Best factoy ammo for 1911

[formulad97]

I just bought a new custom loaded full size Springfield and wanted to get some info on your favorite factory ammo for target and home defense. I was planning to use Federal Hydro Shock like I keep in my 9mm for H.D. and Winchester 230 grain for target . Any opinion helps since this is my first 1911.:usa:

[Kalifornia Citizen]

My police friend gets Black Talon for his Glock .45. I'll bet that rips through body armor. Black Talon isn't sold to non-law enforcement, but I've seen other Winchester hollowpoints that look like crater-makers.

However, in my humble opinion, standard ball should be adequate to stop any assailant. There's a good reason the 1911 was the Army's standard sidearm for over 70 years through several wars!

KC

[dvdstdg]

Some 1911 shooters have feeding problems with certian types of bullets. Ball usually causes fewer if any feeding problems. I reload hollow point (Hornady 230gr) and LSW (National Bullet 200gr) and I have never had a feeding problem with my Colt. I have never shot them but the Gold Dot and Hydro Shock both look like excellent performing bullets, however, Federal doesn't sell the Hydo Shock to reloaders. The .45 sheds velocity rapidly as the round is almost as wide as long and you will get bullet performance problems if you use it at longer ranges for hunting etc. At close ranges ball may (will??) get you a through-and-through including your kid's bedroom wall, stereo, him/her, etc.; that is why I don't use it. I bought some Unique to try and it is the dirtiest burning stuff I have ever used - just food for thought if you are planning on reloading!

[formulad97]

Thanks for your help guys. I was watching a show on TNN, and the host was showing off some hollow points called Power Ball? If I remember right, it was a hollow point that was filled with something that would prevent Jams , and he said that it was made for 1911's. Heard of it?
DAN

[Geno]

Black Talon is NOT armor piercing ammo being a hollow point bullet and is designed as personal self defense ammo. Hydra shock would be an excellent choice for your SA.

[Edward429451]

Never heard of Power Ball, Probably just a pitch for a new kind. The only way to know for sure what ammo's the best is to get different brands & loadings and shoot em in your gun for accuracy. It seems to me that a COM hit with ball would be preferable to a periphreal (?) hit with a Hydra-Shock.

Hydra-Shocks shoot well in my 1911 so thats what I carry. YMMV.

[punchie]

Personal preferance is the old 200gr 'flying ashtray' Gold dots, but you may have problems with feeding in your gun. Second choice is the Triton Quik-Shok 230gr.

[22man]

FAR superior to the slow old 230 gr jhp's, which expand little, if at all, in flesh. Black talons don't expand at all, and they dont pierce Kevlar worth a hoot. To pierce Kevlar, you need either a small diameter, very high velocity bullet, or a bullet that is so hard that it doesn't "mushroom" at contact with the fiberglass cloth (kevlar) An icepick or stilletto goes thru concealable armor like so much cheese. .; 45 hp's are stopped by the first 3-4 layers of the 18 layer Kevlar vests.

[blzn69]

I keep my Springfield 1911 loaded model, loaded with Federal hydra shock. I also will keep it loaded with 185grain low flash hornady rounds. No problems as of yet.







I bring the flash and brash






blzn69

[22man]

many a man can say the same of his .25 "no problem as of yet". the 160 gr powerball Corbon is provably a LOT more effective (1200 fps) on animals than is the 230 gr jhp stuff. The latter just dont expand much, if at all, and they only have 300 or so ft lbs. so they exit the torso, wasting about 100 ft lbs of energy. The CorBon 160 gr has 500 ft lbs, and is going fast enough to expand reliably and well. It has a plastic nose cap, so it's a reliable feeder, too.

[DocWagon]

I ordered 5 kinds of ammo when I got my Springfield, 3 ball and 2 HP. Both Winchester SXTs and Federal Hyrda-Shocks feed fine, as do S&B ball, Winchester Ball, and American Eagle Ball. All are 230 grain. I'm keeping it loaded with Hyrda-Shocks right now, but for no other reason than its the same brand I keep in my .40 caliber pistols.

[blzn69]

I also keep a Glock22 loaded with 135grain .40s&w (hydra Shock) to keep my 1911 company. Federal make some good stuff.




I bring the brash and flash






blzn69

[CrazyMiniMan]

I like to use Remington Golden Saber 230 grain Jacketed Hollow Points for H.D.

As for reliablility, my Kimber 1911 feeds Hollow Points just as reliably as it feeds Ball Ammo. I have fired over 20,000 shots through that one gun, I have had one jam, it was because somehow my shirt got caught in the slide while drawing the gun from a holster. Dont ask. I still dont quite understand how it happened.

:2guns:

[MikeinKY]

Federal 230gr. Hydrashoks always seem to perform well out of my Colts, both full size and Compact. Winchester 230gr. SXT is a close second out of my full size series 80.

[ralrein1]

You know most guys will probebly bark at me for this. I have a Springfield Armory mil. spec. 1911-A1 and for plinking-I use Wolf 230gr. ball ammo and it works great. On occasion I've used UMC brand 230gr. and had no problems w/either. For home defense I like 200gr. hollow points. I've also shot 185gr. wad-cutters. All ammo seems to work just great outta that pistol. So my advise would be ,for home defense 200gr hollow points. For plinking 230gr. ball ammo works just fine. Springfield builds a not to finiky pistol-an reliable as hell. I would'nt buy any cheaper than Wolf, I've seen and heard of a lot of horror stories useing unknown brand ammo. Just my two cents worth. :D :usa:

[swill269]

200 grn. JHP speer on top of 1100 fps of blue dot w/mag primer opens up to nearly 1.00 " in six inches of wet telephone books @ 50'. i plink with what i kill with. no compensation to consider. i use an out of the box mkIV/series '70 and it will stove pipe because nothing has been done to stop it. it's a little hot, but very accurate and mighty deadly.

[swill269]

:unsure:

never mind, you said factory load, sorry

:(

[oneshooter]

Both my SIG220 and my loving wife's LW Commander use CCI Lawman 200gr "Flying Ashtray" JHP. No problem feeding and the round has a proven stop factor.

oneshooter

[Old Judge Creek]

On the advice of several LEO friends I load Hydra Shocks in my Kimber or ParaOrd for use against 2 legged varmints . FWIW, I also load Hydras in my 38 snubs, and 44s.
:2guns:

[Geno]

CrazyMiniMan: it happened because Murphy's Law is still on the books. :P

[Johnk518]

I think its fair to say; Depending on what 1911 you have.
Example, Kimbers seem to feed and fire everything, Wilson's don't. What I have found to be the lowest common denominator (that is still good):
For ball rounds FMJ are: S&B, Fed, and Win. Also UMC and PMC have worked with mixed results.
in the +P cat. it would be the Fed. Hydra Shock Flat nose expansion. Expands like a JHP, feeds easily like a ball round, and it's +P!
For JHP I would say ALL of the high end stuff works great: Golden Sabre, SXT, Speer, Hornady (favorite), and Hydra Shocks.

Personally I like 230 Gr. and 200 Gr. Ammo. Not a fan of the 185 Gr. plus I need to change the recoil spring (I'm sure there is nothing wrong with it).

Wilson Customs seem to like the OAL and ball shape of the S&B and Fed.
Kimber's fire everything from Russian Ammo to High end ammo flawlessly.

Wilson tested was a TCP KZ-45 and the Kimber is an Eclipse Custom II. I am going to try 200 rds. of each in a New Kimber Tactical Pro II.

FYI one reason I think the Wilson is picky is b/c I have a California Model. The biggest changes to this one and other KZs is the extra power firing pin spiring, and titanium firing pin (Guns and Ammo, Dec. 03, "3 years with the CQB").

BUT lets get real, hopefully 99% of us will never need the full stopping power of the 1911; therefore cost of rounds, and reliability are important. With that said I have to admit I have shot more Fed. Win. and S&B Ball ammo then anything else. When ever I load up a +P, JHP, $15+ for 25 round box, I aim REALLY REALLY CAREFULLY.

Hope this contributes,

John K

[nellybell]

I'm usually over at the mini-14 forum, but had to chime in, if you don't mine.
My ole Gov likes Rem Golden Saber 185+HP's and also sucks up and throws
out 230 grain+HP Proloads. Awesome ammo. Ck em out..

http://www.proload.com

[JAD1225]

Powerball is loaded by Cor Bon; and has a plastic cap in the hollowpoint cavity that gives it the basic shape of ball ammo. Black Talon (Win SXT) is not sold only to LE. Winchester markets it "For Law Enforcement Use"; but there is no law saying you can't have it! The really hot stuff that Winchester/Olin sells directly to LE requires them to sign a waiver that they won't sue if their guns fall apart! That stuff, you cannot buy. Personally, I usually stick with ball ammo in the 45acp. That is what has been doing the job for going on a hundred years now. I also like Hydra Shocks, and the "200g flying ashtray" from Speer. Just as soon shoot ball though.