45 ACP - ammunition type comparison

sewktbk

sewktbk

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fairly new to the sport, and only used to shooting FMJ or JHP in my 1911. Was looking around to buy some ammo, when i realized i have no clue what SWC, LRN, TMJ, etc compare to FMJ in terms of hands-on experience. i understand the definition of each one, But whats the "behaviour" difference between them? What about the grain?

i think what i'm asking is for a quick crash course from someone that has hands-on experience with all types fo .45 ammo. What kind is good for what purpose, pros and cons of each, etc. Would like to get that info before i buy anything i risk being unsatisfied with.

I'm probably gonna get flamed and be told that i could just go ahead and read books or web articles, but whatever. This is still a forum where people can ask questions to fellow members, isn't it?

thanks in advance,

cheers.
 
For general target shooting the bullet design is pretty much immaterial as long as it cycles in your gun. Unfortunately the only way to test that is to fire some. FMJ is the norm though and all 45s should cycle properly with it. After that use the cheapest/cleanest/most convenient ammo you can find.
 
Generally the heavier bullet will travel slower but produce the same pressure, jacketed bullets prolly only differ in shape which can affect feeding. Cast bullets will come in diff. designs shaped similar to the jacketed bullets, cast bullet loads should be less expensive. You have to try different loads in your gun to see which function flawlessly and are most accurate. The orig. intent was that the Rn (round nose) designs feed best, and wc (wadcutter)and swc (semi-wadcutter) cut nicer holes in paper targets for better/easier scoring.
 
indeed very interesting, unfortunately it doesn't talk about all types. No mention of SWC, TMJ, LRN, etc.

it does help to understand the physics of ammunition though. cheers for that.
 
sewktbk said:
indeed very interesting, unfortunately it doesn't talk about all types. No mention of SWC, TMJ, LRN, etc.

it does help to understand the physics of ammunition though. cheers for that.
Click to expand...

FMJ, SWC, TMJ, LRN, etc. all refer to bullet profiles and/or compositions.

Scroll down this page to the section labeled "Bullet abbreviation" for links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet

FMJ = Full Metal Jacket http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_metal_jacket_bullet
SWC = Semi-wadcutter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiwadcutter
TMJ = Total Metal Jacket (like a FMJ but the lead bullet is completely encapsulated on all sides including the bottom)
LRN = Lead Round Nose
 
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