I have a silly ammo question I need help with

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DeepSouth

DeepSouth

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I'm getting a new .45 that's not +P rated and I have what I know are Gold Dots.
I'm pretty sure they're short barrel Gold Dots, and I'm pretty sure they're not +P rated.

That said, I don't want to blow up my.... Well, anything :eek: ......so I didn't want to risk it, I can just buy more, right?
Not so much, Gold Dot short barrel .45's are unobtainium even online.

So I'm doubtful but hopefull someone can tell me if their is any way to know for sure they're not +P Gold Dots.
It doesn't say +P on the head stamp, but I don't trust that to mean anything, none of my Gold Dots have +P on them and I know I've bought some before.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
The first Google image result I got shows "+P" on the box and the case headstamp. So if the box also doesn't say "+P" you can probably assume it's not.
 
DeepSouth said:
I'm getting a new .45 that's not +P rated and I have what I know are Gold Dots.
I'm pretty sure they're short barrel Gold Dots, and I'm pretty sure they're not +P rated.

That said, I don't want to blow up my.... Well, anything :eek: ......so I didn't want to risk it, I can just buy more, right?
Not so much, Gold Dot short barrel .45's are unobtainium even online.

So I'm doubtful but hopefull someone can tell me if their is any way to know for sure they're not +P Gold Dots.
It doesn't say +P on the head stamp, but I don't trust that to mean anything, none of my Gold Dots have +P on them and I know I've bought some before.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
You could just send an email to the manufacturer with the product info and lot number. They can and will answer all of your questions. It's more than likely their response will be much more accurate that what you can get from all of the on-line experts combined.
 
"+P rating" does not mean much.
I would not pound a cheap gun with a "steady diet" of +P but some for check out and familiarization then as needed to repel boarders is not going to hurt anything.
 
What Jim Watson said ^^^^.

The standard velocity GDs don't have the +p headstamp. I use them in a 3.6" bbl Sig. They chrono'd at approx. 1160-ish fps
 
"+P rating" does not mean much.
I would not pound a cheap gun with a "steady diet" of +P but some for check out and familiarization then as needed to repel boarders is not going to hurt anything.
Click to expand...

I agree. Early, like WW1 M1911's were not even heat treated, so +P ammunition would beat one up. The WW2 issue were still plain carbon steels, but at least heat treated. Modern pistols are all alloy steel and more than strong enough for factory loads.

With a box or two of +P factory I would not worry so much about the structure of the gun, I would be concerned with function of a short barreled M1911. I have only seen a few, and as a class, they were not that reliable. I think the short barreled M1911's are more picky as to ammunition and function.
 
Well the gun is one of those Double Tap derringers, so I'm not so much worried about the function of the gun as I am my own safety.
 
Regardless of the actual performance of +P ammunition, SAAMI specifies that the +P marking appear in the headstamp of +P rated ammunition.

If it is factory ammo, and not marked +P, it is not +P. Handloads or remanufactured ammo is another story.

Jim
 
+1 for Jim Watson

FYI/FWIW

I don't know about other rass manufacturers but
Starline Brass 9mm Luger & .38 Special cases
head stamped +P do NOT differ from regularly
head stamped cases but marked so for case
segregation +P cases being fired at higher pressures.

Starline +P .45 ACP brass, has thicker brass towards
the base decreasing case capacity so recommended
loads of powder diffeer a bit

something to keep in mind.

I was shooting Double Tap +P .45 ACP in a S&W 1911
the thumb safety broke, and plunger detacched durn
MIM parts replaced TS with Ed brown ext. Tac Thumb
Safety, had the plunger re-staked and don't shoot +P
in that gun anymore.

Randall
 
As Jim K said, Commercial Factory +P ammo will be marked as such on the box its sold in and on the case stamp as shown below.

Note that hand loaded ammunition may or may not be standard pressure and could be low pressure, +P or greater depending upon the amount and type of powder it was loaded with regardless of what the head stamp indicates. One should be cautious with any loose ammunition or reloaded ammo if you don't know the source or trust the provider.

PlusPammo.jpg
 
That's so much guys, I suspected factory +P ammo had to be stamped as such. But when I couldn't any +P stamped I thought that was maybe an incorrect assumption because I know I've bought some in the past, apparently I've shot it all up.
I've never loaded any Gold Dots so I'm sure it is all factory ammo.

Thanks again
 
Since the .45 version of that gun has (had?) a nasty tendency to double with regular ammo, I think the biggest threat is an even greater danger of doubling with +P and associated damage to your hand.

It's an interesting gun. Have fun with it. I'd start with some ball though.
 
I appreciate your concern but honestly I don't worry much about expansion or penetration with a .45 I'm much more concerned with over penetration.

I once shot a 120(ish)lb deer with a magna ported PM45 wich has a 3.25" barrel. The bullet, a Gold Dot, expanded fine and stopped just under the hide on the outgoing side after hitting a rib.

That convinced me to shoot Gold Dots, I've used them in my 45's ever since.
 
Interesting. I was leaning more towards the 185 for the lack of recoil in that small a gun. I'm a huge fan of Gold Dots and I'm sure it will work fine.

I kind of want a Double Tap for the novelty factor. But, I think I'll try to find a 9mm. I have delicate little girl hands.
 
DeepSouth said:
I'm getting a new .45 that's not +P rated and I have what I know are Gold Dots.
I'm pretty sure they're short barrel Gold Dots, and I'm pretty sure they're not +P rated.

That said, I don't want to blow up my.... Well, anything :eek: ......so I didn't want to risk it, I can just buy more, right?
Not so much, Gold Dot short barrel .45's are unobtainium even online.

So I'm doubtful but hopefull someone can tell me if their is any way to know for sure they're not +P Gold Dots.
It doesn't say +P on the head stamp, but I don't trust that to mean anything, none of my Gold Dots have +P on them and I know I've bought some before.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
What is the make of your 45 and how new is it. This will help out with your question as what to use in it.
 
I will never see the necessity to push the .45 ACP beyond the original load. It's marketing for people who are easily convinced that they "need more". A standard .45 ACP has enough power to kill anything if you place it where it needs to go.
 
DeepSouth said:
I guess I should have mentioned I don't have the boxes.

That would make it easy, but I'm not that organized. :uhoh:
Click to expand...
If you do not have the boxes they came in, why not and how did you acquire them? Knowing exactly what you have is important when dealing with fire arms and ammo.
 
Drail, I pretty much agree. I don't really see the need for +P for the most part, that said I have bought some in times past, I do occasionally hunt with a 25-2 when I do I use .45 Super.



If you do not have the boxes they came in, why not and how did you acquire them? Knowing exactly what you have is important when dealing with fire arms and ammo.
Click to expand...

I have multiple magazines for my 45's and I generally leave them loaded and since that leaves the ammo boxes empty, I throw them away. Gold Dots are hard to find around here so I normally order them from Midway.
 
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