.45 ACP+P?

[rmocarsky]

Out of a 5" 1911A1, does a 230 gr. .45+P offer significant improvement over standard 230 gr.?

Rmocarsky

[Water-Man]

Significant? No.

[saf11]

I have 9mm JHP+P+ that I bought before I knew anything, as well as 45 JHP+P that I also bought. I decided that I thought too much of my pistols to use any of it.

[jrobin3360]

45 ACP+P = waste of money.
If you want higher velocities, use 185gr.

[skizzums]

2,000 PSI difference, may be good for about 50-75 FPS. I wouldn't pay extra for it, but if it's a good load and priced with other premium loads, I don't think it would be a "waste". IMO, I think .45 needs all the extra speed it can get if your going for reliable expansion from a JHP. I would think it's a waste on a hardball load

[Noreaster]

I don't see the need for it myself but a Winchester Rep came up to my State and did demonstrations with the 45 +P and many agencies purchased it for their .45 acp duty pistols. It's more expensive and I can't see any Chiefs parting with the money unless the test (gel, barrier...) were pretty impressive.

[DPI7800]

Instead of simply speculating here are some real statistics, Federal HST 230gr. Standard load of 230gr. is 890 FPS with 404ft.lbs. of energy, the 230gr. +P is 950fps with 461ft.lbs. of energy. The gelatin test are all within an inch of all 6 tests performed.
For an additional comparison here are some Speer Gold Dot stats. Their 185gr. is going 1050fps. with 453 ft.lbs. of energy, their 200gr. is a +P load and is moving at 1080fps. with 518ft.lbs. of energy, standard 230gr. is moving at 890fps. with 404ft.lbs. of energy. More of a spread on the performance on the gelatin test typically and inch or more on the differences with the 230gr standard load doing better than the 185gr and the 200gr +P.
So pick your preferred manufacture check out their web page and find their test data on the loads and make a choice from there.

[saf11]

If it's not broke , don't fix it. I believe the standard .45 ACP loads are excellent. The .45 ACP does what it's supposed to do.

[Model12Win]

Federal HST 230 grain .45 ACP standard-pressure has about the best performance of any .45 ACP hollowpoint that I know of. Expansion of nearly an INCH (.89") and still penetrates over 12" in ballistics gell with 4 layers IWB protocol denim fabric.

No +P needed.

If you want a fast .45, get a .460 magnum!

[RickB]

What sort of "improvement" are you looking for?
You do get higher velocities, so if bigger chrono numbers is what you want, you do get an improvement, but if you are looking for improved terminal ballistics, I don't think you can drive a bullet enough faster from a .45 to make much difference.
And, consider what you lose; docile handling, little muzzle blast, etc. I'd never trade a few fps of velocity for the balance of performance you get with standard loads.

[Uncle Malice]

45 ACP+P = waste of money.
If you want higher velocities, use 185gr.

LOL. no.

If you are gonna use 185gr 45... then you might as well use 180gr 40s&w....

230gr +P Federal HST. Doesn't get any better out of that platform.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

I don't know of any 1911's that are rated for +P.

People who do it sometimes run a heavier spring and one of those plastic buffer pads.

For +P .45's I'd go with a sturdy Ruger like the P345.

[Noreaster]

Come to think of it most of the duty guns are 4 inch barrels (also many sub 4inch.) There are a scattering of g21s & 4.5 inch M&P45s. Maybe the +P demos were geared toward the shorter barrel. Not needed for you 5 inch gun!

[skoro]

Out of a 5" 1911A1, does a 230 gr. .45+P offer significant improvement over standard 230 gr.?

The velocity gain is slight.

[Whirlwind06]

I picked 230 gn +p up some during one of the ammo shotages that we seem to have every couple years. Seems to have bit more pep, but not worth the extra money when I have the choice to buy standard presure ammo.

[RickB]

A lot of standard-pressure .45 defense ammo is pretty hot, anyway.
I chrono'd 230 Hydra-shok at 900fps from 5", and 850 from 3.5".

[runningbear]

I noticed a big increase in muzzle flash, when testing a few rounds of Remington Golden Saber 185gr +P in my P227 Carry.

[michael t]

I only use either 185 or 200 +P in my Defender for carry . With the Short barrel I want to get the FPS back to the 230 FPS +P does this and recoil no worst than the 230 ball

[TexasRaider]

@runningbear,
I've used the Golden Saber 185 gr+P out of a S&W early model 4506, big stainless 5" monster. It never even burped, just ran like a sewing machine.

I don't think +P is waste at all in .45ACP, if your desired goal is to get as much energy into the maniac trying to kill as possible. IIRC, that load puts out about 1125 fps and around 550 ft lbs of energy.

Using DPI7800's Speer Gold Dot numbers from above:
185gr. 1050fps. 453 ft lbs.
200gr+P 1080fps. 518 ft. lbs.
230gr. 890fps. 404 ft. lbs.

Yeah, more muzzle flash and recoil, but I like that extra 'Oomph' if someone were trying to brain me with a tire iron.

[Walt Sherrill]

I don't think +P is waste at all in .45ACP, if your desired goal is to get as much energy into the maniac trying to kill as possible. IIRC, that load puts out about 1125 fps and around 550 ft lbs of energy.

I don't know that using +P is a waste, but I would argue that if "getting energy into the maniac" is your goal, you've got the wrong goal.

IF the rounds you're using can penetrate to 12"-14" after passing through several layers of fabric, and you can use them to hit something vital in the maniac, it doesn't matter whether the round used is a standard factory, +P or +P+ load. Energy transfer isn't what's doing the damage.

The AMOUNT OF ENERGY you get into that maniac doesn't matter nearly as much as whether the rounds you're using make holes in the right places in that maniac -- heart, lungs, brain/central nervous system. Holes in those right places stops the action and keeps the maniac from punching holes in your right places.

[cougar gt-e]

Marketing hype.

If you want power, get a 460 rowland conversion for your 1911

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by Super Sneaky Steve

I don't know of any 1911's that are rated for +P.

I don't know of any current production 1911s that AREN'T rated for +P.

[WC145]

I don't know of any 1911's that are rated for +P.

People who do it sometimes run a heavier spring and one of those plastic buffer pads.

For +P .45's I'd go with a sturdy Ruger like the P345.

In what world is a polymer framed pistol like the Ruger P345 going to be more "sturdy" than a steel 1911?

230gr +P .45ACP runs 8-12% hotter than standard velocity stuff. For self defense use, I'll take that extra all day long. Before retiring my duty load was Ranger T 230gr JHP +P, I still use it in my carry guns. Never had any trouble in 1911s or the FNP45 Tactical I carried at work. I use standard pressure 230gr FMJ for training, competition, and qualifying.

I run a 17lb spring in all my full size .45ACP 1911s, whether they get any +P or not. But, I run all my 1911s with a slightly heavier than stock recoil spring in all calibers.

The last thing a 1911 with proper spring weights needs is a rubber buffer, they cause more problems than they're worth.

[1911Tuner]

In what world is a polymer framed pistol like the Ruger P345 going to be more "sturdy" than a steel 1911?

Too much worry over the frame. It's the slide and upper barrel lugs that catch all the hell.

The slide and barrel assembly is the gun. The frame is the gun mount. It doesn't suffer any stresses from firing...only a little impact after the firing has ended...and the slide just doesn't hit the frame all that hard.

[DanTSX]

In this world, the Glock 21 is tough enough to drag behind a truck, bury in sand, and salt water, use as a steel target for .22, and drop out of a plane, and still compete in IPDA matches.


I use +P 45ACP in mine for HD. The extra FPS couldn't hurt.