the bonded variety. This means nothing, just an observation. If and when I ever get the chance to dig one from the aforementioned biped, I'll let ya know and we can take it from there.

PS: All of the rounds were fired from Glocks. G-22, G-23, and G-27. I do this because I like for when I squeeze the trigger to see a bullet come out. No, I don't PUSH the trigger, either, and you've but to ask the last guy who asked, how well it goes over when I'm approached with yet ANOTHER nonsensical attempt to make the simple appear mysterious.

And expensive.

Ring: "Speer Product Line Manager..."

Me: Thanks for taking my call. Mind if I take notes?

Him: Not a problem, good to finally hear who I've been emailing.

So, I'm still trying to understand what you meant by "too much expansion" when we discussed cranking Gold Dot 357's up to 1600 fps and beyond...

Well, too much means the bullet might begin to, or actually lose a petal, and that's what we've seen from the 357 bullets when fired from carbines.

And losing a petal is in and of itself a bad thing how?

Ah, that's not an easy question...

They don't look pretty enough to photograph? Creating an 80 caliber wound channel then leaving debris after 14 or so inches is bad?

Not really, it's a complicated process. The manufacturing and advertising of ammunition nowadays. (Pause)

I'm listening...

Okay, the last thing we need is for our competitors to show some over-expanded Gold Dots or HST's to a large police department, because the next thing out of their mouths is going to be how this means the bullets will be ineffective in barrior-penetration...

Ah, okay, that makes sense....

Yeah, good to see you understand. The latest fad is what will a bullet do through glass, or metal, or wallboard, and as we've spoken about before, that's why "bonded" has become the holy of holy's. We could come up with a 357 or 40 cal that would drop a T-Rex and the next question out of the hunters mouth while he was skinning the thing was whether or not the product was bonded...

So a round losing it's integrity, or over-expanding or losing a petal is your way of saying that while there's nothing really wrong with that, bonded bullets should stay intact through just about anything...

Of course. LE is so into bonding that a one-inch mushroom gets a nod but not like it used to. BUT, part of the reason for the success of the HST is because some of the departments still prefer sucking chest wounds over pristine terminal ballistics (laughing), and you know that what LE uses, the population in general wants...

Any idea how fast a 357 Gold Dot has to go before disintegrating? Say, a 125 or 158 grain...

2000 fps is still okay as long as you aren't planning on shooting through automobile glass...

Whew, 2000 is more than I want to try even in a Ruger, but yeah, the rifle end, I almost forgot. How's about an HST?

Go ahead and light them up, they get fatter as they get faster. Just don't shoot a target standing behind a windshield and holding a bucket of water then expect the trajectory to remain the same. Since I'm the Speer-head (chuckle) of course I want you to use Gold Dots, but we're all one big family and the HST is a kicker. For a non-bonded bullet.

Going to make them bonded anytime soon?

Then they won't expand nearly as much. You could have both, but then the product is unreasonably expensive, and none of us make all that much off of LE as it is.

Yeah. You guys give the stuff away to them to lure us.

No comment. It's been good talking to you.

Same here.

Semper Fi.

Semper Fi.

Wound Ballistic Workshop

Click here (Pdf) for Federals testing of it's relatively new HST cartridge versus Winchester Ranger and Remington Golden Saber.

In a nutshell, the 180 grain 40 S&W round penetrated 11.5" of bare gelatin and expanded to .945". No typo, the round nearly hit .95 of an inch in diameter. Ranger will penetrate more deeply, and in this particular test expanded to .658", so there's the trade-off and the decision. Deeper penetration for the Ranger...13.5"...but a far smaller wound channel.

The Golden Saber was only compared in the .45 ACP version, and penetrated a little more than either Ranger or HST, with an appropriately smaller diameter.

It's the individuals choice, at least for those of us not involved in law enforcement. They may only use what their departments mandate, while we can select whatever better suits our particular needs. I made that decision a while ago, and went with the bullet that made the biggest hole. The Federal HST.

And if I seem to be harping on this, I damned straight AM. With so very much pisspoor information out there from clueless idiots such as the dolts that run sites like Box O' Truth, it is imperative to offer real world information. This can be a life and death decision and cherrypicking to promote a brand whose manufacturers send you money is outright criminal.

Federal HST, Winchester Ranger-T, and Remington Golden Saber are the top 3 with regards to big name brands of ammunition. Use whichever works best for you, secure in the knowledge that any of them will kill a man as dead as any varmint rifle such as the M-16 or AK variations.

If anyone tells you differently they are trying to sell you something. But just to be sure, ask them how many men they've shot at then make up your own mind.

From Start To Finish...Federal HST

Federal XM40HB

Here's the story. Federal made a lot of ammunition using the HST bullet, but named it differently to suit different LE departments.

Trust me, it doesn't have to make sense, it's just bean-counter's earning their living.

The XM40HB is the HST bullet in 155 and 135 grain variations, and as you can clearly see from the picture, expands quite nicely. Some feel the lower weight bullets are too snappy for their taste, but these versions are going a lot cheaper than the 165 and 180 grainers, so if you see them and can use them, snap 'em up before the supply runs dry.

Federal itself has offered tests showing the HST round to expand to over 9/10 of an inch through ballistic gelatin, and that is pretty damned good.

Everything Old Is New Again

"Heve you known of anybody using Corbons Cooper DPX bullet...?"

The title says it all, as all-copper bullets have been around for a while, and with Corbons rise in popularity... as well as certain Corbon dealers also happening to be self-professed gun-guru's...the DPX line is selling like hotcakes.

The terminal rounds look quite impressive, but are smaller than Federal HST, PMC Starfire, and Ranger-T bullets of the same caliber, and I'm probably leaving out a few others but you get the picture.

Corbon DPX cartridges are twice as expensive and expand somewhat less.

But they look so damned evil they can't make enough of them. Not saying that they are in any way, shape, or form inferior, unless you consider a smaller hole to be so. And by smaller I mean a 1.2" HST in .45 caliber compared to .80" DPX after being fired into ballistic gelatin. The problem with gelatin of course is the fact that all one need do is keep shooting and you're bound to get the results you've been looking for.

The proof of the pudding will be in the field, and to my knowledge there have not been enough shootings with the DPX to warrant a yeah or nay.

I'm not a gun guru, but would I use them? Not at that price. All things being equal I want a more expansion if paying through the nose. Show me repeated one and a half inch terminal rounds from a 45 and I'll look closer, but for now it's HST or Ranger.

Back To Normalcy

What passes for it here, anyway. No nekkid chicks or guns or sports or guy stuff at all yesterday, as we remembered 9/11 and in particular Marianne MacFarlane.

Now I'm on to deciding upon the .357 Sig. Modern ammunition is as important as caliber...yes, you wouldn't know it from listening to the gun rags...and I find myself in a quandry. Federal manufactures their incredible HST in 9 mm, 40 S&W, 45 GAP, and 45 AUTO, but no .357 Sig. And the pundits had sworn the GAP to be stillborn, so what gives. Methinks they know something or are banking on the GAP taking off and the Sig going nowhere.

BUT...Winchester has made the 357 SIG for it's new Ranger-Bonded line, and guess what kids? The "new" Ranger-T's look an awful lot like the Federal HST's. Now, for me, bonded-schmonded. I believe the Federal guy who has long told me that bonded bullets expand less than the run of the mill variety, and this is born out by looking at the king of all bonded rounds, the Speer Gold Dot. Can hardly sell range ammo to LE if it isn't bonded the guy tells me, and since our boys in blue are bandwagon-jumpers par excellance, that sounds about right.

You, me, and lots of other civvies buy most of the non-military ammunition, and that's a fact. Hells bells but there are 4 million licensed concealed-weapon-licensees in the country and only 1 and a half million cops. And our ranks include aficianado's, like Texans for example, who may not carry a lot but shoot the dickens out of their privately owned firearms. Add it all up and the numbers are staggeringly civilian when it comes to buying power. Many of the ammo makers treat us like crap with their LE-ONLY product lines, but that's okay. Police are at the head of the class because they write a lot of speeding tickets and shoot almost as many bad guys as us, and so what if the Founding Father's felt that the private citizen should own and bear guns on a par with those on a government payroll. Can't be having Mexicans or some other minority member toting around full-auto 16's now can we?

'Course not. Anyway's, Winchester has copied the HST but made it smaller, and who needs that noise. Remington doesn't offer either the SIG or GAP in Golden Sabers, but of course Speer has Gold Dots in both flavors.

How about the specialty boys, the boutique shops? Well, Gold Dots and old dots is what they have on the shelf and little else. Fast as lighting old-fashioned bullets might be just the ticket for a .357 Magnum, or it's big brother the .44, but to Double-Tap and Buffalo Bore, the word "new" means what you call the first day of every year. You CAN get the Eldorado Starfire line in .357 Sig, and just for that alone I'd buy drop-in barrels for my Glock 40's when I felt like going light and fast with something that spread like a Lewinsky, but try and find someone stocking such ammo and then let me know.

Such a barrel can be had for as low as $70 or so, and with Gold Dots, Ranger-T's, and PMC (when it can be had) it might just be worth it.

For a very cool bullet comparison click here

Then click Launch Testing Comparison Tool.

Crazy Jay's Traveling HST Show

He finally did it. Loaded some Federal HST's to very hot levels, then chronographed them.

180 grain from a Glock 27, 3.5" barrel: 1116 fps
180 grain from a Glock 23, 4.0: barrel: 1149 fps

Unsurprisingly, and I only say that because Murphy's Law is ever present and nothing is written in stone when it comes to ballistics, the 3.5 inch gun returned bullets expanded to 1.09", while the 4 incher stopped dead in its tracks at .94 when fired into a modified Fackler Box using water baggies.

Jay makes no claims to accuracy, because even with a Ransom he cannot get two shots in the same zip code at 10 feet, so I'll be trying some of these first chance I get.

It should be noted that none of the recovered brass showed signs of distress, and his 2 weapons were fine after cranking out approximately 50 rounds apiece. His comment concerning recoil indicated that side by side firings of standard versus jacked loadings returned something of an extra push, but wasn't objectionable. He is using some sort of slow burning powder that he claims remains within SAMMI specfication for the .40 caliber bullet, but this would of course need be examined by a person or outfit that could actually run the genuine tests.

I've emailed Mike at Double Tap to inquire as to how interested he'd be in making some hi-velocity HST's in both .40 and .357, or even Ranger-T's in .357, and am awaiting his reply.

Bottom line remains what we've believed to be the case all along. IT SEEMS possible to get 5" performance from a 3.5" handgun with the best modern ammunition available, and thats all it's ever been about to begin with. After this it's on to .40 cal carbine work to see just how fast these baby's go when cranked through a 17" barrel.

File Under: Who Are They Kidding

"A subcompact Glock 27 in .40 or Glock 33 in .357 will approximate the power level of a .357 Magnum revolver if you choose the right ammo, and will be the same size “package” to carry as a small frame Magnum, but with lighter weight and ten shot cartridge capacity instead of five or six. A friend of mine in the South had his Glock 27 on when an alligator approached his small rowboat; he put a .40 slug in the critter’s head, and it thrashed into a death roll and sank beneath the surface before it could reach the boat."

Massad Ayoob

Now, it is often that I carry a G-27, but it in no way, shape, or form, approximates any of my .357 loads. It's quite dreadful that one must constantly inform the uninformed uniformed, but here goes nothing.

G-27: Federal HST 180 grains @ 1050 fps
Federal HST 165 grains @ 1100 fps
Double-Tap 165 grain Gold Dot @ 1140 fps

Ruger GP-100: Double-Tap 180 grains @ 1300 fps
Double-Tap 158 grains @ 1400 fps
Double-Tap 125 grains @ 1600 fps

With the right load, a 357 magnum can sling a 180 grain bullet as fast if not faster than can be done with a .40 S&W 135 grain bullet. In the handgun world, this is a lightyear of difference. The G-27 provides me with 4 more bullets of lesser power to do the deed, hence it's popularity. Along with the fact that no matter how quickly one learns to speedload a revolver, the same amount of effort in practicing with a semi-automatic results in quicker times. We go by "feel" almost as much as anything else most days when deciding what to wear out.

Were one to be far too jaded, one could imagine that Massad was selling G-27's at the time of this article.

Federal HST Alert

Streichers has just received a shipment of 180 grain .40 caliber rounds, so get 'em while the getting is good.

If less than 180 grains is your preference for the best handgun ammunition in the whole wide world, then you'll have to wait a while longer.

A year ago, the .40's were $14.00 for a box of 50, today they're $21.00. Say la vee*. You'll always pay more for the best of anything, and this ammunition is still a bargain.

Pictured: HST to the right of a Winchester Ranger-T after penetrating denim-clad water baggies

*French for "tough shit"

Federal HST in .45 ACP

Federal's HST in +P is kicking out at 950 fps from a 5" barrel, and folks who know this stuff tell me that Glock 21's are spanking these bad boys to the tune of close to 1000, and this excites me to the point I almost want to switch carry platforms and loads.

Yes I am easily excitable when it comes to firearms. Especially self defense guns that are a matter of life and death as opposed to taking down that trophy Buck.

It's just that I've invested so much effort in the .40 S&W it'd be a pain to change, and I still like that caliber quite a lot.

Really hard to see where one could go wrong with either.

Ammo Rumors

A Speer rep had the following to say;

Once Federal gets its act together regarding sufficient LE supplies for their hot selling HST rounds, they're toying with the idea of making a sabot version in 12 gauge. Preliminary tests have returned massive expansion for the 12 gauge 438 grain slug that is being velocity-tweaked to mushroom to well over an inch. If the beancounters give it the go-ahead, Federal will be touting the slug as the latest/greatest in LE/self defense shotgun ammo, and for what its worth "field" results from agencies using the HST handgun cartridges in virtually all of the major calibers have been wickedly impressive.

Not that I own a shotgun, but if I did I'd certainly like to try out such a slug and hopefully before the gators go back to semi-hibernating.

Milestone

GLOCK 27. 40,000 rounds. Three (3) failures to feed, all from an aftermarket magazine that soon found a home in the trash. Original parts save for the third recoil spring assembly. Pinky extension is a Pearce +1.

The knife is a Kershaw Blur, and the ammunition Federal HST 180 grain JHP.

Acquired the gun in December of 2004, and nowadays it usually slides into a pocket holster or something on the ankle as a backup to either a Ruger GP-100 or a GLOCK-22.

THE most accurate small pistol I have ever owned. Once I discovered the ammo it liked, under 2" at 25 yards was a breeze.

The Blur is scary sharp, and so are the HST's.

CAVEAT PICTOR

The picture is not dial-up friendly. At all. Nope. Not even a little.

Squeeze Lightly, Then Repeat

I don't sell, nor am affiliated with anyone who sells ammunition or firearms. I sort through an average 300 emails a day from old friends and acquaintances around the world, and when something begins to seem like a definite trend, the information gets passed along.

That's why I switched my personal carry load from Winchester Ranger-T to Federal HST. More and more armed responses using this ammunition are reporting DRT (Dead Right There), or 3-D (Definitely Done Dancing) after one, or at the most two (2) torso hits from both 9mm and .40 caliber platforms. The handful of .45 reports have been difficult to figure out so I won't confuse an already confusing issue by posting conflicting observations and opinions.

In the attempt to make all of us deadly foes to criminals and those that would do our country harm, the fact of the matter is that Federal HST Hollow Point ammunition is the best load currently available for both civilian and law enforcement. Military and Special Service munitions are another story entirely, but since we'll never see the likes of whats being tested by our armed services made available for us, until something better comes along the recommendation is to go with 9mm in 147 grains and .40 in either 165 or 180.

This isn't to say that you should fire once then light a smoke and await the demise of Bobby Bad Guy just because you've capped one of these baby's into his boiler room. Shoot, then continue to shoot, until the threat is neutralized. In all likelihood you'll never have to do so, but having the capability should make us all sleep better.

Federal HST In 9mm

I'm not offering any critique on the writing therein, but fine camera work is always appreciated. One of the things I like about this particular shot is the clarity that clearly displays the HST's razor-sharp construction. Not a 9 mm devotee myself, and shooting bullets into water jugs or even ballistic gelatin bears little relationship to real world encounters with critters that have these things called "bones". But the round looks evil and results in from the field are more than complimentary.

Click to enter.

Madison County Florida Switches From Hydra-Shok To HST

Happened a while back, actually, and the force isn't much larger than 300 officers strong. A shooting last year prompted the switch when a sheriff's deputy fired 6 rounds from his Glock 22 into an armed felon, and it wasn't until the last bullet connected that the 220 lb. man finally succumbed.

The 180 grain ancient-history hydra's where replaced with Federal HST's of the same weight, and several weeks later another deputy had cause to use the new rounds and didn't get a chance to raise his COM double-tap any higher because the felon fell dead on the spot.

One or two incidents does not a consensus make, but all of the incoming information is doing the relatively new bullet proud.

CORRECTION: The weapon in question was a Beretta 96F, and not a G-22. My apologies as I confused Madison County with the town of Madison.

We Get Letters...

"Hav you ever have a look at Corbons DPX bullets?"

Yes. My single biggest problem with all-copper bullets such as the Corbon DPX line is the fact that the copper petals fold back far too easily and inhibit fill mushrooming. This is spliting hairs, sure, but the point of using hollow-points is to make the widest hole possible. Every last DPX round I've shot into water or newspaper media has expanded far less than either Ranger T, Federal HST, or PMC Starfire, and the pictures provided by Corbon are NOT representative of the rounds I've seen.

A Starfire or HST in 40 caliber will open up to .8 to .9 inches, and I've yet to see a DPX of the same caliber, in the same test media, mushroom beyond .65 or thereabouts. It HAS been postulated that perhaps the all-coppers DO open quite well then sort of scrunch back their petals at the end path of their terminal ballistics, but I'll believe that when I see it for myself.

Still and all, you are pretty much guaranteed expansion, and for the not-so-big crowd there's nothing wrong with these cartridges. Some end users, 9 mm aficionado's mostly, think .65 is just swell as hell. They cost more than twice as much as other brand names, but it's your money.

PS: Bear in mind, and this is something that thoroughly fries my clams, that the net is chockerblock with Corbon distributors posing as gun writers, who for some strange reason prefer the DPX line to all other brands of ammunition. If they operate glitch-free in your firearm who cares, but remember that most folks traveling along with us in cyberspace want your money more than they want to impart important information.