Available configurations
| SKU | Grain | Pressure | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90310 | 110gr | Standard | 25 |
| 90311 | 110gr | +P | 25 |
About Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special
The Critical Defense .38 Special 110gr FTX was specifically engineered to address a known limitation of traditional JHP bullets in short-barrel revolvers: unreliable expansion at the lower velocities produced by 2"—3" snub-nose barrels. Standard hollow point bullets can fail to expand when they arrive at the target below their minimum velocity threshold.
Hornady's FTX (Flex Tip eXpanding) bullet solves this with a polymer tip inserted into the hollow point cavity. The tip prevents the cavity from clogging with clothing fibers — a documented failure mode where denim or heavy fabric prevents a hollow point from expanding — and initiates the expansion sequence at lower velocities. The result is reliable expansion from the 2"—3" barrel revolvers that dominate the concealed carry revolver market.
The 110gr +P version provides slightly higher velocity from short barrels compared to the standard-pressure load, at the cost of increased recoil. Both are appropriate for the application; the standard pressure load is the more common choice for small-frame revolvers where +P accelerates frame wear.
Related
- All .38 Special ammo prices
- .38 Special snub-nose loads
- Speer Gold Dot .38 Special Short Barrel — competing snub-nose optimized load
- Federal HST .38 Special — alternative defense load
- All Hornady ammo
- FMJ vs hollow point — when to use each — why JHP is the standard for revolver defense
- What is +P ammo? — understanding +P pressure in .38 Special revolvers