Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP)
Definition
A projectile with a hollow cavity at the nose that causes the jacket to petal outward on tissue impact, increasing frontal diameter and energy transfer; standard in US and European law-enforcement pistol loads (Federal HST, Winchester Ranger T, Speer Gold Dot); prohibited for military use under the 1899 Hague Declaration.
- Design feature
- Hollow nose cavity
- Effect
- Jacket petals outward on impact
- Common use
- US/European law-enforcement pistol loads
- Example loads
- Federal HST, Winchester Ranger T, Speer Gold Dot
- Military status
- Prohibited, 1899 Hague Declaration
Common questions
Why is JHP standard for law enforcement but banned for military use?+
Law enforcement values controlled expansion for stopping effectiveness while limiting overpenetration risk to bystanders in a civilian setting. The Hague Declaration of 1899 prohibits expanding bullets in international armed conflict on humanitarian grounds, a rule that applies to military combat use, not to domestic policing.
How does JHP expansion affect wound ballistics interpretation?+
A properly expanded JHP produces a larger, mushroom-shaped recovered projectile and a wound track with a wider permanent cavity than a similar non-expanding round, which a forensic pathologist or firearms examiner factors into reconstructing the injury and identifying the ammunition type.
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