HRNDY CD 9MM 100GR FTX LITE 25/250

Description

Hornady’s Critical Defense Lite is built around a specific problem: shooters with lighter, compact 9mm pistols who find standard defensive loads produce sharper recoil or feeding hesitation. The reduced bullet weight — 100 grains versus the 115-grain standard Critical Defense load — brings muzzle velocity down to a level that keeps felt recoil manageable without giving up the terminal performance that makes a defensive round worth carrying.

The bullet itself uses Hornady’s Flex Tip eXpanding (FTX) design, which places a polymer insert into the hollow-point cavity. Standard hollow-points can pack with clothing material or other barrier media before they reach tissue, which delays or prevents expansion entirely. The polymer tip keeps the cavity clear through that initial contact and initiates consistent expansion on impact. The tip is pink, tied to Hornady’s breast cancer awareness program.

Brass cases are boxer-primed, which makes them reloadable for those who work up their own defensive loads after initial testing. Muzzle velocity is listed at 1,125 fps, producing 281 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle — modest numbers by design, since the Lite line is optimized for shooters who prioritize control over raw output. Each box contains 25 rounds, and the product is also available in a case of 250 rounds across ten boxes.