Copper .45 auto ammunition

I have been reading quite a bit about the new 100% copper bullets in the new Taurus Hex Copper, but I have not been able to get my hands on any yet. Has anyone else given them a try? My local firearms dealers are still not carrying it yet, and the online catalog houses seem constantly out-of-stock. I do not see this new line replacing my current favorite load, Winchester Ranger 230-Grain SXT (follow-on from the "Black Talon" line), but it might be a good substitute. The attractive features that the Hex shares with the Ranger are accuracy, low muzzle flash, consistent expansion, and high weight-retention.

Handguns Magazine - Hex testing
Winchester Ballistics
pic: Expanded Hex 100% copper bullet, 185gr


[Edited on 15-5-2004 by Spectre]

Wow... Interesting. I would think that copper would be too light. How accurate is it? Have you tried it. I have only shot 230 grain FMJ.

I hesitate to even guess how many 185 Grain JHPs I have put downrange, but it is a lot! -mostly reloads, but a few Remingtons and Winchesters - They have been good performers, feed reliably, etc. Accuracy is on par with 230gr loads. Barnes, the makers of the bullet in the Taurus cartridge, makes up for the lower density by lengthening the bullet. It looks to me at least a third longer than a lead slug of the same weight.

I'm still looking for some in stock somewhere so I can try them, but online/mail-order will probably the only option for getting some. The shipping penalty for heavy stuff/hazardous like that makes me cringe.

I'm also an avid shooter and gun owner and I personally don't see why this copper bullet would be better than my 185 grain +p JHP in my P220. I do understand the need to get away from lead bullets though but, copper? Sounds like expensive ammo to me. Some guys like to load there "self defense" magazine with the latest gizmo ammo, I guess I am not one of them.This sounds like Gucci ammo for guys who don't buy the ammo they shoot...

Variable

I am a big fan of the move to lead-free ammunition, bullets and primers, and I hope the movement catches on. The new Taurus product seems to be another step in the right direction along with Remington, CCI, Speer, and Precision's offerings. Copper is going to be cheaper than bismuth, tungsten, etc.
My big beef with most +P .45 duty/self-defense ammo has been muzzle flash. The Remington Golder Sabre is a great round but has a monster fireball out of my full-sized pistols. The lack of noticable flash is one of the things that sold me on the Winchesters. Also, the SXT is 230gr like the FMJ I buy as practice ammo.
I have come to the conclusion that all good duty .45 ammunition is going to be outrageously expensive and have come to accept it. I have always shot more out of my own pocket than I did when the company or county was buying me ammo, anyway. They never spent enough!

Certainly, I hope that manufacturers keep putting money into research and development. I don't see this as a "gizmo," nor am I rushing out to stock up on it as the ultimate weapon. I see it for what it is: an interesting development in ammunition tech.

I don't see this as a "gizmo," nor am I rushing out to stock up on it as the ultimate weapon. I see it for what it is: an interesting development in ammunition tech.

Well, time will tell. Most ammunition bought today has a copper plate or wash, so copper is not terribly new territory in the realm of firearm ballistics. As far as it being cheaper than non-lead bullet alternatives I think TMJ bullets will be with us for a while. One of the ways that the anti-gun people were pushing awhile back (and most likely still are) was to pass laws that make lead bullets illegal because of the health effects of lead poisoning; if this comes to fruition and ammunition must be made of more expensive metals, the end result is a great reduction in the number of practice rounds being put down range. This is a bad thing.
Let's not also forget that harder metals with pointed tips can pass right though soft body armor; tungsten for instance. The ATF has the right to outlaw any ammunition that is armor piercing that is used in a pistol, as they did with the wonderfully cheap 7.62X39 ammo from China some years ago.
I see companies gearing up to sell green ammo, that is twice or three times the price of lead ammo, to governement agencies which ends up hurting the average gun owner.
My two cents anyway.

Variable

One of the items I was hoping someone would turn up was a "copper hex vs. body armor" test. I remember what a stir the KTW and Arcane created. "Cop Killer" is a term that has, I fear, been added to the public vocabulary forever.

Contamination of the soil on outdoor ranges by lead bullets is thought of as the next big front on which the shooting sports will be attacked. You are 100% correct that anything that keep people from practicing more is bad news. The current totally lead-free options are 4x more expensive than practice ammo. I keep my fingers crossed that increased demand will bring the price down one day.

I actually first stumbled upon the copper ammo while looking into the non-toxic compressed-powder frangible bullets, the almost sci-fi research.

I am libertarian and I don't think that the government should be controlling these things. You know the 1994 AW Ban? It didn't do anything. People are always coming up with ways to defeat things like armor anyways. For half the price of an AR-15, you can build yourself a lasergun from a cutting laser and a lithium ion battery pack. Although it would be very heavy, it would burn through the body armor of someone. I also don't like the term cop-killer, i am not one. Also copper is harder than lead... it can be banned if it is made in roundnose.