effective range of .45 ACP

[CommanderPoopyduX]

What is the average Max effective range of commercial .45 ACP?
I have heard some people claiming it will get caught in a bed sheet at 100 yards. What is a safe distance to assume some penetration of at least clothing/tissue?

 

[Clark]

With 460 Rowland pressure levels, 230 gr FMJ, and a 26" rifle, everyone at the range can hear the 45 hit the plywood target 100 meters down range [and they all had their earphones on].

 

[HSMITH]

Ask the next guy claiming it will get caught in a bedsheet to go stand behind one at the 100 yard line and prove it. He will be one dead moron if he does. 230 grain ball will penetrate a human chest through and through at 200 yards+, the problem is hitting something at that range. 200 yards is what most gunnies and gun writers have proclaimed the effective range of the 45 acp to be for the last 75 years or so.

 

[nitesite]

Definition: (DOD, NATO) The maximum distance at which a weapon may be expected to be accurate and achieve the desired result.

So what kind of accuracy are you defining? Man-sized target?
Desired Result? Disabling an attacker from continuing his attack?

Federal GM45A 230-grain FMJ from a 5" barrel

860-fps @ muzzle
780-fps @ 100 yards (doesn't slow down much, does it?)

Energy at muzzle: 380 ft/lbs
Energy at 100 yd: 310 ft/lbs (doesn't loose a lot, it seems)

I'd say the maximum effective range is just beyond 100 yards as far as accuracy is concerned. I would wager that the energy to incapacitate goes beyond beyond 100 yards as well.

And whoever said you could catch a .45ACP with a hanging sheet is, well,
full of it.

 

[stans]

I think I will agree with HSMITH on this one. Anyone care to volunteer to hold the sheet for me?

 

[Clark]

According to Quickload and Quicktarget, a 900 fps 230 gr FMJ bullet at the muzzle that is zero'd for 25 yards will drop 12" at 100 yards and be going 800 fps.
That would go through allot of bedsheets.

 

[Old Fuff]

During the early days of metallic silhouette match shooting the rams were set at a measured distance of 200 meters – well over 200 yards. On one occasion I used a USGI National Match pistol and match-grade hardball ammunition, because at that moment I didn’t have anything better available. As I remember I knocked down three rams at that range. This was not exceptional shooting - at different times others did the same.

 

[Highland Ranger]

200 meters = 218.723 yards in case anyone was wondering . . .

 

[Sistema1927]

I once sent strings of 230 gr. slugs 1100 meters downrange from an M2 SMG.

I don't know if I would have hit anyone at that distance, but I probably would have worried them some. I know that I wouldn't have stood down there amongst the silhouettes at the time.

(Just some background, I was serving as a range NCO while OSUT tankers were familiarizing themselves with their weapons at Ft. Knox. The range officer (a friend of mine) wondered if I could engage the 1100 meter targets with an M2. I sat down, and put the "grease gun" into "mortar" position with the wire butt stock in the dirt. It only took a couple of 3-5 round bursts to find out how much elevation was needed to kick up dirt at 1100 meters. BRAP BRAP BRAP (pause, pause, pause, pause, see dirt kick up, pause, pause, pause) THUD, THUD THUD.)

 

[Kevlarman]

Isn't the greasegun the M3?

 

[CommanderPoopyduX]

That is pretty much what I figured...that the guy was an idiot, but thought I would get a second opinion.

 

[mete]

You better have a Kevlar bed sheet. From old military info - Muzzle velocity 802 fps, 100yds-744, 200yds-691. Penetration in white pine ,100yds-5.5", 200yds- 4.6". maximum range 1600 yds.

 

[mec]

ACP is plenty deadly at 100 yards. There was an old legend that draping a blanket loosely over your fore-arm would stop a bullet. Heck, it may have stopped one of the old black powder rimfire pocket pistol rounds.

Anyway, a guy back in the 20s or 30s robbed the Blooming Grove Texas bank and came out with a blanket in front of him on one arm and his gun and the loot in the other. The local constable believed the blanket thing too so, he just pulled out his .45 and shot the guy in the head.

 

[Clark]

Have you seen that guy, in the Olin channel, shoot a ballon hundreds of yards out with a snub nose revolver?

 

[Firepower!]

Then how does it compare to 9mm as far as range is concerned?

I ask this because being a lighter bullet, a 9mm may hit further out than 45??