Patriot Ballistics is a new company (established in 2016) located in Analomink, PA. They load pretty unique ammunition called FLAK .45. That cartridge (or rather load) is essentially a .45ACP with a special projectile. The projectile consists of a Sierra hollow point bullet (185 gr) sitting on a sort of fine birdshot. That shot is what actually called FLAK. It is a  proprietary Italian-made material, which is denser than lead. The FLAK shot is separated from powder by a gas check. The latter also has a terminal effect on the target. Here is the diagram of the cartridge from Patriot Ballistics website:

Right now they have the .45 ACP offering only, but more calibers will come in future. According to the manufacturer, these loads are designed for defensive use. The overall weight of this projectile is 233.6 grains and it achieves a muzzle velocity of 1050 fps. The other components used in this ammunition are as follows: Starline .45ACP +P brass, CCI primers and +P powder by Vihtavuori. Because of high density, the FLAK shot is capable of penetrating 6.5″-7.9″ of ballistic gelatin. Here is a slow motion video of FLAK .45 projectile during its flight and when hitting a paper target:

The FLAK .45 ammunition comes in three different size packages two of which are … jars! Each package has even its own name. Here are the names, quantities and prices of those packages:

• “GI Pouches” – 6 rounds – MSRP $17.99. (does not come in a jar).
• “Threat Mitigation” jar – 150 rounds – MSRP $375
• “Shock and Awe” jar – 1200 rounds – MSRP $2399

So the cost per round varies from $1.99 to $2.99 depending on the purchased quantity.

What I like the most in this cartridge is the new material. Not very often we see a new material appearing in the ammunition designs, do we?

It would be also interesting to see how FLAK would perform in shotgun loads and in case if the entire bullet (or core) was made of it.

UPDATE: Because of misconceptions concerning the FLAK alloy, I am updating this post with the actual explanation from the manufacturer, which I’ll quote:

The .45 FLAK alloy is denser by cubic centimeter than conventional bullet alloy. There is no space age element implemented or carcinogenic materials present in our flack alloy, other than lead. The ratio in our flak alloy is our trade secret. Our rounds were designed with the highest quality materials available. The Flak .45 was designed to be the +1. It’s designed to increase your odds of initial contact with the assailant/perpetrator especially while under duress. Consider this, In 1990, NYPD officer hit potential was only 19%. That means 81% of the rounds they fired at criminals missed. At less than three yards, they hit only 38% of the time. From 3-7 yards, 11.5% and from 7-15 yards, only 9.4%.

Contacts

Website: www.patriotballistics.com
E-mail: sales@patriotballistics.com
Facebook Page: Patriot Ballistics