Video: Federal Defensive Ammunition

by
posted on June 30, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
There is no conventional personal-protection projectile available to “civilians” that performs optimally “across the board.” A bullet that is intended to maintain its integrity—for sufficient penetration—even when encountering difficult-to-defeat barriers, such as automobile glass, cannot be expected to exhibit the same traits as one designed to expend most of its energy in a soft target, even wallboard, to reduce damage from over-penetration or a miss. As such, it’s prudent for an ammunition company to offer multiple loads with distinct performance parameters. That’s exactly what Federal Premium did with HST and Guard Dog Home Defense.

Watch this segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman as the staff visits Federal Premium's factory in Anoka, Minn., to see how its Guard Dog and HST loads fare under the most extreme testing.

For more on Federal's defensive ammo, please enjoy the following articles:

Mastery of Metals: Federal's HST and Guard Dog Loads

Editors' Picks—New for 2015: Federal Premium .380 ACP Personal Defense HST 

Federal Premium Personal Defense Low Recoil .45 Auto Ammunition


Six Things to Consider When Choosing Self-Defense Ammunition

Federal Premium Guard Dog Ammunition

Latest

Icarry Springfield Sa35 Polished 1
Icarry Springfield Sa35 Polished 1

I Carry: Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished in a Falco C631 Gorham Holster

In our latest episode of "I Carry" above, we're taking a closer look at the details of the new Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished, and we're packaging it with a high-quality leather holster from Falco Holsters, along with a new EDC knife from Work Sharp.

ATF Suffers Major Cybersecurity Incident

On Aug. 27, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced that an outside group had breached its systems in what it termed a "major incident."

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 28, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

A Conversation About Gun-Making in America

Recently, a paper titled “The American Tradition of Self-Made Arms" written by Joe Greenlee, director of NRA-ILA's Office of Litigation Counsel,was cited by a court in an important ruling on frame-or-receiver litigation.

The Model 87 Ultra Special: A Rare Survivor of Ithaca's Final Gamble

In the spring of 1990, an 18-year-old received a shotgun he didn't order. The Ithaca Model 87 Ultra Special he got instead was the last gasp of one of America's most iconic shotgun makers.

As Gun Sales Stay High, Violent Crime Hits a Historic Low

According to a recent report from the FBI on national crime statistics, violent crime has decreased 9.3 percent from 2024, marking the largest year-to-year drop since the 1930s.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.