Hornady
Hornady Critical Defense 380 Auto 90gr FTX
Purpose-built for pocket .380 pistols. The Flex Tip polymer insert prevents hollow point clogging through clothing, the primary failure mode of conventional JHPs from short barrels.
Quick Specs
- Price
- $28
- Weight
- N/A
- Brand
- Hornady
- Category
- ammunition
Features
- •90 grain FTX
- •.380 ACP / 380 Auto
- •1,000 fps muzzle velocity (4" test barrel)
- •200 ft-lbs energy
- •Nickel-plated case
Where to Buy
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Hornady Critical Defense .380 ACP 90 grain Flex Tip eXpanding Brass Cased Centerfire Pistol Ammo, 25 Rounds, 90080
Compatibility Tags
Overview
Hornady Critical Defense 380 Auto 90gr FTX is engineered from the ground up for the unique demands of pocket .380 pistols. Conventional hollow points fail in these guns through two mechanisms: the short barrel reduces velocity to the point where expansion is unreliable, and clothing fibers clog the hollow point cavity before the bullet contacts tissue. The Flex Tip polymer insert eliminates clogging entirely, initiating expansion on contact with soft tissue rather than packing with fabric.
Hornady catalogs the 90gr Critical Defense load at 1,000 fps and 200 ft-lbs from a 4 inch test barrel. In short-barrel third-party gel testing, the same load is commonly chronographed lower; Lucky Gunner's 2.75 inch test produced 11.3 inches of penetration and 0.573 inches of expansion through 4-layer denim. The penetration falls just below the FBI's 12 inch minimum in that short-barrel test, but it is consistent with the physics of .380 ACP from ultra-short pocket pistols.
Hornady loads Critical Defense in nickel-plated cases for reliable feeding and corrosion resistance, and the propellant is optimized for clean burning in the fouling-prone environment of pocket pistols. For LCP Max, Bodyguard 380, and P3AT users, this is the default carry recommendation.
Key Features
- Flex Tip (FTX) polymer insert prevents hollow point clogging through clothing
- 1,000 fps factory velocity from 4" test barrel
- 11.3" penetration, 0.573" expansion through 4-layer denim
- Nickel-plated case for reliable feeding and moisture resistance
- InterLock band mechanically bonds jacket to core
- Clean-burning propellant formulated for pocket pistol fouling environment
Pros
- +FTX tip eliminates hollow point clogging, the primary failure mode in pocket .380s
- +Specifically designed and tested for short (2.75-3.5") barrel pistols
- +Consistent expansion from ultra-short barrels where conventional JHPs fail
- +Proven track record across LCP, Bodyguard 380, P3AT, and similar guns
Cons
- −11.3" penetration from short barrels is at the lower edge of FBI recommendations
- −Short-barrel velocity and penetration can trail the factory 4" test-barrel rating
- −Slightly less expansion than Federal HST 99gr from full-length barrels
Detailed Specifications
- grainWeight
- 90gr
- velocity
- 1,000 fps (4" test barrel)
- energy
- 200 ft-lbs
- penetration
- 11.3" (denim barrier, 2.75" barrel)
- expansion
- 0.573"
- pressure
- Standard
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