[XD_EE]

I was looking around and discovered that Federal has come out with a new bullet that they seem to be advertising heavily for Personal Defense. The EFMJ (Expanding Full Metal Jacket). Does anyone have any experience or know about these bullets? :?:

 

[xmirage2kx]

I have not shot them myself, but the idea is that they mushroom similar to a HP but stay in one piece as the top is either a softer substance or hollow but the bottom is still a solid round. I think they would have their place. I know many guns do not like HPs and this would solve that issue.

 

[tapehoser]

Eh.....I think if my weapon had trouble shooting HP's, I'd get a different weapon. IMHO. Kind of seems like an bandaid, not a fix for a problem. If my XD suddenly wouldn't shoot HP's, I'd take it to a good gunsmith and have it worked over.

 

[XD_EE]

Okay, but can you think of any pros or cons to purchasing these over hollow points? If they are generally more reliable then why not use them?

 

[GeneticsDave]

I talked with the Federal reps at the 2008 Shot Show in Las Vegas. I asked them about this round and what it's place was. We already have JHP for defense and FMJ for practice and the military, so what's up with these?

The answer was this:

The company was receiving requests to alter some JHP rounds to have a more rounded nose (some are quite linear, while others are rounded). They decided that it would be a good idea to make a separate line of Expanding Full-Metal Jackets that would feed like a FMJ, but perform more like a JHP.

I think it's a good idea, but only if you have feed issues with JHPs, if not just get the JHPs. If you DO have feed problems, either get a gunsmith to polish or alter your feed ramp or carry a different gun - JMO.

 

[GeneticsDave]

Also, if you like the FMJ look, you could always go with a Cor-Bon Pow'R Ball or Glaser Safety Slug.

 

[T-Man]

I read an article about the EFMJ a while back. I wanna say it was in Guns and Ammo, but not sure about that. The author said they were good for personal defense, that they expand to their full potential even through multiple layers of clothing. Hollow points, as you know, expand when the cavity fills with liquid. Sometimes, however, the cavity gets plugged by clothing or other solid debris, preventing expansion and making the bullet act more like a FMJ. The EFMJ doesn't suffer from this problem.

As far as their penetration, Brassfetcher.com shows them to be a little under the FBI standard of 12" penetration into bare ballistic gelatin.

I've never shot them myself, this is just what I have seen and read about them.

I found a copy of the article here.

 

[ian husford]

This may be an answer to my Bersa Thunder 380. I've only tried it with one brand of hollow point, the Gold Dots, and it doesn't feed. The edge of the bullet catches on the ramp. It does handle FMJ or other round points fine.

ian