For those carrying a .45 Shield or XDS in .45

[gqllc007]

I did a impromptu clearballistics FBI BARE gel test today. 6"x6"x16" with wood backstop
It was 17 degrees F, 61% humidity, Pressure 30.3%
I used my .45 Shield
Federal HST 230gr= penetrated 11 1/2" expanded .82
Federal HST 230 gr +P= penetrated 11 3/4" expanded .80
Critical duty 220 +P = passed through block. recovered in wood .51"
Underwood Extreme defense 120gr=passed through block recovered in wood
Winchester Ranger 230gr (RA45T)=penetrated 11 1/2" expanded .75-.85"
Widest petal was .85
Winchester Ranger 230gr+P (RA45TP)=penetrated 14 3/4" expanded .75-.85
I then shot 4 more rounds of Ranger 230gr+P and they went from 14 1/2" to 14 7/8"
So with my little test I will be carrying the Ranger 230+P.
Just thought you might be interested in the results.
The Federal HST expand beautifully but don't even penetrate to 12" with the shorter Shield barrel.

Here is update.
I did Speer Gold dot 230gr Standard pressure=13"penetration with .625 expansion
Corbon DPX 185gr+P=14 1/2" penetration with .75 expansion
I still like the Ranger 230+P so far with 14 1/2-14 3/4" penetration and .85 expansion at widest point.
One Corbon turned completely around 180degrees
Both expanded nicely

 

[Jem45472]

A little chilly for shooting today lol. Good info.

 

[RandallOfLegend]

it's worth noting that colder blocks will penetrate less. There is a BB calibration that people use on blocks to ensure they can compare numbers from shot to shot. A 0.177" BB traveling at 590 FPS +/- 15 FPS should penetrate 2.95" and 3.75". Just FYI. It's a test they use to ensure the blocks meet specification. They can also apply a fudge factor to the results if this number is known every time.

 

[Marine Cpl]

Those Hornady Critical Duty rounds did horrible because they are designed to be used in full sized duty weapons.

They penetrated the block with complete passthrough because they did not have the velocity required to expand in such a short barrel so they maintained their unopened profile like a FMJ and went through with no resistance.

I've said this numerous times in other threads but some people like the word "Duty" on the box and carry them anyway. They might as well carry underpowered FMJ Reloads. Same result. Complete passthrough in a human body.

There are numerous tests out there getting those same results with the Critical Duty. In fact, from a full sized duty barrel of 4.5 to 5 inches, they barely expand.