Best 45 ammo for 3.5 inch barrel 45

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I have been reading that some 45 ammo is better then others for shorter barrel pistols. I am thinking about the Kimber Ultra which has a 3.5 inch barrel. Is there a preferred 45 caliber ammunition for this shorter barrel for civilian defense?

Thank you.

ANSWER: Bill,

Hope you are well.

I'm not sure what you have been reading, but I don't know of any distinction of ammo for guns with shorter barrels vs. longer barrels.

The biggest difference between shorter and longer barrels is that since all pistol barrels are 'rifled', the longer the barrel the more time the bullet will have to develop spin from the rifling. The other thing that happens when the bullet stay in the barrel longer is that the gasses have more time to push the bullet and tend to increase the velocity of the projectile.

Think of this like a football thrown with a tight spiral, it makes the ball more accurate at distance.  Same thing with a bullet through a barrel.  

So think in terms of the fact that the longer a bullets stays in the barrel, the tighter the spin and the higher the speed of the bullet.  This really comes more into play at distances greater than would be found in normal pistol combat.  Bear in mind that most gunfights are at distances of less than 5 yards.  Honestly, at anything less than 10 yards, none of this will be a factor for you.  Any type of defensive handgun ammo will be effective for you as long as it has good expansion and you can shoot accurately.

In terms of ammo I like for the .45 caliber there are a few:  Hornady TAP is my personal carry load.  When I carry in my H&K USP Compact .45, I have 230 gr. +P in the gun.  Speer Gold Dot and Winchester SXT are also excellent choices.

The only suggestion I might make is that +P ammo in a small gun is going to result in more felt recoil.  You may want to consider that in your ammo selection.

Hope this helps you out...

Regards,

Doug





---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Doug, Thank you for your comprehensive answer. I had read to use a "lighter" bullet like a 185 grain one with a short barrel since it will expand faster. The local policeman says same as you though...he uses nothing smaller then 230 grain in his 45. What do you think of th e"lighter" bullet theory?

Thank you.

Answer
Bill,

There are a lot of different opinions out there.  In my experience and research, expansion has more to do with the engineering of the bullet for a particular velocity.  There should be no significant difference in the quality of expansion for either the 230 gr. or the 185 gr. if it has been designed in .45 caliber, except that the 230 gr. bullet will be bigger after expansion.  The smaller bullet would result in slightly less recoil, but that is about it.  

On another front, if you are shooting a 185 gr. bullet, you might as well be shooting a .40 caliber...the typical .40 caliber round is 180 gr.

I'd go with the same opinion as your local LEO.  Stick with the 230 grain bullet.

Cheers,

Doug