Remington's HTP .45 ACP 185-grain self-defense ammo comes in 50-round boxes.

Remington’s HTP .45 ACP 185-grain self-defense ammo comes in 50-round boxes.

Premium defensive ammunition is crazy expensive. However, I suppose if you ever have to use it for its intended purpose, it’s worth every penny.

While most premium self-defense ammo will cost you over a buck per round, Remington’s HTP line appeals to the more budget conscious crowd. Packed in boxes of 50, it sells for about the same as most self-defense ammo packaged in boxes of 20. Doing the fancy math indicates that it’s a little less than half the cost of the most expensive stuff.

While most people really don’t need large quantities of premium ammo because they practice with cost-effective full metal jacket loads, then replace rounds in the magazine with premium cartridges, it can be a good thing to have easy access to reasonably priced carry ammunition. If you get a new gun, you’ll want to be really sure that your chosen carry ammo works reliably, and that means you’ll need to shoot a lot of it through your handgun, perhaps hundreds of rounds. This is one scenario where budget defensive ammo shines. You can practice (at least in moderation) with the same ammo you carry.

Let’s take a look at the Remington HTP .45 ACP 185-grain load to see how it performs.

The “HTP” stands for “High Terminal Performance” which doesn’t necessarily reflect any specific design feature. This ammo uses a jacketed hollow point bullet design. The bullet cavity is relatively small as far as .45 ACP hollow points go, with the opening measuring about .18 inches wide. You’ll notice small cuts, almost nicks, at the edge of the copper jacket to aid the expansion process. The bullet itself weighs 185 grains, and the cartridge uses a Remington 2 ½ primer. The cases are plain brass, not nickel-plated, and I assume this is one of the cost-saving design features. The factory muzzle velocity rating is an even 1,000 feet per second which yields a muzzle velocity of 411 foot-pounds.

I tested expansion through FBI heavy, four-layer fabric and into Clear Ballistics gelatin blocks.

I tested expansion through FBI heavy, four-layer fabric and into Clear Ballistics gelatin blocks.

Read the rest at GunsAmerica.