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Hornady's Critical Defense line of defensive handgun ammunition set a new standard in the industry. It was specifically designed to offer a high level of terminal performance, with modest recoil. The FTX bullet was also engineered to expand even after passing through heavy clothing and when fired from short barreled—concealed-carry type—handguns. The 165-grain .40 S&W Critical Defense load is a perfect example of what you can expect from this ammo line. It delivers above average performance for this cartridge.
| Load | Handgun | MV (fps) | PEN (inches) | EXP (inches) | RW (grains) |
| .40 S&W Hornady Critical Defense 165-grain FTX | Smith & Wesoon M&P40 (4.25-inch barrel) | 1,124 | 15.5 | 0.62 | 164 |
