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Please tell me about solid copper handgun bullets

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peacefuljeffrey

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Particularly, I am interested in knowing if those Taurus copper hollowpoint rounds are appropriate for use in a .40 cal Glock (my 27).

I know about Glock saying don't use reloads or lead slugs (I don't) but I don't know if there are any warnings against using solid copper rounds. Can it damage the gun? Is it dangerous? Are these rounds any more or less effective? (I just think it's cool as anything that they're just copper, no lead!)

Is anyone offering them besides Taurus? Are they even available in .40?
(Sorry, I just have not made the time to search for this on the web yet. I count on you knowledgeable folks to distill this stuff for me, and to cut through the b.s. that ads throw around.)

Thanks,
-Jeffrey
 
I only have limited knowledge on this, but here goes.

I have carried the Taurus Hex in .45 ACP as my primary hollow point for a little over a year now. I carry a Springfield GI 1911 as my primary carry piece.

I found them on sale at my local gun dealer for $9 a box. They had gotten a case in, not moved any, so were discounting them out. I bought up a number of them to do range tests to insure I would not have any feed/fire/extract issues.

Surprisingly, with how open that hollow point is, I did not have any problems with them. They all stripped off the magazine, chambered, went *BANG*, and piled in a nice little pile 4' to the right of me. They also were functionally accurate, shooting a bit better than the other ammunition I had put through it and at the time I was not that good of a shot with the 1911, so was surprised by them.

Overall, I am incredibly happy with them, find them to be slighly lighter in recoil than the normal ball ammo I shoot for practice. The only problem I have now is that I cannot find anymore of them.

If you can find them, give them a whirl. I have never seen them locally except by Taurus and then only in .45 ACP.
 
The last time I looked, the .357-inch copper bullets were no longer being made. I have no idea why, and less idea why someone else hasn't picked up where Taurus left off.

Lighter and faster is definitely the way to go.
 
You can load your own with Barnes bullets or you can buy ammo loaded by Corbon which is their DPX load.I have those for my 40. They have done very well in all the tests, gelatin etc , and seem to expand AND penetrate.They are very accurate .Street use info has not been available since it's so new....Remington has a n all copper shotgun slug which I've heard performs very well on game.
 
Mete:

Thanks for referencing the copper shotgun slugs. I forgot all about them and there are a few boxes of them here at the house. Not sure how they shoot, if I ever get around to it I'll let you know.

When shooting this all copper stuff, be careful of your backdrop and avoid hitting trees with them. Copper is poisonous to our foliaged friends.
 
When shooting this all copper stuff, be careful of your backdrop and avoid hitting trees with them. Copper is poisonous to our foliaged friends.
Click to expand...
What?
How is shooting an all copper bullet any different than a copper jacketed bullet with regards to backstops and trees?

An all copper bullet is more environmentally friendly than a copper jacketed lead bullet.
 
From what I've seen, all of Remington's new copper shotgun slugs are in sabot loads, designed for RIFLED shotgun barrels. Shootable, I suppose, from smoothbores, but there I saw no overall advantage over conventional slugs.
 
Standing Wolf- Im not sure whether you are talking about bullets or entire cartridges...
Click to expand...

Bullets. I'm very reluctant to buy premium-priced cartridges. I'd much rather load my own, get a feel for the copper bullets and their performance, and think about switching to copper for self-defense.
 
If you decide to reload the Barnes bullets, there is something you should be aware of. The fact that these bullets are solid copper, makes them less dense than lead based bullets of the same diameter. Therefore, for any given bullet weight, the Barnes bullets are longer. The bearing surface that contacts the rifling is usually also longer, therefore load data for same weight lead and solid copper bullets is not interchangeble. When using load data with the Barnes bullets, use only the data specific to that particular bullet, otherwise excessive pressures could occur. Following the load data in the Barnes loading manuals is highly recommended.
 
The Taurus Hex bullet was/is the Barnes X-bullet. Taurus only marketed it in .45acp.

Cor-Bon is offering the Barnes X-bullet in several calibers.

They will not harm a Glock or any other polygonal rifled weapon. To a gunbarrel it's just another metal bullet.
 
Mag Tech is now marketing a high performance round with a solid copper hollowpoint called " First Defense". Northwest Loading Supply lists them in 40,45. and 9mm. Have not seen or tried them. must be pretty new, they are not listed on CBC's website. :confused:
 
When shooting this all copper stuff, be careful of your backdrop and avoid hitting trees with them. Copper is poisonous to our foliaged friends.
Click to expand...
-nordaim

One guy questioned this statement, but it is in fact correct. Jacketed bullets will also poisin trees to some extent. We had a problem here with rich home owners driving copper nails into the trunks of trees that were spoiling their views, and copper is quite an effective tree killer. Don't ask me why, but I guess it's like asking why lead is poisinous to humans.

Also I don't think anyone actually mentioned if those copper projectiles can be shot through a glock barrell. Most will know the answer, but yes. The reason why glock advises against firing lead in their barrels is because of the hexagonal rifling, which lends to bite off a little more lead than conventional rifling. This can lead to excessive fouling, in a short space of time, thus building up pressure in the barrel, unbeknown to the user untill the barrell blows....though this doesn't stop alot of people from trying lead projectiles in their glock barrels.
 
If you are referring to the copper vs trees things, I don't know how much copper it takes to kill a tree. I guess it depends on the tree.

It would be a good experiment though wouldn't it. Someone should shoot one of these things into a tree, and just post a photo of it each month, see if it really does make a difference. Probably not though...
 
It'd depend on the species, initial health of the tree as well, injury depth, weather, stand conditions...

lots of variables :)

I have seen yellow poplar boards put over a jointer (I work in a woodshop as an attendant). The blade cut off a little bit of the bullet and the user noticed the abrupt change and promptly stopped.
It was a FMJ 30 cal bullet. I estimate the board to be cut about 3 or 4 inches from pith and the tree was probably 10-12 inches in diameter at time of harvest.
All that happened was the tree formed a small canker around it and then grew over it. It had probably been 15 years between the wound and harvest.
It certainly wasn't a life threatening wound to the tree, I don't know how other trees would react though.

BTW I'm a forest management major too.
 
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