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Knowledge sharing: What’s Your 1911/2011 Self Defense Ammo? Why did you choose it?

7K views 80 replies 57 participants last post by  LensWork 
#1 · (Edited)
What ammo do you use in your carry and home defense 1911/2011? What’s the logic for your choice(s)? If the ammunition drought made your chosen load unavailable, what substitutes did you select?
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For folks like us ammo selection takes several datapoints into account. I am curious to see if likeminded individuals have similar choices of ammunition for optimal performance in real life scenarios. I am hoping we can learn from each others experiences and thinking

Thinking
for ammunition selection starts with the potential performance of each round, both penetration and expansion, in the context of highest probability class of scenarios; then picking the most accurate from that list in a given gun. I use the same ammo for carry and home defense with the exception of 10mm.

For 9mm across my 1911s and 2011s: my first choice is Federal HST 124gr, and second choice is Speer Gold Dot also in 124gr. I also use 147gr. HST, but not in my Atlas which loves 124gr. I backfill with SIG V-Crown 124gr. +P
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For .45 ACP in my Government 1911s: my first choice is Federal HST in 230gr., and second is Winchester Ranger T bonded, also in 230gr., Since I am short on HST, I backfill as 3rd choice with Speer Gold Dot 230gr. and Asym 185gr. +P Barnes TAC-XP JHP.
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For 10mm in my Government 1911s I use different loads for carry in urban areas and outdoors, which includes our more rural property (coyotes).

10mm urban first choice is SIG V-Crown 180gr., JHP and second is Underwood 180gr. bonded JHP at 1300 fps. One reason for selecting the SIG as #1 is their 180gr., FMJ which is loaded to simulate the V-Crown.
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10mm outdoors are full power loads, where first choice is Underwood 135gr. at 1600fps which is loud and snappy, and the second which resides in a backup magazine given the low probability of being used is the Underwood 220gr. Hard Cast at 1200 fps.

Seasonality also plays a part, given MN harsh winters, resulting in more layers of thicker clothing, my winter loads are mostly the same brand/bullet type but the heavier and slower moving and deeper penetrating rounds (e.g., HST 147gr. and Ranger-T 147gr. bonded); also more likely to carry my 10mm 1911 with what I described as urban loads.
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From Dr. Robert’s work published on AR15.com for self defense ammunition: see his work here /

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See URL for detailed caliber, penetration, barrier… Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo
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#74 ·
HST hands down first choice. GD and Ranger close second choice... in reality any good SD load will serve you well.

I spent a weekend shooting various premium SD loads out of my guns with me shooting... seems like a better choice then trusting somebody else shooting their guns to tell you what to shoot.

Media includes various clothing, wet phone books, water jugs, bails of insulation, home made ballistic gel, various barriers, etc.

Coditions included early morning, mid day and night for different temperatures and light condition.

You will immediately see what you and your gun prefers in terms of reliability to function, mussle blast, felt recoil, performance, etc. It just amazes me that people will carry a gun without testing various ammo that they may need to save your butt? You only have one life so if the situation arrives that you need to draw and fire, don't you want 100% trust in your setup? Ammunition is cheap, your life not so much.
 
#76 ·
I go back and forth between Speer Gold Dot and Remington Golden Saber depending on what is available when I need more.

I have 1000’s of rounds down range with both ammo types and both are capable of near match grade accuracy and their ballistic data has been proven to be acceptable.

Many times I was able to shoot better groups with the GD or GS than I could get with dedicated match grade ammo like Gold Medal Match
 
#77 ·
I do love the Lehigh Xtreme Defense bullets, loaded by Lehigh or Underwood (or by me!). These bullets rely on velocity, thus the light for caliber designs. 135 now for .45 ACP (used to be 120), 115 for 10mm. They flat out work! I use them in all of my carry/home defense pistols with complete confidence.

My second choice is always Speer Gold Dots (when one can find them!) with HST, & Golden Saber close behind. No matter what bullet you use, shot placement is still king and there are no magic bullets... but I believe the Lehigh's come closest!
Cheers,
crkckr
 
#79 ·
9mm & 40 124gr+P & 180gr Gold Dot.
.45 230gr HST+P

For the 9mm & 40 those are common LE carry rounds with good performance in real life situations. We're issued the 180 GD so I have no say in the matter.
For the .45 my Pro shoots those more accurately than about anything and a well known LE trainer I respect has mentioned it is known to "kill like the hammers of Hell" in LE defensive shootings.

If there were no more JHP rounds available, I'd go to semi-wadcutter .45's and not feel under-armed.
 
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#81 ·
My EDC, custom Ruger Lightweight Commander: Barnes .45ACP 185 gr. TAC-XPD, 8+1 rounds in a Tripp Cobra magazine + 1 extra mag of the same. Why? Availability; I would have chosen Speer Gold Dot 200 gr. +P if I could have found sufficient quantities at a reasonable price during the height of the 2020 Pandemic and associated ammo supply crunch when the pistol‘s custom work was completed.

My nightstand pistol, Sig M18: Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr. FTX 9mm, 21+1 rounds in factory magazine. Why? Availability when I purchased the pistol. The LGS where I bought the M18 had just got a shipment from Hornady the day I picked-up the pistol and the store manager gave me a deal - for the times - on the CD. I would have chosen Barnes TAC-XPD 115 gr. +P if I could have found sufficient quantities at a reasonable price during the height of the 2020 Pandemic and associated ammo supply crunch when I purchased the pistol.
 
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