Brand New from Federal is their Punch line of defensive handgun ammunition.
May 21, 2020
By Firearms News Staff
The big news from Federal Ammunition this year is their recently introduced line of Punch defensive handgun ammo. Specifically designed for personal protection, rather than the needs of Law Enforcement, the new Punch line blends reliable expansion with consistent penetration. “Simply put, we know more about making duty and defensive bullets than anyone,” Federal Handgun Ammunition Product Manager Chris Laack said. “We used that knowledge and experience to create a product to specifically meet the needs of self-defense with a handgun. The result of that hard work is Punch.”
Initially offered in five different calibers, 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .45 ACP as well as .380 ACP and .38 Special +P, each load has a projectile specifically designed for it. By designing a projectile specifically for each load, the Federal engineers are able to tailor performance to their particular velocity range. During this process different bullet weights and projectile designs were tested to ensure each caliber met the desired expansion and penetration goals. Keep in mind, expansion, velocity and bullet weight all effect depth of penetration. Since the bullets weren’t specifically designed to perform in FBI protocol testing, Laack and his team spent time tuning each Punch load to meet the needs of the self-defense shooter, namely reliable expansion and enough penetration.
Available initially in five different calibers, Punch is loaded with chrome-plated cases and features sealed primers. “We looked at specifications from our Hydra-Shok Deep, HST and other bullet designs, and took what made sense for Punch,” said Laack. “We selected whatever elements worked best for each individual caliber. We then played with thickness of the jacket, skive depth, hollow point geometry and even differences in lead cores to build the recipe for Punch.”
Punch projectile’s feature a skived jacket and soft lead core. This combination produces impressive expansion without worry of over-penetration. Nickel-plated brass and sealed primers aid reliable feeding and ignition. The result is a blend of good overall performance from a Federal Premium bullet that was designed specifically for the most common self-defense applications, such as an extra-heavy clothing test using ballistic gel.
Advertisement
Punch projectile’s feature a skived jacket and soft lead core. This combination produces impressive expansion without worry of over-penetration. “The fact that that we're launching Punch in the top five, most popular, self-defense chamberings on the market—all at once—makes a statement,” said Laack. “Typically, a new self-defense ammunition is launched in only one or two calibers then others are added later. But not Punch, we believe in it and know shooters looking for effective defensive ammunition with its specific features will love it.” Punch is now available in the top five, most popular, self-defense calibers on the market. Better still, they are shipping ammo now and dealers should have it on the shelves. Federal ammunition can be found at dealers nationwide or purchased online direct from Federal. For more information or to shop online, visit www.federalpremium.com .
Part No. / Description / MSRP PD380P1 / 380 Auto 85-grain Punch JHP, 1,000 fps, 20-count / $15.99
