Best performance with less liability with the 45acp

[Big Frank]

Federal Expanding Full Metal Jacket eliminates the problem of clogged hollowpoints by not haiving one. According to them it never fills with barrier material and assures expansion on every shot. http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/handgun.aspx?id=403

[cody6.0]

Interesting info, Cody. Reminds me of the time I shot some Black talons (10+ years ago) through some stacked wood to check penetration. 3/4 of the rounds clogged with wood particles and never expanded at all. I actually took one of the intact bullets with the wood embedded into the hollow point cavity and put it into an empty casing and made a keychain out of it. Still got it somewhere.

I have a big box of fired rounds and I threw a few BlackTalons in there that failed to expand. No matter how "cool" the expanded BT's and other hollow points look people always pick up the non expanded ones and ask what they are. 

[Dharmaeye]

Federal Expanding Full Metal Jacket eliminates the problem of clogged hollowpoints by not haiving one. According to them it never fills with barrier material and assures expansion on every shot. http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/handgun.aspx?id=403

The 40S&W EFMJ have a bad reputation of not expanding in anything less than 5 inch barrels.

[Fatman]

I fired a few boxes of Federal efmj into a semi-rotted tree at my buddy's house (the rot seems to be from when I shot the same tree 10 yrs ago  ) and they expanded juuuuust fine. Two of eight I recovered actually reached just about 1 inch across at the widest point. The others were expanded, but not to that extreme. Wood isn't flesh, and I probably won't carry them (I favor 230 gr over the lighter bullets and these are not available in that weight) but these guys seemed to work as advertised. The HS hollows I fired did not expand one whit.    Para P12.45  3.5" barrel.

On the plus side, any hollow point that does not expand from a .45 is still a .45 ball and will most likely expend all if not most of it's energy in target. 

[jaybet]

I wouldn't think a hollow point would expand when fired into a tree. I thought the design was for the hollow point to fill with flesh...including a high percentage of liquid, which caused the expansion. That's why they don't work so well through certain types of clothing...it blocks the filling of the point. But...I'm no expert.

Now if you shot a cactus with it...

[Sponsor]

[Fatman]

Just used that to show the diff between conventional hollow points and the xfmj bullet. Conventional HP rely on hydrostatic forces to expand, as you say. The xfmj stuff expands regardless.

ps, they are still illegal in NJ for carry. While not a hollow point, they are evilly designed with a scored jacket to actually try to maximize their effectiveness. Can't be hurting innocent criminals, don'tcha know.

[jaybet]

Yeah, I know...well, it's legal to OWN them, but if you USE them you are exhibiting malicious intent.
I can't use a round like that in my own defense in my own home but I can use a round that will pass through the perp, through the wall, across the street, and kill a neighbor. THAT kind of round is ok because in using it I am not exhibiting malicious intent against the POS I'm shooting at.

[pioneer]

Local law enforcement is always influenced by budget limitations (low bid mandate) which the Feds don't have. If you don't know any to ask, inquire at the largest local enforcement supply store. They will know or ask for you. Last time I checked, Speer Gold Dots were most favored.
Mac.

That's not always the case.  it depends on the local department.  My alma mater department relied upon FBI test protocol and at times ran our own tests.  The department bought what the senior firearms training staff considered to be the best, regardless of cost.  At one time it was Winchester Silvertip, and the last I heard they are using Winchester Ranger, LE loads.  Their issue guns are SigArms in either .40 or .45 caliber, models issued depend on assignment.  Staff and detectives get smaller frame pistols, if they wish and patrol troops carry full size.   

[PegLeg45]

I wouldn't think a hollow point would expand when fired into a tree. I thought the design was for the hollow point to fill with flesh...including a high percentage of liquid, which caused the expansion. That's why they don't work so well through certain types of clothing...it blocks the filling of the point. But...I'm no expert.

Now if you shot a cactus with it...

Same as when I fired into the boards I posted about earlier.
All those years ago, I didn't originally factor in the physics involved with shooting into wood, as I was goofing around.  
Thinking about it now, the wood on the outside surface of the projectile was as equally hard and (and non-expanding) as the wood that went into the hollow cavity. For the bullet to expand, the substance on the outside surface has to be able to expand enough for the bullet to expand also. After the back side of some of the wood was blown away (or splintered) is probably what allowed a few to expand somewhat.

[pioneer]

I wouldn't think a hollow point would expand when fired into a tree. I thought the design was for the hollow point to fill with flesh...including a high percentage of liquid, which caused the expansion. That's why they don't work so well through certain types of clothing...it blocks the filling of the point. But...I'm no expert. 

That may have been true a few years ago, but most major ammo makers now make Self Defense HP ammo designed to expand after passing through barriers that once clogged them.  Pow-R-Ball and Federal's EFMJ paved the way and caused the competition to open their eyes and think outside of the box.  Do your research and please don't make an ammo decision based on whether a bullet will clog in a tree.