Handgun Hollow Points Not Expanding?

P

Propdoc03

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I had a friend tell me that there is a recent "discovery" or whatever that the typical hollow point defense handgun bullets do not expand. This is supposed to be happening because the hollow point become plugged with say a leather jacket or clothing causing it not to expand after entry.
Went on to say that this same thing can happen on hunting game with handgun ammo, the hide clogs/plugs the hollow point then it does not expand.
He showed me some new self defense ammo that has a polymer tip which is supposed to remedy this problem. He also went on to say that the city thugs are filling the hollow point with silicone because of this.

Anyway, I am just looking for some input or direction to a place where I can better research this. Just doesnt make sense to me, when even use hollow points then?

Thanks!
PD
 
PD I dont know about recently but they did discover that 10 years ago more or less.
However there are many on the market now that do expand as they should.
Even some that disintegrate when they hit the target. Frangibels I think they were called.
Probably try the American Handgunner site along with guns and ammo etc.
 
This is such old news I can't remember when it was first published in one of the magazines. In fact this information is so old that some manufacturers addressed this issue years and years ago.
Go to this wesite and check out their articles. By the way they are from Texas.
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/theboxotruth.htm

Also you may want to do some reading here
http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs7.htm

and read this
http://www.handgunsmag.com/ammunition/bullett_071207/

The internet is full of information on this. It has been documented for several decades.
It isn't new information, and has been addressed many times for years and years.
Do a google search on it.
 
personally i think its hogwash. think about it, you must plug the tip and keep the bullet driving forward in order for the bullet to expand. what do you honestly think the manufacturers are doing filling the hollow point of the bullet with plastic/rubber/silicone, they are pre pluggin it, and charging you more for it. IMO hollopoints dont expand for a few reasons, #1 poor bullet design, #2 they are not being driven fast enough to force them to expand.
 
While experimenting with both Speer Gold Dots and Hornady XTP's fired into enough water filled milk jugs to catch the bullet and covered with 3 or 4 layers of denim from both a .45 ACP and .357 Mag, the bullets ALWAYS expanded, and got to something like 2X their original diameter. I could tell no difference in bullets fired through denim and those just into the water filled jugs by themselves.

Maybe 20 or 30 years ago this was a problem, but the bullet makers seem to have been spending time and no doubt money on making good bullets that work and don't shed their jackets. In fact about 25 years ago or so I had 9 mm HP's come completely undone firing into leftover pumpkins from Halloween. Nothing but little bits of core and jacket inside the pumpkin. Don't know that they'd have done what they were supposed to do if required.
 
If you are worried about handgun bullet expansion on a perp, use a .45ACP. It has proven effectivness with FMJ, any expansion is a bonus.
 
Thanks Guys!

Thanks for all the input and direction to the other online good reading.

PD
 
Whether it's the word from a friend, gunshop salesman, or a neighbor claiming to be a relative of Ma Barker; When it comes to your personaL defense, don't just take any ONE persons word for it. Spend some time and do the homework to find compilations of test data that can be found right here on the internet.

I always research and choose my ammo on stats founded via actual police shootings. Hollow point ammo that has proven to provides 92% to 98.2% one-shot stopping power in numerous documented shootings is all I will carry in any one my personal defense pistols which range in calibers through 9mm, .40 and .45
 
Bullet velocity is the primary factor that will determine the extent of expansion/fragmentation of most hollow point handgun bullets.

The same 125 gr. Hornady XTP fired from a 38 Special at 950 fps may show little if any expansion, but when fired from a .357 magnum at nearly twice the velocity, will produce the expansion resulting in the 98% one shot stopping power alluded to in an earlier post.

Ford42
 
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