How reliable is this combination, and how many of you that carry a 1911 use JHPs with confidance as your SD carry ammo?

How reliable is this combination, and how many of you that carry a 1911 use JHPs with confidance as your SD carry ammo?

Only your individual gun, magazine, and ammo combination can tell you how reliable it is. Most modern 1911's have no issues with hollow point ammo. If there is an incompatibility issue, then usually switching to a different bullet nose configuration or sometimes a magazine change will iron things out. Occasionally a polish job is needed on the feed ramp or something similar, but that is a rarity I think for most modern 1911’s. The only way to know it to grab your gun and a couple hundred rounds of the ammo and magazines you want to use then hit the range. If the gun, mags, and ammo runs through a couple hundred rounds issue free, shoots to point of aim, is accurate enough for the job it will be assigned, then clean ‘er up and call it good.

I've run several boxes of various JHPs through my Springfield GI with zero issues. Right now it's in the safe with three magazines of WWB 230gr JHP next to it, and there are several boxes of Hydrashocks on the way.

Come to think of it, that gun has NEVER malfunctioned on me. *knock on wood*

Sir, FWIW, my box-stock Colt 1991A1 (bought new in '92) runs perfectly on hardball, hollowpoints, semi-wadcutters. The thing is amazingly reliable. I carry it with Speer Gold Dots.

That said, Mr. GC is quite right about trying out your gun and magazines with the various different loads. It's the only way to know for sure.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

Saying "1911" is like saying "pickup truck."

There are over 40 different brands of 1911, ranging from marvelous to misbegotten. My Colts shoot hollowpoints just fine.

Yes, you just have to try yours and see.

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Science plus Art

See above.

I've been carrying one or another kind of 1911 for many years, always with some variety of JHP. Any 1911 I've encountered that would not feed them reliably was either fixed where it would, or traded off.

The "key" to this combination is the GUN. Whether you build it yourself - for $50.00 - like this one:


OR you purchase a "Ready Made" or a "Total Custom Job" it needs to be "reliable" and the fact is some of them are and many of them aren't. Most of the Companies that put out something 'less' than a high quality piece have gone under but some Companies have gone under because of the people running them and not their product.

Springfield Armory puts out something like 20+ varieties of the 1911. Colt is offering 30 some. Kimber now offers 13 "Families" based on the 1911. All it takes is bucks and you can have just about anything you want based on the 1911 platform including the Super Race Guns.

I personally use Federal 230 grain HydraShoks in everything I own that shoots the .45ACP - at least for personal protection. They work and they feed every time in my guns including the one pictured about.

+1 on what GC said. I carry 230gr Hydrashoks in my CCW gun but it will chamber a fired case if I want it to. Sometimes a good polish to the feed ramp is all it takes to make the gun feed HP.

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SWCA # 2294

Takes someone who knows what they are doing or you can very quickly end up with a pile of scrap metal!

The WWB JHP is probably a better self-defense round than the Hydra-Shoks are. The HS was great when it came out, but it's been far, far surpased by a whole bunch of new designs. That's why it's what Federal puts in the "value" line ammo now. Real-world use puts the Rem Golden Sabre (230gr JHP) near the top of the heap and it has a nicely rounded profile that feeds very well in most guns. It's what we issue our .45 shooters...and we stopped issuing HS years ago. I understand they're testing a whole bunch of the newer designs and some are proving quite a bit better than even the GS.

Interesting read below...they actually list the new .40 ammo our folks found to be the best, so I have faith they know what they're talking about.
http://ammo.ar15.com/project/S...e_Ammo_FAQ/index.htm

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USPSA TY23298

Thanks for the link Bart!

I carry HydraShocks in my Ed Brown every day. I've never had a malfunction of anykind with that round.

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NRA Pistol Instructor

Thanks guys. Up til now I've only shot 230 grain FMJ in my 1911, and never had a problem. I suppose it's time to try some hollowpoints.

I like the DT line of gold dots, and HST +p in my 1911Sc commander have not had any malfunctions with either and both loads are very accurate.

I know what I am doing, do you? This is the second time you have taken a dig at me. Careful hand polishing will not damage a feed ramp.

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SWCA # 2294

Yes, I do and I've been doing it for 40 years - Professionally.

No "Dig" was intended but I've also seen lots of guns ruined by people who don't know what they are doing.

Good. I have been doing it professionally for 42 years. You should know that other forums have sticky posts with directions by PROFESSIONALS that show/tell how to do simple work on handguns including ramp polishing without destroying anything. Lots of people work on their own guns either for fun or because they can't find or afford a professional gunsmith. Some of them do incredibly good work; others mess up and have to pay for a pro's help. While I understand your caution I won't discourage anybody from trying as long as they know what they are getting into.

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SWCA # 2294

That's the problem, there are too many who "Think" they know what they are doing and don't.

That has been posted here before. The section on the .44 magnum is silly, but there is a lot of useful info there.

my .02 - it just sounded like KKG was sending out a warning to the O.P.

shrug

FOr the O.P. try various types of JHps and if you find a certain type that don't feed reliably - stay with ones that do work. You won't know till you try some in YOUR particular .45 ACP. FWIW - my SW1911 5" Bbl.
Stainless steel, seems to feed most everything
FMJ, various JHPs, as well as SWC,i've let cleaning go - too many rounds like 400+ only FTF, never had an FTE WHen cleaning I make sure to really clean the feed ramp area.

Randall

Eh. Waffling motion with hand. I just use FMJ in my .45s. Why? I deliberately want 18" or so of penetration, which is exactly what .45 FMJ gives. The original IWBA standard was *not* 12", it was 18". I don't feel that I'm missing out on much and thus stock only FMJs in .45 despite having a 1911 as well as more "modern" designs from Glock and H&K. FMJs are cheap, I've got plenty of them, and I know my guns work with them.

In recent years, both Chuck Taylor ("old school") and Clint Smith ("newish school") have had good things to say about good old .45 ball.

Anyway, all other things being equal, there is somewhat of a greater chance of a 1911 type auto possibly having problems with JHPs than some other designs. Some of the 3" and other micro 1911s seem to be particularly problematic. If your gun runs only with FMJ, or you simply like FMJs, it's nothing to fret too much over.

My 2 cents. Can you believe i can't find a cent symbol on my keyboard. Inflation I guess. I CCW a semi auto only after the following ritual. First I won't carry anthing less than a 3.9 too 4.2 inch barrel. I won't bother you with the brands I've tried and had feed ramp jams on 3 inchers or so.
1, first I fire 200 rounds of RNL at about 800+ FPS. beau coup cheaper the same in jackets. Then I buy one box of 230GR gold dots, one box on REM golden sabers, one box of WW PDX1 One box of XTP's (hand loads @ +- 830FPS and Hydr shocks if (big if) I can find them. I mark my mag base pads with filed grooves to isolate if it's a magazine problem. and try them all once in each mag. And go from there. They all kill a bad guy dead with a center mass or head shot(dumb statistical odds on head shots but certain one shot stops when required. Just my anal retentive frugal method.

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Bernard R. Hertzog

I'm glad to hear somebody say this. 1911s do feed 230 gr FMJ best and most reliably. The manual for my Kimber explicitly states this. I don't imagine any BG hit with good shot placement from a 230 FMJ is going to be thinking "glad it wasn't a hollowpoint".

Yeah, I was the one that linked it before, and I remember you took issue with his choice of .44 Magnum round (300 grain Hornady JHP/XTP) as best for SD, at least against two legged predators. I went through a box of those in my 329 NG, and it wasn't much fun after six rounds.

Frankly, it was the Colt 1911 platform and hollowpoint bullets that resulted in my becoming a dedicated defensive revolver shooter. I have come to the conclusion that the ideal handgun for the .45 ACP cartridge is the S&W Model 625.

Dave Sinko

Here you go...

Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Character Map > ¢ Select, copy and paste.

Back before AmmoLab went to requiring a paid subscription to view their reviews, they reported that WWB Personal Protection 230-gr JHPs performed on par with many "premium" loads, including having low flash properties.

Well guess what. I had multiple jams/feed failures with a box of Independence 230 gr FMJ which was all my local range had yesterday. Not only that it was horribly inaccurate, even for me. So even ball ammo can cause problems at times. This stuff even looked bad. Anyway, a learning experience about what ammo not to use.

FWIW...I've seen a lot of stoppages with factory hardball in various 1911's.The causes vary but whenever I hear voiced opinions about the almost certain reliability of factory hardball,I shake my head in wonder.

FWIW, I've got a Taurus PT1911 that has just gone over 500 rds down the pipe and it has digested every type of HP I've tried. Taurus manufactured 185GR HP, and Federal 230GR HSTs, P45HST2, which mushrooms in a most nasty manner! Never had a problem as far as FTF or FTE with any of them. But gotta agree, try your "carry" ammo for at least 100rds just to make sure and then stick with it. I don't have a CCW right now but my Taurus is close to the front door with 8rds of the Federal "230GR shut the hell up!" loaded at all times!