Hornady Critical Defense 9mm VS .357 Magnum Different Barrel Lengths Ballistic Test 

As a viewer pointed out, for whatever reason this ammo said "brass case" on the box, and were loaded in brass cases and not nickel plated cases. I will just assume that because of ammo related shortages, they had to just use what they had.

Another very informative video. Love how you show the average velocity and foot pounds of energy for each gun. All your specifics on your tests are really appreciated!

Solid testing methods and no bullshit to manipulate the results or try and reach a predetermined result. This is why I tune into Sam's vids every time.

You could tell a difference on the steel with the 357 mag it had a noticeable ding when hitting harder, awesome video Sam!!👍🏻👍🏻

That is some impressive ammo and again impressive shooting. Great video thanks for all your hard work and great editing as well.as always you make learning fun

Great video! Currently carrying the critical duty 135 gr .357 in my LCR snubbie. This looks like another great offering from Hornady as well 👍

This is exactly the video I was looking for. Thank you for your reviews. They are always consistent

Glad to see the .357 do well because CD is what I keep in my GP100 when at home. And I agree it has light recoil for a relatively powerful .357 round.

Excellent presentation with very useful comparative information. Thank you

Thank you for a great detailed review.I use this for my carry ammo 2" Taurus 617 and love it. You give the only real world tests I've ever seen. Love your videos.

As much as I loved the jug or not I really like your new setup. Thanks for the great videos.

You do excellent hits with those revolvers,.. hence the channel name.

Great test! Love the Gold Dot Short Barrel in my 2.5 inch 686+. Will be looking for these Critical Defense rounds as well.

Outstanding presentation! 125 grain .357 from Colt Target IS so much easier to shoot than standard 158 grain FMJ. You are the first channel to confirm my reality. I just swapped to Pachmayr grips to make the FMJ practice enjoyable. I also am a fan of Hornady’s Lite 9mm from the Ruger LCR. Standard 115 obviously lags from shorter barrel travel as you proved. The 100 grain Lite is extremely consistent when fired from 2” revolvers and 3” auto’s in expansion, velocity and (under) penetration. I believe I have a test of it that you’ve presented previously. Thanks again; Very well done!

Very cool man, thanks for putting in the work to create this videos bro.

Nailed It when you called the estimated average velocity of the 357 from both barrels! I love to do that at home, especially with a new handload.

Thanks for testing those ballistics helped me feel great about my ammo choice for my 357 snub

I am really quite surprised that the shorter barrel 9 did not expand at all. I have watched multiple test videos of Critical Defense 9 since it's launch. I can't remember any failure to expand even in short barrels. But all the others seem really effective.

Liking and posting for that catchy Al Gore Rhythm! Staying for the great, intelligent commentary! Great comparison as always! .357 rules!

I was expecting more from the 9 mm in a short barrel.good to know . thanks for the video

I can tell you know how to shoot a revolver when I watch the cylinder spin slow and smooth. Timing the break on a revolver makes them very accurate to shoot.

Great video. I appreciate the tests.

I have 48 125 grain Hornady CD for my 627 Performance.Center revolver. It's the 2.6 inch 8-shot. I haven't wasted my defense rounds, but I'm glad to see they did well. I can tell you that 158 grain Armscor, and Geco .357 fmj's are pleasant to shoot through an N-frame, and 158 grain PPU semi-wad cutter .38's have virtually no recoil. I love this revolver.

As always, a very good video. Pretty amazing .357 Mag ammo. Thanks for sharing and take care.

Im sold, Hornady 357 in my sp101 for sure! Great vid. Sam.

I love watching these comparisons

I have a 605 with the same grip! I just bought some Hornady 125gr 357's. I'm glad to see they perform well and the recoil is manageable. I have never shot 357's out of mine! Nice review! Thanks! 👍👍💥😊

This was a very fun comparison video to watch! I’m a big fan of Hornady ammo. I have a friend that works there and one who used to work there, so I have that connection. I carry Critical duty in my Glock 19, and Critical Defense in my Taurus 85, and in my .44spl Charter Arms Bulldog and I feel confident in the ammo. Your comments on the lighter than normal recoil have me very interested as I’ve never shot the .357 ammo in a short barrel light weight gun. I’ve been afraid too. 🤣😂🤣 I have someone that has asked me to buy their S&W 360PD and I have laughed in their face over it. They only shoot 38 special in it, but I’m going to be very pleased to show them this video. Thanks for all your efforts it is very much appreciated.

👍 🙂 you and that 357 Smith are nicely turned.

Just about all 6 of those 357 rounds on steel from the 4 inch barrel would've been fatal. And all one-shot-stops. Nice shootin', Sam.

Finally a 357 magnum round that does well out of a 2 inch revolver. Great video and thank you for finding the first 2 inch revolver round that hits the mark

Great testing of this classic defensive round by Hornady. Hornady makes quality ammo living up to their motto - deadly, accurate, dependable. E excellent shooting Sam!☯️♠️🎩

357 magnum is by far my favorite caliber Thank you for your informative videos

Very good information! And what an awesome video sir!💯🇺🇸👍🏼

.357 snub nose revolver at 25 yards with a good grouping. You made it look easy. I've been shooting 18 years for my job. I know a good shooter when I see one.

To this day, .357 magnum 125 grain is consistently the best performing round for self defense. It hits harder than 9mm, has consistent expansion, and consistent penetration. The knock is always that it is a revolver round and revolvers don't carry as many rounds as a semi auto. Well, the average number of rounds fired in a self defense situation is 3...if you can't get it done with 3, you need to practice more. I own and shoot a lot of different guns...my favorite carry is a S&M 640 Pro with Hornady Critical Defense ammo.

I like your audio. A lot of channels I watch have auto leveling that makes their audio annoying to listen to.

Thanks for the excellent comparison! In a pinch I'll take my 357 Magnum.

I look at the gel wiggle and flop round and all I can think of is my stomach slammed with the impact of that kind of bullet.

Nice review of the Hornady Critical Defense ammo. The .357 Mag Vs 9 mm performance review in both revolvers and pistols was especially helpful. A suggestion to keep the rounds from piggybacking onto a prior channel in the ballistics gel would be to swap the position of rear block and front block when you change firearms. At least then all the .357 Mag are in one block and all the 9 mm are in the other. If course only works if rounds stay in just the front block.

I appreciate this comparison, this is good stuff! -Gunny T sends

Thank you for doing this testing. I carry the same rounds in a 3.1” & 5” 9mm and in my 5” 357. 🤠🇺🇸

Hornady seems to have gotten it done right with the CD rounds. Good shooting, BTW. Being a wheel gun aficionado myself, it’s always fun to watch someone shoot them who knows what he’s doing.

Great test and shooting 👍👍

Love seeing these 9mm Hornady tests... I run Critical Duty 135+P out of my Taurus g2c and G3 full size 9mm

Yay,9mm vs 357 what's not to love!!! Another great video. 👍

I really like that 357 load, especially out of a snubnose. The 9mm in a short barrel is both a surprise and a disappointment. Good job testing and I especially like the color coding of the rounds in the gel block as it gave us a very nice visual, thanks.

Great Demo, Sam! 👍👍👍👍

You know I'm a fan when I hit like b4 the video even starts :)

In my Taurus 38 spl model 850 always expand the Hornady Critical Defense. Good video!!

I have that critical defense 9mm to shoot in my g2c for home defense and carry I need to rethink that choice according to your test once again great video keep up the good work

.357 was always my favorite! Even as a kid and shooting with my dad. I remember we started with a .38 and my dad stopped and gave a short explanation that he was changing the rounds to .357 - I squeezed the trigger and my face just lit up lol been a sucker for em ever since. Just a great all around ammo.

Great as always! Greetings from Germany!

I think that's about the most consistent performance I've seen out of ammo on this channel. In a good way. Although it seems to me that the 9mm version is made for longer barrels which is a bit weird as they do have a Critical Duty line with a heavier bullet (135gr, IIRC).

Just adding another data point, not really trying to prove or say anything in particular. Felt recoil is subjective however, to carry out an extreme example of what you discovered I can add something. I have several S&W 460s, 3.5" and a 8". Felt recoil is substantially lower in the 3.5". Less gun weight and same cartridge intuition would indicate the 3.5" should kick like a mule but it does not. The explanation of this is because in the longer barrel there is more power transferred to the bullet, more time with the gas expansion pushing it than in the shorter barrel. The 357 magnum has a lot of power and this difference may be noticed by the operator between barrel lengths; with the less powered 9mm the difference is not noticed, or maybe better said as 'not as noticeable'.

That ammo performed quite well in your tests. For a plus p the 9mm was a bit slow. In the 5 inch gun you should probably have seen over 1200fpf. The .357 was right in the ball park for velocity for a four inch. Consistancy was great however and that ammo would serve you well for defense in both calibers.

Good video, thank you.

I love it when the revolvers win. I like how the short barrels of both guns performed. It's only the movies but "Would have Dirty Harry been better off using a 20 gauge shotgun?" The 44 magnum is not really concealable even with with a 70's era leisure suit. Idea for an interesting test between 20 gauge magnum (Slug) shotgun Vs 44 Magnum Revolver (and for later episodes do 20 gauge with bird shot Vs 44 special at 7 yards) ------------------------------------------- Two part special Pt 1 - Do your usual chrony and accuracy test. Pt 2 - How the guns work test. Set up some 'expendable lawn chairs' [OG would say that was the name of his rock band in the late eighties] in a non-symetric pattern between you and the target. Walk slowly with your back to the targets. (kind of like the old fashioned dueling but zig-zag so you don't have an exact idea of where the targets are) Keep the shotgun at port arms and the revolver at center axis relock position for safety. Then turn 180 degrees toward the targets and do the following measurements: ------------------------------------------- Manueverability (comfort and ease of movement) Target Acquisition (finding and aiming at the red and yellow targets or set up some random balloons) Engagement (shooting at the targets) Accuracy Recoil Recovery Reloading Re-Acquisition Re-Engagement

Very useful review! I am thrilled to learn that the .357 has less felt recoil than most rounds do; very important news! Thanks..........................elsullo

Awesome test. I love Hornady ammunition. I think it’s pretty good stuff especially for the money (pre ammo shortages I should say). I am a little disappointed with the 9mm performance out of the 3” barrel but it looked great in the 5”. The 357 magnum however was just flat out awesome. I remember shooting this stuff in my Smith model 649 and thinking the same thing about the recoil. I just never could shoot it as good as I can Remington 125gr bullets (or 158gr for that matter). Regardless it made a great showing in your test. Also as good as you always shoot that 9mm I think maybe you beat yourself with the 686!

Interesting & well made video.

Excellent video and great quality but looks like you forgot to remove the mdf more than once

42 years of self defense ammunition testing and I still can’t believe people who try to equal 9 mm to 357 mag. it’s fails every time . these tests I say wonderfully done but I would like to see the bullet expansion comparison but iam99 percent sure of the results. the 357 had over 100 pounds of energy more than the 9mm what looked like same barrel Leight . I could barely hear him speaking because hearing aids went out but that’s ok, he knew what he was doing and did it greatly. the kenitic energy of the 357 more by speed ,expansion, retaining weight with expansion equals more disruptive force and trama to animals,humans. iam not down shaming 9 mm I owned three but sold one to my daughter to giv her husband. 9 mm will always be the between 38 special and 357 magnum. all three wonderful self defense weapons. as always young man you have honest testing that I greatly appreciate. nana and papa aka the hunter wishing you well

I really liked this presentation and how close they were in the gel but I have to admit that I really miss the jug or not box especially when you hit the bologna pack with a magnum round

It always amazes me how much the 9 mm fails in so many tests, yet it is so popular. I can't figure it out. If you don't have the exact correct cartridge, usually plus p, and a long barrel, it is usually unimpressive. Yet everyone flocks to it like it is the doomsday device of the 21st century. It's absolutely ridiculous. Almost every other cartridge outperforms the 9mmm consistently. I'm not sure I'll ever figure it out other than the fact they see it in the movies, and the military and law enforcement. So that people who are recoil sensitive can actually hit with it. It's really strange. Great video as usual, thank you!

the last 2 times I tried CD in 9mm, they hung up on my compact/subcompact feed ramp.. so I stay away from them but the critical duty fed just fine in my service size pistols.

I have an old Highway Patrolman (57), with 8-3/4” barrel. What a great gun, bought it in 1984 for around $275??? Maybe. Big ass N frame soaks up the recoil

I like to take another aspect often overlooked in these tests into account. The 5" 9mm performed excellent in this test, but by the time impact velocities dipped to the failure velocity of the 3.2" g2c, where does that fall downrange for the 5" gun. Based on this test I feel the 3.2" gun was very nearly at the required velocity to initiate expansion. So at or just under 1100 fps is the threshold to open up in gel reliably. Based on your 5" ballistics that's right about 25 yards. Now with equally common 4-4.5" guns giving closer to advertised velocity, that basically drops you closer to where your at the failure threshold right at the typical 7 yd defensive distance. Not very reassuring. Loads the perform from the 3.2" guns tend to not be ideal from the 5" guns in some way, but most of those tests are at spitting distance. What about the person using a duty size 9mm for trail defense? Shots will more often be extended far further than 7 yd and bring velocities down more towards typical defensive distance velocities from the 3.2" barrels. Personally, for an all around carry load from multiple barrel lengths I'm a 9mm, I lean on the 115gr and 124gr xtp due to it's tendency to be 'barrel blind' in it's terminal performance to a degree. And I use my 9mm g2c as a hiking gun, so I need that crossover type of performance, and deep penetration tendencies of the xtp load are actually a positive trait on that side. That said, with this load and nearly every other 38sp, +p, and 357 load you tested that I've seen, I'm leaning really heavy towards getting a 3" Taurus 605 for my main trail gun. The reliability in bullet performance as an entire range far eclipses the 9mm in capability in that regard.

I would love to see you get a 357sig barrel for that awesome S&W M&P 2.0. And use Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore, Minuteman Ammo. Or Double Tap. Any of these will rival off the shelf lawyer loads. The boutique Ammo Companies load the 357 Sig to its proper FPS which it was designed for. The 125 gr JHP 357sig in any of the Fore-mentioned brands would match or exceed the 357 magnum. Of the same 125 gr weight. I also have some Atomic brand Ammo in 147gr that exceed 1300fps from my 3.9” barrel Sig. I can only imagine what you could get from your S&W M&P. I’ve done the test comparing the 125gr 357 magnum and the 125gr 357 sig through my chronograph and was shocked at the results. But pleased at the same time. I believe Massad Ayoob also came up with this same surprising discovery in a article. Love the videos, especially the ones featuring the 357 magnum using the Federal 125gr SJHP classic load and the Remington 125gr SJHP. I judge all 357s to these two rounds. Historically the best stopping rounds made. Keep up the great work sir.

Sam Going BALLISTIC !!!! Who Knew ...

I carry the Kimber K6 with a 3" barrel. Fed with 110gr HP .357s, it's the perfect CCW gun. Both in a leather IWB or OWB DeSantis holster, it's easily concealable, safe to carry (no exterior hammer to snag), readily accessible, and powerful. I think the . 357 is about as close to all around perfection as any caliber has or ever will come.

If you can get your hands on some 9mm Federal Punch could you test it? I've been seeing it for sale on a lot of sites and want to see how it does.

I'd be curious to see a comparison between that Hornady .357 & the Buffalo-Barnes .357 125gr lead free jhp tactical short barrel.

Out of all your test the 9mm & 357 are my favorite.

Those are super accurate and consistent in 357

Great video! If .327 Mag beats 9mm, it’s not hard to believe that .357 Mag beats 9mm.

Critical defense is a very unpredictable cartridge in my mind, I see some expand very well and others are just “meh”. Others don’t expand at all. I get this can happen with any round though. Bullet expansion should never be relied on. The same people that say “9mm is equivalent to everything with modern hollow points! The FBI said blah blah blah” ignore the fact the FBI said that you shouldn’t rely on bullet expansion.

Really the biggest difference is the shock factor from the 357 magnum. A 357 magnum or 44 magnum has a higher shock factor which when it hits it causes the body to shut down momentarily kinda of like a high power rifle does. Normally measured in energy of foot pounds. That’s why the 357 magnum was so popular, 1-2 shots would drop the target pretty quick.

When out shooting the other day, picked up some Remington 125 JSHP , they had a good bark out of my S&W 627-5 You don't want o shoot a lot of them lol

Great test. This would be a magnum round I would carry. Surprising how poor the short barrel 9mm did. The selling point of Hornady Critical Defense flex tip is to guarantee expansion no matter what, especially in short barrels where velocity might not be enough. Disappointing.

I think that some Colt Python's where manufactured with 8"barrels but anything over 6"is very uncommon and not very practical for a handgun.Even 6" barrels aren't carried much mostly it's 4" and down.Barrels over 6" are generally found in single action revolvers and very rare in double action.

Does Hornady not nickel plate the cases anymore? The last time I bought 9mm Critical Defense they were nickel plated. My eyes might be playing tricks on me but those looked like just brass cases.

Ive never been a fan of Hornady ammunition. I dont like small expansion, but I understand the reason behind it. I personally am a total Gold Dot bullet fan myself.

357 old but VERY hard to beat for EVERYTHING .

I love .357 magnum👍👍 great video thank you.

Hey man awesome videos. Do you have any interest in gel/velocity testing some 357/44 handloads? Nothing crazy, just some different powders and bullet weights. Let me know, ill mail you a handful

Hey Sam, Something is very odd. Can you or anyone explain why this happens? At 8:47 and again at 9:23, if you slow the playback speed to .25, you can clearly see the .357 reached about 16" and recoils back. And again at 10:07 and 10:50 in slow playback speed you can see the .357 reached about 16 inches on both shots and recoils back. What is happening and why does it Not leave a damage path beyond the 13/14-inch mark? Even the 9mm at 6:20 looks like it made it into the second block and at 7:01 it looks to have almost hit 16 then recoiled back to where it settled. I would really like to see a clear real slow-motion clip of what is happening here. I suspect it happens with other calibers but with main interest in .357 Mag, I tend to not look as close to other calibers. Thanks

Você compra ou faz a gelatina balística ? Se você faz, poderia postar como o senhor faz?

Sam, can ya get a hold of critical duty load? Then compare defense and duty.

I've had discussions with people telling me that the 9 is as powerful as the 357 magnum. Why don't these people say that the 9 is just as powerful as the 357 sig. All under different conditions. The sig has the same bullet and in reality is a 9 mm magnum. Both 357s are more powerful than the 9, with the 357 magnum on top. I also like the way you show the .357 magnum snubbie naysayers that the snubbie will definitely take care of business.

You r such a value! Strong women I know packs lcr 357. She says she did qualify CCW w .357s. Loaded w hornday xtp 357 now. If I remember correctly they need 3" to expand not pess than 2". Do critical duty ??? Or would the defense or .38 plus p underwood or maybe new .38 plus p Punch/deep if can find for her be better choice? She not practice enough to know she has good recoil control and follow up shots but she isn't tiny and strong tough. Workes on stance w her last night and got her early impressions of max9 pro ruger sent me. Also I tried to hook u up w Pew marketing company Sam

Love it. Excellent test. 9mm looses AGAIN.

Man I hope you get to test the Judge with that handgun buckshot from federal. I will send you a few shells if you can get the gun.

Nothing makes me feel as safe as my featherweight snubnose .357 polymer. Im NEVER outgunned, it conceals comfortably and it shoots true...always.

I love revolvers but man I need at least 10 rounds in my ccw. According to self defense statistics most people only fire 2-4 shots and it's over. But I don't ever wanna be in a situation where there's more than one guy and I fired 4 out of my 6 amd the fights not over. Even with a speedloader I just don't see myself carrying a 6 round revolver. But I do love shooting mine at the range.

can you do a test of 9mm frangible ammo?? I a box and get it ship it to you.

JSYK the Taurus Raging Hunter comes in .357/8.37”.

thats some of my preferred 9mm ammo and 38 special i dont have a 357

modern 9mm rounds pretty much EQUAL 38 Special +P, runnin the same bullet at the same speeds, how much difference CAN there be ????

Aren’t the .357 and the 9mm technically the same diameter round?