Short-Barrel .45ACP Expansion

[Hypnogator]

I hear all the time about how you should shoot lighter bullet weights from short-barreled .45s because the heavier weight bullets don't achieve enough velocity to expand. That hasn't been my view, but just for giggles earlier today I shot a 230-gr Federal HST +P and a Taurus 185-gr Barnes Hex bullet from my Springfield XDS into water-filled milk jugs. I also chronographed both loads, plus some WWB 230-gr ball ammo for comparison.

FWIW, the HST averaged 873.92 FPS with a standard deviation of 9.9 FPS.
The Taurus 185s averaged 861 FPS with a standard deviation of 27.55 FPS.
The WWB ball averaged 743.08 FPS with a standard deviation of 5.33 FPS.

Here is the recovered 230-gr HST bullet:




And here is the 185-gr Barnes bullet.

Interestingly, only four of the six petals expanded, as is seen in this view.

This caused the bullet to tumble in the water, and it actually embedded itself in the far wall of the third jug BACKWARDS! This view would be what it looked like from the back of the jug.


Of course a one-bullet test is hardly conclusive, but I'll keep my XDS stuffed with Federal HSTs.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Interesting post. Thanks for the info. I carry an XDs and have been wondering. I carry 230 gr Hornady TAP +p ammo. It's accurate out of that gun, but I have no idea if it expands. I'm guessing it does.

 

[Havok7416]

Thanks for testing this. I can never seem to find enough data on bullet expansion.

 

[Water-Man]

I carry HST in both my 9mm & .45acp.

Excellent round.

 

[IdahoHk416]

I carry the Barnes TacXPD 185gr +p in my XDs .45. I chose this load because it is reliable, the recoil is tame, and there is almost zero muzzle flash. I'm happy with it. I have also been stocking up on Hornady Critical Defense 185gr jhp as well. I'm going to shoot some of them through my XDs and XDm and see how they do.

I tend to like the 185gr .45 loadings for SD because of the extra velocity. I'm a fan of light and fast.

 

[stressed]

Be careful of that TacXPD load, as it is very anemic and some non +P standard 230gr will go faster.

I would run it over a chrono in your gun.

The 9mm TacXPD is also very anemic, going less then some standard 124gr out of both pistols and carbines in my personal tests. Maybe they do that to prevent over expansion, then why rate it +P, and if it was +P what's the point of a slow overpressure round.

 

[tarosean]

What is/was the barrel length??

 

[SDGlock23]

Whoever still spouts that tired old mantra about .45 JHP's not expanding from short barrels needs to step out of the 1970's, it's foolishness.

A number of bullets today come already designed to work over a broad range of velocities. Some of the older designs may not expand as much as the newer ones, and every now and then a JHP will clog up and act like a FMJ, but none of them do it on a regular basis.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I tend to like the 185gr .45 loadings for SD because of the extra velocity. I'm a fan of light and fast.

I typically am too, but I found that my XDs shoots 230 gr ammo more accurately.