The superiority of the 45 ACP pistol cartridge

¶ … Automatic Colt Pistol Cartridge is the Best Handgun Cartridge

Handguns are still considered a controversial issue in this country, but there can be little doubt that when used correctly there are few tools that are more effective for the designed purpose of defense and security than the handgun. Despite the dangers that are often associated with handgun ownership and use, taking the proper precautions and handling the gun with the respect and responsibility it requires makes the handgun far more useful than it is unsafe. With these issues aside, the question of what makes the most effective handgun still remains. The type of gun used only provides part of this answer; few people realize that the type of ammunition used is at least as important, if not more so, as the type of gun. Ammunition is what actually creates the power behind the bullet, not to mention forming the projectile itself. Handguns can really be viewed as vehicles for the initial explosion and resulting delivery of a bullet; they are not the actual unit of defense. This honor belongs to the handgun cartridge (more commonly, though incorrectly, thought of as the bullet). There are many different cartridges that fit various guns, so choosing the correct ammunition can be difficult. With any gun that fits a.45 caliber cartridge, however, the choice is a simple one: without much in the way of rational objection, the 45-caliber automatic pistol cartridge developed by the Colt Company back in 1904 remains, with few modifications, the most effective piece of handgun ammunition ever. The reasons for this are as esoteric as the simple tradition and heritage of the Colt brand and their.45 cartridge in particular, and as practical as the cartridge's stopping power and low muzzle flash combined with a moderate recoil, both of which make it the most effective and easy-to-use cartridge available.

The design of the.45 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridge is over a century old, and so has a long history. The Colt company itself is even older, having been founded in 1847. The history of the Colt Manufacturing Company is intimately tied to the history of the Wild West; the company and its guns were developed in response to the lawlessness and violence that so marked that place and time in American history. the.45 cartridge itself was specifically developed for use by the U.S. Cavalry by John Browning, and its rimless design which made for ease of loading and the shorter cartridge length -- which had benefits of reduced weight and size in military supplies -- without a reduction in power quickly made it one of the most popular cartridges in use by the army. More so than any other company, the Colt Manufacturing Company defined handguns and helped to shape history not only in this country but around the world. And of all the Colt products, the,45 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridge has remained one of the most widely used, earning its place in history through countless military encounters and some more infamous personal disputes. The tradition and history behind this cartridge is just one reason that this cartridge should be considered the best, however; it would not have the history it does if it was not also a highly practical and effective form of ammunition.

The first evidence of the.45 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridge's dominance in practical terms is its stopping power, which has to do with the velocity, size, and impact of the bullet once fired from the cartridge and gun. Basically, "stopping power" is a way to talk about the damage that a bullet inflicts on its target, and the bullet that is a part of the.45 ACP cartridge has one of the best stopping powers of all bullets in its calls. Its size was finally decided on after much testing to maximize the penetration of the bullet and the damage it inflicts along with a loss of velocity, so that the bullet does not pass through the target and so hit other objects/targets unintentionally. It has the ability to penetrate quite deeply, however, making it especially effective in a defensive weapon as it does not hold up to much argument. Once a target has been hit with a Colt.45 ACP, they are not likely to keep attacking. The wound channel created by the bullet's penetration is also fairly wide, which again increases the cartridge's stopping power.