Do you run +P ammo thru your 9mm 1911?

[Tman]

For those out there with a 9mm 1911, do your regularly run 9mm +p ammo through it? With standard 9mm 115gr winchester white box, sometimes it seems the slide cycles slowly. Tried some Speer Gold Dot 124gr +p and it seemed to cycle a little faster. Will this do harm to the gun or wear out the recoil springs faster Thanks.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I have one 1911 chambered for 9mm, an STI Trojan. It's a 6" long slide. It's primary diet is warmish handloads and +P factory ammunition. The one-piece feed ramp allows for a very supported chamber. I'm not sure what 1911 you're using so I don't know if you have a fully supported chamber or not.
Most conventional two-piece feed systems don't have quite as much chamber support, but most have plenty to handle +P or any sane handload.

The 1911 is a pretty stout pistol to begin with and certainly larger than necessary for the 9x19mm.

It's generally true that the hotter the load, the more rapid the increase in wear, but I suspect it'll take thousands upon thousands of shots to see this to any meaningful degree. If the standard velocity 9mm loads are "slow" with your present recoil spring, I suspect that the +P rounds won't be and that they might compress the spring a tad more. If so, I think this would weaken the spring at a quicker rate. How noticeable this might be in real life, I cannot say as I 've never measured it.

If shooting +P worries you, you might just drop down a pound or so on your recoil spring so that the standard velocity ammo works suitably.

My 6" gun has a 10-lb recoil spring in it. It functions (feeds, ejects & extracts) fine with standard velocity ammo, but it seldom locks the slide back after the last shot. With +P, function remains fine and the slide locks back. As I shoot mostly warm loads in this gun, I've left it alone.

If the 1911 handles the lower pressure-but-higher-momentum .45 ACP as well as the .38 Super (which is about like +P 9mm in most versions) as well as the
.40 and 10mm, I'd think you can shoot scads of 9mm w/o concern.

Best.

 

[Tman]

Thank you Mr. Camp...
I have an STI Trojan 5". It is an excellent gun, accurate (if I do my part). Was thinking about getting a case of the speer gold dots, while they have a little more kick, the feel is a little more "normal" (recoil, etc) than with the winchester white box.

 

[Corey ACP]

I routinely shoot Federal +p 135 gr. tactical loads in my series 70, 9mm Govt. model 5". I also shoot 147 gr hydrashoks and 124 gr. american eagle. The rest of the time I use a few pet reloads, mosty lead slugs at moderate velocity. I have never had a problem with any of the loads. The only mod. I have made is to install a full length guide rod. I use the stock recoil spring. I use this setup for IDPA about half the time. Good luck!

 

[sundance43.5]

The 1911 is probably the strongest gun design for shooting higher pressure loads like +p or +p+ 9mm.

 

[stans]

Well, for many years the 1911 handled the 38 Super and that has ballistics very close to 9mm +P+, so you should be just fine with 9mm +P.

 

[Tman]

Thanks all.