.45acp vs 50 GI

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hi All,

I keep hearing that people carry the .45acp "because they don't make a .50" or things along those lines. This is primarily from the "bigger is better" crowd.

So how about this for a "caliber war"? These are more like caliber discussions here, and therefore I feel comfortable posting them.

The ballistics from your average .45acp is 230gr @ 830 - 900fps. Not bad. How about this bad boy?



According to their website, their premier performer is the 50GI, which is a 300gr JHP sizzling along at 860fps out of a full-sized 1911 package.

Soooo... to those who made the claim that they don't make anything bigger than the .45acp, now that they do, will you live up to your claim, or stay with the pop gun you currently have on your hip?

This goes double for reloaders, and should the cartridge become more widespread... simply no excuse not to carry it.

Sooo.... if it becomes widespread (read less expensive platforms and cheaper defense ammunition), will you leave the .45acp for something with more powerful in the form of the .50GI?

Josh <><

P.S. I think these guys are listening to the 'net. Back when I originally stumbled onto this handgun/cartridge combo they only offered a loading in the 700fps range. Most agreed that was too slow, and it seems they've upped the power. J.S.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Dakotaranger]

Would but I'm poor so it would take a while before I got one.

[Tros]

I'm conservative when it comes to handguns. I'd let people get their hands on the .50 for awhile, and see what their reactions are. Providing the 50 could keep at least seven rounds in a magazine (with a reasonably thin grip), it would have controllable recoil, and it's costs were, in fact, competitive with the 45, I'd be all over it.

Logically though, I don't see the cost being anywhere near low enough to the 45 to make me want to swap over to an “exotic” bullet.. Not any time soon, at least.

[p8riot]

If I want to carry something bigger than the .45 I'd carry my .475 Linebaugh. It makes the .50GI look like a .32ACP in comparison. This is a solution looking for a problem.

[ELCruisr]

Nope, I'm happy here with the .45. Wildcat calibers are a fun but expensive pastime. If it got to the same price point though I might give it a try!

[Whirlwind06]

Lets see if the gun and caliper are still in production in 5 or 10 years. Seems like it will take more then on company adopting the round for it to become "mainstream"

[Joshua M. Smith]

From what I'm reading there's a small but very vocal group of proponents for this piece and its ammo. It reminds me of the 10mm movement to a point. I've not read the rules on posting links to other sites, but another prominent site is calling for tests, several others are excited, and some are coming up with their own bullets for loading. People own these things now, folks. I probably would just for the fun factor if nothing else, but wouldn't be afraid to use it for self-defense if I had cast lead HP ammo.

If you google ".50GI ammuntion" you'll see what I'm talking about.

I do believe it's a viable round now (though in the beginning I was reserved on this belief), and it just needs some supporters. According to one board, some believe that if Taurus begins marketing firearms for this round, it will take off, and quickly.

Josh <><

[Tros]

Just what we need, a .45 vs .50 debate, lol!

[Bud White]

nope not enough support for the round

gonna be like the 45 ego round well maybe not that bad more like the 10mm hanging on by a thread by the few of us that want it and load for

[RSSZ]

Heck no !! It's way too easy to keep the same platform(5",1911) and do a bbl/spring change that will produce power almost = to a .44mag.

Can also go the 10mm route in the 1911 with a 4" bbl or even the 9X25.

All of which will produce half again as much power as the .50Gastrointestineally Incompetent. (you heard it first right here) -------

[pogo2]

Although the .50 GI has a 300 grain, .50 caliber bullet traveling at 860 fps, you would need a dedicated gun to fire it, and I'm not sure of the bullet designs available for the round. I think that bullet design may be equally important to mass and velocity in determining performance of the ammunition.

As an alternative, most modern .45 autos (which most of us already own) will handle .45 +P ammunition, made by several major manufacturers in various bullet designs. If our standard .45 ammo is not hot enough, we have the option of upgrading to a +P selection.

For example, Speer sells a 200 grain .45 +P Gold Dot that has muzzle velocity of 1080 fps and muzzle energy of 518 foot pounds. That is pretty good for a standard .45 caliber gun, and I would guess that it might equal the .50 GI in stopping power.

Speer 200 grain .45 +P Gold Dot

[Joshua M. Smith]

Just what we need, a .45 vs .50 debate, lol!

I'm sure I'll get a PM if I get out of line . Being an administrator myself, I try not to make them make those decisions though. It's tougher than what it looks like from the outside

Back to topic, yes, I thought it was a good idea for many reasons. There are so many who believe that the .45acp was the epitome of handgun cartridge development that it can never be improved upon.

While the caliber is to be respected of course, it functions off a totally different principal than does the, say, 9mm.

Momentum is a function of mass. Expansion is largely a function of velocity, though that's becoming less true.

Both the 9mm and the .45acp are approximately the same age. However, they work off of different functions: The 9mm works mostly off speed. The original loading was in our +P or +P+ range. Witness the Lugers: The will not work well with our standard pressure ammo. The 9mm loading works on a very scientific, "zap" principal. Very rapid energy transfer.

On the other hand, the .45acp travels "only" at 830fps or so. It has more dwell time in the body; about 1.5 times longer than the 9mm. It also has more mass. I tend to believe this combination let people know they've been hit and it increases effectiveness with hardball, in effect a psychological stop, but both wound channels are about the same: They're approximately the size of a pencil.

So, given E=mv^2, the 9mm works off the velocity part of the equation and the .45acp off the mass part. Comparing those two is like comparing apples and grapes. They both work by certain different functions.

However, if you take a .50 caliber and give it approximately the same speed as a .45 caliber round, we're more forced to concentrate on the weight and dwell time in the body. This is comparing apples to apples, and this is what's really "fair," I think, when dealing with ammunition comparisons (or caliber wars, if you prefer).

And, for that reason, I made this thread.

Josh <><

[ssssthesnake]

Nope although 50 cal is a fasinating round.The 45 is the round I learned to shoot out of a hand gun right after the old 22 so I was raised on it , and like it, its like an old friend

[SammyIamToday]

I'd definitely think about/try it if it was cost effective.

[Rock and Glock]

Interesting......Hmmmmmmm....I have 9 mm's solely (Boring), so.......