basic bullet and cartridge questions

[White_Wolf]

Bullet type abbreviations.
What do the following abbreviations stand for, and what exactly is the difference in the behavior of that type of bullet.
HP
JHP
FMJ
FPJ
RN
JHC
JSP

What does ACP and AE stand for? As in .45 ACP and .50 AE
What is a NATO round?
What is a Parabellum round.

Are hollow point bullets legal for citizen use?
Pros and cons of a hollow point?

Are fragmenting bullets (frangible) legal for citizen use?
Pros and cons of frangible bullets?

Are exploding bullets legal for citizen use?
Pros and cons of exploding bullets?

Are incendiary bullets legal for civilian use?
Pros and cons of incendiary bullets.

I want to get a gun with a pretty high caliber, but I want to start out practicing with light loads. So my question is:
Do cartridges like a 9mm, .357 mag, .44 mag, and .45 ACP come in different bullet and powder weights for lighter loads? If so, does a lighter load affect accuracy? Are the lighter loads cheaper to buy?

 

[EddieCoyle]

Wow. You could start here and probably get most of your questions answered:
http://thehighroad.org/library/

 

[Dr. Dickie]

I want to at least try:
Bullet type abbreviations.
What do the following abbreviations stand for, and what exactly is the difference in the behavior of that type of bullet.
HP--Hollow point
JHP--Jacketed Hollow Point
FMJ--Full Metal Jacket
FPJ--Flat Point Jacketed
RN--Round Nose
JHC--Jacketed Hollow Cavity
JSP--Jacketed Soft Point

What does ACP and AE stand for?
ACP--Automatic Colt Pistol
AE--? Don't know that one
As in .45 ACP and .50 AE
What is a NATO round? Means a caliber used by Nato: 7.62 x 51 or 5.56 x 45
What is a Parabellum round. This is the same as 9mm Lugar (parabellum means prepare for war--The Germans used this to descibe the 9mm Lugar round)

 

[Ben Shepherd]

AE: Action Express. As in 50 AE.

Also a not very common one- HJHP: Half jacket hollow point.

 

[The Bushmaster]

HJHP or SJHP (Semi Jacketed Hollow Point)

 

[AmbulanceDriver]

I'll take a whack at a few more

From Wikipedia:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The word Parabellum is a word coined by German arms maker Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken and is derived from the Latin saying si vis pacem, para bellum, meaning "if you want peace, prepare for war". The term has several uses, including:

9 mm Luger Parabellum, the firearms cartridge adopted by NATO as the 9 x 19 mm
7.65 mm Luger Parabellum, or .30 Luger, from which the 9 x 19 mm cartridge was developed

NATO rounds are simply rounds that are loaded to NATO specifications.

Hollow point and frangible rounds are both perfectly legal for civilian use.

The advantage of hollow points is that they expand on impact with their target, creating a larger wound channel.

Frangible rounds do not expand, but rather fragment. Depending on the particular design, they will fragment on hitting a rather soft target and create multiple wound channels, or will fragment on striking a harder target, theoretically to prevent overpenetration (penetration through multiple interior walls, for example).

I do not believe "exploding" bullets are even possible in anything smaller than a .50 BMG, but I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. However, I believe they would be considered a Destructive Device by the ATF and very highly regulated.

Also not certain regarding "incendiary" rounds in smaller than .50, however, tracer rounds are legal on a state-by-state basis.


As far as light loads for target practice, all of the cartridges you listed come in a variety of loadings. However, most of those different loadings will be approximately the same in cost at retail.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Hollow point and frangible rounds are both perfectly legal for civilian use.

Not in New Jersey.

 

[Cheeseybacon]

What about XTP? I've seen that listed a lot in the midway catalog, but it was never listed under their little bullet acronymns key.

 

[AmbulanceDriver]

Hollow point and frangible rounds are both perfectly legal for civilian use.

Not in New Jersey.

Ah. Ok. so add that one to the list of state by state as well.

 

[sargenv]

I would suggest getting any edition of "Cartridges of the world". It will tell you all you ever wanted to know about commercially available ammunition and in the obsolete section, all the ammo that used to be available here and abroad.

Vince

 

[The Bushmaster]

XTP=Extreme Terminal Penitration. Hornady bullet type. Did I get that right guys??? Too lazy to go to the gun/reloading room to check.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

XTP: Extreme Terminal Preformance.

Good bullets. Usually vey accurate, and they hold together at higher velocities than most other hollowpoint designs.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Thanks Ben...Knew it was something like that. And you are correct about the bullet "preformance" I use them for hunting with very good results.

 

[.38 Special]

I'll take a turn

Are hollow point bullets legal for citizen use?
Pros and cons of a hollow point?

Yes, mostly. "Check your local laws" etc., but most cops use 'em and I agree with the folks that claim using the same cartridge/bullet as the local cops makes good legal sense. Hollow point pros: more effective for manstopping, less likely to penetrate walls and endanger innocents. Cons: more likely to jam an autopistol, may open you to criticism/legal abuse from people who don't know anything about anything.

Are fragmenting bullets (frangible) legal for citizen use?
Pros and cons of frangible bullets?

I don't know of anywhere that outlaws frangible bulletes (Glaser Safety Slugs, etc.) but it wouldn't surprise me if there are places that do. Pros: might be the most effective bullet available for self defense, very little risk of passing through walls. Cons: Might be a terrible bullet for self defense. There just aren't enough documented shootings with these bullets to know for sure.

Are exploding bullets legal for citizen use?
Pros and cons of exploding bullets?

My half-educated guess is no. BTW, "exploding bullets" generally refer to rounds with a small charge in the hollowpoint, designed not to explode inside a target but to force rapid and massive expansion, kind of like a hollowpoint on steroids. Pros: Will definitely expand. Cons: shoot somebody with one and get crucified in court.

Are incendiary bullets legal for civilian use?
Pros and cons of incendiary bullets.

Yes, generally. Some states probably outlaw them and many ranges don't allow them. Pros: mildly entertaining. Cons: Not actually useful in any sporting sense I can think of.

I want to get a gun with a pretty high caliber, but I want to start out practicing with light loads. So my question is:
Do cartridges like a 9mm, .357 mag, .44 mag, and .45 ACP come in different bullet and powder weights for lighter loads? If so, does a lighter load affect accuracy? Are the lighter loads cheaper to buy?

Federal offers "self defense" loads that are advertised as low recoil/high velocity. I assume this means light bullets. I don't think they're cheap. I'm not aware of any other reduced power factory loads for the cartridges you mention. Generally speaking, the lightest bullets in any given caliber will have the lightest recoil. The very lightest bullets in the 9 MM are quite comfortable for almost everyone. The .357 and .44 Magnums can also fire .38 Specials and .44 Specials respectively, unless it's an autopistol. The .45 is pretty much going to kick, although the lightest bullets in that caliber are pretty easy for most folks.

HTH!

 

[.38 Special]

And before I get flamed for the "hollowpoints jamming autopistols" bit, just about any auto can be made to work with just about any bullet, and most don't need any work to begin with. A few older types of autos have a reputation for trouble digesting hollopoints (fixable by a good gunsmith) and a few aggresive hollowpoints had/have a reputation for choking up guns (also fixable.)

Most modern autos will feed darn near everything with no problem, but it's a good idea to find out for sure at the range prior to relying on the piece to save your life.

 

[toecutter]

Exploding bullets: These are few and far between. Most common exploding bullet type is the "spotter" round which makes a flash and smoke when it hits a target. Technically, these are typed as incindiary rounds and are illegal in many, but not most states. I have seen these in .308, .30-06, .50BMG. I have also seen exploding bullets that were designed to explode when they hit a target (presumably human). Nasty nasty stuff, while I doubt these are destructive devices due to the amount of explosive contained inside they are probably typed in with spotter ammunition. These are really only useful if you live in a state they are legal, and like to see stuff go boom (who doesnt).

Incindiary bullets: These bullets are typically doped with white phosphorus and when the jacket is torn by hitting a target ignite spontaniously. They are a fire hazard, and are best enjoyed in a free state that allows them.

Frangible Bullets: Frangibles are one of the more recent types to hit the spotlight. I've fired quite a few of them from both rifles and pistols. For rifles, they are fairly consistent and perform very well for target shooting (I use them since they are monolithic they don't have problems with jacket/core being out of balance) and have shot some good groups with them. I have also used them for training on steel targets at very close ranges, they don't beat up the targets and don't riccochet. I like shooting them, and would use them exclusively if not for the price. Check out www.frangiblebullets.com - that's where I get mine.

Hollowpoint: well you get the idea, the name says it all. They to my knowledge are not legislated.

Hope this helps!