.45 acp ammo recommendations? low recoil-flash

[RPB]

Sold my last .45 in 1994, just gave away all the .45 ammo I had a couple months ago.

Bought a .45 Sunday at the gun show.

Federal MADE (Discontinued) PD45CSP2 H low recoil, low muzzle flash ammo 185 grain JHP.


Looking for a low recoil, low muzzle flash ammo.

Considering Manufacture: Item# HN90900
HORNADY .45 AUTO "CRITICAL DEFENSE" FTX Weight: 185gr
http://www.hornady.com/store/45-ACP-185 ... al-Defense" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
* Unaffected by thick and heavy clothing, including denim and leather.
* FTX bullet delivers superior controlled expansion and large, deep wound cavities over a wide range of velocities.
* Clean burning and stable propellants reduce recoil in lightweight handguns, and perform consistently in all temperatures.
* Minimal muzzle flash protects night vision.
* Feeds reliably in pistols.
* Shiny silver nickel plating prevents corrosion, and is easily visible in low light situations.
* Bullets are cannelured and crimped to avoid bullet setback.
* Bullets are custom designed for individual loads.
* The most effective, consistent, and reliable self-defense ammunition available today!


I haven't tried it yet, but like that ammo in 9mm a lot.

Recoil is an issue with my one hand, no support hand grip (I only have one hand), and I'm getting a ported barrel to help on recoil, so flash is an issue, normal flash is ok, flamethrowers aren't.

Other recommendations? Anyone try them and hate them? Anything better?

[RPB]

c'mon ... I know some of you guys carry .45s ... I'll see if anyone responds tomorrow :)
I ordered new sights, barrel etc, just need to get the ammo ordered

[Vecco]

Low recoil 45. new to me, would not use it, the 45 is already a slow bullet (850fps avg). Muzzle flash will change with every gun, and every brand of ammo. If you find one that works well (night shooting to check) it’s only good for that lot. The next lot (not next box, the next lot # of the same ammo might be horrible. I would simple get ammo that give you acceptable flash (no wolf) and stick with that. Have you done a fair amount of night shooting (not low light, darkness like shot houses at night)?

A ported barrel with really increase your flash.


This is all marketing and not based in reality if you ask me. ( but its still good ammo)

Unaffected by thick and heavy clothing, including denim and leather.
* FTX bullet delivers superior controlled expansion and large, deep wound cavities over a wide range of velocities.
* Clean burning and stable propellants reduce recoil in lightweight handguns, and perform consistently in all temperatures.
* Minimal muzzle flash protects night vision.
* Feeds reliably in pistols.
* Shiny silver nickel plating prevents corrosion, and is easily visible in low light situations.
* Bullets are cannelured and crimped to avoid bullet setback.

Everyone’s miles will very on what they like or don’t like.

[RPB]

It's designed to have a faster velocity than "standard" .45, being lighter weight.

This "Critical Defense" .45 is designed more for 3" barrels, and so I'm swapping my 4" non-ported for a 4.75" ported so velocity shouldn't be affected much, if anything might be a little better than the stats for the 3".

It does seem to always expand right. Ive used that ammo in 9mm ported, pretty impressive.

I guess I'll find out how good it is, At 11.30 p.m. I saw Midway had it on sale, Sale ending Feb 28th, so I ordered 10 boxes and saved $50.00 over the next cheapest place. In my 9mm I use it and the light weight Gold Dots.

About the only time I'm in the dark is fishing at night, mid-lake, but I'll have to have a white stern light on anyway, and mine is raised and high enough on my kayak that the entire area is bright, but might be in the "dark" while loading/unloading kayak or inside house at night. The night blindness isn't as big a concern as recoil, it's really secondary as I get older I seem to go to bed earlier anyway and fish less, and I pretty well know the inside of my house and ambient lights and where every LED is on every appliance etc..My neighborhood is one where my neighbors sleep with their front door wide open ... literally. I'm from the city, so I don't, but they still do.


I think the idea of this ammo is fast, and added flash suppressant, and the rubber insert with velocity for consistent expansion.

[Vecco]

Ive used that ammo in 9mm ported, pretty impressive.

It's designed to have a faster velocity, being lighter weight.

This "Critical Defense" .45 is designed more for 3" barrels, and so I'm swapping my 4" non-ported for a 4.75" ported so velocity shouldn't be affected much, if anything might be a little better than the stats for the 3".

It does seem to always expand right.


About the only time I'm in the dark is fishing at night, mid-lake, but I'll have to have a white stern light on anyway, and mine is raised and high enough on my kayak that the entire area is bright, but might be in the "dark" while loading/unloading kayak or inside house at night. The night blindness isn't as big a concern as recoil, it's really secondary as I get older I seem to go to bed earlier anyway and fish less, and I pretty well know the inside of my house and ambient lights and where every LED is on every appliance etc..My neighborhood is one where my neighbors sleep with their front door wide open ... literally. I'm from the city, so I don't, but they still do.

9 mm and 45.. are apples and oranges.. but again test it out... see what works for you.. I have zero idea on low recol 45..


How do you check Expansion? the only why I know is billistic gel is that what you are using?

if you have LED on everything... you really dont have any Night vision to loose...

Maybe ( I hate to say this ) go to a 40 and not a 45..

just trying to pass info... hope any helps

[RPB]

Yeah, the "9mm apples and oranges" is why I asked

Because in the 1980s, I fired a Glock 10mm twice had mucho pain, then picked up a Glock .45 while my hand hurt from the 10mm, and sold both after less than a magazine each and decided on 9mm for carry ... and I'm thinking it was the 10mm fault I had pain, and giving .45 another chance, but want to "ease" into it.

If there's any low recoil anything else, I'm interested since the Federal one was discontinued. I'm just unsure about those 160/165 grain fragmenting types and all those newfangled types, but a 230 pushes the wrist more than my 9mm does, and I want to "ease into it".

I've seen others test expansion and seen lots of videos and read Gun magazine reviews on this ammo in water, Gel, through thick winter clothes (that's when I started carrying it in 9mm)

I"m just trying not to "scare myself away from .45 in 13 rounds or less" again. ie "ease into it" as much as possible.

I mean if I loaded my own, I could use .45, but I'm not, so looking for lowest recoil that actually would penetrate skin ... I don't need 36" of penetration through car doors, and prefer 12" or less because only skinny people are evil up here, I guess fat people cant run to get away after a crime so it's the skinny criminals in gangs we'll have in our area first. but this seems to do 14" in Gel after a leather jacket and denim, from a 3" or 5" either one, which is fine with me.

Really, if it whacks hard enough to get the bad guy's attention and make him run away, I'm good. I just need low recoil for fast second/followup sight acquisition with single-handed grip wrist pain (I have no left hand) so I don't say "ouch" and throw my gun at the bad guy..


I did ok with .40 in Glock, I sold those, when I needed cash. I bought a Kahr CW40 last year and it was the worst gun I ever owned, snappy recoil hurt on the thin grip backstrap so less palm surface area, and I ran out of ammo before the bazillion round "break-in period" so it wasn't ever reliable, and it was inaccurate and after 1 range trip and 3 other experiences shooter having the same issues with it, I sold it. But I wanted to re-try the flying pie-plate sized ammo of the .45 as I hear "more of a push than a snap" in recoil, and giving it a second chance, but didn't want to grab a +P 230 grain to start with and sell the gun I bought last Sunday next week to someone else.

[b322da]

I use Hornady Critical Defense in my .45 1911s, and Buffalo Bore in .357 and .38 revolvers. Both advertise lower flash and limited, but adequate, in my opinion, penetration.

Elmo

[cbunt1]

I'm not sure I can really answer your question, since I've not bought any of the factory-loaded 185gr hollowpoints in .45

BUT

I've shot a good deal of 185 grain handloads in the H&G 130 design that was very popular with the bullseye shooters in the past. The recoil is indeed lighter, at least in those loads it was.

That said, being a defense round, I think they're hopped up a bit, most likely provide some degree of lighter recoil.

The flash suppressant does seem to work well in the Hornadys I've been around, but as I said, i haven't done an apples-to-apples comparison in my own guns...just been around the ranges when some folks were shooting it. I do love the concept though, with the plastic-tipped slug that doesn't get filled with stuff in your pockets, or on the fly so to speak.

Anxious to hear how it really works out. I'm sure some of the handloaders around might be wiling to help you work out a load that works for you and your gun.

[RPB]

One thing I liked in 9mm about the FTX bullet itself is the extreme taper so it feeds well in everything I had, ... plus the cute "eraser in its nose"

So if it feeds I'll probably carry it in the XD, I trust that FTX design more than the expensive fancy pure copper/no lead and frangible types which are super lightweight because I know very little about those, and concerned if they may/may not penetrate/break apart too soon, etc etc etc.