This is an easy round to handle for anyone who enjoys shooting. I cannot believe all the comments about it being too hot to handle. I shoot a 220 Sig Sauer with 3" barrel and put all rounds in the same hole at 25 yards. I also shoot a 5" Springfield XD and Kahr P45. All three pistols handle this with no problem. If you are having misfires hold on to the grip tighter. It sounds like you are loose wristing it. Wear good ear protection and you won't even notice the round.

I shoot a Rock Island Tactical 1911 with a 5 inch barrel. I made a backstop out of sand, wet newspaper and a 2 inch wood panel. After shooting this backstop I checked to find the bullet had imbedded itself into the wood annd the mushroom was as advertised. The sharp petals were spread and I can just imagine the damage it would have done to flesh and bone. After this I bought 500 rounds and keep it for defense use only. Since I am a concealed pistol permit holder this is the only ammo that I will use. I can tell you that seeing is truly believing.

I was really excited when i first discovered this round, I bought my Springfield Armory 1911 TRP Operator about 400-450 rounds ago. Since the 1st time I brought it to the range, I have been experimenting w/ different brand's and grain's of bullet's; as well as +P ammo. This bullet look's on paper like an grizzly bear killer, so I bought 200 round's. last night I shot my 1st 50 rounds of it, and had 2 jams; 4% is worse than even the cheapest remington's I could find. I was initially planning on shooting only 100 more round's out of my 1911 and retiring it from practice, then stocking up around 1500-2000 round's of this stuff. well, I hope the next 150 go better than the 1st 50. im starting to think im gonna need a new barrel before I find an affordable(under .55 cent's / each), reliable round, that can perform the way I want. I was hoping this was it.

I live in Northwest Montana in the middle a thick forest, I placed a target on one of my large cottonwood trees. I unloaded three cartridges dead center on my target and when each target hit a cloud of smoke 10' x 10' drifted away from the cottonwood like a cloud of fog. I used a colt government model 80 at a 380 pound black bear, and the shot was at dead center of the Bears neck where the spinal cord is located. Instantly the bear turned into a rag doll and was dead before he hit the ground. Now if that is not stopping power well I need to say no more. If you shoot more than a few rounds at a time I guarantee you'll have a very sore arm! No doubt, one of the finest cartridges ever produced for a handgun. Just keep on practicing and you'll never miss. If you have a well-made handgun for this caliber I suggest you use your +P. because when you shoot a handgun it is a whole different ballgame than using a rifle and different cartridges do make a difference on your accuracy.

as I agree that this is not ammo to run on a regular basis for plinking or target.. i carry this for defense in my 3" Colt new Agent... i ran 2 mags for functionality testing today and had no problems and the gun seemed to eat it up.. this will be strictly defense ammo but i would not want to be on the receiving end of that

While this round is hot it is managable out of my Springfield Ultra compact 3.5" and shoots real good. But like was said, lots of flash and residue. If you want a REAL HOT one try Buffalo Bores +P 230 or +p 185. Neather one will cycle a short bbl <4"its just to fast, but works fine in commanders but don't use it in lite weight ones. These and most +P.45 ammo is strictly SOCIAL ammo and not for plinking......

You are correct sir!!! Everything you said was correct. The point is, this ammo is EXTREMELY HOT!!! It is not meant for plinking or target practice, it is meant for self defense carry or law enforcement only. I carry it in my full size Kimber w 5 in barrel on my ranch in South Texas because it is over run with wild hogs and it does a hell of a job on them. I would not shoot this ammo out of a Glock or any firearm that is not full size and all steel with at least a five inch barrel. You will not get the full affect of it, and you will be damaging your firearm with repeated use. But if you have the right gun, and you want a hot .45 +P with instant stopping power and one shot kills, this is the ammo to use. Another great ammo is the 185gr .45 +P Remington Golden Saber. For self defense, law enforcement, or killing big, mean-ass South Texas wild boars up close and personal, one of these two loads are the ones you want to carry. Thats why SWAT teams across the country overwhelmingly carry one of these two loads in their .45's for entry and assaults.

To respond to other people's comments, Officer Jim never said this was the hardest hitting ammo out there. But I'm sure it is. I have read articles where the writer stated he could not obtain the velocity claimed, no matter what gun he used. Federal has been a long time supplier of ammo to Lawmen and the military. Big police departments have ballistic labs and often do their own testing. You cannot get away with over rating your ammo. It's a shame that our special op units like SWAT, CIA, DELTA FORCE are using second-rate ammo instead of Mag-??-who?. oh, yea, Magtech. Yea, right. Hay guys, don't be a sucker. Don't believe the bull. Concerning residue. I used a gun with a 5" barrel as Officer Jim suggested. I know Clock does not make a 5" 45ACP. This will make the residue problem worst for reviewer, Serious Business. There is a lot of powder to burn. You need all the barrel length you can get. I agree with Jarhead 3. "This is the hottest most powerful, 45 Auto +P I have ever fired." I believe this ammo is at the top of the +P limit and almost in the +P+ range. All +P ammo is hard on a gun, even if the gun is +P rated and shortens the life of you gun by at least 50%,,,so I have been told by one big, well known, gun maker. This is OK if someone else is buying your guns for you. I will not shoot this ammo. Recoil is fast and very hard. It was scary to shoot this ammo. I think it's best for big, full size, all steel guns, in the big hands of a large Lawman or Special Operations unit. It's too much recoil and blast for this guy and his high quality guns. If I really need this much power, I'll carry one of my 44 Mag's with a 4" or 5" barrel rather than destroy one of my S&W Performance Center, Wilson combat, Kimber or Les Baer guns. I suggest that you do the same.

This is some really hard hitting ammo I know because I have used it before. Only one of my 45's the XD springfield was able to handle the power of this ammo. My 1911 and a taurus 45 was almost scary to shoot this ammo in but the XD handled it no problem. To respond to officer Jims comments about this ammo this is not the hardest hitting 45 ammo out there. The 185gr +P Magtech solid copper HP actually surpass the muzzle energy as well as the muzle velocity of this Tactical ammo. If you ever get the chance order some of both and compare them. Trust me the Magtech is a superior round but be sure you check to make sure your 45 is +P rated. So many people I see at the range trying to shoot +P ammo out of pistols not made to handle it and they wonder why there guns dont last very long. Still a good round though excellent for the 45 carbines like High Point, HK, and Baretta.

Pretty much what everyone else said. Lots of muzzle flash and debris to clean off of your pistol. Quick hard recoil. For that price you get some serious business out of this cartridge though. A very powerful load. Great for big guns in big hands, but just a bit too much residue, flash, and recoil for this guy and his Glock.

I just have to say that for many years I have carried the 230 grain Hydra Shock round until I decided to give the 185 +P’s a try and I have to tell you this round has an enormous amount of energy!! I shot a Point Blank body armor vest at about 10 feet and all I can tell you is that I’m really glad that I was not in that vest!! It knocked out a 6” circle of fabric out of the back-side of the vest as well as pulling a fist sized amount of the Kevlar material through the hole. It didn’t penetrate the vest so don’t think that’s what I’m saying. As you have read above it does have one hell of a muzzle flash and a good bit more that the normal recoil but I think that it is worth it especially when it comes to personal defense. You will not be disappointed

This ammo was never to be made available to the public. Some how it has become available to the public and I hope the bad guys never get any of it. Never the less, I will give all of you some data about it. This ammo was designed for tactical use. This means SWAT, FBI, ATF, DEA, CIA etc, etc. It is designed to stop someone, instantly. Want proof.! Just read the review by Jarhead 3. He dropped a 260 lb boar dead in his tracks with one shot. The 185 g Tactical Hydra-Shok bullet has a notched jacket which folds back to form cutting blades which extend out beyond the massive mushroom of the Hydra-Shok. I do not care to reveal the exact pound feet of energy that this round has, but I will say it is easily up in the Magnum range. Civilians often think only of big energy numbers. Big energy numbers do you no good if the bullet over penetrates, imparting only some of it's energy to the target. The 357 Mag is a case in point. Even the 230 +P 45 ACP will often over penetrate. But, the 185 g 45 ACP is different. Here we have a large diameter with a, relatively light weight traveling at +P velocities. The result is massive expansion with immediate, total and complete energy dump into the target. These rounds are HOT. They Rock and Roll. Use only in high quality firearms. Use in firearms with 5" barrel to get full benefit.

This is the hottest, most powerful, .45 Auto +P I have ever fired. I would not even use it if you dont have a high quality 1911 type pistol. It is amazing shooting it out of my full size Kimber TLE. Very accurate too. I can key hole 9 rounds at 15 yards. Recoil is very brisk, and muzzle flash excessive, but the combination of this hot load and 185 grain hydrashock bullet is devastating to anything, or anyone, unlucky enough to get hit by it. I dropped a 260 lb ferral hog boar with 5 inch tusks in his tracks with one shot. Amazing, hard hitting ammo, my only concern would be the excessive muzzle flash at night.