1990s SD Ammo "Hotness"

MarkCO · March 23, 2020, 04:50 PM

A friend posted his photo of some Black Talons, and someone just posted on some Super Vels. I scrounged up a few relics...some "Cutting Edge" defense ammo from the 1990s. Yeah millennials, way before you needed 1000 rolls of TP.

Some of this came from Evan Marshall for some testing I was doing for an LEA. The .41Mag was the load the FBI agent carried on duty, from whom I bought my S&W 657 Mountain.

L to R:
Norma .45ACP 200g "Diamond" series. A +P JHP "match grade" load with a moly coating. I think it is still the fastest factory 200g .45ACP load ever made.

Winchester .41Mag 240g Platinum Tip Hollow Point.

Pro-Load 200g JSP. A Rem Golden Sabre with a lead filled HP. Designed to run better in the old 1911s that needed to run ball ammo. What I carried for years in my .45.

Triton .40 Super 135g JHP. This load runs 1800 fps out of my 6" barrel in the 1911. Still have 3 weights of factory ammo, 135, 155 and 180.

Federal .45ACP 185g Hydra-Shok. A +P load that was right up against the max pressure for 45 +P. Had a very loyal following among those who carried .45s daily.

Federal .45ACP 200g Expanding Full Metal Jacket. A +P load that was a variation on the CorBon Powerball. It had a rubber pellet on top of a lead wadcutter core and was completely encapsulated. The inside of the jacket was scored resulting in 6 pillars that held the whole thing together and expanded nicely at MV down to about 600 fps. Also designed to run in the old 1911s that choked on HPs.

I still have the reports I wrote on the .45 loads. Shot into 10% Gel, Fackler boxes and live animals as well.

Thought some of you all might enjoy seeing them.

**44 AMP** · March 25, 2020, 03:41 AM

Nice picture, waay too big for my viewer...

RickB · March 25, 2020, 10:27 AM

Are you sure that Hydra-Shok is old?
I haven't seen or shot 185s, but I have examples of three different 230s, and only the newest one has that rounded profile, both of the older ones are pure truncated cone.

MarkCO · March 25, 2020, 10:42 AM

Yes, that box of HS is from the 1990s.

Sharkbite · March 25, 2020, 10:49 AM

Oh man, you left out my first duty load. Speer Lawman 200gn jhp. AKA the flying ashtray.

Prior to the bonded jacket “Gold dot”. This was a cup and core bullet, with a huge hollow point. Didnt feed well in all guns, but tended to work well on people shot with it.

MarkCO · March 25, 2020, 12:33 PM

Sharkbite. I have some of the flying ashtrays on hand, and some Gold Dots too. But none that were loaded pre 2000.

ThomasT · March 25, 2020, 12:39 PM

That picture is so big part of it sticks out of the right side of my laptop screen.

fastbolt · March 25, 2020, 07:40 PM

Remember when the original Hydra-Shok was new? It could be found on local gun store shelves in my area.

I still have this one in my "old" ammo collection, as I never got around to carrying any of the rounds out of this "package" (it sold in the Ammo Wallet of that time). Note the brand of the new brass used by the original Hydra-Shok company.

I apologize for the size of the pics, as they're much larger when linked on this forum than in a couple of other forums where I've previously posted them. Must be something about the settings in this forum.

RickB · March 25, 2020, 07:42 PM

Now, THAT's vintage!

MarkCO · March 25, 2020, 07:54 PM

Fastbolt, THANKS, that is very cool indeed. I do not recall ever having seen those in person. So am I correct in assuming those cartridges would have been 1980s era?

I really don't know why my photo posted so large either.

March 23, 2020, 04:50 PM	#1
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	1990s SD Ammo "Hotness" A friend posted his photo of some Black Talons, and someone just posted on some Super Vels. I scrounged up a few relics...some "Cutting Edge" defense ammo from the 1990s. Yeah millennials, way before you needed 1000 rolls of TP. Some of this came from Evan Marshall for some testing I was doing for an LEA. The .41Mag was the load the FBI agent carried on duty, from whom I bought my S&W 657 Mountain. L to R: Norma .45ACP 200g "Diamond" series. A +P JHP "match grade" load with a moly coating. I think it is still the fastest factory 200g .45ACP load ever made. Winchester .41Mag 240g Platinum Tip Hollow Point. Pro-Load 200g JSP. A Rem Golden Sabre with a lead filled HP. Designed to run better in the old 1911s that needed to run ball ammo. What I carried for years in my .45. Triton .40 Super 135g JHP. This load runs 1800 fps out of my 6" barrel in the 1911. Still have 3 weights of factory ammo, 135, 155 and 180. Federal .45ACP 185g Hydra-Shok. A +P load that was right up against the max pressure for 45 +P. Had a very loyal following among those who carried .45s daily. Federal .45ACP 200g Expanding Full Metal Jacket. A +P load that was a variation on the CorBon Powerball. It had a rubber pellet on top of a lead wadcutter core and was completely encapsulated. The inside of the jacket was scored resulting in 6 pillars that held the whole thing together and expanded nicely at MV down to about 600 fps. Also designed to run in the old 1911s that choked on HPs. I still have the reports I wrote on the .45 loads. Shot into 10% Gel, Fackler boxes and live animals as well. Thought some of you all might enjoy seeing them. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

March 25, 2020, 03:41 AM	#2
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,817	Nice picture, waay too big for my viewer... __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

March 25, 2020, 10:27 AM	#3
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	Are you sure that Hydra-Shok is old? I haven't seen or shot 185s, but I have examples of three different 230s, and only the newest one has that rounded profile, both of the older ones are pure truncated cone. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

March 25, 2020, 10:42 AM	#4
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	Yes, that box of HS is from the 1990s. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

March 25, 2020, 12:33 PM	#6
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	Sharkbite. I have some of the flying ashtrays on hand, and some Gold Dots too. But none that were loaded pre 2000. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

March 25, 2020, 10:49 AM	#5
Sharkbite Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2013 Location: Western slope of Colorado Posts: 3,679	Oh man, you left out my first duty load. Speer Lawman 200gn jhp. AKA the flying ashtray. Prior to the bonded jacket “Gold dot”. This was a cup and core bullet, with a huge hollow point. Didnt feed well in all guns, but tended to work well on people shot with it.

March 25, 2020, 12:39 PM	#7
ThomasT Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 2,753	That picture is so big part of it sticks out of the right side of my laptop screen.

March 25, 2020, 07:40 PM	#8
fastbolt Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2002 Location: northern CA for a little while longer Posts: 1,931	Remember when the original Hydra-Shok was new? It could be found on local gun store shelves in my area. I still have this one in my "old" ammo collection, as I never got around to carrying any of the rounds out of this "package" (it sold in the Ammo Wallet of that time). Note the brand of the new brass used by the original Hydra-Shok company. I apologize for the size of the pics, as they're much larger when linked on this forum than in a couple of other forums where I've previously posted them. Must be something about the settings in this forum. __________________ Retired LE - firearms instructor & armorer

March 25, 2020, 07:42 PM	#9
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	Now, THAT's vintage! __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

March 25, 2020, 07:54 PM	#10
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	Fastbolt, THANKS, that is very cool indeed. I do not recall ever having seen those in person. So am I correct in assuming those cartridges would have been 1980s era? I really don't know why my photo posted so large either. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us