What's the Best 9mm+P Duty Ammo? Windshield Test - Gold Dot vs HST vs Defender vs Critical Duty

Testing what the best 124 gr 9mm+P duty ammo is. And by my definition, duty ammo is ammo that has a bonded or core locked bullet that is designed from the ground up to defeat hard barriers and still perform well. Today we are testing the Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST, Winchester Defender (Ranger) and Hornady Critical Duty in a 10% Clear ballistics test with rib simulation and 4 layers of sweatshirt as well as repeating that test with a windshield in the way. Always appreciative of any channel help :) www.patreon.co...

[@GunSam]

New topic I keep hearing over and over again that I want to address. People say that an average person would never need to shoot through auto glass at an attacker. Two things here, one; I did say "Duty Ammo" in the title and this ammo IS ammo that is contracted to many police agencies - so that should have been common sense but apparently it is not. Secondly; an average citizen could have to shoot through glass legitimately. Anytime I have ever seen footage of road rage incidents, nearly 100% of them end with a lead driver slamming on their brakes and running back towards the driver behind them. As an armed citizen seeing a man running at them with a weapon, are you going to yell "time out", unbuckle and get out, aim and fire? Probably not, you're welcome. One might hear my example and say "well angle the glass the other way then!" - Well, this video was mostly the testing of duty ammo, and law enforcement usually shoots inward, PLUS....you know, that glass is heavy and it's not standing by magic - I had to use the angling inward against my gel block shelf to even keep the glass standing. Have some common sense before you troll me people. And the viewers that have always been respectful and nice in the comments, I appreciate that. You can say anything you want, just do it respectfully and I won't have a problem with it. Even if you have something legitimate to comment about, starting a comment with "you're so dumb, who would you even _ _ _ _etc" is a good way to get blocked. It's not the content of the comment, it's the attitude.

[@TheWalterKurtz]

Some people obviously didn't gain anything from the summer of 2020.

[@PatriotPaulUSA]

Especially on the interwebs, the lack of common decency and just respect to others seems to get progressively worse in each generation, sadly. Now with this latest generation being socially deprived of school friendships and or having to learn while they and their teachers are behind a mask, and a PC screen for a year or so has made it even worse. So much is not learned and passed down anymore in many cases. Imagine the little ones trying to learn to speak behind a mask with the teachers behind them too! It has had to screw them up. So many kids without fathers in the home to teach life experiences, respect and morals etc. Schools and daycare raising the kids 80% of the time, its terrible. Forget about being taught morality, empathy and respect for others in todays public school environment. They can barely get kids to be able to write and do basic math by graduation time in many cases. The stats show it. The bad math, bad english, and tests show it. The bad grammer IRL shows too. We have had decades of the teachers and academia dumbing down the tests, and this is where we are, and what they wanted, evidently.

[@kahndumz1852]

This is the saddest part of the gun community, people who just want to put everyone down because they are "dumb" instead of having constructive criticism that is openly welcomed in the community. As you stated above its not the content of the comment, but the attitude in which it was said. Why cant the gun groups just be happy we have this awesome right and that people who have never handled or owned a gun are buying them in record numbers and looking for wisdom and information from those who have experience, and this is the kind of comments they see. Shame on us. Keep the videos coming my dude, there are those of us who actually appreciate your videos and tests so we don't have to spend the time and money to try them ourselves.

[@tax905972]

glass would be on a angle

[@codycunningham8762]

Great video. Keyboard haters gonna hate.

[@timrobinson6573]

What's cool is that projectile technology is so good that all of these rounds did what they were designed to do.

[@ms.annthrope415]

They all performed to an objective standard as created by Dr. Martin Fackler for the FBI. Prior to the FBI Protocols, every ammo manufacturer designed their ammo to whatever they felt like doing without regard to any objective tests. The problem, is that like all science theories, it has to he validated by corroborating it to real life shootings. Every scientific theory must be validated or else it is trash. Whether it is a COVID vaccine, vulcanology in predictinf volcanoc eruptions, astrophysics on dark matter calculations, molecular biology, the theory must match the predictability of real life data. So far I have not seen any corroboration between the FBI Protocol to real life shootings. So it is untested and not a validated theory.

[@yc2560]

But they didn't, three of them underpenetrated.

[@ThrashTillDeth85]

@@ms.annthrope415Which is why from what we’ve seen in law enforcement it’s translated to departments consistently demanding heavier and hotter ammo. 9mm has almost walked into 40 S&W territory with its velocity and weight. Though not quite into it’s territory since there’s not much more you can push it and it still be safe

[@scottblackwell1215]

4" barrel Sam! The 5" barrel has become something of a unicorn in the LE world. Think G19 or P320 Carry. Final note, Good job on including the glass. Not a lot of people doing it. Thanks!

[@GunSam]

I have gotten a few comments about glass angle so I thought I would address it. First off, this is a windshield from a 1980's Ford Ranger, so the angle isn't much different than what it would be in the actual vehicle. Secondly, I am not going for deflection with weird flattening of the bullets as I would miss the gel block entirely, rather like what I had said about using a 5" pistol - I want to give the bullets the best chance to do well. This isn't a test necessarily about the best load/ammunition, rather it's a bullet/projectile test so I wanted to push the bullets at a very similar velocity of +/- 1,200 FPS to see what bullet design is superior.

[@CJ_On_Target1999]

I thought the test was awesome. Why are people always bitchin? Ugh.

[@jpb1231000]

GREAT JOB!!! I LOVE this vid.... If you have a Tokarev 7.62X25 or CZ 52 I'd love to see a similar test w/ S&B FMJ's, Privi FMJ's and Privi HP's.... Love having my CZ 52 around and would LOVE to see you test it.... I'lll donate the Ammo....

[@PatriotPaulUSA]

All the FBI testing I read said that HP ammo is always best when shot between 1100-1300 fps. IFIRC. Slower than 1100 and it doesn't perform as well, faster than 1300 same thing. I do have a copy of it, I downloaded it, I need to read it again sometime. 😊

[@dontbetreadin4777]

​@@PatriotPaulUSA I wouldn't trust anything they say or 'Document',

[@arrad77]

I’d still run the HST. I like the simple design. It performs very good in most applications.

[@Nutty.357]

The way you hit at 25 yards with ease is proof enough how taking those 75 yard shots is so beneficial! If you can consistently hit at 75, anything less will become easy! Happy Friday!

[@nathanlambshead4778]

Agreed. I use to love shooting at clay targets set up on a sand backstop at 100 yards with my 6 inch 686 Smith. It taught me trigger control and especially follow through like no other exersize can. At first I had a hard time hitting the sand bank. lol. After awhile, hitting the clay 2 out of every 6 shots, with the other 4 knocking sand all over them. Other shooters at the range did not believe what I was doing till they saw it. Then they tried it. One of them went out and bought a 6 inch revolver. lol

[@The_Hi_Life]

Great test! Man, HSTs impress, no matter what. Wow.

[@PassivePortfolios]

We used 124 grain Gold Dot +P when we switched to the Beretta 92. The armory guys did some tests at a local junkyard and picked this round. That was many years ago so things can change. We were told in training that the angle of the bullet's contact with the windshield makes a difference and bullet deflection could happen as well as lack of penetration. Thanks for another great video.

[@PatriotPaulUSA]

@adriannenu2320 The FBI Test protocol specs 2 different angles that they have to shoot the auto glass at. (a compound angle) I am sure its exactly for that reason as you said.

[@ms.annthrope415]

Windshield angle works like angled armor plates. It takes more energy to penetrate a more acute angle windshield than a flat, perpendicular windshield.

[@avastyeescurvydogs]

Not a complaint but an observation - every bullet is different and a sample size of one doesn’t definitively show us more than what it shows us. A larger sample size would be more reliable, so don’t give up on Gold Dot after a one-round test. I appreciate the test and enjoyed the video!

[@crafty714]

I've been retired for almost 2 years now, but we used Hornady Critical Duty line of ammunition. We had 3 ois shootings with 9mm 135gr +P. I still carry the 135+P. And the 3 I remember were DRT. Respond accordingly and accurately, y'all!!!

[@frankhinkle5772]

Shooting through windshield glass is, I believe, more applicable to LE requirements than to armed civilian's needs. The LE protocol was established by the FBI... which recently selected the Hornady 9 mm +P Luger 135-grain Critical Duty for their own agents. I do not recall seeing much in the way of 135-grain JHPs around. Very good testing, I'm impressed how you got it done when windshields are a very tough and challenging barrier to penetrate and not deflect the bullets. Very well done. I'm currently shopping for new 9mm carry ammo and this is, as always, very helpful.

[@deamcn6548]

Yeah the only other 135 grain 9mm load I'm aware of is the Federal Hydrashock deep. Those are very impressive from what I've seen as well.

[@SuperD00D]

I have 124 +p hst’s and 135 +p criticsl dutys. I also have 68 gr +p .380 extreme defenders

[@ezmn9663]

Would love to have seen the Extreme defender +p in 68/90 to see how they did. Great test BTW, fun to watch!

[@jeremywilson8334]

I just ordered Underwood 90 grain +p. After this video I'm wondering if I should have went heavier for auto glass :/

[@CJ_On_Target1999]

You got a whole ass windshield for the test? Wow that's dedication to your viewers, thank you.

[@0x80O0oOverfl0w]

7:07 that's pretty impressive shot placement!

[@RedProg]

Traveled out to North Carolina to look at some property. Sitting in Hotel tonight watching your vids. Beautiful weather today close to 80 degees. Best regards

[@GunSam]

Michigan happened to be like 35 degrees and raining all day. It's 'fun' when January gives me highs of 27 degrees lol. I still film

[@DaveTalks985]

Great work- I love the windshield.

[@GunSam]

Thank you

[@rangetime6779]

Great video! Testing all of those high end rounds and adding the windshield glass has to be your best test to date. Honestly they all worked great. I would have thought the Hornady Critical Duty would have penetrated the most through the windshield. I do believe there is a difference between Winchester Defender and Ranger T series. Both are bonded but the Defender doesn't produce the sharp talons. Please do the same test with 40 S&W. I know that's a lot to ask. Thank you for all of your work!

[@sombra6153]

The 124 Gold Dot and HST have been around a while. The Gold Dot 147 grain G2 and the Criticwl duty 135 grain +P are newer and engineered for better penetration through barriers such as auto glass and sheet metal. Trying to hit a target inside of a vehicle is not easy because the barrier mediums are not all that consistent. Angle of the wind shield may or may not have been a variable.

[@SuperD00D]

The hst and defender did the best on the glass

[@joeyphillips1181]

Im a HST & Gold dot kinda guy.. regardless of caliber you can trust your life to those bullets

[@SuspiciousGanymede]

I didn't think Winchester would do as well as it did, they're always the underdog after the silvertip fiasco. Critical duty is always a compromise so the results i expected. I carry +p gold dots and sometimes HST, didn't expect that!

[@blueduster74]

I'm a HST user, going back to the original Hydra-shok in the early 90s. Two real real world uses turned out my way so I keep using them.

[@davidlee8551]

Excellent real world tests. You have crystal clear goals, Well planned & executed videos & clear thinking. Pleas keep up the excellent work.

[@GunSam]

Thank you. I try to visualize what I want to do and then do it.

[@johnwesley6224]

I would love to see the same test in 40 S&W.

[@jameysmith2043]

Agreed

[@colt10mmsecurity68]

Totally agree!

[@randyduncan795]

Fantastic vid! Those GDs were clocking very similar to some of the neutered 357 Sig we've seen. But honest 357 ammo and a 5" bbl is amazing. Don't know what your plans are for the rest of the glass but I'd like to see this same test with a 3" gun. And maybe either 357? How would the lighter but powerful 327 do? Great work!

[@Mrandher83]

Really cool. Very strange that the GD performed that way. Keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of agencies that use HST use the 147 gr standard pressure. Another similar test through auto glass with the 147 HST (current iteration, 2 skives and visible red or blue primer sealant), 147 GD and retry the 124+p GD would be very interesting. Same with the HST and GD 10mm offerings. The Underwood Barnes rounds too,. Very interesting stuff.

[@lens7859]

Great test! Lot of work involved, thanks! Glad that I have HST and Gold Dots in my carry guns. Can’t go wrong with any of them.

[@GunSam]

Thanks. The work wasn't too much more than normal, believe it or not the most difficult was ammo acquisition. Decided to go local on ammo, drove a hundred miles in various towns to get all 124+P lol

[@lens7859]

@@GunSam well I appreciate you, and hope KZbin does also, I sure get hit with a ton of ads.

[@artfulalias3984]

Really going above and beyond with the barrier testing. Barriers like auto glass also make a big difference when comparing sectional densities and larger calibers. Big heavy bullets deflect less, and are less dependent on perfect hollow point expansion for adequate terminal performance. More so if the glass is at a greater angle. This kind of testing could really separate the best performers and show caliber differences under difficult conditions.

[@GunSam]

Now that I have established that a couple of designs here are better than others, I may have to do a caliber war within that design. Like all HST or all Defender in 9mm VS .45 ACP VS .40 S&W VS .357 Sig or something of that nature.

[@nothim7321]

Do all the calibers....

[@artfulalias3984]

@@GunSam You probably know. The 357mag load developed for the FBI in the late twenties was a hot 158 grain. It was designed to be effective against the heavily constructed luxury cars gangsters favored. The load developed for the FBI in the late 1980's that started the modern handgun bullet construction race was the 10mm.

[@jameysmith2043]

​@@GunSam That would be awesome!

[@KandaJE]

Hands down! Hornady ZombieMax! I know, it's Almost impossible to get these days... But at the time, It was rated as the most accurate 9mm Ammo available. Accuracy is always, as Aunt Martha used to say, A Very good thing!

[@arello3112]

I had to look it up that’s really cool. I can only imagine how hard to find they are. And I bet they are a premium! I just started to really get into shooting and carrying in the beginning of this year. Thank you for teaching me something new!

[@KandaJE]

@@arello3112 They are simply rebranded Hornady XTP - eXtreme Terminal Performance (In the late 90's early 2ks rated as the most accurate 9mm bullet) with a green ballistic plastic insert but in a "Wicked Cool" box. I think they missed the boat by NOT making the ballistic insert Glow in the dark Zombie Green...

[@sheepdog1102]

Nice work, I would like to have seen this test done with the 4” I think that’s what most duty weapons are and most civilians that aren’t carrying the 4”are carrying 3” to 3.7. Thanks for putting this together it was very useful information!😊

[@GunSam]

Most ammo only gains like 50 FPS on average with this pistol, it's mainly the 115 gr +P and +P+ that gains over 100 FPS VS a 4".

[@willo7734]

Really cool test. I haven’t seen anybody else do a gel test like this through glass so props for the creativity. It was surprising to me that the gold dot seemed to be the least performing ammo both with and without the glass. Winchester defender impressed the hell out of me. I hadn’t ever considered it but it seemed to do the most damage, maybe even slightly more than the HST. Cool stuff!

[@Yetified_Mayhem]

Definitely pleasantly surprised by the Defender. And don't own any

[@thomaspalmer7900]

My EDC pistol is the Glock G48 with a 4” barrel with Federal HST 124 grain +P JHP. I feel very confident in its expansion for my PD ammo!!! Great video!! I’m a subscriber!!!

[@B_r_u_c_e]

Thank you. Very nice 25 and 75 yd shooting. I miss when my vision was that good.

[@makwaclaw6124]

Great test! Would love this in .40 cal.

[@DinoNucci]

40 is the correct answer vs human sized questions

[@GunSam]

Some good duct tape, I think I could get a couple more tests out of this glass.

[@Tacteyecool]

​@@GunSamplz do 😊

[@PeterRoos]

Very cool, thanks. I live in the city so I can't do these kind of tests, much appreciated. My carry ammo is Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain (regular and plus, whatever is available).

[@Stalin4403]

Your reviews are God's work.For the same reason that when I'm in my boat I don't want to have to worry they my life jacket or fire extinguisher will function as advertised 😊

[@gryphonz3]

Great testing protocol, Sam! One of the best I have seen you do for us. Very comprehensive.

[@marsrovert]

Great video, I appreciate you taking the time and spending the money to do a thorough test!

[@allenbolen9705]

You can’t hardly find the Winchester defender around here. I can order some from one of my favorite places. I’ve seen the Ranger T and one fail the heavy clothing test. I haven’t seen many test on the defenders.Sure would have liked to see the underwood +p extreme defenders hit the glass. I’ve watched them out perform most everything in other test. Great test!

[@lanedexter6303]

Fascinating test, Sam. Interesting how the windshield affected the Critical Duty. You touched on the subject of deflection by angled glass; that could be an interesting video. Angle the windshield as in a modern car, set a large target as far behind it as a driver would be in a car, see how far from point of aim those bullets land. I’m curious as to whether the heavy slow bullet of a .45 would outperform the 9mm or do worse. Would a .45-70 be best of all? 😉 I’m not likely to shoot a driver who is trying to kill me, but it would be interesting research. So would, otherwise identical, .357 125 gr. JSP vs JHP.

[@gibsonrocker17]

Nice video. Thanks for taking the time to test all these rounds. I've always been a huge fan of the PDX-1 Defender rounds and this really further solidifies why. I'd say all of them were respectable and I'd certainly trust the lives of those important to me and myself with them. However, I am partial to the rounds that tend to have larger expansion and create the most cavitation. This is why I generally prefer bonded rounds, overall. Like any responsible concealed carrier, I hope I never have to utilize them for their intended purpose, but it's definitely nice having peace of mind that the round will do exactly what it's designed to do!

[@Wedgetail96]

Ah yes, the Kryptonite test, pretty much what a windscreen is to ballistic tests. Great video.

[@KerrariKors]

I LOVE THIS GUY.. straight to the point, and informative🎉

[@northernninety7]

Gold Dot 124 +p was my favorite till the price got jacked up. Now I carry XTP 124 +p.

[@BrianThomas-tp1ed]

Awesome vid! Always enjoy your context. You have given me a lot more respect for a 38 special as my edc. I love your respect for revolvers

[@claytonpegram8868]

We carry Winchester rangers for our duty ammo at my agency. And so I started carrying the defender off duty to match with what I carry on duty. I've been really happy with the Winchester ranger/defender. Thanks for showing me this test. Now I know my agency made the right decision with our lives.

[@TheRealSwampOperator2]

Gotta have good ammunition when your out every day violating your oath and cramming unconstitutional laws down the publics throat.

[@johnmikel5934]

Had a QC defect issue with 9 mm Winchester Defender BJHP +p 124 gr. One round of 20 had brass crushed back from possibly bullet insertion during mfg. Otherwise they worked well both in SAR9 and G3C. Great testing! Thx for the post!

[@CampDavid54]

Nice change of pace with the windshield. Personally, I like that real world scenario test. Any spare car doors laying around your house ? Thanks for sharing and regards from Washifornia !

[@GunSam]

No doors...

[@macriggland6526]

GSRA got a windshield for this?!?! Impressive!

[@GunSam]

Not that difficult to acquire.

[@justinfarley6009]

You are THE ammo reviewer. I unaware of anyone else so comprehensive in their review of 9mm, 40, .38 and .357. This is off topic, but I have been sort of binging your videos because I am considering a new model 66 to replace an old one I regret selling many many years ago. Then your videos got me to thinking about the 686. Do you have any views as they relate to 6 shot versus 7 shot?

[@GunSam]

The 66 and 686 comparisons are interesting. The 66 seems to balance better in the hand with the 686 seeming muzzle heavy, but when actually firing, the 686 has better balance. I personally wanted a 6 shot because mentally I am used to 6 shot as being the 'correct' capacity, six shooter etc. I would say the 7th round would be personal preference. With such a heavy and larger frame, a 686 with a 7 shot cylinder makes perfect sense. Nothing wrong with either.

[@DanTheWolfman]

Awesome work and data thanks Sam all you do.

[@GunSam]

Thanks!

[@Tacteyecool]

Ready to see the same test with 40 caliber

[@MrLeram12]

Thanks for the review.

[@seanmccarty1176]

I carry the 124 grain +p Federal HST. 8v3 done my own meat tests shooting pork shoulders with denim. I still had to put a jug of water behind it to catch the round, after it wen through the bone. I think all of these rounds are capable of doing what I've seen HST do. Still carrying HST, tho.

[@Lateralus1007]

Hope u try some hornady American gunner 124 gr +P XTP bullet , A nice budget round Wonder If the toughness of the xtp bullet would help its cause

[@techfixr2012]

My edc is a S&W m10-14 loaded with 158 lswhp from Buffalo Bore, +p of course. 158 at 1100 fps will get the job done.

[@DanTheWolfman]

Hey Sam, just saw a great test with .380 Fiocchi Defense Dynamics...you should do those short and long barrel...and I remember they did great in your 9mm test for cheap ammo...maybe you could test .40 and .45 too seems like a good, perhaps propriety bullet design. Also, you can buy 500 rd mixed .40 most JHPs FOR CHEAP would be awesome if you just tested a bunch of different ones you can figure out through your Real World MDF testing please

[@FineEpicArt777]

Hey man, nice job, nice video! Winchester??? Surprised me too. I really thought HST had everyone. Once again, great video! Awesome!

[@chrisvonahnen3578]

Very impressive presentation 👍

[@latigomorgan]

Interesting results! I wonder how the 124 Federal Punch would do? Some folks think it's basically the same as the HST, but I find it penetrates deeper than the HST.

[@roberthancock2563]

All those rounds are great. Thanks for doing these tests. 👍👍

[@eddiearchuleta615]

The Winchester uses a different bonding process they use a flux to weld it to the jacket look at the base of the Winchester round

[@GunSam]

Thanks for the info.

[@nightcat87]

Love the channel brother. For real, appreciate the energy it takes to make these things. *Bing banG*

[@erichanson7293]

That's an excellent video and answers some questions many of us have. I know the local law enforcement agency where I live tests through auto windshields. They allow their officers to carry HST and Gold Dots. Secondly, the bullet weight can matter on these tests. A close friend is an instructor and LEO in a different municipality. They use 147 gr HST and have had, unfortunately, more than one officer-involved shooting where an individual attacked an officer with a knife or gun. Long story short, the 147gr HST is lethal through a windshield and through winter clothing. I hope you get a chance to repeat this test with the same bullets in 147 gr,. The Critical Duty doesn't exist in 147 gr though, only up to 135gr, as far as I know.

[@GunSam]

Thank you

[@TheAxe4Ever]

Awesome test and video! My defensive mags are all topped off with either +p Gold Dots or +p HST’s. It’s mainly because old habits die hard. I don’t think it’s a high probability that I’ll have to shoot through glass like an officer may. Also, you’re a heck of a shot, man!

[@adamsaylor7427]

A much appreciated video! Thanks, Sam. Keep up the great work

[@GunSam]

Thanks for watching!

[@hks956]

I'd still pick 124 hst because its cheap af and will do the job. I paid 139 for 250 rounds of it today. Can't beat that.

[@paulbrown7275]

I appreciate and like your production . Here in Australia we cannot use our firearms as self defence weapons , only USP , NRA , IPSC & General target shooting on a specified pistol range and only shoot at a range and definitely not for hunting . But from a scientific point of view about going through glass into a flesh like medium . It helps you understand when watching a movie if the bullet would go through the glass into the victim and end them .

[@stacks4943]

Dude… Your reviews are awesome..! Thank You for sharing.! 🍻🇺🇸

[@charlesmudd9834]

Good comparison. Very interesting and informative. Appreciated! Thank you.

[@GunSam]

Thanks

[@Nono-rh4lr]

I wonder if the critical duty would have done better in the 135gr. But then again you could say the same for the rest in 147. Great video.

[@GunSam]

Thanks. I think I may try that along with .45 ACP, .40 etc

[@bobcatforever3485]

GS. Good and very interesting video. Always nice distance shooting. Thanks for sharing and take care.

[@GunSam]

Thank you, take care.

[@MANDING0]

I have all of these and was trying to decide which one to use for home home defense setup. Looks like I really can't go wrong with any of them but I'm picking gold dot because it has the most energy.

[@jonclark8155]

Good test. I like the critical defense they usually do good in a test like this.

[@GunSam]

I have not seen any tests with Critical Defense through auto glass. Do you happened to know if it's been recorded anywhere? If so, send a link.

[@jonclark8155]

@@GunSam @ Iraq veteran 8888 did a test with them. I’m at work right now.

[@GunSam]

I just question it because the construction of that bullet is thin jacketed, non bonded and designed to expand at low velocity. All of those things should deform a bullet more than typical and make it a bad choice for auto glass, at least it seems that way on paper. That's why I ask.

[@jonclark8155]

@@GunSam I must have made a mistake all I’m seeing is critical duty. I swear I saw a video on KZbin with critical defense going through a windshield or drywall. I’m guessing it wouldn’t hurt to see if it will it’s up to you if you want to see what it does. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[@Kelly-oq9nh]

You deserve so many more subscribers Sam.

[@GunSam]

Thanks. Yeah, I been doing this for 16 years. I see channels pop up, in 2 years hit 100k subs with almost no content. I don't get it.

[@jbp6759]

Wow that gold dot group at 25 yards shooting that fast...impressive!

[@abengelbrecht]

Impressive shooting at 25 yds and especially 75yds, especially how quickly you are popping the rounds of!!! The HST, Gold Dot and Defender did very similar, the Critical Duty was surprising to see how bad it did in the windshield test given the low expansion. Before making final decisions it is best to test multiple rounds to see if the windshield test for the bullet is consistent.

[@GunSam]

Thanks. Personally, I think maybe one more shot of the Defender may be warranted as the expansion was significantly lower than the other rounds through the glass, however....the rest of them mushroomed or expanded out huge against the glass, so I don't think another test is going to show 'worse' results, but I suppose it's possible the Defender could be a one off and show 'better' results and penetrate the same as the others.

[@necummins8696]

Sorry to bust your bubble but goes critical duty 135 grain Federal HST 147 grain then gold dot 135 grain. Gold dot fell out of first place when call of duty 135 came on an hit the market due to its penetration capabilities. I prefer Federal HST 147 grain

[@410Governor]

Respectfully, one shot each thru a windshield is not definitive testing in terms of penetration, IMO. 4” barrel might have shown different results. (Who knows?) Thanks for conducting the tests. Nice 75 yard shooting! I’m preferential to Speer and Federal (shoot Federal “red box” 124 grain FMJ at the range) and have made the switch from 124 grain 9mm+P Gold Dot Short Barrel to HST, based on yours and other testing. 11 inches after windshield and denim/gel is acceptable to me.

[@Sambo169]

I keep 147 grain Federal HST in my compact guns with a 4" barrel and in my standard gun with 4&1/2" barrels I keep the Winchester Defender 124 grain +p so I guess I picked the 2 best in this test for my loading choice!

[@SuperD00D]

Critical duty is like an expanding and “deforming” “slug” made to expand no matter what or also like “deform” if it can’t expand through car doors, and also penetrate to 18”, so they limited expansion to help penetration and also make the “deformation” through a car door similar in final diameter to actual expansion. And then that also helps the polymer insert I think it’s called ftx help it to always achieve expansion through heavy clothing since it’s doesn’t really need to expand all that much to be performing as intended Edit: wow after watching the video surprised to see that while Inwas correct on the “deformation” can’t believe the crit duty deformed to 0.675” through glass lmao. Gold dot got big too. Weird Hst is so big into the gel then the smallest through the glass. Still big enough though and better penetration I personally like HST. 115 gr critical defense is also better imo. And I like the .380 critical defense but out of a 3.25” or longer barrel. It doesn’t expand out of 2.75” barrel like the lcp etc

[@ctsnider88]

This is the best test I have seen with a windshield. Adding that gel is a great technique. Most of the LOE in my area are using 40. How much of a difference would that make.

[@GunSam]

Thanks. The .40 S&W tends to penetrate a lot more than 9mm because of it's bullet mass and flat nose. Now as far as hollow points go, I would take an educated guess and say there would probably always be 12-16" of penetration rather than this 8" stuff, just based on bullet mass (if it was 180 gr used).

[@ctsnider88]

@@GunSam thanks.

[@cavemanjeff4251]

Being in law enforcement, I really appreciate you going to the extra trouble acquiring a windshield and doing this test. Starting in the 80's we had .357 revolvers, then went to .40 Glocks, then back to 9mm Glocks , currently issued standard pressure 124 hst's. Quite a few shooting incidents involved vehicles so I was happy to see this comparison, thank you.

[@imeprezime1285]

Very interesting tests! I think all that ammo performed satisfying. Maybe few shots of same brands through wind shield could give better perspective. I also wonder about critical ricochet angles for such ammo (difficult to test) from the windshield. Good shooting👋

[@duaneridings6591]

Great video Sam Winchester Defender did better on one of my test also with two other major brand names on 147gr . It just does not look like a " Flower " that so many other people want to see

[@paulscountry456]

Glass is brutal on bullets mostly deforms and stumps hollowpoints or rips the jacket off.Those are great rounds you have no weaklings and good speed.Those are all wicked 9 rounds.Duty is hard alloy lead so expansion is not much, cop bullet.

[@GunSam]

Seemed like the Gold Dot and HST hitting the glass, just mangled the bullets giving a coincidental "expansion" as where the Critical Duty seemed to legitimately expand with the glass.

[@SoWavvyy]

Sam please read this. Please do this in all service calibers. I really want to see a 10mm because on how deep they penetrate and expand to just %10 gel with 4 layer of denim. I would absolutely love to see .38 Special from underwood (the most powerful .38 special) in this test! I would love to see some deep powerful penetrating rounds on this test. You’re gaining a lot of views quickly please keep testing this with different calibers. Thank you for the education I think a lot of law enforcement agencies need to see this test as well!

[@NukeCult666]

This would be interesting to see in a 38 158 gr hollow points vs 158 gr semi jacketed soft points. I've often thought semi jacketed soft points were over looked in a bad way can't help to think they would excel at barriers. I don't even think premium ammo would be a have too be. mag tec and pmc pretty available lately. - just a thought

[@Fudmottin]

That round that escaped the gel and then went forward to hit the windshield looked pretty cool. All things considered, I think all the ammunition did well for its intended purpose. As you said, a windshield is a pretty tough target to deal with. Speaking of which, did you buy a fresh piece of glass for this? That's some dedication! From what I could see, that was a serviceable piece of glass. Of course the camera doesn't always show everything. As an end note, the power level of 1250fps from a 124gr bullet is about what I get from a 2" barrel J-Frame when shooting typical 357 Magnum loads. They are at about my control limit and over my comfort threshold from my M&P340. That's not going to change my carry though. With summer temps now getting up near 90ºF and humid, carrying something like that Shield is just not going to work for me. No one seems to notice the J-Frame in a front pants pocket. Great video as always.

[@GunSam]

Thanks. I did find that bullet too, laying besides the first gel block. I realized this was somehow the bullet that left the block, but on the range I was dumbfounded. Saw it in the editing later lol. Looked identical to the HST I did catch, so I just ignored this rather than cut in and edit. The windshield...my late grandfather was friends with a local junkyard, the local junkyard loved him and they know my mother as well. I asked her to go there and see how much one would cost, he gave it to her for free. I gave my mom 50 bucks after though lol - finder's fee, I was like I probably would have paid at least that somewhere else. The glass was totally in tact too, said 82-92 Ford Ranger on the glass.

[@Fudmottin]

@@GunSam Wow. That is a good deal!

[@guardianminifarm8005]

Great test & results. Thank you.

[@BuckeyeBallistics]

Cool test 👍

[@GunSam]

Thanks!

[@PatriotPaulUSA]

Great Testing Gun Sam! Its the wrong weight Hornady round that you have. The 135gr+P is their big winner evidently. I am Not a Hornady Fanboy let me say 1st off. However, Hornady won the Federal Ammo contract after years of work to make their "Critical Duty" LEO 9mm 135Gr +P ammo the best at barrier defeating. I believe they beat out Federal Premiums HST for the win (I am not sure on that tho.) Like you said, its much different than their "Critical Defense" ammo, which is NOT a barrier defeating round. "Critical Duty" is mechanically bonded and as Gun Sam said its a harder alloy lead, a special hollowpoint design, etc. The FBI Test protocol specs 2 different angles that they have to shoot the auto glass at, at the same time. (a compound angle) What amazes me is that Hornady's 135Gr +P 9mm would penetrate the auto glass, or 2 sheets of 20 gauge steel spaced apart 3" or 5/8" plywood or 2 sheets of drywall spaced 3.5" apart and then into ballistic gel 18" behind the barrier, and it always achieved 12-18" penetration. It nearly defies physics in my mind. (2 sheets of drywall vs auto safety glass is about as large a difference as I can imagine for example) I am amazed at the Winchester Defenders Barrier penetration. Good for them! I haven't seen any very good HP Expansion tests on that round, but if it penetrates like that, well it may be why. Evidently Hornady's 135Gr +P "Critical Duty" is their best round for barriers in 9mm. As I said, I am not a Hornady fanboy, however I like HST's myself of these brands. I hate their prices, bad availability, and now no nickel plating with either Hornady or Federal. Although the news readers claim their is no supply chain crisis of rare earth materials from China. Facts contradict them as usual. So I shoot a lot of Rem UMC HP (because of cost) but I have both Federal Premium HST and Hornady and others in 9mm I am experimenting with all of them right now and my pistols so who knows, things change over time. Love your testing and commenting Gun Sam Thanks for all your hard work!

[@louieHuelsman]

Gr8 test n you should do the windshield test more or get as much as u can out of it n also some wall barriers just to switch things up!!

[@scubaguy007]

That's a great presentation you did there. I'm not sure who you borrowed that windshield from, but they are not going to be happy when you bring it back. 😉

[@GunSam]

Thank you. lil duct tape, they won't notice

[@brucevaughn2886]

The vagaries of lead core JHP’s for potential barriers, the various solid copper bullets can be expected to excel for penetration and wounding effect.

[@GunSam]

I haven't tested them yet with a barrier, my my initial thought in referencing some bullets is that they might not do well. I don't know which bullets you are referring to specifically - now copper HP's might do well, but fluted copper solids like the Xtreme Defender style might not do well at all. Reason is they have to be going fast and enter the target both fast and nose straight. Hitting a windshield can take 60% of the velocity off the top immediately, now you got some 68 gr bullet doing 700 FPS with a bent nose as it enters the attacker....not sure that would do any better than FMJ.

[@herbertblevins7077]

Next time see what the copper bullets do. Great test.

[@clebermachado8991]

That's why I trust the fmj. They will always penetrate enough, even passing through barriers and the clear gelatin has more penetration than the FBI standard. Here in Brazil, a lot of fmj are used, for the value being 4x less than the hp and they work very well to stop the aggressor.

[@allenbolen9705]

Yes but they over penetrate. If you have to shoot with people around! Here in the USA you are responsible for every round you fire. FMJ kill to many bystanders! Sadly many people here use them to.

[@eddiearchuleta615]

I’m wondering how the 68 grain plus p underwood extreme defenders would fair

[@RJ-rf8fu]

Versus the 90gr ones would be good too, see if there's more or less deflection, etc.

[@kentwilliams3326]

Surely would have been great to have included Underwood Extreme Defender in this test.

[@GunSam]

Surely would be better to search for it. As it has been done

[@GETOFFMYPORCHYOUFUCKINGTOMATO]

Damn +p ain't no joke it looked like you were shooting a 10mm with the amount of muzzle rise. Glad I got +p HST in my edc.

[@scottmiller4516]

Great comparison.

[@GLOCKCOPG23]

The best 9mm duty ammo has “40 S&W” on the case head. Lol. Just playing guys. Don’t go crazy. Ya’ll be safe out there.

[@GunSam]

.40 S&W is significantly better. One of the best cartridges out there.

[@GLOCKCOPG23]

@@GunSam Yes it is “significantly better” across the board! I just didn’t want to piss a full bladder in the 9mm guy’s pool. Lol

[@jimhovater8755]

My dedicated 'vehicle' handgun is loaded with Hornady 124gr +P XTPs.