Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Fiocchi OK?

I just tried to order Magtech, Fiocchi, and Black Hills 9 mm, 38 Spec, and 357 Mag from Cabela's. Obama paranoia. Yep, it's the cheapest ammo but it's practice ammo for my daughter. Remington and Federal is for real keep on hand for defense.

All Magtech was out and one of the Black Hills. Is Fiocchi not that popular or inferior in some way?

Thanks

Fiocchi is far from inferior.

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05-21-08
Firearm: Charles Daly 1911 FS 5�
Ammunition: Fiocchi 230gr JHP

Having had some extra money come my way recently, I set out to buy a new 1911, namely, a brand new Taurus PT1911. I went ahead and ran through my personal safety checklist even though it was factory new. Imagine my disappointment when I heard a �click� when pulling the hammer back after putting pressure on the trigger with the safety engaged � the safety was not well fitted. They had no others with the ambidextrous safety, so I passed up the pistol for now.

I got to asking around about some 1911 magazines I had sold them a couple years back. The clerk on duty dug up three of the five after some searching, and found an additional two and a mag pouch. I bought all five magazines, two of which are WWII issue, one marked �S� and another marked �C-S.� All are Colt.

After I got home, I tested them for reliability. Two would not drop free consistently � an unmarked one and the �C-S� failed that test. However, three fired out as if they were new, and there is more than enough spring pressure in them.

As an aside, I have two different views of the �perfect� magazine for the 1911. The first is the seven round Wilson 47, or the 47D (8 round) loaded with seven rounds.

The second is the Colt hybrid style with a bumper pad. I had been looking at ordering several Metalform mags due to their similarity to this style. I can put that on the back burner now; I�ll just dig up some stick on bumpers for these.

The second test was to take the remaining three and fire my carry ammo out of each. This gunstore had acquired 150 rounds of Fiocchi 230gr hollowpoint. Since 230gr hollowpoint in standard pressure is somewhat difficult to find here, and the prices per box were less than Winchester �White Box� at Walmart by nearly $5, I bought all three boxes. Fifty rounds later through the three good magazines showed me that I had nothing to be concerned about with respect to function. I didn�t test the ones that hung a bit when dropping free as they�ve been designated �range mags� and will likely only see ball.


I already had the pistol. The rest are today�s purchases.

The Fiocchi round�s bullet looks like a copy of the XTP. Checking their website, the bullet is only identified as a hollowpoint, but I did note that Fiocchi loads a 200gr XTP bullet to +P pressures, so the resemblance is understandable.


This is the usual setup with the addition of a log.

When I attempted to test the Hornady 230gr +P TAP FPD, that bullet blew through six jugs and was not recovered, so I had to scrub the test. Not wanting to repeat that performance, I put the log there to stop anything which may have made it through the jugs. I need not have worried.


Here�s the shot�


The bullet decimated the first jug�


� and continued on through three jugs�


� while shedding its jacket.

I do not consider a defensive bullet shedding its jacket to necessarily be a bad thing as long as penetration is present. In this case, it was.

[img]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...%20230gr%20test/between3rdand4thjugs.jpg[/img]
I found the core perfectly expanded between the third and fourth jugs, completely sans jacket.

Earlier, while I was testing the magazines, I plunked several bullets into a stove length which was waterlogged from recent rains.

[img]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Fiocchi%20230gr%20test/logrecovered.jpg[/img]
This is the result of firing this round into saturated wood.

The bullet showed no indication of separating.

[img]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...iocchi%20230gr%20test/waterrecovered.jpg[/img]
This is the result of firing it into water after passing it through denim. As is often said, water will act upon a bullet in the most radical manner of any of the test mediums. Comparing the shot into wood to this, I�m convinced.

Having bought 150 rounds of this fodder on blind faith, I�m glad it performs. I�m set for a while for carry ammo it would seem, and now the most difficult decision will be whether to carry the Wilson mags, or the Colt.

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Josh <><

Nice test. I picked up a 50 box of the same ammo to test but haven't gptten around to it as of yet.
Cocked and locked

Mr. Ayoob recommends Fiocchi for defensive use in several different cal./cartridges and backs up such claims with seemingly, objective testings and comparisons. Whether he is the bottomline to all that is true, I certainly couldn't and wouldn't support any such contention. He does, however, have many more years and reams of more experience in reviewing such offerings than many of the rest of us all lumped together. Beats flippin' a coin by a long shot......IMHO.

I have used Fiocchi in certain cal./cartridges for many years and have been very pleased with their performance, universal ability to function smoothly and overall reliability. Mr. Ayoob's results have mirrored my own as far as noticing that Fiocchi ammo generally gives the most bang for the buck in the velocity dept.........not a bad thing when smaller cal./cartridges may be involved. And when we're talking about "lesser" velocity performers, it may also be a prudent choice to go the ball route as the benefits of the HP design are much reduced as velocities wane.

Just a thought...............

Good luck.

YMMV.......................

Thanks everyone.