Defensive ammo in a 1911?

C

craddleshooter

Moderator
When I picked up my 1911 at the LGS I asked about any defensive ammo in .45 and the associate that was helping me advised me to not use defensive ammo in my 1911 because 1911 weren't made to use the flatter hollow point ammo and to only be used with ball ammo.

While I'm sure defensive ammo will cycle successfully, is it recommending due to this ^^?? What brand of defensive ammo are you all using with your 1911s?
 
I've never had any issues shooting hollow points even hydroshocks in my 1911 but I'd try it before I carried it to make sure they cycled ok

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I've used/use Winchester "Bonded .45 Auto PDX1" 230gr JHP Bonded in my SA1911-A1. Works as it should. I THINK Win "Ranger" ammo is the same.
 
My 1911's feed HST, Ranger T, Golden Saber, Barnes Tac-XP, basically every HP I've tried.
I have 1911's in 45 acp, 10mm and 9mm - all of them feed HP - no problem.
If they did not feed HP I would either correct it or get rid of it.

In before anyone post being content with FMJ in a 45 - don't settle for less (lackadaisical) like that.
 
Did you pick up your gun in 1982?

Gun, magazine, and ammo specs have changed considerably since 1911, and especially in the last thirty years.

Unless your gun is some sort of reproduction of, or tribute to an old G.I. pistol, it will handle hollowpoints just fine.

I prefer the modern bullets that essentially mimic the profile of hardball, but I never had any issues with the older generation of truncated cone bullets, either.

All of that said, I've run a magful of JHPs through a 1913 Colt M1911, using the original magazine, and it ran perfectly. Not a large sample size, but I think there's a lot of old wive's tale in modern conventional wisdom.
 
Some 1911s have problems feeding truncated cone-shaped hollowpoints (such as the old HydraShok). Hollow points with a rounder ogive, such as Golden Saber, typically feed in all 1911s. Buy a box of whatever you would prefer to use, try it out, and if it works, you're good to go. If it doesn't work ... try Golden Saber.

Correction -- Remington doesn't call it "Golden Saber" any more. It's now called "Ultimate Defense." Same ammo, new box with higher price.
 
I had problems with a truncated cone .They wanted to go straight forward instead of continuing the arc. That was some years ago. But in any case each gun is happier with certain types of ammo. We have a large selection so that's not a real problem. The shortest barrels have a tendency to prefer lighter bullets.
 
It can be problematic in some guns and mags but in the dozen or so 1911s I've owned/still own none have had issues running hollowpoints.

I prefer 230 grain HST in my 1911s.
 
I guess this gun sales person has never heard of Precision Pistol (Bullseye) shooting? Many Bullseye shooters use lead semi wad cutter bullets in their M1911s. If a 1911 will feed semi wad cutters, it will feed self defense type hollow points. My 1911 has a non ramped standard barrel, and feeds SWC and any hollow points I've tried just fine.
 
Most current 1911 guns will feed HP ammo but make sure you shoot a couple boxes to prove they work in your gun. I have a Ruger CMD that doesn't feed truncated cone bullets, it does feed XTP HPs tho. My other 1911s seem to feed everything. Different magazines can also make a difference.
 
I use HST's. Spend some money And buy a few boxes of different ammo and see what works. Some of the worst advice i ever recieved came from gun shops.
 
My first duty load for a 1911 was the 200gn JHP made by Speer. This was pre Golddot by a few years. Some of our 1911 ran just fine with this load, some needed some tuning to be 100%.

After we went to the golddot 230gn all of the guns ran fine. My current 1911’s will run any JHP i can find...no problem.
 
I know it sounds like an expensive proposition, but you should shoot a box of the defensive ammo you want to carry to check for reliability. If that ammo gives you problems, try something different. Take the information you get from gun store associates with a grain of salt. Not all of them are as knowledgeable as they lead on.
 
Is the glass half full or is it half empty?

I guess it matters which side of the bar you are standing on.
Are you drinking whiskey or are you selling whiskey?

So in this instance we ask ourselves....Are you the guy selling a new 1911 to an inexperienced shooter or are you the inexperienced shooter asking the question that wants to shoot a self defense load.

If you are the guy standing behind the gun counter, answering the questions, what is the 100% safe answer? I too would recommend 230gr FMJ because it is the safe bet on problem free operation on most new 1911s.

As the new shooter gains experience with his new 1911 he will ask questions on forums where he can shift through all sorts of brilliant replies, like mine.

YMMV
 
The hard ball 230 grain load was known to knock a man down with one well placed hit.

It's all the stopping power you'd ever need and then some. Starts out as big as a 9mm expanded and feeds well in most guns.
 
What I don't see mentioned is which make and model is your new 1911 OP? That will make a difference in how likely it is to cycle loads other than hardball.

Failing that though, try Remington Golden Saber. I know it isn't the latest and greatest available, but its nose profile seems to mimic hardball fairly closely and I haven't had any feed failures using it. Of course, my magazine/pistol combination feeds semi-wadcutters beautifully too. (Colt Competition Model in 45 ACP, variety pack of McCormick, factory and Wilson magazines.)

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The associate is confused. Mind you, there's no such thing as "defensive" ammo. Any ammo, cast bullets included, is defensive.
"...to only be used with ball ammo..." That's just mythical nonsense. In the old days, that being about 30 or so years ago, 1911A1 style pistols didn't come out of the factory ready to feed SWC's easily. They do now. It's really just a slight modification to the feed ramp.
"...hard ball 230 grain load was known to knock a man down with one well placed hit..." That's mythical nonsense too. No pistol round will do that. Physics doesn't allow it.
 
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