Self Defense ammo for .45 ACP?

The Pow'R'Ball made "use hardball for feeding" obsolete. The Pow'R'Ball spanks hardball for wounding and feeds the same.
 
.45 FMJ is a good stopper and doesn't have serious overpenetration at all.
But .45 JHP is a better stopper.
As long as the gun runs well with JHP use that.
 
For a number of years now I've been interested (entertained) to read how you really have to have a JHP for self defense in your 45 ACP and +P is better yet. I find that curious in as much as the cartridge and its launching pad (variations of the 1911) made their reputations shooting...wait for it...230g FMJ Ball. It worked for about 60 years before HPs became really reliable in expanding. Why we now need +P in the 45 ACP is beyond my old brain's ability to understand. More recoil and more muzzle blast generally takes away from the ability to place shots accurately rather than enhancing it.

I carry JHPs in my 45s but I have carried Ball in the past (wearing a uniform and a badge) and didn't worry about it then. If required to carry it again I wouldn't worry now either.

YMMV,
Dave
 
I am with Dave on this.

The only good reason that I can think of to use .45 ACP FMJ is if your handgun is not reliable with JHP's,
Click to expand...

Or how about this: I have lived over 50 years now without needing to shoot anyone, so with that said, with my chances of needing to use a gun I will load it up with fmj, it costs less and I like to shoot the mag empty at times. JHP would be a waste there.

Why do I think I wont need it on a human? Because I use my head, stay away from known bad areas and have a large 12 ga at home which is where I may need to have to use a gun in SD.

Most of teh time I dont even carry, last guy got into my face did the chicken and I had no further problems. Sometimes being rather large and very strong is a plus. :)


The very best part is they make a lot of different types of ammo so everyone should be able to run right out and get the ammo they belive they need.

America is truly a paradise :) (My bro in law from Togo Africa told me this)
 
If one likes striking inintended targets behind their target, then FMJ is the way to go.

Me, I'll stick to proven hollowpoints so I don't hit the baby in the baby carriage that is behind the badguy.

Biker
 
I carry the Federal HST 45ACP +P in my HK45C as my daily carry. It feeds reliably and the recoil is very tame in the HK. I do carry hollow points because I have found that evil is not limited to the "bad parts" of town. I have seen it in both bad parts and in upscale neighborhoods and shops. I guess it would be nice to live in a town or city where the only place bad individuals would hang out would be in the bad parts of town. In my travels, I haven't seen a city or town yet that meets that criteria. Hence, hollow points all the time.
 
I love the Federal HST. I use the 180gr variant in my .40 gun. The hollowpoint on that beast is cavernous, and it expands immensely, yet still has a great feeding reputation. Those are my two cents.
 
If one likes striking inintended targets behind their target, then FMJ is the way to go.
Click to expand...

In the mvies the people all clear out :) but really now, havent had to shoot anyone in over 50 years now..... I dont go to the city much, stay out in the country so I am not exposed to the crap you city folk are exposed to. Now if someone comes to my home it is a 12 ga they will face.

I remember a time semi autos were not used cause they jam and I recall them first lead hollow points nobody used cause they didnt work. FMJ was always there and still is.

Better chance of hitting someone with a miss than a pass thru buddy. A hollow point will make no diff.

Save yer breath cause I aint changeing my ways just cause you said so. BTDT I use what I use and it isnt any more dangerous than what you use.


Guy shot me in the shoulder used fmj and they dug it out.
 
If one likes striking inintended targets behind their target, then FMJ is the way to go.
Click to expand...
So a miss with a HP isn't going to hurt people behind the target? Have you ever shot anybody or seen anybody shot. The reason some police departments back in the early years, (I am thinking specifically of the Illinois State Police) stopped using 9MM. They were going through the target, something about a small caliber high speed bullet making a small hole in and a small hole out and the boogerman still on his feet shooting back.

They moved up to .357 mag and more than a few carried a 45 where permitted. The 357 would penetrate car doors where the 9 didn't and did not go through the bad guy as often when they hit him, (when they hit him). A miss and a hit on an unintended target is on the shooter not the bullet.

It isn't nice when the boogerman shoots back, the damn fools are all charged up with adrenaline and don't know they are supposed to fall down and stop fighting. They never read the script. Some will do that even with a 45 no matter what the bullet, dead on their feet but charged up on their recreational drug of choice. However your odds of quickly stopping the fight goes up with the 45 no matter what the bullet nose looks like. It's not a magic bullet but it is a better bullet. My opinion.

Now if the gun in question was a high power center-fire rifle I would worry about over penetration and the innocent by stander 2 blocks down the street................
 
I use 185 gr Hornady Critical Defense rounds in my XDM. Several hundred rounds flung downrange and not a single failure. Now that I am pretty comfortable with my pistol eating these bullets, I am going back to Walmart white boxes for the range, but I will keep Hornady's for daily carry.
 
If your 45 automatic pistol cartridge goes BANG! everytime you drop the hammer on a loaded chamber, the type of bullet you're shooting probably doesn't even matter. It will make a big hole and will probably penetrate adequately.

The question is not what's THEORETICALLY the best cartridge/bullet type you can shoot in a 45 Pistol, it's will the 45 automatic cartridge that you're trying to shoot in YOUR 45 pistol go bang every time you pull the trigger of YOUR pistol, and will the empty brass from that round eject from YOUR pistol every time?

If the answer is yes, shoot whatever you like. If the answer is no, 45 ACP ball ammo may be just what you need, because thats the round that most 45 automatic pistols were built to shoot.
 
Last edited:
I'm sick of buying expensive SD ammo in tiny little boxes and having the bullets set back into the case after 2 or 3 chamberings. You would think at $1 per round the factory could put a decent crimp on the cases?

For whatever reason, I've found Remington 230gr FMJ to be much, much more resistant to this than any hollowpoint I've tried. Its still a heavy bullet that's going to make a significant hole in an attacker, and I am fine with relying on it until I find a hollowpoint that isn't useless after a month.
 
So a miss with a HP isn't going to hurt people behind the target?
Click to expand...

But it wont PASS THRU the person hit and hit another standing behind that person :) LOL as if they will be confronting bad guys daily. :) join the Marine Corp, you will see lots of action, my nephew has.
 
If I must buy factory SD ammo, and I do now and then, I use Winchester PDX-1
.45acp/230gr stuff. Have never used it against flesh and bone, but it penatrates very well, and is accurate. Its what I keep for SD purposes.
 
LOL as if they will be confronting bad guys daily. join the Marine Corp, you will see lots of action, my nephew has.
Click to expand...


No...In the event that they do...They're just curious. Again, gun forum. People are supposed to ask questions and talk about everything to do with firearms. Not ask then get slick remarks and/or insulted for doing so.


Didn't you once say something about your nephew not finding "what he's done" in the Marine Corp a laughing matter and that he feels "remorseful" for doing what he's apparently done? Why would you recommend others to do the same? Because they ask for more knowledge?

I've been to middle east myself..Not everyone can have the "personal experience" of their hobbies.

That's like asking someone who works on their car and goes out to the track that they know nothing and are dumb for doing the racing sport..to just "go to nascar! then you'll be real!" Why should one follow that? He doesn't say he wants to see action, no one is...key words = in the event.


I haven't seen you ever give one real life comment or real guidance of any sort. Just bashing myself and others and claiming to have "real life" experience.

We're all one person on this internet forum. Nothing else really matters in most situations.


I wish I had a block button...I'd totally use it.
 
Why would you recommend others to do the same?
Click to expand...

If a guy wants to shoot someone then he can do so in a very legal manner just getout and join up, or not and just dream about it but the Marines dont carry HPs so I may have given the incorrect answer. So join the LEOs as my cousins have done, and my Uncles and a lot of my friends.

I dont try to help those that cannot be helped, after a try or two I give up.

I wish I had a block button...I'd totally use it.
Click to expand...

All this towards me and now you want a block button, simple solution dont read my post and dont reply to it. Maybe grow up a little, we all know you got a gun.........

And I will continue to use FMJ in my semi autos.

I haven't seen you ever give one real life comment or real guidance of any sort.
Click to expand...

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=447111

Hmmm, some advice here given by me? what??
 
I wouldn't use FMJ unless I had no other choice. If you gun won't feed anything else, get it fixed it or get another gun.

I use Federal 230 grain Hydroshoks because they work, they feed and they shoot tight little groups exactly to my fixed sights' POA. I can take a hint :D.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top