9mm gel test: 124 gr Federal Hydra-Shok

[Andrew Wiggin]

9mm 124 gr Federal Hydrashok fired from Glock 22 with Lone Wolf 9mm conversion barrel through four layers of denim into calibrated 10% gelatin.

BB: 588.4 fps, 3.7"


Impact velocity: 1,093 fps
Penetration: 15.1" of gel, found in first water jug.
Retained weight: 121.4 gr
Max expansion: 0.589"
Min expansion: 0.404"


*Please note that although this load performed adequately in this test, professional testing indicates it is more likely to fail to expand when fired through heavy clothing than more modern designs such as Gold Dot or HST.

[j.d.allen]

Well if you can't get any of the good stuff, I've always thought hydrashok would be better than FMJ in a pinch...

[Andrew Wiggin]

I concur. Not ideal performance and it might fail in heavy clothing but better than ball.

[lyodbraun]

Nice test, I'm same way if i couldn't find the good stuff HST's or gold dots, then either the hydro shock or golden sabers or Rangers will work...

[Chuck Haggard]

Although the bullet may have changed some in the mean time (visually it has not), at my job we found the 147gr and 124gr Hydrashock to be crappy police duty ammo.

They often failed to expand through heavy clothing, in other cases they fragmented and failed to penetrate enough.

[SWAT Lt.]

Although the bullet may have changed some in the mean time (visually it has not), at my job we found the 147gr and 124gr Hydrashock to be crappy police duty ammo.

They often failed to expand through heavy clothing, in other cases they fragmented and failed to penetrate enough.

We issued the 124 HS before going to the .40 S&W and had multiple OISs with them. I concur with you assessment wholeheartedly.

[Andrew Wiggin]

Thank you for confirming. That's why professional testing includes a statistically valid sample size and informal testing like my own is only useful for entertainment.

[Rich]

Although the bullet may have changed some in the mean time (visually it has not), at my job we found the 147gr and 124gr Hydrashock to be crappy police duty ammo.

They often failed to expand through heavy clothing, in other cases they fragmented and failed to penetrate enough.

How about the 38spl 147gr +p+ HS ??

[Chuck Haggard]

How about the 38spl 147gr +p+ HS ??

I've never seen more than testing on that round personally, but if that bullet is the same as the 9mm 147gr I wouldn't count on it working any better.