May 23rd, 2006, 12:27 AM
Projectiles fired were Hornady 85 grain XTP JHPs, trimmed down to 71 grains and 76 grains. This was done in the interest of finding an FBI-compliant load for the .32ACP 'mousegun'.
Firearm was 2.75" barrel Kel-Tec P32.
Block calibrated at 10.1cm and 588 ft/sec impact velocity.
71 grains
Shot 1 - 1.9 grains of N310 powder, WSPP. Bullet penetrated 12.6", average expanded diameter was 0.356". Shot impacted at 851 ft/sec.
Shot 2 - 2.0 grains of N310 powder, WSPP. Bullet penetrated 13.3", average expanded diameter was 0.379". Shot impacted at 872 ft/sec.
Shot 3 - Somehow walked out of the ammunition box amidst all of the excitement. It is probably doing its 'landmine' impression right now on the ground of the facility where the testing took place.
Shot 4 - 2.2 grains of N310 powder, WSPP. Bullet penetrated 13.3", average expanded diameter was 0.398". Shot impacted at 930 ft/sec.
Shot 5 - 2.3 grains of N310 powder, not fired at the block, but chronographed. (Primer was starting to flatten out). Velocity = 970 ft/sec.
76 grain bullets
Shot 1 - chronographed only, velocity = 828 ft/sec.
Shot 2 - 1.9 grains of N310 powder, WSPP. Bullet penetrated 13.1", average expanded diameter was 0.363". Shot impacted at 848 ft/sec.
Shot 3 - 2.0 grains of N310 powder, WSPP. Bullet penetrated 14.4", average expanded diameter was 0.360". Shot impacted at 922 ft/sec.
I cut the bullets down using a 5/16" collet to hold the bullet in the lathe and a standard carbide cutter tool. The feed rate was 0.2mm/rev. I found that coming in about 0.068" off of the rearward face of the bullet will take away enough material to transform a 85 grain XTP into a 71 grain XTP.
Here's pics of the block and bullets.
.32 ACP Ammo Test Results
Load Velocity Penetration Expansion
Federal Hydra-Shok 65 gr. 826 fps 13.5" 0.31"
Hornady XTP 60 gr 827 fps 10.0" 0.41"
Speer Gold Dot 60 gr. 823 fps 11.5" 0.31"
WW Silvertip 60 gr. 812 fps 12.5" 0.38"
Results are the overage of 3 shots fired
at ID feet into ballistic gelatin.
http://www.brassfetcher.com/Handloaded 85gr Hornady XTP (5-shot test).html
http://www.brassfetcher.com/Various .32ACP (Kel-Tec P32).html
http://www.brassfetcher.com/32ACP60grWinSilvertip.html
http://www.brassfetcher.com/32ACP71grMagtechJHP.html
These should meet the criterion presumed.
Swine flesh is only an approximation of human tissue. So, the bullets would be able to perform for comparison only in that medium. The fact that neither swine, nor humans, have 13" of homogenous tissue available should be evidence that these are, at best, the equivalent of the Thompson-Legarde tests of 1904, with better instrumentation.
However, it should be noted that quite a few of the samples handily exceeded the 13" FBI standard for penetration that so often gets bandied about.