Hornady has been awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity agreement with the FBI for its 9 mm +P 135-grain FlexLock Critical Duty Ammunition. In addition to the company’s service cartridges, its training and frangible ammunition was also selected for use in the contract, which has a “maximum threshold” of $11 million.
“Being awarded this contract by the FBI is a significant moment in our company’s history,” said Jason Hornady, vice president of Hornady Manufacturing Company. “We’ve worked tirelessly to develop the finest law enforcement ammunition products on the market. Knowing that the FBI relies on our ammunition is a testament to the innovation and tenacity exhibited by all the hard-working people at Hornady. We’re extremely proud to be selected by the FBI.”
Critical Duty was introduced in 2011—shortly after the company rolled out its highly acclaimed Critical Defense loads. It also features a FlexLock bullet with a Flex Tip design to minimize clogging that reduces barrier penetration, but adds a feature to ensure maximum terminal performance in the conditions law enforcement often encounters.
Shooting Illustrated Ammo Editor Richard Mann performed exhaustive testing of both loads in 9 mm and .40 S&W. “Although there are subtle differences between the Critical Defense FTX bullet and the newer Critical Duty FlexLock bullet, the major difference is the jacket of the FlexLock bullet is mechanically locked to the core,” he explains. “About midway along the bourelet—the section of the bullet which is of caliber diameter—there is a thick band which protrudes into the core material. This band holds the core in the jacket, preventing separation potentially induced by tough intermediate barriers like auto glass.”
Hornady won a contract from the FBI late last year for Critical Duty loads in .40 S&W to feed legacy handguns still in inventory as it methodically changes back to 9 mm. The agency relied on the wider-bore cartridge for nearly three decades.
