CARTRIDGE, CALIBER .

45, BALL, M1911

This cartridge is a current standard item of issue and is used in the automatic pistol,
M1911 and M19llA1, the Colt revolver M 1917, the Smith and Wesson revolver
M1917, and the Thompson submachine gun M1928 and M 1928A1, against
personnel. To adapt it for use in the revolvers, it must be assembled in clips
designed for this purpose. The cartridge consists of the cartridge case, primer,
propelling charge, and the bullet. The complete assembly weighs approximately 327
grains. The bullet has a round nose and a flat base. It consists of two parts, a gilding
metal jacket and slug of lead hardened with antimony. In early designs bullet
jackets were made of cupro-nickel and these have a silvery appearance. This was
later changed to gilding metal which was given thin tin wash which has a close
resemblance to the cupro-nickel jacket. The practice of tinning the jackets has since
been discontinued and the bullets of current design have the natural copper color of
gilding metal. The over-all length of the bullet is 0.68 inch. The mouth of the case
may be crimped to the bullet and Ball, pull of approximately 40 pounds is required
to remove the bullet from the case.

Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M3A1, and Pistol, Caliber

.45, M1911A1.
Description: The cartridge is identified by a plain bullet tip.
Purpose:
The cartridge is intended for use against
personnel.
DODAC..... 1305-A475
Weight.....
331 grain
Length.....
1.275 inch
Propellant..... SR 7970
Weight.....
5 grain
Reference
TM 43-0001-27, June 1981
Use:

Exterior ballistics
Maximum range.- In pistol, 1,600 yards.
In submachine gun, 1,700 yards.
Presure.-14,000 pounds per square inch.
Velocity.-Pistol.-25.5 feet, 820 feet per second.
Muzzle, 825 feet per second.

Submachine gun.- At 25.5 feet, 885 feet per second.

At muzzle, 990 feet per second. Muzzle energy- 329 foot-pounds Ball, pistol.
383 foot-pounds in submachine gun.
Accuracy with muscle test.
Mean variations for several targets
Range Mean Radii
Yards

Inches

25

0.86

50

1.36

75

2.24

Penetration.-In white pine.

Range Depth
Yards Inches
25

6.0

100

5.5

250

4.0

The penetration in moist loam at 25 yards is about 10 inches. The penetration in dry
sand at 25 yards is about 8 inches.
Table of fire.
Range Time of flight Drop

Deflection due
to drift1

Yards

Seconds

Inches

Inches

10

0.037

0.3

0.1

20

.75

1.1

.2

30

.113

2.4

.3

40

.151

4.4

.4

60

.229

9.9

.8

80

.308

18

1.3

100

.388

28

2.0

Drift is to the left. Based on a velocity of 800 feet per second, 25 feet from muzzle.

Caliber .45 ammunition consists of ball cartridges, blank cartridges, dummy

cartridges, high-pressure test cartridges, and tracer cartridges. In common with all
other small-arms ammunition, caliber .45 cartridges are identified by the marking
on the packing boxes and cartons and by the identification card. These include the
type, caliber, model, manufacturer's symbol, and ammunition lot number.

Component parts
Component
parts

Ball, M1

Tracer, M1

Dummy,
M1921

Cartidge
Case

Brass

Brass

Tinned brass.

Brass

Bullet jacket

Gilding
metal

Gilding
metal

Gilding
metal

Gilding
metal

Bullet slug

{39 lead
39 lead
39 lead
{1 antimony 1 antimony 1 antimony

High-pressure
Blank, revolver, M1
test
Brass

39 lead
1 antimony

Primer cup

Gilding
metal

Gilding
metal

None

Gilding
metal

Gilding
metal

Primer anvil

Brass

Brass

None

Brass

Brass

Primer disk

Paper

Paper

None

Paper

Paper

Primer pellet

F.A. 70

F.A. 70

None

F.A. 70

F.A. 70

None

Smokeless
powder.

Smokeless
powder.

Propellant
powder.
Wad

Smokeless Smokeless
powder.
powder.
None

None

Paper

Component weights
Weight
Weight of
Weight
Weight Weight
Weight of Weight
of
Caliber
comWeight
of carof
of
tracer
of
propel.45
plete
of slug
tridge
bullet jacket
composition primer
lent
case.
cartridge
powder
Ball,
M1911

327

234

37

197

4.524

5.

87

Ball,
M1911

325

234

37

197

4.522

5.

87

Tracer,
M1

303

195

75

100

Igniter com4.524
position 20.

5.

87

Blank,
revolver,
M1

123

(1)

4.524

6.

120

Highpressure
test,
M1.

327

234

37

197

4.524

7.

87

Dummy,
M1921

313

234

37

197

Dummy,
M1921

318

234

37

197

87
4.11

85.5

Sources and Resources

FM 9-13 AMMUNITION HANDBOOK A GUIDE FOR AMMUNITION

SPECIALISTS - 4 November 1986

Trajectory for Hornady .451 dia. (45 Cal) 230 gr. XP-XTP at 950 Feet per Second
At an Elevation Angle of: 0 degrees
Ballistic Coefficients of: 0.188 0.188 0.188 0.188 0.188
Velocity Boundaries (Feet per Second) of: 720 720 720 720
Wind Direction is: 3.0 o'clock and a Wind Velocity of: 10.0 Miles per hour
Wind Components are (Miles per Hour): DownRange: 0.0 Cross Range: 10.0 Vertical: 0.0
The Firing Point speed of sound is: 1132.09 fps
The bullet drops below the speed of sound on the trajectory (1132.09 fps) at: 00 yards
Altitude: 5700 Feet Humidity: 50 Percent Pressure: 29.53 in/Hg
Temperature: 70 F
Data Printed in English Units
Range
Velocity Energy Bullet Path Bullet Path Wind Drift Wind Drift Time of Flight
(Yards) (Ft/Sec) (Ft/Lbs) (inches)
(1 MoA)
(inches)
(1 MoA)
(Seconds)
0
950.0
460.8
-0.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0000
25
932.9
444.3
21.41
81.8
0.13
0.5
0.0797
50
916.7
429.1
40.84
78.0
0.51
1.0
0.1608
75
901.3
414.8
57.67
73.4
1.14
1.4
0.2433
100
886.7
401.4
71.84
68.6
2.01
1.9
0.3272
125
872.7
388.9
83.24
63.6
3.12
2.4
0.4125
150
859.2
377.0
91.8
58.4
4.48
2.8
0.4991
175
846.2
365.6
97.41
53.2
6.06
3.3
0.5871
200
833.7
354.9
99.99
47.7
7.89
3.8
0.6764
225
821.5
344.6
99.44
42.2
9.95
4.2
0.7671
250
809.6
334.7
95.68
36.5
12.25
4.7
0.8591
275
798.1
325.2
88.6
30.8
14.79
5.1
0.9524
300
786.8
316.1
78.1
24.9
17.56
5.6
1.0472
325
775.9
307.4
64.1
18.8
20.58
6.0
1.1432
350
765.2
299.0
46.49
12.7
23.83
6.5
1.2407
375
754.7
290.8
25.15
6.4
27.33
7.0
1.3395
400
744.5
283.0
0.0
0.0
31.07
7.4
1.4397
425
734.5
275.5
-29.08
-6.5
35.06
7.9
1.5413
450
724.7
268.2
-62.2
-13.2
39.29
8.3
1.6443
475
715.1
261.1
-99.47
-20.0
43.77
8.8
1.7487
500
705.6
254.3
-141.01
-26.9
48.51
9.3
1.8546
525
696.4
247.6
-186.93
-34.0
53.5
9.7
1.9619
550
687.3
241.2
-237.35
-41.2
58.75
10.2
2.0706
575
678.4
235.0
-292.41
-48.6
64.26
10.7
2.1809
600
669.6
228.9
-352.21
-56.1
70.03
11.1
2.2927
625
661.0
223.1
-416.9
-63.7
76.07
11.6
2.4059
650
652.5
217.4
-486.61
-71.5
82.39
12.1
2.5207
675
644.2
211.9
-561.48
-79.4
88.97
12.6
2.6371
700
636.0
206.5
-641.64
-87.5
95.84
13.1
2.7551
725
627.9
201.3
-727.25
-95.8
102.99
13.6
2.8746
750
619.9
196.2
-818.45
-104.2
110.42
14.1
2.9958
775
612.1
191.3
-915.39
-112.8
118.14
14.6
3.1186
800
604.4
186.5
-1018.23
-121.5
126.16
15.1
3.2432
825
596.8
181.9
-1127.14
-130.5
134.48
15.6
3.3694
850
589.4
177.4
-1242.28
-139.6
143.11
16.1
3.4973
875
582.0
173.0
-1363.82
-148.8
152.04
16.6
3.6270
900
574.8
168.7
-1491.95
-158.3
161.29
17.1
3.7585
925
567.7
164.6
-1626.84
-167.9
170.86
17.6
3.8918
950
560.7
160.5
-1768.68
-177.8
180.75
18.2
4.0270
975
553.8
156.6
-1917.67
-187.8
190.97
18.7
4.1640
1000
547.1
152.8
-2074.01
-198.1
201.53
19.2
4.3030

Copyright Sierra Bullets LLC 2007