The leader in lead-free ammunition just announced it added .38 Special to its Civil Defense lineup.

Bradenton, Florida-based Liberty Ammunition makes several calibers of rounds that deliver nearly twice the velocity, three times the terminal effects and about 16 percent less felt recoil as competitor ammo. The .38 special rounds come out at a velocity of about 1,500 feet per second — double that of standard ammunition.

The Civil Defense line is made of nickel-plated solid copper bullets with nickel-plated brass cases, making them perfect for training, target shooting, defense or hunting.

“Due to the proprietary design of the Civil Defense projectile and the lead-free component, Civil Defense ammo is approximately one third to one half the weight, depending on caliber, of traditional ammunition, thus significantly reducing the carry weight of all weapon systems,” Liberty says.

A 20 round box of 50 grain .38 Special from Liberty carried a suggested price of $34.99.