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38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

Name: 38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds
Brand: Federal
Price: 25 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 4.85 (14 reviews)

14 reviews Reviews

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Overview

Quantity - 20 Rounds
Manufacturer - Federal HST
Bullet - 130gr JHP
Casing - Boxer-primed nickel-plated brass
Pressure - +P

Manufacturer	Federal
Condition	New
Bullet Weight	130 Grain
Bullet Type	Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP)
Ammo Casing	Nickel-Plated Brass
Quantity	20
Ammo Caliber	.38 Special
Pressure	+P
Manufacturer SKU	P38HST1S
Primer Type	Boxer
Muzzle Velocity (fps)	890
Muzzle Energy (ft lbs)	229
Attracts Magnet	No
UPC Barcode	604544623581

Use Type

Self Defense

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This new .38 Special +P ammunition in Federal's Personal Defense Micro series is optimized for the subcompact revolvers popular among many concealed carriers. These cartridges feature an HST jacketed hollow point bullet that is seated deep in the casing. This distinctive feature is intended to reduce the amount of air in the long case (a byproduct of the .38 SPL's black powder heritage) and help the propellant burn completely even in the short barrels of snub-nosed revolvers for maximum velocity.

Each cartridge in this box of 20 fires a 130-grain bullet with a high caliber skived tip designed to defeat an assailant's heavy clothing or other barriers without clogging and expand for maximum stopping power. The wide-nosed bullet used in this load is designed to strike an attacker decisively without overpenetrating and causing collateral damage to bystanders or property.

Federal ammunition is loaded in Anoka, Minnesota using non-corrosive Boxer primers and nickel plated brass cases. Nickel plating isn't just for show; it improves the case's durability and corrosion resistance. This is a particular benefit for defensive loads that are carried every day and rarely fired.

This ammo is rated +P, meaning it has a more powerful powder charge than standard pressure .38 Special ammo. As a result, it produces stronger terminal performance but also increased recoil and muzzle blast and should be used only in revolvers rated for its higher pressures.

Ballistic Gel Test

Ballistic gel test for 38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

Image showing Federal .38 Special 130 Grain rounds fired into ballistic gel

Ballistics Test Summary

Ballistic gelatin testing is one way to get an idea of how a self-defense load might perform in a real world self-defense situation. So we fired five rounds of Federal 130 gr HST Micro from a Kimber K6s from a distance of 10 feet into a block of synthetic ballistic gel with a barrier of four layers of fabric simulating heavy clothing. We then gathered information on the expansion and penetration characteristics of this load. That data is represented in the chart below.

How this load compares to other .38 Special loads from our tests in regards to bullet expansion and penetration can be found in the diagrams at the bottom of the page.

We also took photos of each bullet that was recovered from the gelatin, seen in the photo slider below. The high speed video shows this round impacting the ballistic gelatin at 10,000 frames per second.

Want to know more about our ballistic gelatin test, including more photos, videos, and data? Check out Lucky Gunner Labs for the full story.

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			Median
38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds
Bullet Depth (in.)	12	12.2	12.6	13.3	15
Expanded Diameter (in.)	0.72	0.72	0.73	0.74	0.75
Bullet Weight after shot (gr.)	118	132	132	132	132
Bullet Velocity (fps)	812	824	826	826	833

How do the results for this Federal .38 Special compare to other Federal Ammo?

Ballistic gel test for 38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

Ballistics Test Summary

Ballistic gelatin testing is one way to get an idea of how a self-defense load might perform in a real world self-defense situation. So we fired five rounds of Federal 130 gr HST Micro from a Ruger GP100 from a distance of 10 feet into a block of synthetic ballistic gel with a barrier of four layers of fabric simulating heavy clothing. We then gathered information on the expansion and penetration characteristics of this load. That data is represented in the chart below.

How this load compares to other .38 Special loads from our tests in regards to bullet expansion and penetration can be found in the diagrams at the bottom of the page.

Want to know more about our ballistic gelatin test, including more photos, videos, and data? Check out Lucky Gunner Labs for the full story.

Go to previous image Go to next image

			Median
38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds
Bullet Depth (in.)	13.2	13.6	13.7	14.2	16
Expanded Diameter (in.)	0.67	0.7	0.72	0.72	0.73
Bullet Weight after shot (gr.)	121	129	132	132	132
Bullet Velocity (fps)	824	849	852	853	894

How do the results for this Federal .38 Special compare to other Federal Ammo?

Learn more about our ballistics gel test on LuckyGunner.com LabsBrowse through over 70 Revolver Ballistics Tests

Questions & Answers

Ask a Question Our customer service team has published this Q&A information as a free service to the shooting community. Please note that LuckyGunner.com expressly disclaims any and all liability with regard to how the shooting community might use this Q&A information. See Terms of Use for more details.

Q: Will this ammo be available again anytime soon? Someone told me they heard it was discontinued. Just wondering if that’s true or if I will be able to get some. Thanks.

Posted On: 7/9/2022 By: Rick Earp

A: Thanks for reaching out Rick! To my knowledge Federal has not discontinued this cartridge. That is not to say that they have produced it recently, nor can I honestly promise when we'll get more back in stock. But we do update our inventory frequently, so I hope you'll check back in again with us soon!

Q: Are the federal personal defence 130 safe to use in a colt police special revolver

Posted On: 11/23/2020 By: Charles Sebranek

A: Hi Charles! Have you got a Colt Police Positive Special? If so then I believe the revolver may safely fire overpressure ammo if it was made after 1972, but the risk of damage is too great to outweigh so slight a benefit. To be safe I'd recommend you only fire non-+P ammo.

Q: Hello, Will these 38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal be coming back in stock soon? Wanted to add them to the order I just received from you (Thank you for that quick shipping), waiting for these to come in before I place my next order. Thanks Again, John

Posted On: 6/4/2020 By: JOHN DEMONTE

A: Good to hear from you John! We absolutely plan to bring this ammo back to our site as soon as we're able, but I can't promise just when that will be. Please check in with us soon to see what we can do for you!

Q: This is probably a dumb question, but I'll ask anyway. I ordered these thinking they were traditional looking hollow-point bullets. When they arrived, I was surprised to see there appears to be no bullet/tip coming out the end. Are these actual complete bullets or is it just the jacket and primer that needs to have a bullet added to the tip???

Posted On: 2/13/2020 By: Jason

A: Sorry for the late response! These are complete cartridges, to be sure. Federal just loaded the bullet flush with the mouth of the casing.

Q: Do they work well in a 3 inch barrel? Ruger SP101 3 inch barrel.

Posted On: 12/19/2019 By: Brian Petersen

A: Hi Brian. These Macros will work very well in your Ruger! They are low recoil and a ball to shoot! Let me know if I can get some on the way to you today. Have a great day. Ross

Q: Would these rounds be safe or have any issues feeding in a lever action? I know wadcutters are typically not a good candidate for tubular magazines so I'm wondering if there would be a similar issue with these rounds

Posted On: 3/31/2019 By: Andrew

A: Andrew, most lever guns are set and timed for a typical length of the caliber for which they are chambered. Some rifles such as the .357 mags will allow the use of the shorter .38 special, but when it comes to even shorter Wadcutter rounds, they tend to have an issue with reliable feeding. My personal .357 Marlins will not feed the full wadcutter, a friends Henry will, so I would would not count on reliability until I had tried the particular round you want.

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38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

Overview

Ballistic gel test for 38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

Ballistics Test Summary

How do the results for this Federal .38 Special compare to other Federal Ammo?

Ballistic gel test for 38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

Ballistics Test Summary

How do the results for this Federal .38 Special compare to other Federal Ammo?

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38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

Overview

Ballistic gel test for 38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

Ballistics Test Summary

How do the results for this Federal .38 Special compare to other Federal Ammo?

Ballistic gel test for 38 Special (+P) - 130 gr HST JHP - Personal Defense Micro - Federal - 20 Rounds

Ballistics Test Summary

How do the results for this Federal .38 Special compare to other Federal Ammo?

Customer Reviews

The most helpful favorable review

Write Your Own Reviews

Questions & Answers

Facebook Comments

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