If you’re looking for big hitting power from your little concealed carry pistol, Federal wants to help. The new Federal Premium .32 ACP Hydra-Shok Deep load is supposed to offer superior stopping capability from one of the oldest self-defense cartridges in the world.

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Not only is .32 ACP one of the oldest self-defense cartridges, but it was once one of the most common—and there are places outside the U.S. where it might still be one of the most common cartridges for personal protection. Many police forces and even militaries in Europe used the cartridge for small- to medium-sized handguns, or in the case of the VZ61, even submachine guns. Some people believe the Euro-loaded ammo was hotter than what was found in the U.S., but whatever the case, the .32 ACP has been popular across the pond since John Moses Browning introduced it for the FN M1900 pistol.

Here in North America, it was much more common before World War II and was probably best known for its usage in the Savage 1907 pocket pistol, or the Colt 1903 Hammerless. After World War II, it was more common in Euro-imported pistols like the Walther PPK, and especially pocket-sized semi-autos. But it often had a reputation as a not-quite-enough-power round.

Perhaps that’s jaded gun writer talk, but if you’ve shied away from .32 ACP because of that reputation, perhaps Federal’s newest self-defense round will convince you to re-look. The new load pushes a 68-grain Hydra-Shok Deep jacketed hollow point bullet at 1,000 fps from the muzzle, with velocity staying above 900 fps out past 50 yards.

Here’s how they describe the round:

Federal Premium® Hydra-Shok® has proven itself for self-defense since 1989. Hydra-Shok Deep™ builds off the time-tested platform with design improvements that better meet modern performance measurements. The bullet features a more robust center post and a core design that penetrate to optimal depths through the barriers most commonly encountered in self-defense situations.

• Hits optimum penetration depths through barriers encountered in self-defense situation
• Iconic center post design has been improved for better, more consistent expansion
• Specially formulated propellant
• Extremely reliable primer
• Caliber-tuned Hydra-Shok Deep bullet design maximizes the performance of the 32 Auto cartridge

Sounds like they’ve put some work into getting the formula right, then.

The .32 ACP loading joins the pre-existing .380 ACP entry in the Hydra-Shok Deep lineup, as well as 9x19mm, .45 ACP, .38 Special +P, .380 ACP and .40 S&W. See the full series here.