I wanted to test at least one 185-grain loading. This cluster was fired from the Les Baer with the Fiocchi loading. I prefer the standard-velocity load when all is considered, and this one gets the slot among the top five loads. The 900 fps load, in comparison, averages 18 inches of penetration and. The 230-grain Extrema breaks 840 fps in most pistols, 855 fps in the GLOCK 21. This load offers modest recoil in comparison to a +P, and has excellent accuracy.įiocchi features high cartridge integrity. There are two Fiocchi loadings, one a 900 fps XTP loading and the Extrema at 840 fps. Winchester’s 230-grain JHP sometimes lost its jacket, but expansion is good. With 18 inches of penetration, this loading expands to a consistent. The Winchester load is no slouch for a non +P, clocking a solid 855 to 866 fps in full-size handguns. This load was also tested in the GLOCK 21 with good results. It is affordable, reliable and accurate enough for most uses.Ī standard-velocity loading is useful in short-barrel or full-size handguns. This is a general-purpose defense loading available in 50-round boxes. Hornady’s Critical Duty is a good service load. The leading water jugs were blown off the table. The average from a five-inch barrel is 1040 fps. This wasn’t an accuracy contest, all of the loads are accurate enough for personal defense, but that is impressive precision.īy dropping the standard weight slightly to 220-grains, Hornady has managed to combine standard recoil with high velocity. The result was a 1.25-inch group for the best results, and a 1.65-inch average for three. I fired a five-shot 25-yard group for accuracy in the Les Baer 572 Hemi. Don’t worry, the steel-frame 1911 will take it. The Speer G2 Gold Dot offers excellent expansion. A standard Gold Dot loading may be preferred at about 840 fps in a Commander-size pistol.įor those wishing to maximize the. I would be hesitant to use the load in a lightweight frame or Officers Model, as there is greater recoil. The Gold Dot Generation 2 penetrated 18 inches and expanded from. The jugs are six-inches wide so penetration is easily measured, and the bullet penetration was tagged at the spot in the water jug it came to rest. Sure it isn’t gelatin, but it gives a good comparison between loads. I tested expansion and penetration using water jugs. The Speer Gold Dot Generation 2 +P breaks 916 fps from a five-inch 1911 and 870 fps from the four-inch barrel Springfield Champion Operator. The elastomer is designed to prevent the bullet from being plugged with clothing or intermediate material and failing to expand. There is no longer a Gold Dot at the bottom of the cavity, but the bullet is space age. The new bullet also features reinforcing ribs for the petals. The new design features a hollow-point cavity filled with an elastomer. Speer recently improved this formidable loading. The Gold Dot is among the most proven personal defense and service loads in history. The Les Baer Hemi was used in accuracy testing.
These loads are among the best I have tested in some time. There is a consensus on what is needed in a personal-defense cartridge, based largely on FBI testing. While there are differences in the performance of these loads, be certain that the difference in shot placement would count for more than the differences in expansion and penetration.Īs it turned out, these loads are similar in general performance. They are useful for the worst-case scenario and accurate enough for any chore. Some loads are best for one purpose or the other, but the loads that I trust and carry in my personal firearms are general-purpose loads. Let’s look at five good loads because best is a relative term. Today, we have well-designed bullets that offer excellent feed reliability, even feeding in old GI guns for the most part.Ī modern bullet with a good balance of expansion and penetration considerably increases the wound potential of the. Some of the hollow points introduced in the 1970s would feed or they would expand, but not both. 45 ACP, offered real power without excess recoil.Ī great deal of development went into increasing accuracy potential in the time between the World Wars, eventually giving us superbly accurate handguns.Īmmunition development stalled at times. The Army had serious problems with bears and wolves as they moved out west, and many of the early rimfire and. Interestingly, among the original requirements was that the cartridge be useful against dangerous animals such as Jaguars. 45 ACP wasn’t designed for civilian personal defense in the beginning, but for use against warhorses and hardened fighting men, it did the job well. The Colt soon earned an excellent reputation for stopping dedicated adversaries. Standard performance was a 230-grain FMJ bullet at 830 fps. 45 ACP was actually developed much earlier and chambered in the 1905 Colt.