[TheFrontRange]

Just a question of sheer curiosity here...for those of you packing 1911s for defense and/or law enforcement...what load do you use? There have been some good threads out here lately on the 1911 and its design and the topic of bullet type seems to have come up more than once.

I know a lot (most?) folks may cite a JHP design of some sort, but I've read of pistoleros like Chuck Taylor standing by the 230-grain FMJ.

So...what do you load up in your version of Ol' Slabsides?

As for me, I've carried ball, Federal Hydra-Shoks, Cor-Bon Pow'RBall, and currently am running with Winchester's USA "white box" 230-grain JHP.

[dairycreek]

And, that's what I carry all the time. Nothing wrong with hollow points but, for me, the old fashioned FMJ is the perfect choice. Good shooting;)

[Smoke]

I have HPs in my Kimber. I have FMJ in my Para Ordnance.

I'm not a terminal ballistician, I don't care about penetration, expansion, temporary cavity, permanent cavity, etc.

I shoot until the threat stops. However many rounds that may be.

[Sean Smith]

Remington Golden Saber 230gr. Works great in my Colt 01991. If anything, it feeds smoother than most ball ammo. :eek:

[Boats]

Right now I am running with Federal 200gr EFMJ+p. I think it is a good compromise between bullet weight, velocity, penetration, expansion, and feed reliability. I really like its flat-nosed profile with no cavity to hang up the round as it chambers. Since I currently do not even have a five inch 1911, the +p velocity gains out of the shorter barrel are a good idea IMO. The MV measurements on the side of a box of EFMJ are from a four inch test barrel instead of a traditional five inch one.

[Delmar]

I carry Golden Saber and Gold Dots-I figure at the worst, they won't expand and it will act like FMJ, or nearly 1/2 inch hole-at best, I should see something in the neighborhood of .70" expansion, and so much the better.

[John Forsyth]

In a 5 in gun, I usually carried 230's. But I have now gone to a LW Commander and it likes 185 +P Gold Dots. So do I. Advertized mv is 1100fps from a 5 in gun.

[Mark IV Series 80]

I use Federal 230 grain Hydra-Shoks for defense in all .45 ACP's.

The Hydra-Shoks are 100% reliable and very accurate.

[iamkris]

230 gr Hornady XTP JHP in front of 5.7 gr of WW231 in a 5 inch gun

200 gr Hornady XTP JHP in front of 5.9 gr of WW231 in a 3.75 inch gun

Accurate, easy feeding, powerful.

[Al Thompson]

230 grain Gold Dots as loaded by Georgia Arms. In my parts 1911, I tend to have a 230 grain GD in the chamber and a magazine full of ball ammo.

I worry more about haviing the gun loaded, than what it's loaded with.

[Pendragon]

I dont usually have my 1911 out for home defense, (primary HD gun is a Model 10) but occasionally I do.

I just use my handloads: 200gr LSWC on ~6.0gr of Power Pistol. I believe more in placement than bullet design and I KNOW I can place these babies :)

Heh - then if I bag a goblin, I can tell everyone: "he died of lead poisoning"
:evil:

[Longbow]

Winchester SXT.
Its the most reliable HP fodder I tried. All of my 1911 gobbles it w/ no problem. I don't know the actual ballistic performance of it, but in .45 cal I don't think it matters, HP or not, its a man stopper.

[EJ]

The WW Ranger 230 gr SXTs--

[3 gun]

200gr +P Gold Dot HP.

[Still Learning]

Next time I get to a store that has some Winchester "white box" in stock I'm going to try them.

Agree with previous post that having'em loaded is more important than what they're loaded with.

[gryphon]

230gr FMJ for me. Works every time(funtion of the pistol, luckily I have never had to us my firearms for defense).

[cratz2]

1. 200 Gr Speer Gold Dots +P
2. 230 Gr Remington GoldenSabers
3. 230 Gr Winchester Rangers

I have been using the 230 Gr Black Hills Gold Dots lately and have been impressed. And I wouldn't feel under-gunned with FMJs either. :p

[Monkeyleg]

165 grain Hydra-Shoks. Why? Because Federal sells them, and Federal's always been good for ammo. Plus, it says "personal defense" on the box, which will eliminate at least one of the prosecutor's questions.

Almost a year ago, Massad Ayoob came to speak at a fund-raising banquet for our group. After his fascinating and wryly humorous lecture, he opened the floor to questions. Almost all had to do with "what's the best round for X gun." While never belittling the questioners, his answers fell into the realm of "whatever works."

[Ian11]

230 Grain Golden Saber (Gov't Contract); I don't know if they're any better than the regular ones but I figure they can't be any worse.

[12-34hom]

In my Para P-14 ltd i shoot Triton 450smc in thier 165 grain version.

12-34hom.

[Sam]

Plain old Hardball works just fine.
Sam

[Double Naught Spy]

Monkeyleg, what it says on the ammo box means absolutely nothing if you use the ammo in an intentional self defense shooting. Ayoob preaches something otherwise, but whether or not a shooting was valid for self defense was never determined by the writing on a box of ammo. If the shoot is valid, then it won't matter what the ammo is called, what your gun is called, or how heavy or light the trigger is.

Hydrashok is good ammo, but as I recall, the personal protection ammo is slightly powered down from the premium version.

[Monkeyleg]

Double Naught, I actually recall Ayoob saying words to the contrary, that the type of ammo won't matter. I'll have to ask some of my classmates to jog their memories.

I probably should have put a ;) after that first paragraph. The reason I carry Federal 165 gr Hydra-Shoks is that most shops around here carry it, rather than the 230's. I've always like Federal ammo: reliable and accurate. Past experience with Winchester and Remington stuff in various calibers has made me into something of a Federal idealogue.

[Minute_Of_Torso]

Yes, I do use .45 ACP in my 1911. :evil:

[boing]

Win. USA 230 gr. JHP.

It's reliable in my guns.

[Stevie-Ray]

Nothing but Federal 230 gr Hydra-shoks.

[tdow]

230 grain FMJ.

Inexpensive, reliable, and should do its part if I do mine.

--tdow

[MarineTech]

In my Kimber Compact series 1, I carry either 230gr. Remington Golden Sabers or 230gr. Speer Gold Dots. Both rounds have a good reputation for performance, they're both accurate in my firearm, and both were fired out of the Kimber without any failures in 200 rounds.

I recently picked up a Para CCW LDA, but thanks to weather (Maine Winters) I haven't been able to take it to the range yet for testing.