A More Powerful 45 ACP
Manageable Big Bore Bruisers 3
Photo taken with a camera set up by Gavin Gear at Ultimate Reloader. Nobody was downrange. I deliberately didn’t use eye protection to simulate a home-defense situation and had ear plugs firmly seated.
This series on manageable big bore handguns has been looking at big bore handguns that toss a hefty bullet at 900 - 1000+ fps. Cartridges like the 45 Colt, a well-loaded 44 Special or downloaded 44 magnum, that sort of thing. Powerful and effective, but manageable. Does the 45 ACP even meet that criteria?
You bet it does! It has done so for a very long time and is even better in that role with updated bullets and powders available today.
The Marines introduced me to the 45 ACP back about 1980 - now it’s 45 years later - and I’m still carrying a 1911 45 ACP. Just returned from my morning walk with the dog and I’ve still got that 1911 on my belt as I type this. What’s so great about the 45? Well, let’s take a look…
Talk about well proven… 1911 is when the Army adopted the then-new semi-auto 45 pistol. The 1911 was designed to replace 45 Colt revolvers in military service. The 45 ACP, Automatic Colt Pistol, offered similar ballistics to the venerable 45 Colt revolver cartridge, but in a modern rimless design. Interestingly the 1911 showed itself as more reliable than the revolvers in Army testing! The new pistol was quickly adopted by the military which started procuring them in numbers.
Handloads:
My goal was to go beyond the normal 800-850 fps level with a 230 grain bullet.
Using load data from Hodgdon, I was pleased to see an average of 1016 fps with a 230 grain Berry’s Hybrid Hollowpoint fired from my 5” Kimber 1911.
The load was 8.2 grains of Ramshot Silhouette in Winchester cases and used CCI 300 large pistol primers.
Hodgdon’s 45+P data with Ramshot Silhouette and a Berry’s 230 gr bullet:
My version differed slightly from theirs but used the same powder charge and got almost identical results. The load was powerful, dependable, accurate, and relatively easy to control. That’s what I’m after with these “Manageable Big Bore” loads in this series. If you don’t want to load +P specs, dropping down to standard 45 ACP loads with Silhouette:
The top standard load churns up nearly 960 fps which is nothing to sneeze at! It’s far more powerful than some of the factory 230 grain “hardball” ammo I’ve tested at only 805 fps or so. Ramshot Silhouette is the key to getting this level of performance from the 45 and 45+P. It’s worth noting that even the +P loads develop a mild 22,800 psi.
But what if you’re not a handloader? There are some factory loads and loads from specialized ammo makers that fit the description quite well:
Factory:
Federal’s 240 grain “solid core” bullet at 1000 fps is intended for deep penetration on bears and other large, dangerous wildlife.
Federal’s 230 gr +P at 950 fps is an excellent self-defense load.
Hornady offers their impressive 230 grain XTP at 950 fps.
They also offer their newer 220 grain FlexLock Critical Duty 45+P ammo at 975 fps! Currently this is my carry ammo for the 45 1911.
Buffalo Bore uses a heavy 255 grain hardcast at 925 fps for their beastly defense round.
For a self-defense round that won’t penetrate as deeply, but will expand better, they have a 230 grain JHP at 950 fps. Many say that a 45 doesn’t even need to expand!
I’m a law enforcement and NRA handgun and rifle instructor, a USMC veteran and a retired police officer with 12 years of SWAT experience. Catch my firearms and ammunition videos on Ultimate Reloader on Rumble and YouTube. Photos in this article are a combination of mine and those taken by Ultimate Reloader.
Shoot well, Guy Miner