David,I never turn my nose up at .45 HP ammo that FEEDS RELIABLY but during a military career hardball was required.Too many times during three tours of combat I found myself having to depend on a pistol. When that pistol was a 1911-1911A1 I never noticed much difference between an enemy shot with .357 Mag HPs or .45 Hardball.
There are many cute little cliches about the effectiveness of .45 hardball,most in my experience, are pretty much true.I chose to leave the .357 Mag home when I went for my third tour in RVN and was able to scrounge up 2 .45s from the Marines.The U.S. Marines,the genius of J.M. Browning,and the Grace of God are the reasons I'm still here. The instrument of my deliverance on several occassions was the .45 Hardball Gov't round.
I don't know about Mr.Smiths preference but if all I had was Hardball or,if I had a new to me pistol,I would not feel disadvantaged with Gov't Hardball. Nick