Today at the coffee shop, we had a discussion on the best 45 carry ammo, and I hear everything from regular pressure to +P and bullet weight from 185 to the full boat 230 grain. Now we are NOT talking about a full size 1911, but a shield 45 with a 3.3” barrel. In your opinion, what is the best carry ammo a short barrel shield 45

I don't know about the very best but I'm quite confident loading mine with standard pressure 230 grain Federal HST ammo.

Hi, I have always stayed with Speer Gold dots or Federal HST's I shot 4 gallon jugs of water lined up with a standard pressure Fed 230gr HST & it made it into the 3rd jug & looked like a textbook slug out of the Shield 45.

I carry +P 160 Grain Barnes TAC-XP bullets in mine. Good performer, light recoil and flat shooting.

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To be forgiven, I must forgive

They'll all work on the target.

The best is whichever one is the most reliable in your particular gun.

For my M&P 45s, my preference is the Speer 185 Gold Dot, when I can find it. My short barreled 45s (Sig Ultra and XDS-45) are loaded with the now discontinued Taurus 185 gr hp, which uses the Barnes bullet. The load is accurate, reliable, controllable, and affordable plus I hoarded quite a few boxes over time. The plan was to use the same in my Shield 45. Nothing against the specialty rounds, but most are too expensive by my wallet to practice with for any amount of rounds. My reloads duplicate my defense loads for bullet weight, velocity, and recoil.

I typically like to put 50 rounds of factory through a virgin firearm before switching to my reloads and had picked up a box of PMC Bronze 185 HPs. They shot so well out of it and were quite controllable, I am inclined to stay with it. The PMC is very inexpensive compared to most defensive rounds (50 rounds for $24.99 at my LGS).

Briefly tried the Colt 185 SCHP and my Taurus 185s. Was interested in the Colt ammo being it too is inexpensive (~$100 for 200 rounds), uses the Barnes bullet, and did well in what tests are available online. Both shot well, but the colt ammo was noticeably hotter. I am considering it as a substitute for the Gold Dots in my M&P 45s.

There's the only real answer right there. It feeds, fires and the bullet performed as intended.

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I use 165 gr. Hydra Shok in my CS 45. Well pleased with it.

It took four, one-gallon water jugs of resistance to achieve this expansion. Perhaps velocity isn't high enough in a short barreled handgun to attain this performance in a human target?

Speer, Cor-bon for me.

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M&P 9, Shield9.

Could have expended before the 3rd jug. Unfortunately if you see up 2 or only 1 it will exit and you won't find it or if you do you won't know if it expended in the jug or in the dirt

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Exactly what my 45's are fed and my 9's with 124 or 147 HSTs.
It hurts just looking at that deathstar.

Here you go:

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self...c-tests/#45ACP

In no particular order:

Hornady 200 gr XTP +P
Hornady 230 gr XTP +P
Remington 185 gr Golden Saber +P
Federal 230 gr HST

All with good consistent penetration and expansion...but read on and make your own conclusions.

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Stay safe, stay alert
Wachuko

I have tried three of the most common rounds in 45acp defensive loads in my Shield. All functioned flawlessly. The Gold Dot ammo gave the most consistent accuracy at 7 yards. Between the HST, Hydrashock and Gold Dot, I found the Gold Dot to be the most manageable.

Having said that, I have a supply HST 230 grn laying around so I will be using that until it is gone.

Shield45
"When we lack the will to see things as they really are,
there is nothing so mystifying as the obvious."
- Irving Kristol

Hornady Critical Defense 185 gr FTX

The best ammo is the ammo that always works in your pistol.

Fortunately, you have a 45.

A 45 is already the diameter all other calibers attempt to obtain with expanding projectiles.

After reading a lot of reviews online about short barrel testing, and general ammo reviews.............I swapped over to Federal HST in my 9mm and 45acp guns. I still use Hornady Critical Defense in my 380 guns.

Steve

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S&W Shield 45
S&W 500 Magnum

Any 230 fmj ball ammo is all that's needed in any 45 auto for protection,it just plain been working killing bad guys for over 100 plus years.

The default answer is the same as your preference in "normal" .45acp pistols.

IF you wish to take specific consideration of short bbl factors, that could go two different direction, that are 180deg opposed. :

1. If you are concerned about impact velocity and intended velocity range of the bullet, go to a +P version of your load, or a similar load.

2. If you are concerned about the recoil, and your control of a small and light pistol, std vel 185gr jhp, of your prefered flavor.

Groo here
#1 the load that feeds and fires with as close to 100% as you can get!!!
[if it jams , it is a poor club]
#2 the most powerful load YOU can shoot ONE HANDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After that , you can "play" all you want.

Just get hardball and don't worry! Sleep tight there are very ruff well armed men with hardball loaded in there 1911,Tommyguns And Grease guns in the last 100 years that lived to tell about it.

I'm curious, often there is mention of using lighter bullets in a shorter barrel because of the timing factor. I am not stating an opinion here because I'm not qualified, but I am hoping to hear some opinions. The reasoning I've heard in the past was that because of the short barrel everything has to happen in a shorter period of time. IIRC one 1911 builder recommended lighter .45acp bullets because of this.

I was an academy firearms instructor and have carried a short 45 ACP since Colt built the first one. You DON'T need the recoil of a 230 grain or a Plus P!!! The lighter weight HydraShock, Gold Dot, whatever is reliable of that type will do the job.

I second that. My shield 45 was comfortable shooting the PMC 185 gr HPs, which are advertised at 900 fps. Same with the Taurus ammo. The Colt 185s are advertised at 1050 and the recoil, and muzzle blast, is noticeable in the Shield.

While jello is not human flesh and bone the FBI tests using calibrated gel and specified denim are still the best lab test for performance that we have. A particular load can be tested with such media and parameters to demonstrate consistent performance. I prefer to carry loads that have been repeatedly shown by various testers using the FBI standards to perform with a reasonable degree of predictability. Not interested in trying other people's theories in my carry gun.

Quite honestly, the ammo one uses is undoubtedly a far less factor in stopping the bad guy than one's ability to quickly respond and accurately place the first few shots where they need to go. Training and practice are the keys to successful defense. Carry good quality ammo from a reputable manufacturer that is known to function reliably in your particular weapon. Get on with your life with confidence.

I carry the Federal HST standard pressure 230gr in my XDm 3.8" compact. I feel very confident in the performance of this ammo. The Speer Gold Dot is another good one. Both expand very well in gel tests through heavy denim with a 3.3". Penetration is at the low end of FBI standards at around 11"-12" from a 3.3" barrel.

In my 3" Kimber Ultra TLE II Stainless, I carry the same, but in 185gr. To be honest, I also use that same ammo in my 5" Kimber Custom TLE II Stainless and my 3.75" S&W Model 457 as well.

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Get off my lawn!

There's also the opposite reasoning of wanting a heavier bullet at slower velocity to sit in the barrel longer so the powder has more time to burn.
Light bullet, high velocity, lots of unburnt powder gets thrown downrange. More flash and noise when you probably don't want it.

You can always upgrade your springs & reload to .45 Super levels...

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Marlin & Calico Specialist

Anything this guy recommends would be good;

Self Defense and Duty Loads...ballistics info by DocGKR

Agree wholeheartedly.

Anything that hits the bad guy is gonna work. I am more afraid of panicking and missing completely. Like the vast majority do.

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Just hanging with my dogs

I have both a S&W Shield 45 and a SIG Sauer P320 in .45ACP.
In the Shield, since I am looking for lighter weight I went wit the SIG V-Crown 200 gr .45, and I have shot into media and saw how well it did expand. 200gr x 7 (1 in chamber +6 in magazine) is lighter than 230 x 7. That equals only .48 oz, but still it's a 1/2 of an ounce lighter

With the SIG P320 I use 230 Winchester Ranger T as that is pretty reliable to expand and is ONE nasty round.

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Vern

I've tested a few popular rounds (Gold Dot 230, HST 230, HST 230+P), but none of these has worked as well as Federal Tactical Bonded 230+P. This holds true for both my Shield .45 and my FN FNX-45 Tactical. I haven't been able to get any Winchester Ranger T rounds yet, but I'm planning to check them out as soon as I can.

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What, me worry?

After testing several rounds by a few manufcturers, I have settled on 230gr. Federal HSTs. Runs through the gun well, holds the same poa as Winchester/Federal 230gr. FMJ and has solid test results compared to similar rounds. I never understand why someone wouldn't want to do some research to find a round that works well and if needed, has a higher likelihood of producing the desired result if called on. I try and run a magazine of edc ammo through each time I go to the range, to verify performance in my gun and rotate through "inventory".

LuckyGunner ammo tests show the Winchester Ranger T series to have the largest reliable expansion yet still maintain 14" penetration.

45 ACP Ammo - 230 gr JHP - Winchester Ranger T-Series Ammunition - 50 Rounds

Click on the video of the results of this ammo, the results are impressive indeed, much more shock to the gel block then any other round tested, actually raises the front end of the block about 4" off the table, and the largest expansion as well!

Problem is finding this ammo.

Wait a minute, I've always heard 45 auto 230 gr ball would rip of an arm, what more do you want?

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

Critical Defense is flawless in my experience.