.45 acp ammo for a 3" barrel?

[Woodsman]

Howdy.....I bought a Colt New Agent a couple weeks ago. After 400 rounds of hardball I have started to think about a carry load. I have a few questions:

It seems there were loads available a few years back that were specifically for short barreled semi automatics...are they still around?


Will ANY hollowpoint reliably perform out of a 3 inch tube?

Will fmj overpenetrate out of this short barrel or is the fps diminished enough so that the are viable? Reliability with hardball in the this Colt is 100%

thanks

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[40Bob]

The biggest problem you may have is reliability with the short barrel. Standard 230 loads are probably going to be in the 650-700 fps range, +P's will offer no real advantage with the short Barrel. Speer makes a "short barrel" load loaded with the gold dot bullet, that may be your best option if it feeds reliably.

Detail Page for Part # 23966

Velocity listed is for a 5" barrel, you will probably lose 150-200 fps with the 3" barrel.

[sgb]

http://media.midwayusa.com/productim...148/148833.jpg



Gold Dot Short Barrel Ammo 45 ACP 230 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point Box of 20

[Woodsman]

Thanks....I will try some of the Gold Dots, I like them in my other handguns.

[Cuda66]

I've gotten decent expansion with more than adequate penetration using HST's in my New Agent.

The 185gr Barnes-X (in the original Taurus loading) got good expansion with adequate penetration out of my 2.5" 325, but my New Agent won't feed them.

[xXxplosive]

So what's your opinion of the NewAgent now that you've fired it....?
We hear so many negatives about 3" spring guns and their finicky dispositions.....wammer jammers.

[Woodsman]

I like it. 400 rounds FMJ, no jams. 100 rounds of some old Remington HP's (I wish to hell I had saved the box), no jams.....Hydra Shoks, 100 rounds, 2 FTF's, 50 Hornady "Low Recoil" loads, 3 FTF's. Mine came stock with the XS sights....I dropped it off Monday to have a Wilson beavertail installed. It's going to be a handy CCW.

[Cuda66]

I also like mine a lot. About the same amount of FMJ through mine, half a mag of the Barnes, and about 50 rounds of the HST. Not certain how many rounds were through it before I bought it.

With the exception of the Barnes, not a single problem...mine just has the trough along the top of the slide, though, and that took a little getting used to. It point shoots incredibly well, and I can keep hits in the chest out to 25 yards, so...it'll do.

I like it as a smaller, yet full-power option to my other 1911's.

[LEADTOWN]

I have a Colt 3" lightweight Defender and I really like the Remington Golden Sabre 185grn +P JHP's

The extra power is a good idea with the shorter barrel as it gives better hollow point performance
and it functions/feeds real nice.

I get it [and many other things] @ AIM SURPLUS

Here's the link:
Rem. Golden Saber .45 185grn +P JHP 25rd box


.................................................. .......COLTDEFENDER.jpg

[Kimberpackn]

Howdy.....I bought a Colt New Agent a couple weeks ago. After 400 rounds of hardball I have started to think about a carry load. I have a few questions:

It seems there were loads available a few years back that were specifically for short barreled semi automatics...are they still around?


Will ANY hollowpoint reliably perform out of a 3 inch tube?

Will fmj overpenetrate out of this short barrel or is the fps diminished enough so that the are viable? Reliability with hardball in the this Colt is 100%

thanks

My 3 inch Kimber shoots anything I put in it. So try a few and see what your colt likes.

[IsaiahM33]

My 3.5" barrel RIA 1911A1 is 99% reliable. The ONLY problem was with 230 grain +p Corbon. No problems with Hornady, Federal, or Speer in the same loading or with 200+p Corbon. According to BBTI - Ballistics by the Inch :: Home, +P ammunition doesn't lose that much velocity. In fact, the Corbon 200 grain +p stays well over 1,000 fps in a 3.5" barrel (you have to do a little calculating). Those velocities from a 5" barrel with standard pressure ammo are sure to expand a hollow point. There should be no problem in a 3-4" barrel provided it's +p.

As stated the RIA is almost completely reliable, save for that one loading. My 3" barrel Colt New Agent (in 9mm) is 100% reliable. No FTF, FTE, nothing. Goes POW everytime you hit the boom switch. Maybe I just got lucky, but these two short barrel 1911's have me spoiled!

[marcclarke]

CorBon now has a standard-pressure DPX load for short .45 ACP barrels.

[IsaiahM33]

I found some Corbon DPX 185+p at one of the local gunshops here. Doing the calculations (I don't have a chronometer), it appears that it too will still be over 1,000 fps out of a short barrel 1911. I may pick some up today.

[forestranger]

Some 5 rd avgs out of RIA CS 3.5" barrel. Surprised me.

WWB 230fmj...797fps
WWB 230jhp...851
Rem 230GS.....811
Rem 185GS+P.1059
Fed 230HS......858

[IsaiahM33]

Put several loads of hollow points through my new Colt New Agent .45 yesterday. Brands were Winchester USA (230 FMJ), Hornady (185 FTX, 200+p HP, and 230+p TAP), and Federal HST (230 JHP). Didn't get a chance to try out the Speer GDHP 200+p, Corbon 200+p and 230+p HP, or Federal 230+p HST. With the loads tested, no failures. No problems. I think short barrel 1911's have come a long way. My RIA 1911 compact and both Colt New Agent's (9mm and .45) have been extremely reliable. I have a buddy that has an older Springfield EMP 9mm. Nothing but problems but I'm sure that's due to it being an older version that didn't quite have the bugs worked out yet. I hear the newer EMP's are spot-on. I'm sure he's tired of me telling him to stop being so cheap and get a new one. LOL

Never did get that Corbon DPX 185+p.