The 9mm Parabellum, also known as the 9mm Luger or 9x19mm, happens to be one of the most popular pistol cartridges globally. It was invented in 1902 by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger. Mainly tailored for the Luger semi-automatic pistol, in 1904 it was adopted by the German Navy and in 1908 by the German Army, hence starting full-scale military use. The name “Parabellum” comes from the Latin saying “Si vis pacem, para bellum,” which means “If you seek peace, prepare for war.”
The 9mm was designed to replace the 7.65mm Parabellum with improved stopping power while being retained in a compact form. It found its way into semi-automatic pistols. Luger’s design featured a tapered case that ensured reliable feeding and extraction in the semi-automatic pistol. With moderate recoil and efficient terminal ballistics, it has been the reason behind it being so rapidly accepted worldwide by military and paramilitary forces.
Over the 20th century, the 9mm cartridge became more popular and saw service in both World Wars and, later, in the year 1955, as the standard sidearm caliber for NATO forces. Another thing that helped put the cartridge over is that it’s used in submachine guns, putting it into law enforcement arsenals just as much as the military. In the civilian market, there was a definite upsurge in popularity sometimes, most notably following the development of high-capacity 9mm pistols in the 1980s that forever changed the concealed carry and self-defense market.
Advances in bullet design and propellants in the past several years have largely remedied the terminal performance of the 9mm, which raised concerns earlier about stopping power compared to larger calibers. The 9 has pretty much held its own as one of the most common handgun cartridges around the world. These days, there is constant innovation in the design of ammunition, with a full spectrum from practice rounds up to high-performance defensive loads.
Federal’s Hydra-Shok Deep represents something of a radical step into the future of bullet design, at least for the .380 ACP and .38 Special +P cartridges. The Hydra-Shok Deep is an all-new version of the classic Hydra-Shok, designed with all the latest advancements in design, materials, technology, and production. Overall, the new product line is designed to offer deeper penetration in combination with the full-diameter expansion and continued reliability in pass-through.
The 99-grain .380 ACP Hydra-Shok Deep penetrates 13 inches in bare ballistic gelatin, expanding to 0.496 inches. It travels to 13.5 inches in the FBI-standard Heavy Clothing and expands to 0.514 inches. Great performance for a .380 ACP bullet, and equal performance levels felt only by service-size calibers and guns.
But what’s good for Federal’s .380 ACP Hydra-Shok Deep is even better for the .38 Special +P Hydra-Shok Deep. A +P-rated bullet, it fully utilizes the available energy from the .38 Special, producing outstanding expansion as well as comfortably more than the FBI minimum 12 inches of penetration depth. The .38 Special +P Hydra-Shok Deep weighs 130 grains. The projectile in bare ballistics gelatin penetrates to 13.2 inches with an expanded diameter of 0.551 inches. It penetrates 13.4 inches in FBI-standard heavy clothing and expands to 0.548 inches.
The Hydra-Shok Deep has a conical-shaped post inside a large cavity for great expansion. A thick, heavy copper jacket minimizes mushrooming of the bullet and allows the cavity to remain clear of clothing fibers or other material that might retard or prohibit expansion. This enables the Hydra-Shok Deep to provide dependable service at any barrel length and velocity, whether compact or full service-size firearms are used.
The Hydra-Shok Deep established a new standard for both .380 ACP and .38 Special +P performance by delivering seriously impressive penetration and expansion from compact backup or off-duty guns. Such gains in ammo technology provide military and law enforcement personnel with options on which they can turn their backs and depend for self-defense and duty use.