lightest load to cycle in a 1911

[lylejb]

what is the lightest load that will cycle in a colt 1991 45(army issue grade 1911) the gun is stock spring with a buffer added. i will be using a 200 gr lswc . i have several powders on hand, AA#2, 700x, 231, unique, universal clays and 800x. i would prefer to use the AA#2, because i have the most of it. my other powders would be too slow for this. i know i'll have some trial and error, but was hopeing the wisdom of this group could help me avoid some of the error part...

i have a 9 yo son that wants to try dads "army pistol" ...i don't want to scare him off. i also don't want to wind up with a bunch of rounds that don't work

thanks

[arcticbreeze]

That will vary with the shooters grip. I shoot action matches (IDPA and USPSA) and tend to have a death grip. Because I don't allow the gun to recoil as much I can shoot some pretty light loads that for instance my significant other (the BOSS) will have some feeding issues with because of a lighter grip. With that said I have loaded as low as about 450 fps with a 200 gr swc boolit with no feeding issue when I shoot them. Something elsae to think about is because I have such a firm grip I have changed my recoil spring to a 20 lb spring for full or major power factor loads. When my wife will be shooting that gun I will throw the stock 16 lb spring back in the gun for light plinking loads. I shoot with a guy that only shoots very light loads (ghost fart light) and has a 12 lb spring installed. What I like to do is find your load, install a shock buff then start with a light spring and move up until the slide is just touching the buff with that load and your grip. Hope this helps.

Marc

[arcticbreeze]

By the way my favorite light load is with W231

[WildmanJack]

Try 3.5 gr. of clays under that boolet. Holds real nice to POA and the recoil is minimal. Besides Clays is soo clean burning the gun is really clean after a match..
jack

[Dave C.]

I shoot a Clark long heavey slide with a slide mounted ultradot.
It is chambered in 38 special and I shoot 2.8gr of B.E. under a 148 hbwc.
Yes it works and yes it is very mild.

Dave C.

[35remington]

With a stock 16 lb. spring approximately 700 fps is a good minimum for reliable function with a 200 grain SWC.

If the load is too light failures to eject will occur, and of course the subsequent round will not feed.

I rarely change spring weights in my 1911 as the standard spring affords a sufficiently wide functioning latitude. A 700 fps load gives light recoil. Since once spring weight is in it all the time, I don't have to worry about shooting a standard power load with a light spring or vice versa.

[TonyT]

For 185 gr. LSWC's at ca. 710 fps my 1911's require a 14 lb spring for relaible functioning. With the 200 gr. Bullet at 720 fps a 15 lb spring and the stock recoil spring (16 lb) at ca 780 fps.

[Shiloh]

Lighter springs for light loads. Just be sure you know what spring for light loads.
I have a stock 16# and it functions at 3.6 grains of Bullseye under a 200 gr. TLSWC.
I usually run them at 3.6 gr.

Shiloh

[Lloyd Smale]

my go to load for competition is 3.4 grains of bullseye with a 200 swc using a 15 lb wolf variable rate spring. recoil is mild enough that i dont see a need for going lighter. Nice thing is that a 15lb spring is heavy enough that a guy can throw a clip of ball in it without hurting it or a good self defense load as long as you dont make a steady habbit of it.

[TAWILDCATT]

I have shot 200 gr SWC in my AMT long slide with standard spring and 3.6 of 700X
in compitition for 30 yrs.I did use 3.4 but one of my 1911s is tight and needed it to function.and I stayed with it.

[SierraWhiskeyMC]

Keep in mind that "Clays" and "Universal Clays" are two very different powders.
"Clays" is much faster burning than "Universal Clays". In Hodgdon's own load data, "Universal Clays" is referred to simply as "Universal". Just to make things more confusing, there is also an "International Clays", which is yet another different powder.

According to Hodgdon's reloading center for 45 ACP:
a 200gr LSWC with 3.6gr Clays will have a MV of 759fps @11,800 CUP
a 200gr LSWC with 5.8gr Universal " " " MV of 889fps @13,900 CUP
These are both starting loads.

I have a few lbs of Hi-Skor 700x sitting around, and did some starter loads in 200gr LSWC; still have to make that trip to the range though. I've heard that Hi-Skor 700x is pretty clean-burning compared to Bullseye when you load it light.
Hodgdon's data gives 4.6gr of 700x, MV of 821fps @ 12,100 CUP as a starter load.
Looks like it'll still be pretty mild, but better velocity than Clays for the CUP.

The "old standby" load for .45 target shooters for years was 3.5gr Bullseye behind a 200 gr boolit. I still have a few sitting around that my Granddad loaded in the 60's. He'd tried going down to 3.2gr Bullseye, but cycling wasn't reliable with the stock spring. Also, I really don't care for how filthy my M1911 or fired cases are after shooting light Bullseye loads.