Federal Ammunition 44 S&W Special Punch Personal Defense
Federal Ammunition is making an addition to their Punch Personal Defense line of ammunition with a 44 Smith and Wesson Special load (also referred to simply as 44 Special). The popular ammo maker’s Punch line was first introduced in 2020 and has been met with significant demand. With the expansion to include 44 Smith and Wesson Special, the company will be catering to a broader range of revolver shooters.
As the product line’s name suggests, Federal designed Punch for superior defensive performance, specifically to penetrate through barriers such as heavy layers of clothing. The new 44 Smith and Wesson Special load features a 180 grain jacketed hollow point (JHP) created to cycle and perform well in both revolvers and carbines. Data from Federal’s own testing and studies show the ammunition performs as concealed carriers prefer in its ability to stop a threat, even when it must penetrate heavy clothing before impacting the attacker themselves.
When asked about the decision to include 44 Smith and Wesson Special in their Punch line, Federal Handgun Ammunition Product Manager Chris Laack said, “We saw a need for a reliable, accurate, terminally effective option for the .44 S&W Special that doesn’t have to be the top scoring product in duty ammunition test procedures. So, we looked at specifications from our Hydra-Shok Deep, HST and other bullet designs, and took what made sense for Punch. We modified the thickness of the jacket, skive depth, hollow point geometry and even differences in lead cores to build the recipe for Punch in .44 S&W Special.”
Although barriers like glass, car doors, and wooden panels aren’t unheard of in self-defense scenarios, the average self-defense shooter is more likely to face clothing barriers. Not all defensive ammunition is capable of penetrating heavy layers while maintaining good penetration depth and reliable expansion, but Federal made Punch to do just that. FBI standards for ballistic gel testing were used to ensure superior performance of the new load.
“Shooters need a simple answer to the ‘What ammo do I need for self-defense’, question,” said Federal Handgun Ammunition Product Manager Chris Laack. “Things to consider such as function, reliable ignition, barrier performance, terminal performance, ballistics and other considerations are a lot to digest for most people. What some consumers really need to know is it will function in their gun, every time, and that it will be effective stopping a threat as quickly as possible. Punch’s .44 S&W Special is our easy answer for them.”
Federal Punch’s .44 Smith and Wesson Special Load boasts a variety of features including high-quality brass cases, advanced powders, and the sealed reliability of carefully designed, sensitive primers. According to the ammo maker, when using Federal Punch, self-defenders can be confident their chosen load out-performs comparably-priced competitor’s rounds. Other available calibers in the Punch line include 380 Auto 85 grain JHP, 38 Special +P 120 grain JHP, 9mm Luger, 40 Smith and Wesson 165 grain JHP, 45 Auto 230 grain JHP, and 10mm 200 grain JHP.
