Does Winter Clothing Affect Your Self Defense Ammo?! (FMJ vs JHP)

Published on February 6, 2026
Duration: 19:03

This video details an experiment testing how winter clothing affects self-defense ammunition performance using ballistic gel. The host, demonstrating high expertise in ammunition testing, found that heavier clothing layers significantly hindered the expansion of most hollow-point rounds (.380 ACP, 9mm, .45 ACP), effectively turning them into full metal jacket-like projectiles with increased penetration. Only the high-velocity 10mm Auto reliably expanded through the simulated winter gear.

Quick Summary

Heavy winter clothing can significantly hinder the expansion of JHP self-defense ammunition by clogging the hollow point cavity. This can cause rounds to penetrate deeper, acting more like FMJ bullets. In tests, only high-velocity calibers like the 10mm Auto reliably expanded through simulated winter gear.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Introduction: Winter Clothing & Ammo Test
  2. 01:33Testing Setup: Ballistic Gel & Calibers
  3. 03:04Baseline Test: Bare Gel Performance
  4. 07:41Winter Clothing Setup for Testing
  5. 09:04Clothing Test: .380 & 9mm Results
  6. 12:12Clothing Test: .45 ACP & 10mm Results
  7. 15:56Bonus Test: 9mm FMJ Performance
  8. 17:45Conclusion: Bullet Comparison & Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

How does winter clothing affect self-defense ammunition like JHP rounds?

Heavy winter clothing can clog the hollow point cavity of JHP ammunition, preventing it from expanding properly. This can cause the bullet to act more like a Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) round, leading to deeper penetration and potentially less effective wound channels.

Which calibers performed best when fired through winter clothing in the ballistic gel test?

In the test conducted by 1ShotTV, the 10mm Auto was the only caliber that reliably expanded its JHP ammunition after passing through layers of heavy winter clothing. Other tested calibers like .380 ACP, 9mm, and .45 ACP failed to expand.

Can JHP ammunition still be effective for self-defense in winter?

While JHP effectiveness can be reduced by heavy clothing, certain high-velocity rounds like the 10mm Auto may still perform adequately. However, the test suggests that clothing can significantly compromise the expansion of many common JHP self-defense rounds.

What is the difference between JHP and FMJ ammunition regarding clothing penetration?

JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) is designed to expand upon impact to create a larger wound channel. FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) is designed not to expand. When clothing clogs a JHP, it can lose its expansion capability and penetrate similarly to an FMJ round.

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