Lehigh Defense: Xtreme Penetrator Ammunition

[5pins]

@GJM was kind enough to send me some Lehigh Penetrators loaded by Underwood for me to try out in some Clear Gel. In my post on the Double Tap’s deepest penetrator, I came up with what I hoped would be a substitute for testing through bone.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....l=1#post738997

The Idea is to use 20ga sheet metal angled at 30 degrees to simulate bone or skull bone and see if there is any effect on penetration of deflection of the bullet's path. The sheet metal was placed in front of three 16 inch blocks of Clear Ballistics Gel.



Starting off with the .45 Super, I shot four rounds through an HK 45C with a 4-inch barrel. The first round shot through bare gel had a velocity of 1111fps and penetrated to 23.5 inches. The second round was shot just below the first through the angled sheet metal and hit at a velocity of 1087fps and penetrated to 18.75 inches. The third round was shot in the upper right of the gel blocks and penetrated to 23.75 inches with a velocity of 1094fps. The last round was shot through the sheet metal just below the third and it had a velocity of 1105fps and penetrated to 20.75 inches.



None of the bullets shot through the sheet metal showed any directional deviation from the impact. The four rounds had an average velocity of 1099fps. This velocity is about 100fps less then what Underwood’s claiming of 1100fps and about 100fps more than my handload of this bullet I tested previously. However, even with the increased velocity the penetration only increased by three-quarters of an inch from 23 to 23.75 inches. This load is also a little on the flashy side.

This bullet, at least in .45 caliber, still seems to suffer from lack of penetration depth even with the increased velocity. The sheet metal only slightly retarded penetration depth by about three or four inches.

GJM also sent me some to try in 9mm, 10mm, and .45ACP +P. I’m going to try it in 9mm next, then probably 10mm and .45 +P last.

[GJM]

Thanks much for doing this. Do you have a theory for why you think the bullet getting less penetration than you expected? Look forward to how the other calibers do — secretly rooting for the 9mm to do best.

[5pins]

Thanks much for doing this. Do you have a theory for why you think the bullet getting less penetration than you expected? Look forward to how the other calibers do — secretly rooting for the 9mm to do best.

In my completely unscientific WAG, the fluting is either increasing drag because of the more surface area or it’s directing the media into the flutes. Think of two boats traveling through the water next to each other. As the bow pushes through the water the wakes of the two boats interfere with each other pushing on the opposite boat slowing it down and trying to separate them.
I have no way of knowing if I’m right or not but it clear that the fluting is doing something.

[DocGKR]

Laminated automobile windshield is a better bone simulator than sheet steel.

Projectile flutes = increased surface area with greater drag decreasing penetration depth; also fluted bullets typically have less mass than a similar sized non-fluted bullet which also decreases penetration depth.

[DocGKR]

This idea of a solid projectile with flat point and flutes has been around for a long time. We tested a .45 Auto 185 gr +P solid w/flat point and flutes for NSW back in the late 1980's or so.

Despite media and vendor hype to the contrary, these solid fluted bullets just punch a hole in tissue like any FMJ--there is no mystical hydraulic energy, magical pressure spikes, absurdly enlarged wound cavity, etc...

Nonetheless, this design can be a good projectile and offer decent terminal performance.

[1slow]

Why not a truncated point solid without flutes.

[paul105]

Here’s some additional info that might be of interest (may have posted before, but too hot/lazy to search -- sorry if redundant).

Worked up some 200gr loads for use in the .45 ACP (Kahr CW45 pocket gun). Used the Lehigh and Cutting Edge and worked up to 1,000 fps. The Lehigh takes about half a grain less Ramshot Silhouette to reach 1,000 fps vs the Cutting Edge. Underwood +P 45 ACP 200gr Lehigh ammo chronos right at 1,000 fps from my Kahr CW45. No functioning problems with either Lehigh Underwood or my Cutting Edge handloads in the CW45

Link to Cutting Edge

https://cuttingedgebullets.com/shop/...andgun-bullets

Link to Lehigh

https://www.lehighdefense.com/collec...eme-penetrator

Picture of 200gr Cutting Edge loaded in .45 ACP



Here’s a link to some penetration comparisons (don’t know how scientific but advantage Cutting Edge)

http://www.general-cartridge.com/blo...-solid-bullets

Here's a picture of the Lehigh Ext Penet, and the Cutting Edge 200gr .45 ACP at 1,000 fps after impacting the base of steel popper. Shot from a slight angle to prevent bullet coming back at me and at the base so the popper wouldn't move at all.



The bottom bullet is the Lehigh which was shot at a bit more of an angle. Not suggesting these will "mushroom" in soft tissue or on bone, but they won't come apart and most likely won't deform at all.

FWIW,

Paul

[5pins]

The cutting edge bullets penetrate much better than the Lehigh’s but as far as I know, there are no factory loadings using them. So, unless you handload it’s not an option.

[5pins]

I finally had a chance to try the 9mm 115gr Lehigh XP today. Just like the .45 Super, I shot two rounds in bare gel and two through 12 gage sheet metal. The pistol I used was a Sig P229 with a 4.1-inch barrel.

The first round in the bare gel had a velocity of 1210fps and penetrated 47 inches of gel before coming out the side of the third block and landing on the floor. The second round, fired through the sheet metal, had a velocity of 1190fps and penetrated 16.5 inches. Round number three shot into the bare gel hit at 1192fps and penetrated to 47.5 inches. Something interesting about this round, the bullet showed signs of tumbling, in the gel, at the 35-inch mark. The last round went through the sheet metal at a velocity of 1191fps and penetrated to 18 inches.

When compared the 9mm to the .45 Super? The 9mm out penetrated the .45 by quite a bit in bare gel, 47.5 to 23.75. That’s almost twice as much. On the other hand, when through the sheet metal the 9mm lost a lot of its penetration. From a max of 47.5 to 18 inches, a loss of 29.5 inches. The .45 Super outperformed the 9mm but by only 2.75 inches when comparing the max penetration through sheet metal.

[Velo Dog]

I finally had a chance to try the 9mm 115gr Lehigh XP today. Just like the .45 Super, I shot two rounds in bare gel and two through 12 gage sheet metal.

Did you use a single piece of 12 gauge sheet metal in the 9mm test and a single piece of 20 gauge sheet metal in the 45 Super test? If that is not a typo, 12 gauge is almost 3 times thicker than 20 gauge.