.45, 10mm, or 9mm in 1911

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I'm toying with the idea of a 1911 - possibly a Rock Island armory.

They make 'em in .45s, 10s, and 9s. I already cast and reload for 9mm to feed a Micro 9.

If I go with a bigger 1911, I don't want my accuracy to be limited by 9mm.

My experience with pistols is very limited. I have experience with the 9mm and a .357 Blackhawk. The 9 doesn't do what I could do with the .357, but I don't know if that due to the caliber or the gun.

Are either the .45 ACP or the 10mm difficult to reload for accuracy?

Would I be hamstringing the accuracy potential of a full-sized 1911 by getting one chambered in 9mm?

[lefty o]

they can all be loaded just fine for accuracy work. the pistol, and you will more than likely be the limiting factor.

[Ia.redneck]

Best results will come the easiest with the 45. IMHO

[Sig556r]

I bought a 1911 Sig nightmare in 357sig & an extra 38 Super barrel from CDNN for $39.99. Uses the same CBs & powder as my 1911 9s.
Not much different recoil than my 45s & more fun to shoot.
Now thinking of getting a .40SW

[tazman]

I own two 1911 pistols in 45acp and one in 9mm. As good as the 45acp pistols shoot, the 9mm is more accurate. It is also VERY light on recoil and cheaper to shoot than the 45s.
My 1911 in 9mm is my most accurate pistol. Every bit as accurate as my Ruger MKII target.
I wouldn't worry about the 9mm limiting your accuracy.

[krems]

All 1911 are inherently accurate with good ammo. I like the 45acp because I’m set up to load large pistol primers on a Dillon 500. Plus larger bullets are easier for me to handle. I swore I would never own a 9mm. Then I got one for my wife to shoot because it was easier for her to work the slide. Then I got one to shoot factory ammo because I don’t enjoy chasing .45 brass with snow on the ground. Go with what you like. They are all good. My next 1911 will be in 10mm. No reason. Just think I want to shoot one.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I've just read that 9mm is difficult to reload for. Although I wouldn't say I'm having any difficulty matching factory ammo accuracy, I am just not real impressed with the accuracy of a Micro 9. Maybe that's not the way to put it, because the Micro 9 is decent for what it is supposed to be.

[wv109323]

The 9mm gets a bad rap on reloading because there is such a variance in actual bore sizes of barrels. A lot of the pistols were made in times of war where quantity was more important quality. Bores can be .355 to .359. A boolit must match the bore.
Also if the barrel needs a larger bullet (.358) must likely the neck expander of your reloading dies will not open up the neck of your brass large enough and the boolit will be sized down in the seating process.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Another thing with 9mm is the large amount of variation in brass. The case capacity for the powder charge is small in 9mm compared to 40, 10 or 45. Variation in web thickness and wall thickness can have enough change in case capacity to affect pressure, hence velocity, recoil and group size. The problem is exacerbated by the high pressure (about 35 kpsi) of the round. This is really only a problem using mixed headstamp brass. The 45 is much more forgiving being larger case, less variation in brass and lower pressure (about 20 kpsi).

The 40 and 10 have pressure about like 9mm coupled with large cases, so they pretty much fall in between 9mm and 45 as being forgiving.

But, a good reloader can certainly overcome any problems the 9mm raises. And the 9mm is cheaper on lead, powder and brass is plentiful.

If I had a Micro 9 and a convertible Blackhawk, I’d be heading for a 45 or a 10 in a 1911 for my next splash in cash flow.

[BigAlofPa.]

I have 2 RIA 45'S a 10mm and the 380 baby rock. Im really happy with them. Very accurate guns.

[knifemaker]

The 45 ACP can be very accurate. The Colt national match was my duty gun and the S&W 1911 was my IDPA match gun. The colt target was shot with +P 185 gr. HP duty ammo 8 rounds at 25 yards, the S&W target was shot with Federal 185 gr. match ammo out of a Ransom rest to test gun accuracy.

[nun2kute]

I started with the 9 mm, gravitated to the 45 acp and ended with the 10 mm. I like them all, but the ten is my favorite. I like the snappy 200g'rs. Done a whole lot of Carp fishing with my CZ 75 9 mm fishing pole. Their all good for different reasons.

[Pete44mag]

I have both the 9mm and the.45ACP. I use the 9mm for USPSA competitions and the .45 ACP for Bullseye matches. Both guns are more accurate than I am. I've had no problem working up reduced loads for Bulleye and hotter loads for the 9mm. If budget is not the problem why not one of each. You can never have too many guns! I'm working on the excuse to get a 10mm and a .38 Super 1911. I hope you really enjoy the choice you make because neither one is a bad one!!!

[BigAlofPa.]

Pete the 10mm is amazing. Very impressive. You will love it.

[Stephen Cohen]

I loved my 45s and my 10mm before our restrictive laws took them. I shot bowling pin with both but the 10mm just destroyed the pins and swept the table clean. Regards Stephen

[Plate plinker]

Yep the 10mm can go beyond what the 9 and 45 can accomplish. I am in the get them all camp.

[RJM52]

Depends on what you are planning on doing with the gun...

If this is going to be a full size range gun for hunting/target work it just depends what you want to spend on your ammo...

.45 ACP is great and with very little modification can be made to run .45 Super. Cheap .45 ACP brass is everywhere and one only needs a couple hundred rounds of didcated Super brass for top end loads.

10mm is a GREAT round but brass is expensive and has a tendency to "disappear"...as in grow legs, walk off and hide... A second barrel can be fitted for .40 S&W and tons of cheap brass can be had. There are even people who shoot .40 S&W in their 10mm barrels just letting the extractor control headspace...

.38 Super/9mm/9x23 Winchester...one gun can be made up to run all three.... All-around it is my favorite combination....

Kimber has a new long slide Stainless Target 10mm that can be had for about $900...great value for the features....


...or you can just get one gun and modify it to shoot them all...

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=777762

Bob

[charlie b]

I love my .45's. And I like the 10mm. But, when it comes to range time I love my 9mm. I don't cast for either anymore so I buy plated bullets.

I don't know why some have problems with reloading the 9mm, other than reasons mentioned above. I do stick to one type of brass. I buy the cheap ammo off the shelf and then reload that brass. Same brand every time. Doesn't matter which. I settled on Rem cause it seemed to be on sale more often in my area. Just pick a brand and stick with it. I don't bother with surplus cause I don't want to mess with the crimped primer pockets. And, yes, I figured out it was cheaper to buy ammo to shoot and reload than buying brass and reloading it the first time.

If the pistol is for field work then choose the caliber based on that, not ease of reloading or lack of recoil. All three calibers can be match grade accurate.

[Bmi48219]

I own 1911's in 45 & 9. All are really accurate pistols. That being said I tend to shoot 9 mm most often & best. It produces less recoil and is cheaper to reload. In my experience 9mm is one of the easiest to reload. I lucked out early and found one load that cycles all my 9mm pistols, is more accurate than standard factory ammo, doesn't beat me or my pistols up and costs less than 10 cents a round to load. As others have said, select one brand of brass to load & stick with it. You can't go wrong with either cartridge for accuracy. Can't say a lot about 10 mm, other than brass is more expensive and hard to find. If you intend on shooting a lot 9mm or 45 are way more economical.

[scattershot]

.45, as God and John Browning intended.