Bad bullets made good... maybe.

[Vern Humphrey]

My first tour in Viet Nam, I carried a Colt M357 loaded with handloads -- hollowbased wadcutters loaded backwards. They worked, but leaded the barrel ferociously.

If I had it to do over again, I'd cast my own and powder coat them.

 

[Riomouse911]

OK, nice little range trip today, and it's mostly good news for accuracy. Mostly.

Trying the 125gr XTP (9mm Mod) was first. Mt test gun was a Beretta M1951E. I shot everything rapid-fire at seven yards initially because I was more interested in seeing if the bullets flew straight than ultimate accuracy. First the standard XTPs:

View attachment 929714
About what I expected. Moved on to the modifed XTP with this result-

View attachment 929715
Not good. Bullets yawing and key-holing all over the place. These are obviously a no-go. Last i tried the modified Xtreme 115gr JHPs-

View attachment 929716
Looking good! I'll need to do expansion tests on these next. Moving on to the 125gr. XTP (.38 Special mod with a broader, deeper cavity,) shooting rapid fire five-shot strings at seven yards, through both the 3" K-frame and 3" Astra Police-
View attachment 929717 View attachment 929718
OK, everything flew straight and matched what passes for accuracy for me. I had three left after these tests so I reeled a target out to 25 yards and fired them double action, taking my time this time.
View attachment 929719
Not going to win any prizes, but three shots in a bit less than three inches at 25 yards will do, even if the group was a bit high and left.

So it looks like the 115gr. Xtreme 9mmMod and the 125 XTP .38Mod will be moving on to expansion tests. Stay tuned...

Not often a Beretta 1951/Helwan is used in a test, sweet!

Stay safe.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Not often a Beretta 1951/Helwan is used in a test, sweet!

Stay safe.

Even better, this one is a 1951E, a special-order model for the Egyptian army, pre-Maadi Helwan, made by Beretta! In a couple weeks I'll be picking up a police-trade-in 1951 in great condition; just have to wait for the paperwork/waiting period.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

The whole point of the thread is improving expansion of OP's modified bullets.

So OP's effort is not a "waste" of time.

Sure, it is nice to have both penetration and expansion but the focus of this thread is expansion performance of OP's modified bullets.

It would be nice if OP could send some modified bullets to Jake/RMR so gelatin block test could be done.

Gel block is inbound from Clear Ballistics, so there will be a denim/gel test. We'll know more about expansion and penetration and see what's what.

Also, got a new tool- a full-length .223 resizing/de-capping die. The de-capping pin was immediately removed and made into a pin to punch hollow points. After some adjustment it works a treat on both the 125gr and 115gr. bullets. Put a bullet on the pusher plate, run it up into the die. Drop the ram and tap the side of the press with a hammer and the bullet falls right out into my hand. Easy Peasy. I can crank them out quite quickly now!

If nothing else I know they are good for punching paper, so all that's getting wasted is my time if they don't work out.

 

[Riomouse911]

Even better, this one is a 1951E, a special-order model for the Egyptian army, pre-Maadi Helwan, made by Beretta! In a couple weeks I'll be picking up a police-trade-in 1951 in great condition; just have to wait for the paperwork/waiting period.

Nice!
Mine is one of the Interarms Helwan imports from back in the 1980’s. A tad rough, but functional.



Stay safe.