I’ve settled on a 200gr lead semiwadcutter over 8.5gr of Accurate #5. If I do my part it will shoot one hole groups from either of my 1911’s. It has enough power to be fun and know your shooting, yet it’s not so hot that it batters my pistols.
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1911 pet loads
- Thread starter Adam5
- Start date
More than you asked for….And I probably forgot something.
There are a few things that can prevent a 1911 from reliably feeding a SWC bullet:
People tend to load SWC bullets lighter than the factory standard. When you first try a new bullet make sure to load it at least as hot as the last bullet that fired successfully in that particular gun. I use the “Power Factor” as a rough guide to get started. The New Load’s (Mass x Velocity) should equal the (Mass x Velocity) of the Old Load with the same powder. It is a rough guide, but helps when getting started. If the new SWC load works, you can begin reducing the load to find out how light you can go and still have a functioning gun. I personally would not go below 700fps for a variety of reasons.
Bullet length: SWC’s are seated referencing the shoulder height of the bullet. A common mistake is to load them at 1.24 COL. The bullet manufacturer usually gives a recommendation on COL. The shoulder almost always has to be just a hair above the case mouth. Some bullets are shorter than others. If the shoulder is too high, it may jam into the rifling before the case is all the way into the chamber.
The magazine - older mil-spec mags can be a problem, the newer Metalform, or Mec Gar work well. You do not need “extra power” mags for light loads.
The barrel’s chamber - some, mostly older guns, need to have the throated area widened. Look for pics on the web.
Recoil Spring, Mag Spring, Hammer Spring: lighter loaded ammo needs lighter springs, because the ammo’s power is balanced against the springs and the gun’s mechanical lock-up to make the slide move.
Start with a reduced power recoil spring. 16 pounds is a factory standard, I have used 13 or 14 with reduced power loads. The spring uses recoil to function, it does not help much with reducing recoil. Mechanical lock up between the barrel and slide (on a standard 1911) is what primarily protects the gun from damage. The recoil spring is there to load the next bullet.
Mag Springs, you just need enough to raise the next bullet up in time for the slide to chamber it-no extra power mag needed for SWC light loads.
A reduced Main Spring(a.k.a. Hammer Spring) will help the gun unlock and get the slide moving, 23 pounds is standard, a lot of gunsmiths use 17 for a good trigger job. Less Main Spring will increase recoil as the slide unlocks sooner. I use a 25 pounder on my 10mm to slow the slide velocity.
The best way to make the gun run is to just have your favorite gunsmith do it. Springs are a major part of setting up a SWC gun, but if you need the Chamber Throated….you need a gunsmith that has experience, to do it correctly.
The pretty round holes left in the target are nice to look at, but may not be worth it.
