Exploding .45 ACP Rounds

[Statkowski]

While in Vietnam a few years ago (actually many, many years ago) I'd occasionally hear stories about people modifying .45 ACP rounds for dealing with the enemy.

Step 1: Drill a 1/4-inch hold into the nose of the bullet.
Step 2: Cut the nose off the .22 Short cartridge flush with the casing.
Step 3: Insert .22 cartridge into the nose of the .45 cartridge.

When impacting something solid (bone, building, rock), the .22 round would "fire" and explode the .45 bullet around it.

Yes, I know such would be definitely illegal in this country, and would also violate the so-called Geneva Conventions regarding land warfare, but....

Any opinions, knowledge or experience on such?

[Sir Knight]

And if you have jam or a failure to feed, wouldn't that explode the gun and take part of your hand along with it?

[Cyclops]

45 ACP on rimfire steroids. Never heard about in country. No way I would have put one of those rounds in my 1911.

[abner13]

These were available in various calibers during the late 70s-early 80s. A hollow point drilled a bit deeper with some sort of charge and a primer.



I've seen some rounds made with a .22 acorn blank seated in the nose.

[MT1]

Just my opinion but factory made, large cavity hollow points sound much more reliable and consistent.

[sprrdhawk44]

That would give a whole new meaning to "tap rack back" when clearing a malfunction.

[Statkowski]

Well. this would have been considered a Field Expedient. After all, it was Vietnam.

[Grumpa72]

These were available in various calibers during the late 70s-early 80s. A hollow point drilled a bit deeper with some sort of charge and a primer.



I've seen some rounds made with a .22 acorn blank seated in the nose.

Hey, I have that exact box sitting in my ammo box. In the late 70s-early 80s my dad bought me a box of .357 mag exploders for my "bear" pistol when I was living in Alaska. I carried those until my game warden neighbor told me some of his horror stories of under-gunned fisherman/backpackers. After that I only carried an Ithaca model 37 with slugs.

[GeneCC]

When ding dong Hinckley shot Reagan he used "Devastator" rounds from his RG pistol. They were 22 LRs with a bit of Lead Azide in the nose of the bullet. Did not work so hot on Reagan but they hurt James Brady.


Exploding small arms rounds are a big No-no in the Geneva convention. Do recall reading about "Observation" rounds including a Soviet and Nazi era German round.


Would this work? I wouldn't try it with a self loading firearm. Maybe if I had a universal receiver and a barrel to waste I might try it.

[Statkowski]

Exploding small arms rounds are a big No-no in the Geneva convention.

Lots of things are a big no-no in the Geneva convention. Willie Peter, for example, is "only to be used" for smoke generation in the battlefield. Yeah, right.