45 SUPER Experience

STORMINORMAN · Mar 26, 2025

It was a toss-up whether to put this here or in the Reloading forum, but here goes...

After much reading I decided to venture into the realm of 45 Super. My firearm is a Ruger American 45 Pro. Very heavy duty, factory rated for 45 +P and rightly so. Their 9mm American must be a total tank!

I obtained some Starline 45 Super brass and started off at what was primarily Hodgdons minimum load data for 45 Super using a few different projectiles. Some 185gr Hornady ZOMBIES, 200 gr Berrys SWCs & RNs, their 230gr HHP, a MBC 200gr coated RNFP, and the MBC 230gr Small Ball.

At the range today I had 100% feeding, extraction & ejection and the accuracy was outstanding.with all variants, using WIN 231, CFE Pistol & 800-X.Recoil was basically indistinguishable from some 45acp +P 230gr FMJ roundball I have had really good results from using #5 @ 1000+fps.

I'm glad I took the plunge and already have some ammo boxes marked "45 Super Ruger ONLY" (for safety's sake?) but am very impressed with the American 45's performance box stock! And with 45 Super.

Cheers!

NH1545 · Mar 27, 2025

I've only used Power Pistol in 45 Super with Starline brass and standard primers. With 185 XTP's I get just over 1,200 fps, 200 XTP's are just over 1,100 fps and 230 FMJ's are at 1,050 fps. This is in a 5" Kimber Camp Guard that I've fitted with a 45 barrel, flat bottom firing pin stop, and 24lb recoil spring.

Michaelp57 · Mar 27, 2025

Ruger American 45

I also have a full size Ruger American in 45, and have put a box of underwood 45 super 135gr extreme defender through it. The gun didn't like the extreme defenders, but it handled the recoil really well. Would try again, but with a more traditional style bullet. I only deemed it a safe choice because of how tanky the American pistols are.

colt_saa · Mar 27, 2025

I have been shooting and hand loading the 45 SUPER cartridge for over 3 decades now. I cannot even start to calculate how many 10s of thousands of this round I have loaded over the years

One of the reasons I originally started with it was for shooting pins with my Smith & Wesson Model 625 V-Comp.

Initially all of my hand loads were with Power Pistol. Back then that was the powder for this cartridge.

AA-7 has also worked very well for me when loading the 45 SUPER

I found the accuracy of the cartridge to be outstanding in all of the firearms I used it in. And for shooting pins, picking up more than 200 feet per second on a 230 grain jacketED hollow point really made those pins leave the table in a positive manner. The V-Comp on the revolver channeled all of that high pressure gas upward thus offsetting part of the muzzle rise allowing me to get back on target faster

I enjoyed the cartridge so much that about 25 years ago I purchased one of the very few firearms that were set up from the factory to fire this powerful version of the 45. I am referring to the Springfield V16.

This ported Long Slide auto loader also worked very well with the cartridge, again reducing muzzle climb for quicker follow up shots

I've utilized the cartridge in quite a few additional firearms.

The HK USP series of full size autoloaders can be used with this cartridge with zero modifications or parts changes. The longer barreled USP Match and USP Elite even yeild additional velocity

STORMINORMAN · Mar 27, 2025

Michaelp57 said:
I also have a full size Ruger American in 45, and have put a box of underwood 45 super 135gr extreme defender through it. The gun didn't like the extreme defenders, but it handled the recoil really well. Would try again, but with a more traditional style bullet. I only deemed it a safe choice because of how tanky the American pistols are.

After checking both the Lehigh & Underwood sites I can't find that 135gr 0.451" bullet, much less any load data (or even a listing of 45 Super, either bullets or ammo on the Lehigh site)...?

I typically try to find the appropriate Lehigh bullets for my firearms and their excellent load data info is usually very inclusive: in this case I'm drawing a total blank, though? At their typical $1 (and UP!) prices I try to reload 'em when I possibly can.

Michaelp57: can you please advise further?

Cheers!

Michaelp57 · Mar 27, 2025

STORMINORMAN said:
After checking both the Lehigh & Underwood sites I can't find that 135gr 0.451" bullet, much less any load data (or even a listing of 45 Super, either bullets or ammo on the Lehigh site)...?

I typically try to find the appropriate Lehigh bullets for my firearms and their excellent load data info is usually very inclusive: in this case I'm drawing a total blank, though? At their typical $1 (and UP!) prices I try to reload 'em when I possibly can.

Michaelp57: can you please advise further?

Cheers!

Unfortunately, it looks like they've removed the listing for it on the underwood website. They still have the 45acp/+p version, but no more 135gr 45 super. I'll send you a link to the projectiles. I see what you mean on the load data though. They show data for 45acp, but nothing for super, or even +p. I'll do some digging on it. I know black hills uses Lehigh bullets for some of their ammo so maybe they have some info.

cherrypointmarine · Mar 27, 2025

I was thinking colt_saa would chime in . Whenever he comes to the range he brings something special . One time he brought that Springfield V16 , that's one beautiful piece . Also quite the hand full , but it's very manageable . All in all , something I'd like to have in one of my safes .

Yendor357 · Mar 27, 2025

What kind of velocities are you guys getting with 185s and 200 JHP?

Anyone running 45 Super in 4506?

colt_saa · Mar 28, 2025

Yendor357 said:
What kind of velocities are you guys getting with 185s and 200 JHP?

Anyone running 45 Super in 4506?

10.4 grains of PP pushed the Speer 200 JHPs at over 1,200 FPS

9.5 grains of PP pushed the Winchester 230 JHPs at over 1,100 FPS

My old notes are not very complete but I think that was with the ~5" USP Tactical.

I never chronographed the load out of any of the longer barreled auto loaders nor out of any of the revolvers

I have never used any 185 grain projectiles for the 45 SUPER nor have I ever used a Smith and Wesson Model 4506

The Gila Bender · Mar 28, 2025

colt_saa said:
The HK USP series of full size autoloaders can be used with this cartridge with zero modifications or parts changes. The longer barreled USP Match and USP Elite even yeild additional velocity

I am so glad to read this post. I have several old school HK USP .45's (Standard, Compact, Tactical, Mark23). My friends chuckle at my chunky HK's, but they serve me well. Note to HK USP OG's: Teddy Jacobson did some fine work on my Standard and Compact 45's back in the day.

45 SUPER Experience

STORMINORMAN

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NH1545

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Michaelp57

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colt_saa

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STORMINORMAN

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Michaelp57

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cherrypointmarine

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Yendor357

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colt_saa

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The Gila Bender

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