200rds – 38 Special +P Federal Personal Defense Micro 130gr. HST JHP Ammo

Federal Ammunition 130 Grain Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP) Ammo Details

You may think that you have to part with ideal performance as a trade-off for carrying a subcompact handgun, but thanks to Federal’s Personal Defense Micro line of ammunition that simply isn’t the case. This 38 Special +P cartridge sports a 130 grain HST projectile which features a thick cannelure in its shank to tightly hold its core and jacket together, virtually eliminating separation of the two during penetration to ensure the weight retention needed for superior stopping power. The bullet’s terminal performance is further assured by its strong internal and external skives, which help prevent deformation in the barrel so that you can count on the hollow point to do its job upon impact.

This round functions extremely reliably in semi-automatic pistols courtesy of its bullet’s recessed profile and its brass casing’s nickel plating, the latter of which also provides corrosion resistance. This cartridge further features a low-flash powder that won’t blind you in dark environments, so you can count on making accurate follow-up shots. When your own safety is at stake, you’ve fewer better allies than Federal.
  • Product Type
    Ammo
  • Manufacturer
  • Condition
    New
  • Bullet Weight
    130 Grain
  • Use Type
    Self Defense
  • Casing Type
    Nickel-Plated Brass
  • Quantity
    200
  • Ammo Caliber
    38 Special
  • Pressure
    +P
  • Manufacturer SKU
    P38HST1S
  • Primer Type
  • Muzzle Velocity
    890
  • Muzzle Energy
  • UPC Barcode
    50004544623584
  • Cost Per Round
    $1.20/ppr

Gel test Results

In hopes of giving ourselves and our customers a better idea how this 38 Special self-defense ammo would perform if called upon in a self-defense scenario, we tested dozens of the best selling hollow points on the market.

We fired five rounds of this Federal Ammunition 38 Special ammo through a cloth barrier into Clear Ballistics calibrated synthetic gelatin and recorded the results. For these tests, we used a S&W 640 with a -inch barrel. In the photos, graphics and video on this page, you can see specifically how the Federal Ammunition ammo performed and how it sticks up with the rest of the 38 Special ammo we have tested so far.

To read more about our testing procedures and discover what round makes the best self-defense ammo for you head to this page.

Unfired versus Fired Round Comparison

Image detailing before and after firing 200rds – 38 Special +P Federal Personal Defense Micro 130gr. HST JHP Ammo Image detailing before and after firing 200rds – 38 Special +P Federal Personal Defense Micro 130gr. HST JHP Ammo

How do the results for this Federal Ammunition 38 Special compare to other Hollow Point?

200rds – 38 Special +P Federal Personal Defense Micro 130gr. HST JHP Ammo Gel Test Results

  Median
Bullet Depth (in.) 11.9 11.9 12 13 14.5
Expanded Diameter (in.) 0.71 0.72 0.72 0.73 0.74
Bullet Weight after shot (gr.) 129.7 129.8 130 130 130
Bullet Velocity (fps) 849 853 859 861 936

Federal Ammunition 38 Special Ballistic Data

Federal Ammunition 38 Special Ammo Details

Barrel Length inches
4
Ballistics Coefficient (G1)
0.143
Ballistics Coefficient (G7)
0.000
Sectional Density
0.146
Muzzle 25 yds. 50 yds. 75 yds. 100 yds.
Velocity fps 890 866 844 823 803
Energy ft lbs 229 217 206 196 186
Bullet drop inch n/a 0 -2 -7.1 -15.3

Trajectory Line Graph Federal Ammunition 38 Special

Velocity / Energy Comparisons

Ammo Muzzle Velocity Muzzle Energy
148 Grain Lead Wadcutter Fiocchi Ammunition
#25
648 fps
#24
138 ft lbs
130 Grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Federal Ammunition
#12
852 fps
#14
209 ft lbs
130 Grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Tula Ammo
#7
890 fps
#7
229 ft lbs
130 Grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Remington Ammunition
#17
787 fps
#22
179 ft lbs
130 Grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Fiocchi Ammunition
#6
899 fps
#6
233 ft lbs
158 Grain Lead Round Nose (LRN) Federal Ammunition
#19
745 fps
#17
195 ft lbs
148 Grain Lead Wadcutter Remington Ammunition
#23
710 fps
#25
110 ft lbs
130 Grain Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP) Federal Ammunition
#13
844 fps
#15
206 ft lbs
158 Grain Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point(LSWCHP) Federal Ammunition
#10
866 fps
#2
263 ft lbs
148 Grain Lead Wadcutter Winchester Ammunition
#24
690.5 fps
#23
157 ft lbs
130 Grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Winchester Ammunition
#16
791 fps
#21
181 ft lbs
125 Grain Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP) Blazer
#8
888 fps
#11
219 ft lbs
158 Grain Lead Round Nose (LRN) Blazer
#21
729 fps
#19
186 ft lbs
158 Grain Lead Round Nose (LRN) Magtech
#22
723 fps
#20
183 ft lbs
158 Grain Lead Round Nose (LRN) Federal Ammunition
#20
745 fps
#18
195 ft lbs
158 Grain Lead Flat Nose Black Hills Ammunition
#15
800 fps
#10
225 ft lbs
158 Grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Sellier & Bellot Ammunition
#14
802 fps
#8
226 ft lbs
125 Grain Semi-Jacketed Hollow-Point (SJHP) Remington Ammunition
#4
921 fps
#5
235 ft lbs
125 Grain Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP) Black Hills Ammunition
#1
1050 fps
#1
306 ft lbs
158 Grain Total Metal Jacket (TMJ) Speer
#11
861 fps
#3
260 ft lbs
132 Grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) PMC Ammunition
#9
879 fps
#9
226 ft lbs
158 Grain Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP) Hornady Ammunition
#18
775 fps
#13
211 ft lbs
110 Grain Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP) Federal Ammunition
#5
911 fps
#16
203 ft lbs
90 Grain Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP) Hornady Ammunition
#2
1032 fps
#12
213 ft lbs
125 Grain Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP) Federal Ammunition
#3
950 fps
#4
250 ft lbs
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The Reviews

Why Shooters and Hunters love or hate 200rds – 38 Special +P Federal Personal Defense Micro 130gr. HST JHP Ammo

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  • ☆☆☆☆☆

    posted on by ThisGuyZac

    Best Expansion in my pumpkin test with different ammos. Now my full time carry ammo in 38.

  • ☆☆☆☆☆

    posted on by HAROLD

    "LUCKY GUNNER" LIKES THIS FEDERAL ROUND!

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