Winchester Ammunition has announced the release of a new defensive handgun ammunition line called USA Ready Defense. Compared to the USA Ready training and practice ammunition that uses flat nose FMJ bullets, the USA Ready Defense ammo is loaded with jacketed hollow-point projectiles that have a design similar to the bullets used in Winchester Ranger One LE ammunition.

Here is how Winchester describes this new personal defense handgun ammunition line:

Designed with defense in mind, USA Ready Defense utilizes the highest grade of components that are required when it counts.

Be ready when you need it most. USA Ready Defense is a select grade of personal defense ammunition offering the ideal combination of stopping power, penetration and reliable expansion.

The bullets of Winchester USA Ready Defense ammunition feature an 8-petal jacket, lead core and a polymer insert in the nose cavity. The latter is called Hex-Vent Rigid Insert and is designed to ensure reliable expansion by protecting the nose cavity from being clogged up by clothing or obstacle particles yet allowing fluid media to flow through its channels and initiate the expansion. These bullets are advertised to provide at least 12″ penetration in ballistic gel and 95% weight retention. This ammunition also uses match-grade primers. Although not mentioned by the company, apparently the bullets and cases are nickel-plated. Here is a video showing the ballistic gel performance of the 9mm USA Ready Defense bullet fired from a Glock 26 pistol.

Winchester USA Ready Defense ammunition will be initially offered in the following three caliber and load options:

•  9mm +P (Bullet weight – 124 grains; Muzzle velocity – 1200 fps; Muzzle energy – 396 ft-lbs)
• .40 S&W (Bullet weight – 170 grains; Muzzle velocity – 1170 fps; Muzzle energy – 517 ft-lbs)
• .45 Auto (Bullet weight – 200 grains; Muzzle velocity – 1000 fps; Muzzle energy – 444 ft-lbs)

This ammunition is lot-controlled with ballistic data of each lot published on Winchester’s website. The MSRPs are not yet specified by the manufacturer.

Pictures by Winchester Ammunition, www.winchester.com