Buffalo Bore 45 ACP +P 185gr TAC-XP – Superior Lead Free Load

Description

The Buffalo Bore 45 ACP +P 185gr TAC-XP is the all copper answer to the same question the 185 grain lead core load asks, and it answers it rather better. Same 1150 fps and roughly 543 ft-lbs, but because the bullet holds together it delivers 13 to 14 inches of penetration where a light lead core bullet at this speed would fall short. Twenty rounds per box, item 45-185LF/20.

• Buffalo Bore 45 ACP +P 185gr TAC-XP Overview
• 45 ACP Lead Free Defense Ammo Ballistics
• Why The 185 Grain TAC-XP Copper Bullet Beats A Lead Core
• Specifications
• Recoil Spring Notes For This All Copper 45 Auto Load

Buffalo Bore 45 ACP +P 185gr TAC-XP Overview

The bullet is a Barnes TAC-XP, machined from solid copper with a deep hollow cavity and no lead core. It expands into copper petals and retains essentially all of its weight, which is the only way a bullet this light reaches useful depth in this calibre.

That distinction matters more than it sounds. Buffalo Bore also loads a 185 grain lead core hollow point at the same velocity, and a light lead core bullet driven hard is the classic recipe for fragmentation and shallow penetration. Copper removes that failure mode entirely.

The Buffalo Bore 45 ACP +P 185gr TAC-XP is loaded to +P and uses a low flash powder. The 45 ACP runs at low pressure by modern standards and has real headroom, and a defensive shooting in poor light is the likely scenario rather than the exception.

45 ACP Lead Free Defense Ammo Ballistics

Buffalo Bore chronographed this in five real pistols, which is unusually thorough. A five inch Colt Series 90 Gold Cup gives 1193 fps, a five inch H&K USP Tactical 1183, a 4.6 inch Glock 21 gives 1158, a 4.25 inch Colt Commander 1159, and a 3.5 inch Glock 30 gives 1110 fps.

Those work out to roughly 585, 575, 551, 552 and 506 ft-lbs. Note the 4.25 inch Commander essentially matching the 4.6 inch Glock 21, which is a useful reminder that barrel length alone does not decide what a pistol produces.

The compact Glock 30 is the number to look at if you carry one. 1110 fps from a 3.5 inch barrel is still well above the threshold a copper bullet needs to open, so 45 ACP lead free defense ammo of this design works in a short pistol where some hollow points do not.

Why The 185 Grain TAC-XP Copper Bullet Beats A Lead Core

Light and fast used to be a losing proposition in a defensive handgun, and for a good reason. Drive a conventional lead core bullet past a certain speed and it comes apart on impact, dumping its energy in the first few inches and never reaching anything that matters.

Solid copper removes that failure. There is no jacket to strip and no core to squirt out, so a 185 grain TAC-XP copper bullet expands into petals and stays in one piece regardless of how fast it arrives. The 13 to 14 inch penetration figure is the proof.

So you get the flat trajectory and lighter recoil impulse of a light bullet alongside the depth of a heavy one, which is a combination the calibre could not previously offer. That is the honest case for paying more for an all copper 45 Auto load.

There is a regulatory angle too. Non toxic requirements are spreading, indoor ranges with tired ventilation are a real consideration, and plenty of people simply prefer not to have lead residue on their hands. An all copper 45 Auto load answers all three.

Specifications

Recoil Spring Notes For This All Copper 45 Auto Load

Consider a heavier recoil spring for regular use. Buffalo Bore suggests roughly four to six pounds more than factory for a steady diet of +P, with a shock buffer for longer sessions. That applies to any 1911 fed high pressure ammunition.

Confirm function with a box. A 185 grain bullet is much lighter than the 230 grain weight most 45s are sprung for, and the combination of light bullet and high pressure changes slide timing enough to be worth verifying.

Check your point of impact. Low flash 45 ACP carry ammunition at 1150 fps exits the barrel sooner than 230 grain ball and will usually print a little differently in a fixed sight pistol.

Practise with standard ball and carry this. A 185 grain TAC-XP copper bullet is expensive, and there is no training value in burning them by the box when 230 grain practice ammunition teaches you the same things.

Low Flash 45 ACP Carry Ammunition Availability

This low flash 45 ACP carry ammunition is in stock and ready to ship from MAG5 Firearms, a family owned FFL dealer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Ammunition orders ship to most states, and local customers are welcome to pick up in the shop. If you need case quantities or a lead core 45 ACP load, call us and we will check what our distributors have on hand.

Manufacturer details are on the Buffalo Bore site. For the lead core version at the same velocity, see the 45 ACP +P 185gr JHP. For heavier bullets, compare the 230gr JHP, or see the same copper bullet in 40 S&W as the 140gr TAC-XP.