American Eagle 45 Auto Hardball 230 Gr FMJ


These are American Eagle cartridges, the value line from Federal Cartridge Company that provides good quality ammunition at reasonable prices.

American Eagle ammunition is made on the same production lines that Federal ammunition is, and the brass cases are marked Federal but the price is usually significantly less because the selection is limited to only cartridges that are sold in large volume, like 45 ACP, 38 Special, 9mm Luger, 44 Magnum, 5.56mm and 7.62 NATO for range buffs like me who frequently target shoot. 

American Eagle ammo is packaged in a red box and in fact is called by shooters "Federal Red Box" to distinguish it from the more pricey regular Federal ammunition that usually comes in fancy silver boxes. Federal Red Box is along the same lines as the bargain priced ammunition from Winchester and Remington that are packaged in plainer boxes than their more expensive regular brands.

The 45 Auto or 45 ACP for Automatic Colt Pistol as it was first dubbed is a popular chambering for target shooting and defense as well as the military standard from 1911 to 1985 and still a popular choice today because it hits hard and shoots more accurately than most calibers.  The 45 Auto is also used for plinking and many a soda can or hubcap has been riddled by the venerable Colt autoloader.  My particular 45 is a Colt Government Model that has thousands of rounds through it and is still like new.

In addition to the Government Model which is a commercial model akin to the pistols supplied by Colt for the World Wars, I have a Colt Gold Cup National Match which is specially tuned for accuracy.  I shoot the hard ball in either pistol interchangeably and have not had a problem with either.

These cartridges are made with brass cases so reloaders love them as Federal cases are very good quality.  The bullets are standard 230 grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) or Hardball as they are typically called. 

This 230 grain FMJ ammunition is loaded at standard velocity of the government load and will often shoot to point of aim with the standard sight settings on your 45 Automatic Pistol. 


The ballistics on these 45 Auto 230 grain FMJ cartridges are as follows:

Muzzle Velocity             Muzzle Energy
850 Feet per Second   370 foot pounds


When shooting, always wear ear protection and obey the four rules.

o All guns are loaded.
o Never point a gun at something you do not wish to destroy.
o Be sure of your back stop. Guns shoot through things.
o Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target.

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