.45ACP loads for lighter springs.

[mnewcomb59]

What is the purpose of these loads if it is appropriate to ask?

My light 45 load is a 125 grain flat point with about 3.5 grains of powder loaded in 38 or 9mm cases. The rest of my 45s are full power.

[Char-Gar]

It is a fact of shooting life, that lighter recoiling firearms are easier to shoot that those with heavier recoil. This is true of rifle, handguns and shotguns. In 2400 Bullseye shooting when one handgun must be the "service pistol", lighter loads were used to produce easier to shoot and thusly also produce higher scores, or so it was thought.

The fly in the ointment is that all self-loading firearms, are designed to work within certain recoil and or pressure limits. To encourage them to work outside those parameters, one must jack with the firearm. Jacking with firearms most often produces more problems than it solves and should only be done if needed.

John Browning's 1911 is a masterful design for a combat handgun that has survived for 111 years and still is on the top of the heap. We own and shoot them in order to be a part of the history of the wonderful pistol and or avail ourselves if it's effectiveness. I see no purpose or reason to jack with it's design to moved it outside of it's design parameters, just because.

Just one grumpy old coot's thoughts on the subject at hand.

[Char-Gar]

It is a fact of shooting life, that lighter recoiling firearms are easier to shoot that those with heavier recoil. This is true of rifle, handguns and shotguns. In 2400 Bullseye shooting when one handgun must be the "service pistol", lighter loads were used to produce easier to shoot and thusly also produce higher scores, or so it was thought.

The fly in the ointment is that all self-loading firearms, are designed to work within certain recoil and or pressure limits. To encourage them to work outside those parameters, one must jack with the firearm. Jacking with firearms most often produces more problems than it solves and should one be done if needed.

John Browning's 1911 is a masterful design for a combat handgun that has survived for 111 years and still is on the top of the heap. We own and shoot them in order to be a part of the history of the wonderful pistol and or avail ourselves if it's effectiveness. I see no purpose or reason to jack with it's design to moved it outside of it's design parameters, just because. After all, the 1911 pistol with full snort loads and factory springs isn't that hard to shoot well.

Just the opinion of a grumpy old coot on the subject at hand.

[dearslayer]

I don't shoot competition. To be totally honest I don't even remember why the change of springs was suggested at the time other than to make the gun " more enjoyable and easier to shoot" but to be honest I didn't have a real problem with it before the spring change. I guess I'm easily persuaded by those that seem to have more knowledge and shoot competition but I also believe it's more difficult for someone like me who doesn't have the same skill level but does enjoy learning. I'm gonna try these loads to see how they shoot and decide then, if I should but the original springs back in.

[reddog81]

Thanks so much. I'll start at minimum charge and work back at .3 grains at a time from 5.4 - 4.2 until I have perhaps FTE and then move back up one charge. At least then I will know what the minimum charge will be. I hope I got that right and I understand

This should work out just fine. I wouldn't be surprised if the 4.2 grain load still functions.

[Baltimoreed]

Been using 200 gr round nose flat point [cowboy bullets] or long nose swc in my 45acp forever. Been using 3.5 gr Bullseye as I was given some. They run in my pccs too. I like 3.0 in my revolvers. I also like Clays, Clay Dot or Red Dot powders in 45acp. The .45acp is an easy cartridge to reload and is naturally very accurate. JMB’s best.

[ChuckS1]

3.6 grains of Bullseye and a 200 grain SWC is my 25 yard load for bullseye competition. My pistol is a Les Baer Bullseye Wadcutter M1911A1 with a slide-mounted Ultradot red dot sight. 1” groups at 25 yards off a rest.

[justindad]

I don't shoot competition. To be totally honest I don't even remember why the change of springs was suggested at the time other than to make the gun " more enjoyable and easier to shoot" but to be honest I didn't have a real problem with it before the spring change. I guess I'm easily persuaded by those that seem to have more knowledge and shoot competition but I also believe it's more difficult for someone like me who doesn't have the same skill level but does enjoy learning. I'm gonna try these loads to see how they shoot and decide then, if I should but the original springs back in.

Being curious & learning is good! Perhaps you’ll find that heavier loads and heavier springs are in fact more enjoyable to shoot… only one way to find out

[dearslayer]

Well all loads work just fine and cycled the action without any issues. No FTF or FTE. The 5.4gr most definitely was hitting the gun a little hard as far as I could tell. The 4.8gr was the best for accuracy followed by 5.1gr.
I had about half a box of factory 230 grain bullets that I figured I'd try and I could definitely feel the gun taking a bit of a beating.
Having said this I decided to put the factory springs back in the gun. I will work up a few loads with the original springs. At least having the original springs back in will allow me to shoot reloads and factory without having to worry about the gun taking a beating.

I can always go with the lighter springs down the road if that's what I decide to do.

Sent from my LYA-L0C using Tapatalk

[44MAG#1]

Now you are on track.

[mehavey]

If you don't have enough pressure to move the bullet then the pressure doesn't go anywhere
until the brass gives or it has enough pressure just to get the bullet into the rifling and all the
gases back up and exit through the chamber.

Wow....(!)

[downzero]

You will have no problem shooting whatever loads you want with those springs. They're not that light for what you're shooting. I normally run a 19 pound main and 14 pound recoil in a .45 with a full weight slide, but you're not going to see some kind of massive difference with your springs as they're just a touch lighter. I do agree that you may have some primers that won't pop once in a while though. My small pistol guns run 100% with a 17 pound, but in large pistol guns, I run a 19 just to be "sure."

[DonHowe]

I ran H&G 68 reliably with 3.8gr Bullseye and 11# spring. When I mounted an Ultradot on the slide I switched to 14# spring and ended up at 4.3gr Bullseye for 100% reliability.
With iron sights a 1911 with 13# recoil spring should cycle reliably with a 4.0gr Bullseye equivalent load under a 200gr bullet. I would not batter the frame with full power loads and 13# recoil spring.

I mention only Bullseye powder as I never fell under the spell of 231. Nor did I lose Bullseye matches because the competition burned 231.

[Char-Gar]

Now you are on track.

^^^^^^^Amen

[truckjohn]

I don't shoot competition. To be totally honest I don't even remember why the change of springs was suggested at the time other than to make the gun " more enjoyable and easier to shoot" but to be honest I didn't have a real problem with it before the spring change.

Yep, the firearm is a system, and that system includes the ammo and the shooter.

Ironically, with "standard" to +P ammo - the factory springs generally run best. Lighter springs will make it worse to shoot because the slide batters the frame. This can be pretty unpleasant, as the slide "clanking" telegraphs into your hands. That and throwing excessive amounts of burning powder all over your hands and wrists.

Softer springs also speed up the recoil impulse and can hurt accuracy until you shift to softer loads. But, they can help if someone is having reliability issues because of "limp wristing."

I often laugh when I see people crowing about "ultimate reliability" with absolutely any ammo. Generally, that means the springs are too weak and the gun will batter itself, and the shooter, to pieces while throwing bullets into huge patterns, but it does cycle reliably... Gas guns are sort of the same... Over gas them and they'll eat most anything, but at the cost of accuracy and damage to the gun.

[higgins]

Both 4.6 and 4.8 gr 231 function with a 200 gr. SWC in my Gov't Model with whatever poundage the factory spring is. Accurate loads too.

[Walks]

Lyman #452488 over 3.5grs of Bullseye, 13lb spring.
Been shooting that load for 45+yrs. Had it from My Dad who used it in a Pachmayr worked Colt 1911 to shoot Bullseye matches in the late 1940's thru the mid 1960's.

Switch to an H&G 68FB 200gr bullet and 4.5grs of Bullseye to a 16lb spring for a Combat load.

[dearslayer]

So now I guess I'm back to square one with factory springs ( or I assume they are factory as I am not the original owner ). As stated before the Lyman manual states 5.4 as a starting load and max is 6.1 for Win231. I'm wondering should I start at 5.4? I mean with the other lighter springs 4.8 worked best but I guess that will change now. I'll do the same as before and start with 5 rounds each at .3gr increase.

[Paper Puncher]

A typical Bullseye target load for 200 gr is 4.4 - 4.6 gr of 231. LOTS of people shooting these lighter loads so if the 4.8 works don't hesitate to use it.

I would start at 4.8 and work up from there if the 4.8 doesn't function in your gun.

[dearslayer]

A typical Bullseye target load for 200 gr is 4.4 - 4.6 gr of 231. LOTS of people shooting these lighter loads so if the 4.8 works don't hesitate to use it.

I would start at 4.8 and work up from there if the 4.8 doesn't function in your gun.

Wish I had seen your post before I loaded some. I have 10 rounds each of 5.4/5.6/5.8 and 6.0. Guess I'll see how it goes.