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Federal Classic .45 acp

7K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  pff 
#1 ·
I found that the Federal Classic .45 acp 185gr is priced pretty well.
I'm looking for a low recoil, standard velocity for a 3" 1911.

Has anyone done any testing?

I've read that the Federal Classic 9BP 9mm is still fairly well regarded. I wonder if this .45 ever established a good reputation and how it's looked upon now.

My little pistol feeds everything reliably. Remington JHP's from WalMart, Winchester Silvertips, etc. I just ran across this round and wondered.

Thanks so much for the input.
 
#2 ·
At one time I considered the 185 Federal to equal anything available. Now with all the new bullets available, I still have to rate it right up there with the best. With the exception of Hornady, I don't think theres really all that much difference between any JHP .45 round. My exception with the Hornady bullet is that its very hard to get it to open up at typical non-magnum handgun velocities. I think you'll like the Fed Classic.
 
#3 ·
Hello. I can offer this on the Federal 185-gr. "Classic" JHP:

Average velocities shown are based on 10 shots fired 10' from the chronograph screens.

Colt Nat'l Match 5": 966 ft/sec

Dan Wesson Patriot 5": 995 ft/sec

Caspian/Colt Build w/Kart 5" bbl: 992 ft/sec

Springfield Armory Lightweight 5": 979 ft/sec

SIG-Sauer P220 w/4 1/4" bbl: 944 ft/sec

Colt Defender 3": 885 ft/sec

In no case was extreme spread excessive and thus, standard deviation was relatively small, a good thing.

In these firearms, there are no notes indicating that there were any malfunctions but as I normally go with 230-gr. JHP's in this caliber, I cannot comment on large numbers of the 185-gr. JHP and how reliable it may or may not be. With its squared-off shape, I suspect it will be less reliable over a larger number of .45 autos than the much more rounded JHP profile of the 230-gr. Classic JHP. It may be exceptionally reliable in your pistol; just have to test it to find out.
 
#4 ·
Mr. Camp, demented thanks so much.
I have the 230 gr. Remingtons now. The recoil is pretty stout for me in the 3".

I have used Winchester 185gr. Slivertips and they functioned flawlessly. They are pretty mild to shoot. I know back in the mid-80's I carried these in a .45. I think with all the new bullets that they are not written about too much.


I was considering the Federal EFMJ low recoil in 165gr or 185gr. I was leaning to the 165 gr. because I thought the lighter bullet might be a little faster.

I do not know a lot about .45 rounds. I've been a 9mm person for a long time. I really like this littlel 1911. It is super reliable and so convenient to carry.
I can find almost nothing about the low recoil 185 or 165 gr. EFMJ .
I'd appreciate any insight.

Thanks so much.
 
#8 ·
Mr. Camp, I read the stories. Thanks so much.
Yes, the Corbon is really expensive.
I did find some Golden Saber, 185gr. standard velocity for a reasonable price, under $20 a box. At one time price was not an issue when it came to a self defense round, but now everything is so very expensive that it's hard to put a lot fo expensive rounds through a pistol to makes sure it functions reliably.

So far my little 1911 feeds everything. How many rounds should one shoot through a pistol to check for reliabilty with a new bullet?
 
#9 ·
Hello. Some say 200 rounds with the gun ammo and any magazines to be used; some say more. That said, if a gun seems to be feeding about anything with no bobbles whatsoever, I might be persuaded that it is going to work if it goes through 50 of the intended protection loads w/o any problem whatsoever.

I usually shoot an autoloader or revolver quite a while with a pretty wide range of ammunition before I trust it for serious purposes. I have no set amount but I would estimate something between 400 and 1K trouble-free shots through a handgun before I truly trust it.

I frequently use handloaded JHP's that both resemble my chosen "serious" loads in both profile and velocity-range rather than cough up the ever-increasing costs for factory ammunition.

It is not an inexpensive proposition but unless there's some emergency, neither does it have to be done overnight IF there's already a reliable arm available. Sometimes "spreading it out over time" makes the costs a little more reasonable while increasing our expertise with the particular handgun being tested for reliability.

Best.
 
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