.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.
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[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.

[gwpercle]

Ever shooter should have one 1911 in 45 acp !
John Browning knew a thing or two when he designed them .
Gary

[marek313]

I love my RIA Tac Ultra in 10mm. I also shoot 40s out of it without any issues which makes it nice because as others pointed out 10mm brass walks but 40 is easy to find. Didnt break my extractor yet from 40s neither <knocking on wood>

I dont know which one is right for you they are all different. I find 9mm less accurate then 10, 40 or 45. Smaller case with smaller projectile means less wiggle room for error plus 9s move faster so its harder to keep those stable. Larger bullets will drain your lead stash quicker but they tend to be more accurate at least for me. I know there are some fine 9mm guns out there but in general I prefer larger caliber if I can. I would like to get a nice P210 but I probably wouldnt shoot that much. My RIA on the other hand is solid shooter without any issues. I wasnt even planning on buying one but I was given a really good deal that I couldnt say no to so I got it. No regrets so far and if I had to buy it full price again I probably would.

Almost brand new RIA Tac Ultra FS with custom short reset trigger, 200 rounds of 10mm ammo and 2x Tripp Cobra extended 10 round mags for $400. How could I say no to that deal :guntootsmiley:
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[Gunslinger1911]

I'll start by agreeing that a 45 is mandatory - just as JMB meant it to be.
That being said, I have all 3, love em all. Accuracy is all about boolet fit to bbl. All 3 capable of shooting better than I.
I also have 22 TCM, 22 lr, and 38 super 1911's.
You just can't go wrong - and Rock makes a great 1911. I have 3. The TCM locks up as well as any "custom" I've ever shot.

[osteodoc08]

I prefer 45 ACP. It’s easier for me to handle the casings. Accuracy has always been easy to obtain with several powders and there’s something magical about the Four Five for me.

The only downside is weight of boolits. You’ll obviously deplete your stock faster compared to 9mm. Adding a 10mm would come after the 45 (for me)

[dverna]

10mm will saddle you with more expensive ammunition, brass and the most recoil. It is not an easy gun to shoot for some. 35,000+psi so may have similar issues as 9mm for reloading with cast.

The 9mm is accurate but can be a challenge to load with cast. It is the least expensive option. Brass is everywhere and cheap.

The .45 is easier to load but you will be using over 50% more lead than the 9mm. Brass will be about double the cost of 9mm

If you shoot a fair bit, go with the 9mm. It may take you a bit to find a bullet style/size/lube that works but then you are done. If you cast your own, you save about $.70 a box in lead using the 122 gr bullet instead of the 200 gr in the .45. If you shoot 5000 rounds a year, that is a savings of $70 just in lead. Over 10 years, it adds up. Costs savings will be higher if you purchase bullets and from your other thread, (no space for a press?) that may be your situation.

If you shoot a couple of hundred rounds a year, the .45 is a great choice for you. Unless you upgrade from your lee hand press, it is unlikely that you will shoot enough to save much by getting the 9mm.

[Handloader109]

Got two Rock Island 22tcm/9mm. Full size, have the wide body set up for 22tcm, and the nicer in 9mm. They shoot better than I do, but both are fun guns. I'm thinking about another in a commander size 9mm, thought about the Micro 9, but too expensive, I can almost buy two Rock islands for the price of one Micro..... and It's not twice the gun

[psweigle]

I have the rock island 9mm, and a coonan classic in 357 magnum. I'm hoping to add a Llama .32 auto to the line up. The coonan is a blast to shoot. The rock is a joy to shoot. I've had 45 auto 1911's. Those were very easy to load for and also a pleasure. Can't go wrong with a 1911 in any caliber.
As far as reloading 9mm, I've found that if you don't over think it, you should be fine.

[Bzcraig]

By far I shoot more 9 than 45 and greatly enjoy shooting them. I don't own a 1911 in 9 but currently have 2 in 45. This is a rare case where I have practiced what I will preach. My first 1911, in fact all, have been in 45 so I vote 45 it just has a well deserved mystic that can't be denied. I do however think often about getting one in 9.

[Jtarm]

A 1911 should be .45 ACP. Period.

Get a 10mm revolver and don’t chase brass.

[MGD]

There is a reason it's called SUPER 38. For a smaller caliber in the 1911 it is great. Easy to to load an extremely wide range of bullet weights and velocities.

[Sailormilan2]

Start with a 45 acp 1911. Then at a later time, you can add an extra slide and barrel for the 10mm. With a slide with the 40/10 breechface you can add pretty much any barrel you want and go to any caliber.

[Sig556r]

As far as reloading 9mm, I've found that if you don't over think it, you should be fine.
True that ^^^