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Got my 1st 45 today. RIA on sale at Mills fleet farm. Couldn’t pass on it. Never owned anything 45. For those who shoot 45, and reload for it, how do you like the caliber?

I started out with 45. The only time I shoot them now is in the winter when the local indoor range league has 1911 night or a bowling pin shoot. Or when the polymer knockdown targets get chewed up to the point that it takes 3 or 4 9mm

45acp in a full size 1911 is a very nice combination, congratulations!

I rarely go to the range without bringing a .45

Growing up, my father was in the reserves. 1 weekend a month, and a week or 2 away during the summer. My father really enjoyed shooting 1911's while in the service and joined the pistol shooting team, eventually being chosen Captain of the team. That year they represented Ripley and moved on to a 5 state regional shoot. I remember many weekends with my dad up at my grandma's and gram-pa's cabin shooting with him behind the cabin. Occasionally I got to shoot a full size 1911 with only 1 bullet in the chamber. It was at that point in my life that I knew one day I would own a nice 1911. (I ended up buying a Wilson Combat CQB). I eventually added 3 more. My 2nd was a DW Valor, followed by 2 DW Specialists. 1 with the black duty finish and the other in SS. I absolutely love shooting them. I should add that I was borderline shocked after taking my youngest daughter out to the range for the 1st time. After she had shot all of my .45's, I asked her which one she liked best. Her response was the SS Dan Wesson Specialist. I was absolutely POSITIVE she would pick the Wilson... Maybe she just like the additional weigh between the 2.

Reloading the .45 ACP must be one of the easiest rounds around. I shot in a league years and years ago and almost everyone reloaded the same...a 185 grain or 200 grain lead semi wadcutter with just enough Bullseye powder behind it to cycle the action of your particular 1911.

(Check out your particular gun to see if it will reliably feed lead semi wadcutters-some guns do have problems with them.)

I don't give out reloading recipes because I can't trust my fat fingered typing and I'd eventually give somebody a combination that would cause 'problems'. Almost any reloading manual will get you the information you need. Bullseye is a bit on the dirty side but seemed to give VERY accurate results.

Good luck with your new gun.

P.S. For a while I used Red Dot powder because my father was a trap shooter. He looked at how much he used for a case of 12 gauge shells and how much I'd use for a box of .45 ACP's and laughed out loud. He said I could have free powder if I'd load a case of shotgun shells once in a while (he had a MEC 650). A great deal all around until I moved away. I found Red Dot to be even dirtier than Bullseye though.

P.P.S. I've never used it but another wildly popular powder for the .45 ACP is Winchester 231.

Here's a link to an article from 'Guns and Ammo' about reloading the .45 ACP.
https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/r ... acp/361509

I've used bullseye in the past. To dirty for me. I reload 40 S&W, 10mm and 9mm for now. Used to reload 44 mag but sold those. Not sure I will keep it but will get 1 box to shoot to see how it feels. Since getting my 1st 1911 a couple years ago, thats all I look at now when looking at pistols. They are addicting. Thanks for all the replies folks.

I think all my friends use Titegroup. I've always used W231/HP-38. Just starting to play with True Blue, looks to be really clean burning, meters well.

Bearcatrp wrote:I've used bullseye in the past. To dirty for me. I reload 40 S&W, 10mm and 9mm for now. Used to reload 44 mag but sold those. Not sure I will keep it but will get 1 box to shoot to see how it feels. Since getting my 1st 1911 a couple years ago, thats all I look at now when looking at pistols. They are addicting. Thanks for all the replies folks.

Your other 1911(s) a 9mm or 10mm? If both, factory 45 ammo will be in-between those in recoil

Have a SA EMP in 40 S&W and a RIA in 10mm for 1911 pistols. Considering changing the EMP to 9mm. Doesn’t like to lock back after the last round. Great shooter though. My RIA 10mm is a great accurate pistol. It’s a beast. Am thinking 200 gr to try out this 45. If it feels good shooting, will probably keep it. Will have to buy commercial ammo since I have no reloading dies or supplies. If I keep this, I’ll sell my Glock in 40 S&W.

If this is what your mags for EMP look like, you can try tuning them:
- take the slide off
- put the slide stop back in
- put an empty magazine in and check engagement of the little tab on the mag follower - bend it outward a bit if the engagement is not great

https://gunmagwarehouse.com/springfield ... steel.html

My favorite 45 is a 1916 made Enfield revolver. Shaved for moon clips. It got lots of attention at the qualifier for my last carry renewal. All the instructors got to shoot it!

I love mine. I carry a S&W M&P 45c.

I shot on an Army team. National Match course and General George S Patton matches.

I mainly use Winchester 231.

For all the talk about recoil, a GI type 1911 .45 doesn’t really have much, more it just moves your hand around a bit.

Going to the powderpuff loads, they are accurate and easy to shoot.

But be careful with the really fast powders and the .45, as it’s not hard to double charge the .45, and get a bad outcome.

If you stay away from the shorty 1911’s they do tend to be reliable.

SA just got back to me on the conversion. Cannot be done. Oh well. Won't buy reloading stuff for the 45 for now. Will cringe and buy commercial to test it out.

Converting a 1911 from .40 to 9mm can be done but it will cost you just as much as buying a second one in 9mm. It requires a whole new top end to be fit up so you are throwing away half of the pistol and may require feed ramp work in the slide. That’s why manufacturers like Springfield will not touch that type of work.

As far as I know, these are more acceptable combinations through custom gunsmiths:
- 9mm, 38 Super, 38 super comp, 9x21, 9x23 can all be had with one slide and separate barrels/springs (possible extractor swap may be needed)
- 10mm, 40sw
- 45acp, 45 Super, 460 Rowland?
- there is also one company (Guncrafter) making a special “breed” of 1911s capable of 45acp and 50gi with a barrel switch. Guns are not cheap and ammo is even more expensive if you actually shoot the gun in 50gi

I have 9mm & 38 Super combo that works well with both calibers and uses the same extractor

FYI: EMP in 9mm cannot be converted to 38 Super, grip is too short front to back to fit the longer cartridge.