Aguila has discontinued it's IQ line of ammo a while ago. It was made for 9mm, 40 S&W and 45. Only 45 is now readily available. There were some of us who were very impressed with this stuff. I heard production was canceled due to pressure from law enforcement agencies. I was never able to confirm that.
It was "rumored' to be armor piercing and then loads of folks starting talking trash about the new super bullet.
Bottom line is I still think it was a great round. I found an article giving results of testing done in response to a homicide investigation involving this round (45 variety).
It goes a long way towards building the legitimacy of this ammo. I hope Aguila brings it back.
http://www.afte.org/TrainingSeminar/AFTE2006/Summaries/afte2006_tues.htm
If you follow the link you will have to scroll down to find this article or do a text search.
11:30 AM
Aguila IQ Case Study in .45 ACP
Dale Justice, Bexar County Crime Lab, San Antonio, TX
MMC Grand Ballroom Side B
Objectives:
For the last several years the Mexican manufactured ammunition packaged under the Aguila name produces a product line marketed as the “first intelligent bullet”. This high velocity zinc hollow point bullet remains intact when penetrating hard objects and fragments in soft material. We present a case report of a homicidal gunshot wound resulting from a shooting with this relatively uncommon ammunition.
A discussion of this bullets elemental composition, fragmentation pattern, P GSR results and test shots into a bullet resistant vest will also be discussed. The tests were conducted to determine:
1) If the manufacturer's performance data was accurate.
2) The elemental composition of the bullet.
3) If the "vest piercing" claims were correct.
4) If zinc bullets create conflict with current primer gunshot residue (P GSR) analysis methodology.
Methodology:
Obtained ammunition through local sources and fired tests into a water tank, cotton tube and an older kevlar protective vest. Also chronographed the bullets at two locations. The firearm used(Haskell) was the closest model to one used in a homicide (Hi Point) available in our reference collection.
"Soft target" results were compared to x rays and recovered fragments from the homicide case.
SEM analysis of unfired ammunition and P GSR stubs were performed by the Trace Evidence section.
P GSR was collected prior to firing, after one, three and five shots.
Results:
Performance was consistent with manufacturer's claims.
1) Broke into three or four pieces in soft material (water).
2) Remained intact in solid material (cotton & vest).
3) Velocity measured at over 1400 FPS at approx 9 feet.
Urban myths BUSTED! Failed to perforate the vest at three and nine feet with direct shots. A second angled shot at nine feet also failed to penetrate. The impact was sufficient to caused serious or fatal injuries without bullet penetration.
SEM indicates the bullets are primarily pure zinc with a few trace amounts of other metals/minerals.
P GSR showed an abundance of zinc, which increased with successive firing. There was a significant rise between one and three shots with a moderate increase from three to five.
Conclusions:
Aguila IQ bullets perform as advertised by the manufacturer NOT as stated in cyber stories. Although the vest was not penetrated, it is possible to sustain fatal injuries from the impact alone.
Criteria for evaluation of P GSR needs to be examined to account for the zinc presence without copper for this ammunition.
It was "rumored' to be armor piercing and then loads of folks starting talking trash about the new super bullet.
Bottom line is I still think it was a great round. I found an article giving results of testing done in response to a homicide investigation involving this round (45 variety).
It goes a long way towards building the legitimacy of this ammo. I hope Aguila brings it back.
http://www.afte.org/TrainingSeminar/AFTE2006/Summaries/afte2006_tues.htm
If you follow the link you will have to scroll down to find this article or do a text search.
11:30 AM
Aguila IQ Case Study in .45 ACP
Dale Justice, Bexar County Crime Lab, San Antonio, TX
MMC Grand Ballroom Side B
Objectives:
For the last several years the Mexican manufactured ammunition packaged under the Aguila name produces a product line marketed as the “first intelligent bullet”. This high velocity zinc hollow point bullet remains intact when penetrating hard objects and fragments in soft material. We present a case report of a homicidal gunshot wound resulting from a shooting with this relatively uncommon ammunition.
A discussion of this bullets elemental composition, fragmentation pattern, P GSR results and test shots into a bullet resistant vest will also be discussed. The tests were conducted to determine:
1) If the manufacturer's performance data was accurate.
2) The elemental composition of the bullet.
3) If the "vest piercing" claims were correct.
4) If zinc bullets create conflict with current primer gunshot residue (P GSR) analysis methodology.
Methodology:
Obtained ammunition through local sources and fired tests into a water tank, cotton tube and an older kevlar protective vest. Also chronographed the bullets at two locations. The firearm used(Haskell) was the closest model to one used in a homicide (Hi Point) available in our reference collection.
"Soft target" results were compared to x rays and recovered fragments from the homicide case.
SEM analysis of unfired ammunition and P GSR stubs were performed by the Trace Evidence section.
P GSR was collected prior to firing, after one, three and five shots.
Results:
Performance was consistent with manufacturer's claims.
1) Broke into three or four pieces in soft material (water).
2) Remained intact in solid material (cotton & vest).
3) Velocity measured at over 1400 FPS at approx 9 feet.
Urban myths BUSTED! Failed to perforate the vest at three and nine feet with direct shots. A second angled shot at nine feet also failed to penetrate. The impact was sufficient to caused serious or fatal injuries without bullet penetration.
SEM indicates the bullets are primarily pure zinc with a few trace amounts of other metals/minerals.
P GSR showed an abundance of zinc, which increased with successive firing. There was a significant rise between one and three shots with a moderate increase from three to five.
Conclusions:
Aguila IQ bullets perform as advertised by the manufacturer NOT as stated in cyber stories. Although the vest was not penetrated, it is possible to sustain fatal injuries from the impact alone.
Criteria for evaluation of P GSR needs to be examined to account for the zinc presence without copper for this ammunition.
