I retired as a lieutenant out of a Bay Area (California) agency. I assisted many church, school, and corporate security groups over the years. My input was to try to use the ammo the local law enforcement uses. Here's why:
- If you use ammo deemed "hotter" than what the local LEOs get issued, some plaintiff's lawyer (or even your local D.A.) can and will bring that up, that you were using "killer ammunition so powerful that even the police don't use it."
- The ballistics and reliability of the local LEOs ammo will have been tested, gone through a vetting process and that information should be readily available to you.
- Most agencies use a pretty decent round, so don't be concerned about lack of stopping power
- Consider getting a copy of the local LE's ROEs / use of force policy. Again, your security team's UOF policy should avoid being pointed out by a lawyer as "more aggressive than the police policy." It may bite you in court. Be sure to have the church's legal advisor / risk management / insurance carrier know what your ROEs are so they can't deny coverage if things go south.
- In a real world incident what might be considered a "good shooting" by a police officer will be, under identical circumstances, be held to a higher standard and greater scrutiny if it involves a civilian or licensed security officer. Shouldn't be, but that's the reality in many courts.
At my PD we had a close range shooting. Bad guy was shooting a 380, and fortunately missed everyone. Officer fired a single 230 grain Federal bonded hollow point which went through the bad guy's chest, pretty much destroying everything and stopping him instantly. The expanded 45 bullet was recovered sitting on the couch cushion beyond. It had almost no energy left after taking out the suspect. I thought that was a fine example of what a defensive bullet should do.
Testing HST and Winchester Ranger, along with some other brands, both expanded well, but the HST gave the least penetration of everything I tested, and the Ranger gave the most penetration. The HST won the contest for social work.
In defense against large furries, hollow-points are notorious for underpenetration. That is where semi-wadcutters and large flat-points shine. So if a grizzly bear walking into church is a common occurrence in your location, the team may need to make the rare exception to the hollow-point rule.
Great read Keith. I live in NJ and civilian defense rounds are limited. I chose Hornady Critical Duty for my Glock 19. Shoots well and no reliability issues. My best groups are with 124 grain. I know they are pricey but I train with them weekly. No amount of money is worth the life of myself or fellow parishioners. But we must always trust in the Lord for ultimate protection. GlockguyNJ
I have some concern about the statement "full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds often push soft tissues and arteries aside as they pass through, creating smaller wound channels. In contrast, hollow-point rounds expand upon impact, creating a larger wound channel that disrupts critical structures and increases the likelihood of stopping the threat."
Many readers may look at the diagram that follows and assume that the temporary wound cavity disrupts structures rather than temporarily pushing them aside. While hollow point rounds may create a slightly larger wound channel than FMJ - if the expand on contact - rounds fired from handguns do not create the large PERMANENT wound cavities created by long guns with much higher velocity. Handguns can be thought of as long distance drills that poke holes in people requiring greater accuracy to damage vital structures.
The primary advantage of hollow points versus ball ammo is not that it creates bigger wounds, but that it limits overpenetration - hitting an innocent bystander is a huge no no. To make this point, security team members can be asked, "Given only these two choices, would you rather miss both the bad guy and the good guy or hit both?"
Church and security team leaders should ensure that team members have verified that point of aim = point of impact with their DUTY ammo (the ones you listed are well accepted and excellent choices) and that it's the same ammo they carry. A point can be made that they should qualify with their duty ammo.
On final point is that some guys still carry short barrel revolvers (if not for church security, for their own personal defense). While not my weapon of choice, folks need to realize that hollow points typically won't achieve the velocities required for expansion and that wadcutters may be preferred.
Great article, as the head of our church security team and a firearms instructor, I couldn’t agree more with your take on ammo for my team. Thanks for what you do. I have my team take your classes.
I just read a great article in Guns and Ammo page 104 entitled GOOD GUYS AND GUNS by Keith Wood. In June 20205 CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne Michigan a shooter was derailed by the volunteer security Team using both an F150 Pick up and armed guard. If you get a chance read this piece in the October 2025 Magazine.
Great article Keith! I have this written into our SOP manual on all of your points made above.
FYI to everyone:
A few small things I would point out to expand on the above article:
Winchester Ranger line of ammo actually makes 4 different "flavors" of ammo and they are all labeled Ranger. Only two of these flavors use bonded core bullets. That is why Keith mentioned Ranger-T. If the box doesn't say bonded on it... pass.
Remington does the same thing with the Goldensaber line of ammo. The defense labeled ammo isn't bonded core. Again look for the box that is labeled bonded core!
Also if you do use the Goldensaber line of ammo, it has a longer ogive on the bullet giving it a more blunt nose. For wound ballistics it's a very good bullet. BUT, that longer more blunt designed bullet can cause feeding issues in some guns. Mostly in ramp designed 1911 or the newer double stacked 2011. This isn't bad ammo. It is very good ammo, but you need to make sure it feeds in YOUR firearm of choice.
Always visibly inspect all of your carry ammo. Not often but on the training line, I've seen primers inserted upside down, case with kinks in them from an improperly aligned bullet when seating/ crimping, and various other issues. You don't need to find these issues during the defense of your life.
The main reason for buying and using the more expensive bonded design bullets is based on known wound ballistics. Bonded bullets generally stay on thier original line of fire. A standard non bonded JHP bullet normally with expand but then the lead core and copper jacket will separate. Once this happens things go downhill. You loose a LOT of energy very quickly, the lead and jacket usually fragment into really small pieces, and most importantly they usually go every which way but the original line of flight.
Generally less tissue damage being a very shallow wound channel.
I personaly carry Speer Gold Dots. As Keith mentioned they are probably the most used and documented bullet out there.
When I qualify I use my gold dots that I have carried the last 6 months to a year max to shoot then up and refresh my EDC ammo. And you double checking your impact zero and proving they fully function, all while qualifying.
Thank you for the great comparison. In a defensive shooting case, would the use of Critical Duty by a civilian appear as overkill, or like having the punisher engraved on your weapon?
I know that’s pretty general, but I try to be as gray as I can
Gerald, That would even factor into the matter IMO. I personally use Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P. It shoots like house on fire in my guns of choice and it's one of the most widely used LE rounds across the country. Hard to argue overkill in court when the LE sitting in the same court room are carry the same/similar ammo/ballistics.
Gerald, The Critical Defense line of ammo is a little cheaper than the critical duty mostly due to the bullet design, case material, and powders used to charge them.
Both lines use what what Hornady calls "interlock" design bullets. Neither are a bonded core. Basically the lead core is crimped into the copper jacket via a locking ring inside the jacket and is NOT bonded together chemically. That is how they save the money. In testing they actually stay together pretty good, but not always. I've used the interlock designed bullet for deer hunting and have harvested several deer with them without a bullet failure. But that is rifle sized bullets and not pistol sized.
Critical Duty ammo also incorporates the plastic plug into the tip of the bullet to stop clothing and other foreign material from plugging up the hollow point and hindering expansion. In theory. Testing I've seen isn't as clear cut IMO that it is better. Debatable though.
The other differences between the lines of ammo is :
Critical Defense: brass cases, usually not the top shelf powder, and the bullet design differences I pointed out above.
Critical Duty: nickel-plated brass cases, maximum flash-suppressed powder, and the different bullets designs mentioned above.
For personal and home defense in general terms both are adequate ammo. You could do a lot worse in your ammo selection. Hope this helped.
I retired as a lieutenant out of a Bay Area (California) agency. I assisted many church, school, and corporate security groups over the years. My input was to try to use the ammo the local law enforcement uses. Here's why:
- If you use ammo deemed "hotter" than what the local LEOs get issued, some plaintiff's lawyer (or even your local D.A.) can and will bring that up, that you were using "killer ammunition so powerful that even the police don't use it."
- The ballistics and reliability of the local LEOs ammo will have been tested, gone through a vetting process and that information should be readily available to you.
- Most agencies use a pretty decent round, so don't be concerned about lack of stopping power
- Consider getting a copy of the local LE's ROEs / use of force policy. Again, your security team's UOF policy should avoid being pointed out by a lawyer as "more aggressive than the police policy." It may bite you in court. Be sure to have the church's legal advisor / risk management / insurance carrier know what your ROEs are so they can't deny coverage if things go south.
- In a real world incident what might be considered a "good shooting" by a police officer will be, under identical circumstances, be held to a higher standard and greater scrutiny if it involves a civilian or licensed security officer. Shouldn't be, but that's the reality in many courts.
Be well, stay safe.
Thank you for your advice. I'm sharing this article and your comments with my church security team.
Well Stated.
And good advice.
You and I have likely crossed paths, professionally, back in the day. I retired in 2005. Now living in the "Buckle of the Bible Belt" (Texas).
At my PD we had a close range shooting. Bad guy was shooting a 380, and fortunately missed everyone. Officer fired a single 230 grain Federal bonded hollow point which went through the bad guy's chest, pretty much destroying everything and stopping him instantly. The expanded 45 bullet was recovered sitting on the couch cushion beyond. It had almost no energy left after taking out the suspect. I thought that was a fine example of what a defensive bullet should do.
Testing HST and Winchester Ranger, along with some other brands, both expanded well, but the HST gave the least penetration of everything I tested, and the Ranger gave the most penetration. The HST won the contest for social work.
In defense against large furries, hollow-points are notorious for underpenetration. That is where semi-wadcutters and large flat-points shine. So if a grizzly bear walking into church is a common occurrence in your location, the team may need to make the rare exception to the hollow-point rule.
As always, timely and valuable information.
Great info. Speer Gold Dot is in my mags.
Great read Keith. I live in NJ and civilian defense rounds are limited. I chose Hornady Critical Duty for my Glock 19. Shoots well and no reliability issues. My best groups are with 124 grain. I know they are pricey but I train with them weekly. No amount of money is worth the life of myself or fellow parishioners. But we must always trust in the Lord for ultimate protection. GlockguyNJ
Overall, a well done and useful article.
I have some concern about the statement "full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds often push soft tissues and arteries aside as they pass through, creating smaller wound channels. In contrast, hollow-point rounds expand upon impact, creating a larger wound channel that disrupts critical structures and increases the likelihood of stopping the threat."
Many readers may look at the diagram that follows and assume that the temporary wound cavity disrupts structures rather than temporarily pushing them aside. While hollow point rounds may create a slightly larger wound channel than FMJ - if the expand on contact - rounds fired from handguns do not create the large PERMANENT wound cavities created by long guns with much higher velocity. Handguns can be thought of as long distance drills that poke holes in people requiring greater accuracy to damage vital structures.
The primary advantage of hollow points versus ball ammo is not that it creates bigger wounds, but that it limits overpenetration - hitting an innocent bystander is a huge no no. To make this point, security team members can be asked, "Given only these two choices, would you rather miss both the bad guy and the good guy or hit both?"
Church and security team leaders should ensure that team members have verified that point of aim = point of impact with their DUTY ammo (the ones you listed are well accepted and excellent choices) and that it's the same ammo they carry. A point can be made that they should qualify with their duty ammo.
On final point is that some guys still carry short barrel revolvers (if not for church security, for their own personal defense). While not my weapon of choice, folks need to realize that hollow points typically won't achieve the velocities required for expansion and that wadcutters may be preferred.
Timely article. I was thinking about this issue for the last couple of days. Thank you u.
I’ve been using Hornady critical duty ammunition for 7 years now it’s just reliable 135 grain bullets
I also us in my AR 77 hollow point and 73 grain critical defense rounds
So +p is a poor choice.....
No.
Great article, as the head of our church security team and a firearms instructor, I couldn’t agree more with your take on ammo for my team. Thanks for what you do. I have my team take your classes.
I just read a great article in Guns and Ammo page 104 entitled GOOD GUYS AND GUNS by Keith Wood. In June 20205 CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne Michigan a shooter was derailed by the volunteer security Team using both an F150 Pick up and armed guard. If you get a chance read this piece in the October 2025 Magazine.
For defensive carry and church duty I carry the Federal 9BPLE. It has a stellar LE history in real use and is very unlikely to overpenetrate.
Great information that I already subscribe to. We make sure that our two armed security guards are carrying these selections of ammo.
Great article Keith! I have this written into our SOP manual on all of your points made above.
FYI to everyone:
A few small things I would point out to expand on the above article:
Winchester Ranger line of ammo actually makes 4 different "flavors" of ammo and they are all labeled Ranger. Only two of these flavors use bonded core bullets. That is why Keith mentioned Ranger-T. If the box doesn't say bonded on it... pass.
Remington does the same thing with the Goldensaber line of ammo. The defense labeled ammo isn't bonded core. Again look for the box that is labeled bonded core!
Also if you do use the Goldensaber line of ammo, it has a longer ogive on the bullet giving it a more blunt nose. For wound ballistics it's a very good bullet. BUT, that longer more blunt designed bullet can cause feeding issues in some guns. Mostly in ramp designed 1911 or the newer double stacked 2011. This isn't bad ammo. It is very good ammo, but you need to make sure it feeds in YOUR firearm of choice.
Always visibly inspect all of your carry ammo. Not often but on the training line, I've seen primers inserted upside down, case with kinks in them from an improperly aligned bullet when seating/ crimping, and various other issues. You don't need to find these issues during the defense of your life.
The main reason for buying and using the more expensive bonded design bullets is based on known wound ballistics. Bonded bullets generally stay on thier original line of fire. A standard non bonded JHP bullet normally with expand but then the lead core and copper jacket will separate. Once this happens things go downhill. You loose a LOT of energy very quickly, the lead and jacket usually fragment into really small pieces, and most importantly they usually go every which way but the original line of flight.
Generally less tissue damage being a very shallow wound channel.
I personaly carry Speer Gold Dots. As Keith mentioned they are probably the most used and documented bullet out there.
When I qualify I use my gold dots that I have carried the last 6 months to a year max to shoot then up and refresh my EDC ammo. And you double checking your impact zero and proving they fully function, all while qualifying.
In HIS service,
Steve
As a civilian……Critical Duty v Critical Defense ammo? Thoughts for EDC, home defense etc for a 70 y/o…..9mm
Thank you for the great comparison. In a defensive shooting case, would the use of Critical Duty by a civilian appear as overkill, or like having the punisher engraved on your weapon?
I know that’s pretty general, but I try to be as gray as I can
Thank you again
g
Gerald, That would even factor into the matter IMO. I personally use Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P. It shoots like house on fire in my guns of choice and it's one of the most widely used LE rounds across the country. Hard to argue overkill in court when the LE sitting in the same court room are carry the same/similar ammo/ballistics.
Thank you Steve, appreciate your insight…..now back to loading 44😀
Gerald, The Critical Defense line of ammo is a little cheaper than the critical duty mostly due to the bullet design, case material, and powders used to charge them.
Both lines use what what Hornady calls "interlock" design bullets. Neither are a bonded core. Basically the lead core is crimped into the copper jacket via a locking ring inside the jacket and is NOT bonded together chemically. That is how they save the money. In testing they actually stay together pretty good, but not always. I've used the interlock designed bullet for deer hunting and have harvested several deer with them without a bullet failure. But that is rifle sized bullets and not pistol sized.
Critical Duty ammo also incorporates the plastic plug into the tip of the bullet to stop clothing and other foreign material from plugging up the hollow point and hindering expansion. In theory. Testing I've seen isn't as clear cut IMO that it is better. Debatable though.
The other differences between the lines of ammo is :
Critical Defense: brass cases, usually not the top shelf powder, and the bullet design differences I pointed out above.
Critical Duty: nickel-plated brass cases, maximum flash-suppressed powder, and the different bullets designs mentioned above.
For personal and home defense in general terms both are adequate ammo. You could do a lot worse in your ammo selection. Hope this helped.
in HIS service,
Steve