Nosler 45 Auto Cartridges Review: Which Cartridge Performed Better?

I tested two of Nosler’s 45 Auto cartridges; a 230 grain ASP (Assured Stopping Power) and a 185 grain ASP.  I liked the performance of both, but I liked one better. Which one? Let’s look at the data.

The cartridges I tested are from their ASP, Assured Stopping Power, line. The ASP bullet has several features desirable in defensive cartridges. The ASP is a hollow point bullet whose jacket surrounds the lead in the center.  The bullet nose is a truncated cone, which is known for reliable feeding. The jacket has pre-scored skives, which control the expansion, giving it consistent performance.

John Nosler was an outdoorsman who began his company around 1948 because cartridge offerings at the time did not perform to his satisfaction. Most cartridges had bullets designed around a copper jacket, with a lead core. The only problem was, the exposed lead part was at the base, and the rest of the bullet was surrounded by the jacket. Nosler switched this around so the jacket exposed the lead at the front, allowing the projectile to expand when it entered the intended target. Does this sound familiar? Most modern sporting and defensive bullets have this in common today.

Our testing days have been challenging in the Central Vally of California lately. First, as you know, California is full of useless restrictions affecting firearms ownership and ammunition purchase.  I’m not telling you that the laws are useless because I am annoyed at their outcome. I have testified in hundreds of cases as a firearms expert, and my experience tells me that gun restrictions are only burdensome to law abiding citizens. Because of California’s new laws, receiving ammunition includes a few extra steps. If you add the triple digit weather we had during our testing window, it was somewhat of an ordeal to get this testing done.

The ASP cartridges we tested are truncated cone style. One of the reasons I like truncated cone defensive cartridges is the fact that many manufacturers make practice bullets and cartridges that can duplicate the performance of the duty ammo. When agencies consider their duty cartridge contract, they should be looking at which products feel the same and shoot the same point of impact as the duty one. Additionally, the shape allows for the perfect feed angle.  Since I test cartridges, and use ASP bullets for metallic reloading, I can attest to their inherent reliability.

In the age of 9mm, why a 45?

The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) sets standards for ammunition pressure and dimensions in the United States. This is the peak pressure generated inside of a cartridge when it is fired. For 9mm Luger (9x19mm) ammunition, the average pressure is 35,000 PSI (pounds per square inch). For a “+P 9mm”, the term for high pressure cartridges commonly used in Law Enforcement, SAAMI sets the maximum average pressure at 38,500 PSI. A +P 45 cartridge will reach ceiling pressures around 23,000 PSI.  The 9mm does the job under great pressure. The 45 does the same job just loping along.

We used a Glock 21 to test the cartridges. Cartridge performance varies from gun to gun, so I always recommend that agencies test them in their duty guns before making an adoption decision.

Bullet Diameter is an Advantage

There are 2 types of tissue damage that most forensics experts describe when a bullet enters flesh: permanent cavity, and temporary cavity. The permanent cavity is the damage caused by the direct path of the bullet. The temporary cavity is formed by displacement of adjacent tissue as the bullet travels. The temporary cavity is generally much larger than the actual diameter of the bullet, depending on the elasticity of the tissue that surrounds the wound.

The idea is to get a bullet to expand quickly in the intended target, without parts of the bullet separating from the core. The expansion should help “stop” the bullet after an ideal depth; not too early or late.

Logically, the larger the diameter of the actual bullet, the larger the permanent cavity, and the temporary cavity. This was well known in 1911, when the 45 auto entered military service. The 45 was drafted because handgun cartridges used by the military at the time did not prove to be effective in combat. When coupled with the rapid expansion of the bullet in tissue, both the temporary and permanent cavities are improved.

Field Testing

When I fired the 185 grain ASP bullets across my Caldwell chronograph, they averaged 975 fps, which is very close to their advertised velocity. Since velocity is a critical factor in cartridge effectiveness, this was a very good start to my testing.

Nosler specs the 230 grain cartridge at 850 fps. The ones I tested averaged a little over 750 fps. I thought this was going to be a dealbreaker, until I started shooting these bullets into blocks of Clear Ballistics gelatin. They performed. In bare gelatin, the bullets averaged 15”. Except for the one that I sent sailing through the bottom of the block, the bullets expanded nicely, retaining 100% of their weight.

In the clothing portion of the test, where the bullet is into the gel block fired through 4 layers of denim, the 230 grain bullet averaged 16.5”. One of the bullets went 20.5”. When I inspected it, the hollow point was filled with denim fibers.  It expanded only a small percentage.

Through windshield glass, the 230 grain bullets travelled an average of 14.5”.  One factor we like to see is consistent performance in a cartridge when the bullets are fired through various materials. The Nosler ASP 230 grain cartridge had this consistency.

The 185 grain bullets averaged 12” in bare gelatin. They opened up consistently to about 150%. The also produced  one of the most unusual results I have ever had: During one round of testing, all of the bullets fired into gelatin ended up within an inch of each other. I was able to dig through a single hole in the gelatin to draw them out.

Most One of the bullets shed one of the skives. It was exactly at the bullet’s place of rest, so this jacket/core separation was not alarming. The skive was sharp enough to cut one’s hand. Ask me how I know.

Through windshield glass, the 185 AS bullets came to rest at 11.5”. One of the bullets had a slight separation, right where it stopped.

The Nosler 230 ASP cartridge performed as expected. The 185 grain cartridge did most things well, but not with the efficiency of the 230 grain one.

I fired the cartridges for accuracy. It was not hard to print sub 4” groups, even with the fliers in my groups. I can promise that the gun and cartridge combination shot better than I can.

The Subjective Part

When the military adopted the 45 Auto cartridge for duty, service members knew they had picked a winner. Combined with the M1911, one of the best service instruments that ever existed in the industry, the 45 was a reliable companion for the Greatest Generation. The 45 took on a unique role in Vietnam. In my early days of military service, I was an M1911 instructor before I was an M9 instructor.

The 45 Auto was not retired because of its lack of effectiveness. It was from other factors like “lowest bidder” and the fact that a case of 9mm is lighter and smaller.

The truth is, my Nosler pick is a 230 grain ASP. It is assumed that because it is a big heavy bullet that recoil should be much heavier than other duty cartridges. If we look at measurable scales, the recoil impulse and velocity of a 45 is indeed stronger and faster than a 9mm, respectively. However, the 9mm is “snappy”, and the 45 is more of a “push”.  Most experienced shooters consider this a “wash”. I do too.

Would I carry a 45 for duty again? Absolutely, even a single stack one. Would I carry Nosler ASP cartridges for duty? I definitely would carry the 230 grain ASP.