How safe is to shot cast bullets on a 1911

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PETERpH

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I heard that you can shoot a lead bullets on a Glock unless you have an after market barrel....! I don't own a Glock but is good to know few friends own some.

I been reloading some cast bullets and I'm ready to go to the range I was planing to go use my Springfield 1911 & my Kimber 1911. I haven't come across any information in regards this two companies if is okay to use cast bullets.
Any suggestions in regards this two.
Thank you.
 
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I shoot 200gr SWC cast lead bullets all the time in ALL my 1911 .45s.

And those SWCs cut a real big full diameter hole!

Deaf
 
Shooting cast bullets is perfectly safe in a Glock or ANY other handgun - IF you make sure that you don't allow leading to build up in the bore. You have to carefully inspect the bore and look for ANY buildup and remove it. If you're one of those people who doesn't believe it is "necessary" to clean your bore thoroughly then you can get into trouble with pressures exceeding the maximum. I have run across quite a few guys who never clean their guns. That is the problem. Lead can build up even with low velocity loads due to a poor match of bullet dia. to bore dia. or using beveled base or soft swaged lead bullets that allow gas to push around the bullet. You just gotta keep an eye on it. I used to shoot ISPS/USPSA with a buddy who used a Springfield Omega (made by Peters/Stahl in Germany) with polygonal rifling. Over about 4 or 5 years he ran at least 30,000 rounds of nothing but cast lead handloads through that gun and never had a problem. But he was a U.S. Marine and he kept that bore spotless.
 
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In pistols I pretty much only shoot hard cast lead bullets, unless I'm shooting suppressed, or full house magnums.
 
Both my 1911's have seen more lead than jacketed. Just don't drive the snot out of them and you will be fine.
 
Glocks have a differing rifling than the traditional 1911.

It's safe to shoot, just maintain your cleaning schedule.
 
I've put well over 50,000 cast bullets through Colt, Springfield Armory, Detonics and Smith & Wesson 1911 style pistols without a bobble. Many of these rounds exceeded the the IPSC/USPA major power levels.

I believe that gun manufacturers do not condone the use of any reloaded ammo and will void the warranty if you do. This is for liability protection since they have no control over the safety of the reloads or recourse against the reloader.
 
Thank you everyone for all the great input that you guys had me.
I when out today and I was checking the bore every 30 rounds (at was clean), I was testing some cast bullets from Lazer cast with RedDot under the Data from from Lazer Cast not from any books like Lyman, or even the Alliant. I was happy with the results. I use over 350 rounds with both guns. I had a very good grouping a 20 yards.

Thank you again everyone.

PS. Guns are always clean and lubricate after a good day at the shooting range :)
 
Several related questions here:

1) Glocks and a few other firearms use "polygonal rifling" instead of the standard land-and-groove rifling most guns use. Glock suggests that you shouldn't use unjacketed bullets in their guns. (They also say don't use reloads -- like most other manufacturers also say, and which all of us ignore completely.) Glocks developed a reputation for experiencing a certain kind of explosive malfunction (everyone calls it the "Kaboom") which MAY have been related to lead build-up in polygonal rifling in some cases. The problem there is that blowing out the case and damaging the gun has been attributed to four or five possible root causes, or interactions of several root causes, and the problems have been blown way out of proportion in any event. In other words, everyone's got a pet theory and "most" folks have decided that lead bullets and Glocks don't mix. If that makes folks happy, they should keep on doing what they do.

2) You have traditionally-rifled 1911 pistols so Glocks and polygonal rifling have nothing at all to do with you. You may rest assured you can fire hundreds of thousands of cast bullets through your 1911s without fear of damage.

3) Cast bullets come in different hardness levels. Harder lead alloys work better with higher pressure loads, but there's a wide range of hardness and pressure that work well together and the odds that you'll get outside that window with common cast bullets and common target loads are pretty minimal. In other words, you probably won't get heavy lead fouling, but run a few hundred through and make sure your combination is working well for you.

4) As I said before, some folks feel that heavily leaded barrels make Glocks "Kaboom." No one ever claims that lead fouling made their 1911 "Kaboom." Bad leading will eventually mess up your accuracy, but it isn't something you're going to have to FEAR. If it happens at all.

5) Cleaning -- You probably really won't hurt your guns by "religiously" cleaning them every time you shoot, but you aren't doing them any favors either. A scrub down every 500-1,000 rounds or so is my preferred regimen, and I find that keeps things working reliably. I rarely do more than swab out my barrels and they all see many hundreds, or over a thousand cast bullets between cleanings.
 
I'm no historian, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the 1911 was designed around the 230gr LRN .45 ACP. If the bullets are sized correctly to the barrel, and the veloicity is correct for the hardness of the lead, then you should be great shooting lead out of your 1911. You may have a dirty gun after a range trip, but most of that dirt and fouling will wipe right off...easier to clean than copper fouling for sure.
 
I thought JMB used jacketed ball from the beginning.
A 200 grainer at first, then 230 at the request of the Gov't.
 
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Depending on exact bullet dia. and chamber dimensions and throating a small bit of leading in the first half inch of bore is pretty common. It comes out very easily with a Lewis lead remover. I have shot nothing but hard cast bullets in my all of my handguns for 35 years now.
 
If the bullets are sized correctly to the barrel, and the veloicity is correct for the hardness of the lead, then you should be great shooting lead out of your 1911.
Yep, .45 ACP, 1911s and lead are a match made in heaven. No worries...
 
200 gr cast semi wad cutters over 4 gr of bullseye is close to perfection out of my Colt 45
 
I have fired thousands of cast lead 45 bullets downrange in Colt revolvers and autos. If it has traditional rifling, you can run lead bullets.
 
I have fired several thousand lead bullets in all type of handguns. I have shot 2300 in a HK P30 that has odd rifling like a glock. No problems what so ever. I clean my barrels with Hoppes number 9, a brass brush and cloth patches. Shoot em.
 
As pistol barrel leading was explained to me back in my formative years:

The bullet's base needs to form to the barrel to make a seal. This keeps the hot gasses from smearing lead inside the barrel. It's a balance between lead hardness and the strength of the powder charge.

Too much hardness and the hot gasses won't cause the base to seal with the barrel but work alongside the bullet's base causing a hot spot which again smears the lead inside the barrel. Too soft a bullet and the hot gasses will 'melt' the base, again smearing lead in the barrel.

Harder is not always better
 
O.P.- Glocks the stock barrels are Polygonal
which is why aftermarket barrels with conventional rifling is
used for cast bullets. The cast bullets don't obdurate(?) into the
polygonal rifling
I have a friend with a Glock 19 and a Glock 20
He has Lone WOlf conventional rifled barrels for each
because he does shoot the ecomical cast bullets.

I have shot 200 gr. Leadhead hardcast SWC in my
I had it loaded up by Reeds Ammunition & Research Okla. City OK
350 rds and
400 rds same load in .45 Auto Rim
loaded to a nominal 1,000 FPS.

Shot them through my 1911 and S&W 625, revolver

The 1911 runs clean, but the 625 leads up it prefers jacketed bullets

Great load, & accurate
 
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