.45 ACP +p

A

AndyTheNailer

New member
Merry Christmas everybody,
I was wondering if it is okay to shoot Hornady's TAP FPD .45 ACP +P in my new S&W 1911PD Gunsite.
It doesn't really say anything about +P in the manual for the gun so I just wanted to check with the experts.
Much obliged.
 
Yes, you should be fine and no, +P shouldn't hurt the gun. If you plan to shoot a lot of +P, you may want to consider a heavier recoil spring.
 
+1 for webleymkv's post. It'll save your frame a lot of unnessary abuse, and may prevent cracking it, if you practice a lot with plus p ammo. Other than that you should be good to go.;)
 
I would be completely shocked if a pistol allowed to have the Gunsite name on it couldn't handle a heavy bdiet of +P
 
To expand on my previous post, I carry Federal HST 230grn +P in my SW1911 and therefore do a fair amount of shooting with it in order to stay familiar with it. I run an 18.5lb spring in my pistol. This weight still functions 100% with standard pressure ammo but provides a bit more cushion against +P. My dad runs a 20lb spring in his Colt Gold Cup and it is also reliable with both +P and standard pressure.
 
I dont know about your S&W but I had the same question regarding a new XD-45 I bought, so I emailed Springfield Armory directly. The following are a few of their comments I received back.
Due to the fact that our entire line of XD pistols features fully supported and ramped barrels, using +P and +P+ ammunition will not damage your pistol. However, we do recommend that you ensure the ammunition is American made and in new condition. We do not recommend the use of repackaged or reloaded ammunition. Although +P ammo will not damage your XD, a steady diet of high powered ammo may decrease the service life of the barrel and or the firearm. We do not recommend Hornady TAP ammo, cor-bon double tap hp or wolf.
 
+P loadings are well within SAAMI spec. Any gun chambered for the standard load should be able to manage +P loads. Although some of the cheap stuff, and the lightweight frames take a beating.

Hodgdon Data Manual has some good load data for 45 ACP in +P. I like the 185 gr. JHP load @ 1100 fps.
 
+P loadings are well within SAAMI spec. Any gun chambered for the standard load should be able to manage +P loads. Although some of the cheap stuff, and the lightweight frames take a beating.
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Not quite. In .38 Special, 9mm, and .45ACP +P means that the ammo may be loaded up to 10% over SAAMI maximum pressure for standard pressure ammo. In calibers other than those three, it's up to the manufacturer as SAAMI does not recognize +P for them and CIP does not recognize +P at all. The only exception to this is .38 Super. Most manufacterers now label their ammo as .38 Super +P but it's still within SAAMI spec for standard pressure. They do this to help disuadae someone from shooting it in an old gun chambered for .38 ACP (dimensionally identical but loaded to much lower pressure than .38 Super).
 
Standard pressures for the .45 ACP are 21,000 PSI, with +P loads running at 23,000 PSI. While an extra 2000 PSI might not sound like much, the results of repeated firing of +P loads is cumulative. Also, some ACP barrels are rather generously throated, which allows too much of the case body to go unsupported. This could lead to a serious case rupture, especially when firing +P loads. Just because SAAMI set the pressure ceiling at 21,000 PSI, it doesn't mean all factory loads are running at that pressure. Most factory loads tend to run a couple thousand PSI below max.
 
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