Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Short barrel 45 ACP self defense ammo?

What do you guys use in sub 4" 45 ACP? I've been using Federal blue box 185 gr JHP in my 3.3" Springfield XDS. I ran across some 185 and 200 gr Sig gold crown yesterday for a good deal but didn't pick any up at the time. I would think with the shorter barrel a lighter bullet would be better to ensure expansion and reduce the risk of just penciling through that you may get with a standard 230 gr.

Gold Dots seem to be hard to find locally but I am seeing Hornady 185 XTP, Sig 185 and 200 gr and Monarch 185 JHP. I suppose any 45 ACP JHP is acceptable because it sure isn't going to shrink, but I prefer to get some expansion as well. I have no desire to shoot Buffalo Bore or any other really hot rounds through the XDS.

There are a LOT of different loads tested on the link below out of short barrels.

http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/p/ammo-tests.html

Take a look at these results from a 3.64" barrel.
I'm carrying Federal 230gr HST in my Glock 30's and 21's.
Handgun Self-Defense Ammo Test

I mostly use the Speer Gold Dot 185 gr in my short barrel 45 acp's

The Remingtons tested like schit, if you take a look at the link provided earlier.

I know the OP said they were hard to find, but my .45's are all stoked with Gold Dot 200 gr--from sub 4" to over 5".

I favor Speer Gold Dot short barrel ammo. There is ample data available to the public reference terminal performance.

I've got some Black Talon's that I carry in my .45's sometimes

Those work NICELY.

The only reason to use "short barrel" ammo is if your particular gun & its setup benefits for the recoil impulse of that ammo.

As for me, I don't own any 45's with less than a 4" barrel, so it's standard 230 HST's or Gold Dots in my 45's.

Virtually all credible performance tests have those loads rated well for penetration & with consistent expansion performance.

A few other rate well from time to time but generally with more erratic performance in both penetration & expansion.

MM

I'm with you Montana Man. The nice thing about a full sized 45 ACP is how versitle they are and that you have a wide variety of commercially produced ammo available and most of it shoots and performs well in most guns. And you can cast up some 200 grain semi wadcutters and crank them up to around 1000 FPS, and they also perform well indeed. The full sized guns don't seem to have some of the ammo qurks the smaller sized guns do, but what the heck? Some people like big trucks and some don't, but they get to where they are going just the same.

I carry 230 grain standard velocity Gold Dots in my Glock 30 and also carried them in a 3.3" XDs when I was in a phase. I don't worry about ammo too much in .45 as long as it is a duty quality round.

^
This either +P or standard as the MV difference is not very great.

i posted this pic almost two years back when doing some testing of various pills.

the pill in the center is a 230 gr. Federal HST, fired from a Glock 36 (3.77 inch barrel if i recall), into 4 one gallon milk jugs lined up. distance was 5 yards.

the pill was caught in the plastic on the back side of the 3rd jug, making for about 18 inches of penetration, and expanded to .84 rounded off--an excellent balance of both penetration and expansion.

they are very well engineered. when combined every other round with Speer 230 gr Gold Dots (pill on the far right), in my opinion one has about the best of both worlds.

What are the two on the left?

the pill on the far left is a Federal 124 gr HST 9mm. if i recall, was in third jug, and expanded to .69 rounded off (the HST in 9mm gives near .45 caliber diameter expansion if comparing with some average, ordinary .45 cal. hollow point pills).

second from left is a Federal 180 gr HST 40 S&W. was also in 3rd jug, expanded to .78 rounded off.


for info; second from right is a 230 gr Cor Bon + P 45 auto. was in 4th jug, expanded to .67 rounded off.


the Federal HST demonstrates some significant engineering...

Good discussion guys and thanks for the links. The HST and Gold Dot appear to be well suited for use in a short barrel. I was surprised that the 230 HST expanded as well as it did from the Kahr CW45.

I have always used Federal HydraShock 230 grain in my short barrel .45 ACP pistols. My XDS loves them. The Wilson Combat was most accurate with those.