.45 Super
Encyclopedia
The .45 Super is a smokeless powder
center fire metallic firearm
cartridge
developed in 1988 by Dean Grennell
, a well-known writer
in the firearms field as well as managing editor
of Gun World magazine. Born of a desire to update and improve the 1906 era .45 ACP
, the .45 Super cartridge is dimensionally identical with the older .45 round, but offers an average 300 foot per second (ft/s) improvement in muzzle velocity
. The cartridge was co-developed by Tom Fergerson and Ace Hindman.
(CUP). In contrast, current day cartridges using modern nitrocellulose powders generating higher pressure can produce a CUP in the 28,000 – 39,000 range. As it was originally designed for lower pressures, the .45 ACP case has relatively thin walls and weak case head and web specifications; it can’t reliably contain increased pressures. The layout of most M1911 pistols' chambers presents yet another challenge in that the case head is not fully supported in the cartridge feed ramp area; pushing the envelope in this critical area with too much pressure risks a catastrophic failure, resulting in a case bursting in the chamber. To rule out such a dangerous possibility, Grennell chose to use brass formed from the stronger and more modern .451 Detonics, shortened to the overall length of the .45 ACP design. Support for the case head was also addressed by adopting a new chamber and barrel design which reinforces the base area of the case. Other areas of the model 1911 pistol design were also strengthened, including the addition of a heavier recoil spring and a strengthened firing pin redesigned to prevent primer material from flowing into the firing pin channel under high chamber pressures.
Manufacturers such as Heckler & Koch
(USP
and HK45
), and Springfield Armory, Inc.
currently offer pistols rated to fire .45 Super ‘out of the box’. Although they will chamber, the firing of .45 Super rounds in non-rated standard .45 ACP automatics is not recommended, as doing so risks a case failure in the unsupported chamber and at the very least would batter the slide and almost certainly shorten the life of the pistol.
The .450 SMC is a variant of the .45 Super with a smaller primer pocket, which is touted as being stronger due to having more brass in the web area.
based Starline Brass company eventually began marketing factory manufactured brass casings for the chambering, taking the round out of the obscure wildcat cartridge
realm. In addition, Ace Custom .45’s Inc. of Cleveland, Texas
trademarked the .45 Super name in 1994 and currently markets factory .45 Super pistols, as well as gunsmith adaptations of .45 ACP pistols, and .45 ACP conversion kits. Texas Ammunition and Buffalo Bore offer factory loaded ammunition which is marketed by Ace Custom and others. The Dan Wesson 460 Rowland will also chamber a .45 Super (as well as other 45 calibers) though this is not recommended as the 45 ACP (and therefore the 45 Super) head space on the case mouth, thus there is a 0.010 gap that could lead to a catastrophic failure from the 45 ACP derived cartridges.
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
center fire metallic firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
developed in 1988 by Dean Grennell
Dean Grennell
Dean A. Grennell was an American firearms expert, a writer/editor, and active science fiction fan. He was the managing editor of Gun World magazine and editor of the science fiction fanzine Grue....
, a well-known writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
in the firearms field as well as managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
of Gun World magazine. Born of a desire to update and improve the 1906 era .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
, the .45 Super cartridge is dimensionally identical with the older .45 round, but offers an average 300 foot per second (ft/s) improvement in muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
. The cartridge was co-developed by Tom Fergerson and Ace Hindman.
Development history
In 1988, a Gun World article detailed Grennell's efforts to update the .45 ACP for the 21st Century, a difficult endeavor due to the inherent design limitations of the veteran round. Introduced in the early 20th Century, the .45 ACP has a relatively large case capacity which was dictated by the relatively low pressure powders in use at the time of its development; as a result, it operates in the modest range of 19,900 – 22,000 Copper units of pressureCopper units of pressure
Copper units of pressure or CUP, and the related lead units of pressure or LUP, are terms applied to pressure measurements used in the field of internal ballistics for the estimation of chamber pressures in firearms. These terms were adopted by convention to indicate that the pressure values were...
(CUP). In contrast, current day cartridges using modern nitrocellulose powders generating higher pressure can produce a CUP in the 28,000 – 39,000 range. As it was originally designed for lower pressures, the .45 ACP case has relatively thin walls and weak case head and web specifications; it can’t reliably contain increased pressures. The layout of most M1911 pistols' chambers presents yet another challenge in that the case head is not fully supported in the cartridge feed ramp area; pushing the envelope in this critical area with too much pressure risks a catastrophic failure, resulting in a case bursting in the chamber. To rule out such a dangerous possibility, Grennell chose to use brass formed from the stronger and more modern .451 Detonics, shortened to the overall length of the .45 ACP design. Support for the case head was also addressed by adopting a new chamber and barrel design which reinforces the base area of the case. Other areas of the model 1911 pistol design were also strengthened, including the addition of a heavier recoil spring and a strengthened firing pin redesigned to prevent primer material from flowing into the firing pin channel under high chamber pressures.
Manufacturers such as Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH is a German defense manufacturing company that produces various small arms. Some of their products include the SA80, MP5 submachine gun, G3 automatic rifle, the G36 assault rifle, the HK 416, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the USP series of handguns, and the high-precision...
(USP
Heckler & Koch USP
The USP is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar as a replacement for the P7 series of handguns.-History:...
and HK45
Heckler & Koch HK45
The Heckler & Koch HK45 is a semi-automatic pistol designed by the German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch.-Overview:...
), and Springfield Armory, Inc.
Springfield Armory, Inc.
Springfield Armory, Inc. is a firearms manufacturer and importer based in Geneseo, Illinois, founded in 1974. It is one of the largest firearms marketers of imported firearms in the United States and is a four-time recipient of the National Rifle Association Gun of the Year Award.-Formation:After...
currently offer pistols rated to fire .45 Super ‘out of the box’. Although they will chamber, the firing of .45 Super rounds in non-rated standard .45 ACP automatics is not recommended, as doing so risks a case failure in the unsupported chamber and at the very least would batter the slide and almost certainly shorten the life of the pistol.
The .450 SMC is a variant of the .45 Super with a smaller primer pocket, which is touted as being stronger due to having more brass in the web area.
Ballistics
A number of bullet weight and velocity combinations are offered in .45 Super, including a 185 gr bullet propelled at 1,300 ft/s, a 200 gr at 1,200 ft/s, and a 230 gr at 1,100 ft/s. as well as other weight/velocities provided by Super Express cartridges and Buffalo Bore, such as 255grain at 1050 ft/s.Current status
Sedalia, MissouriSedalia, Missouri
Sedalia is a city located about south of the Missouri River in Pettis County, Missouri. U.S. Highway 50 and U.S. Highway 65 intersect in the city. As of 2006, the city had a total population of 20,669. It is the county seat of Pettis County. The Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of...
based Starline Brass company eventually began marketing factory manufactured brass casings for the chambering, taking the round out of the obscure wildcat cartridge
Wildcat cartridge
A wildcat cartridge, or wildcat, is a custom cartridge for which ammunition and firearms are not mass produced. These cartridges are often created in order to optimize a certain performance characteristic of an existing commercial cartridge.Developing and using wildcat cartridges does not...
realm. In addition, Ace Custom .45’s Inc. of Cleveland, Texas
Cleveland, Texas
Cleveland is a city in Liberty County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,605 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1854, a church and convent was built by Father Peter La Cour near the town's present site...
trademarked the .45 Super name in 1994 and currently markets factory .45 Super pistols, as well as gunsmith adaptations of .45 ACP pistols, and .45 ACP conversion kits. Texas Ammunition and Buffalo Bore offer factory loaded ammunition which is marketed by Ace Custom and others. The Dan Wesson 460 Rowland will also chamber a .45 Super (as well as other 45 calibers) though this is not recommended as the 45 ACP (and therefore the 45 Super) head space on the case mouth, thus there is a 0.010 gap that could lead to a catastrophic failure from the 45 ACP derived cartridges.
See also
- .45 ACP.45 ACPThe .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
- .45 Winchester Magnum.45 Winchester MagnumThe .45 Winchester Magnum is a .45 caliber rimless cartridge intended for use in semi-automatic pistols. The cartridge is a stretched version of the .45 ACP with additional strengthening in the web area to accommodate the higher operating pressure...
- .460 Rowland.460 RowlandThe .460 Rowland is a proprietary cartridge intended to attain .44 Remington Magnum level velocities with a M1911-pattern semi-automatic pistol. The cartridge concept originated with Johnny Rowland, the host of "The Shooting Show"...
- .45 GAP.45 GAPThe .45 G.A.P. pistol cartridge was designed by Ernest Durham, an engineer with CCI/Speer, at the request of firearms manufacturer Glock to provide a cartridge that would equal the power of the .45 ACP but was shorter to fit in a more compact handgun, and with a stronger case head to reduce the...
- .44 Magnum.44 MagnumThe .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...
- List of handgun cartridges
- 11 mm caliber11 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the through caliber range.All measurements are in millimeters .-Pistol cartridges:-Revolver cartridges:-Rifle cartridges:-See also:...