What does “HST†stand for? Nothing, technically – its just the three letters Federal chose to represent their fine line of self-defense ammunition!
This 9mm +P cartridge is loaded with a super effective 124 grain jacketed hollow point. A deep cannelure crimps its core and jacket tightly together, so they remain mechanically bonded even as the HST bullet penetrates tough barriers like heavy clothing and plywood. Once its nose cavity connects with soft tissue, however, the HST begins to flatten out massively. This is why it performs so well on the FBI’s test protocol, inflicting accented damage to a threat while simultaneously significantly reducing its chance of passing right through it.
A self-defense load’s terminal performance can’t be the only reliable thing about it. That’s why Federal gives their HST the optimal profile with which to feed into a semi-auto’s chamber, as well as a nose cavity which resists blocking up with debris that could have hampered expansion. This round’s low friction nickel plated brass case promotes rapid feeding and extraction without jamming, and it resists gradual corrosion as well!
This is an overpressure round, hence the “+P.†All that means is it’s loaded to create a higher chamber pressure, thus increasing its muzzle velocity to 1,200 fps out of a 4†barrel. Most modern handguns including those made by Glock, Taurus, and SIG Sauer can handle overpressure ammo just fine, but it will wear out a semi-auto’s moving parts a little faster. That’s not an issue for self-defense, but not ideal for training either!
