The Loadout Room
Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • 1A Gun to Ride the River With: The Smith & Wesson 686
        • The Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventuresThe Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventures
        • maxim defense cqb stock (8)The Maxim Defense CQB Stock: Short and Sweet
        • Perfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG wayPerfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG way
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • RIP-MVehicle Preparedness: Fast access to essential items | Grey Man Tactical RIP-M
        • Midland radioOverland Essential | Midland Radio MXT275 | GXT1000
        • ppGrab your gear and go | Here’s everything you’d need to build an adventure go bag
        • Scrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the fieldScrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the field
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stingerThe Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger
        • How to determine how long you have before the sun setsHow to determine how long you have before the sun sets
        • fireWilderness survival expert breaks down how to build a fire
        • 5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt, SWAT Tested and Approved
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Shop

Why 45 ACP is an outdated caliber

Why .45ACP is an outdated caliber

February 12, 2018 by Loadout Room Guest Authors Leave a Comment

I really love to stir things up in the shooting community (especially the internet portion of it) so I’m just going to say it, “.45 ACP is outdated.” That’s not to say it isn’t effective, or that it isn’t reliable; just that it’s outdated. The .45 ACP round was developed by John Browning in 1905 and was later adopted by the United States military because it was deemed more effective that the .38 Long Colt that was currently used by many service pistols. For many years it was deemed a superior pistol round to the majority of alternatives available. Because the military is an institution that has historically been slow to make drastic changes, the .45 ACP cartridge was kept in service for a long time before 9mm was adopted as the standard.

The .45 ACP cartridge is large and takes up considerably more space in a magazine than a 9mm round does. The largest of handguns are mostly limited to 13 rounds per magazine (15 in some FN models). When it comes to the 9mm, there are pistols capable of capacities upwards of 17 rounds. The relevance here is that the less ammunition you have in your gun, the more magazines you have to carry and the more often you have to reload; when you’re reloading, you’re not engaged in the fight. It has been long understood by any military worth its salt that volume of fire trumps accuracy every time when it comes to direct engagements. Rounds down range, keep the threat’s head/s down and prevents them from shooting at you; this allows you to maneuver (close with and destroy) or employ accurate fire and eliminate the threat. Having more bullets makes the whole process a whole lot easier.

The .45 ACP has a lot of myth surrounding it as well. Stopping power is not necessarily a thing; at least not in the context people are generally think of. In terms of ballistic coefficient, the .45 ACP bullet is very similar to the 9mm. However, the 9mm bullet travels at a far greater velocity giving it a flatter trajectory and better penetration as far as terminal ballistics go. Wound cavity is subjective to the rounds dimensions and design. Shot placement will always be the determining factor here though. If a 9mm and a .45 ACP fmj (full metal jacket, ball ammo standard to the military) were both fired at a human heart they would achieve similar results in cavitation but the 9mm would get there faster and penetrate better.

Again, the .45 ACP is not a bad round; it’s effective and reliable. It’s outdated because it travels at a slower velocity and cannot be carried in the abundance the alternative can. The majority of the world’s militaries employ the 9mm round and even the United States Special Operations Command has gone back to the 9mm after years of employing several .45 ACP pistols. The truth of the matter is, shot placement and capacity beat round size every time.


Originally published on SOFREP and written by KURT T

Share This

Filed Under: Ammunition Tagged With: 45, 9mm, ACP, Handgun, Kurdish, Kurdistan, Kurt, Marine, mass, parabellum, Peshmerga, pistol, Round Count, Small Arms, sofrep, velocity

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

What’s Hot

Top 8 upgrades every Kel-Tec Sub 2000 owner needs: MCARBO parts review
Featured

Top 8 upgrades every Kel-Tec Sub 2000 owner needs: MCARBO parts review

Gear Reviews

Best Budget Fixed Blade - Gerber StrongArm

Gear

The Liberator 2.0 By Safariland - Hear the Difference

Featured

Watch: Halle Berry and Keanu Reeves used live rounds to train for John Wick 3

AR Build Kits under $300
Firearms Technology

Peak AR: Davidson Defense AR Build Kits under $300

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates daily and to hear what's going on with us!

In Case You Missed It

Gear

The Liberator 2.0 By Safariland – Hear the Difference

April 2, 2021 Leave a Comment

Gear Reviews

Best Budget Fixed Blade – Gerber StrongArm

March 9, 2021 Leave a Comment

Firearms

Covert Operations Case – Keep Your SMG Discreet

February 26, 2021 Leave a Comment

Gear Reviews

KA-BAR LDK – Slash, Stab, and Escape

February 22, 2021 Leave a Comment

Get it on Google Play

© Copyright 2021 Crate Club Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers