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458 SOCOM

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458 SOCOM (Short Barrel Optimized), 300 GR TTSX, 20 RDS

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$56.30

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458 SOCOM 350 GR BARNES TSX 20 RDS

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$56.95

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458 SOCOM 255 GR SOLID COPPER 20 RDS

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$62.29

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458 SOCOM, 302 GR EXTREME PENETRATOR, 20 RDS

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$62.89

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458 SOCOM 250 GR Xtreme Defense 20 RDS

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$64.49

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458 SOCOM 300 GR BARNES TTSX (TAC-X) 20 RDS

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$64.49

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.458 SOCOM 500 GR, JRN, SUBSONIC 20 RDS

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$65.60

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458 SOCOM 300 GR SOLID COPPER FOR DANGEROUS GAME 20 RDS

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~~$67.39~~ $62.29

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SLAM-FIRE SAFETY REMINDER for AR15's: Only load your 458 SOCOM rifle from the magazine. NEVER insert a loaded round in the chamber and then drop the bolt.

The 458 SOCOM (aka: 11.5x40mm RB) is a large caliber cartridge designed for use on the AR15/M4 platform. It was developed by Marty ter Weeme, founder of Teppo Jutsu LLC in 2000. The impetus was an informal ("beer and barbeque") discussion with a senior member of the US special operations community regarding the apparent lack of effectiveness of the 5.56x45mm rifle cartridge in a recent conflict. In particular, the reports from members of Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia as part of Operation Gothic Serpent that multiple shots were required to neutralize members of the opposing force led to the request to develop a new cartridge that would deliver far more energy from short barrels at relatively short distances.

After the design was completed, Tony Rumore of Tromix Corp in Broken Arrow, OK was contacted to build the first prototype. Based on the favorable reviews, commercial production was started and the initial rifles were produced by Tromix. Marty contacted me, Buddy Singleton, at Southern Ballistic Research, LLC (SBR) in Brunswick, GA, and asked me to develop factory loaded ammunition for the 458 SOCOM.

Practical Applications

The 458 SOCOM is most commonly chambered in rifles and pistols built on the AR-15 platform. A handful of smaller companies are building bolt-action rifles and lever-action rifles in this caliber.

Hunting

458 SOCOM excels as a hunting round on medium to large game. Hunters have successfully and consistently taken bears, boars and deer with this round at ranges inside of 250 yards.

The round offers excellent energy and penetration with a heavy .458 caliber bullet. Most hog hunters consistently boast about one shot stops with the 458 SOCOM round.

Some deer hunters have reported great success with the extra heavy bullets at subsonic speeds performing extremely well on deer at 250 yards.

Self-Defense

As it performs well on medium to large game animals, it should offer similar performance against two-legged predators. A suppressed 458 SOCOM with a short barrel could make for the ultimate home defense or ranch defense weapon. After all, this was the reason that Marty ter Weeme of Teppo Jutsu developed this round. He wanted a capable self-defense round for the military to work reliably within 200 yards to stop an enemy soldier with one shot.

Law-enforcement

Likewise, an M4 carbine in the hands of a law enforcement officer would make for an excellent patrol rifle or carbine within its effective range. Different loads and different bullets make for a very diverse range of uses in the AR platform from barrier blind, dangerous large game control, or vehicle disbablement.

Target Shooting

Most shooters working with the 458 SOCOM round report great accuracy with the cartridge. It has become a popular plinking and target shooting round among its adherents.

Military

Despite its intent and design, the 458 SOCOM has not been adopted by any military forces in an official capacity.

Performance

Size

The 458 SOCOM is one of the largest rounds engineered for the M4 or AR-15 platform. It was based on the 50 AE (Action Express) cartridge with a few changes. In addition to the case being lengthened to 1.575-inches, the rim diameter was reduced from 0.514-inches to 0.473-inches for compatibility with manufacturers of bolt-action rifles as this is probably the most common rim diameter size in the world.

The .458-inch bullet diameter allows for a lot of variety with regard to projectiles, particularly the heavy subsonic types.

Recoil

Felt recoil of the 458 SOCOM round is stout but not unbearable. Shooting with various muzzle brakes and sound suppressors make the round almost pleasant to shoot.

Muzzle Energy

Using lighter bullets in the 250-300 grain weights generates a muzzle energy of around 2565 foot-pounds of energy. Whereas the heaver 600-grain bullets generate 1326 foot-pounds.

458 SOCOM Ammo from SBR

Southern Ballistic Research, LLC (SBR) developed the first factory loaded ammunition for the 458 SOCOM when it was initially designed. Today, we are the leading manufacturer of factory loaded 458 SOCOM with over 22 different loads available. SBR continues the ballistic research to help take the 458 SOCOM cartridge to the next step as a fully developed CQB weapons platform. In addition to law enforcement and military applications, 458 SOCOM ammo has become a very popular hunting cartridge for medium and large game. In late 2020, the CIP Committee reached out to SBR about the 458 SOCOM, and in November 2021 the 458 SOCOM was CIP approved. You can download a copy of the cartridge print directly from the CIP website, or click here to download a pdf copy.

FAQs

Who developed the .458 SOCOM?

The .458 SOCOM was developed by Marty ter Weeme, founder of Teppo Jutsu LLC in 2000. The impetus was an informal ("beer and barbeque") discussion with a senior member of the US special operations community regarding the apparent lack of effectiveness of the 5.56 x 45 cartridge in recent conflict. In particular, the reports from members of Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia that multiple shots were required to neutralize members of the opposing force led to the request to develop a new cartridge that would deliver far more energy from short barrels at relatively short distances. After the design was completed, Tony Rumore of Tromix Corp in Broken Arrow, OK was contacted to build the first prototype. Based on the favorable reviews, commercial production was started and the initial AR uppers and rifles were produced by Teppo Jutsu and Tromix. Buddy Singleton from Southern Ballistic Research, LLC (SBR) in Brunswick, GA was asked to developed factory loaded ammunition for the 458 SOCOM. Today, SBR is the leading manufacturer of factory loaded 458 SOCOM, and they continue the R&D on the cartridge. They were also instrumental in getting the 458 SOCOM cartridge accepted by CIP in Europe. CIP is the counterpart to our SAAMI in the United States.

Why is the 458 SOCOM on the AR15/M4 platform?

The initial talks with US special operations community directed the development of this cartridge had to work on the AR15/M4 platform with little modifications. After testing a variety of base, “parent”, cartridges, it was determined that a “bottom-neck” worked the best.

Why is the 458 SOCOM chamber pressure only 35,000 psi?

The chamber pressure limits are calculated based upon the bolt thrust force vs the diameter of the cartridge base. Smaller diameter cartridge bases, such as the 5.56mm, can have a higher chamber pressure and still fall within bolt thrust limits.

Why does the 458 SOCOM use a large pistol primer?

The initial prototypes used the .50 AE cases which has a large pistol primer pocket. That designed just stayed with the 458 SOCOM, plus the cartridge was operating with pistol pressures of 35,000 psi. Teppo Jutsu saw no need to change the primer pocket.

Can I use large rifle primers in reloading the 458 SOCOM?

NO, large rifle primers are taller than large pistol primer. The 458 SOCOM uses a large pistol primer pocket.

Can I reload 0.458 bullet on the 458 SOCOM?

No. Not all 0.458 bullets are suited for thr 458 SOCOM. The maximum COAL (Cartridge Overall Length) is 2.25” and some bullets are just too long to meet that COAL limit. Additionally, there is a throat limit in the 458 SOCOM chamber where it will not accommodate some types of bullets.