1911: 9mm or .45?

domyalex

domyalex

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NOT looking for a caliber/"religious" flame war, so please bear with me before accusing me of blasphemy...

(and yes, I tried searching)

So, I'm a relatively new shooter; I have been shooting regularly for the last ~5 months, but limited to .22lr and the occasional try out offered by friendly club members at the range.

Well, as it often goes, I tried a 1911 last week and just fell in love. I have tried CZ 75, Shadow, G22 and Baby Eagle, but the 1911 just felt right...
Love also all the customization you can do.

I'm however somewhat recoil sensitive (being 147 lbs soaking wet doesn't help), and the 230 gr definitely pushed harder than the 9mm in the Shadow. I plan on doing some action shooting, but just for fun and I'm considering IPSC/IDPA and the occasional steel match.

So, I find myself at a crossroad:
1) get a 1911 in 9mm; the selection is however more limited and usually somewhat pricier. I'd like to stick to single stack for easy of parts and mags availability.
2) get one in .45 and "man up"; waaay more selection and better deals, especially used. Plus, it's the way HE intended it to be.

I plan on reloading anyway. Perhaps the 200gr can be loaded not too different form the 9mm? Can I change recoil spring and still shoot Standard in IPSC? What about IDPA? Yes, I'm aware this is a "sub-optimal" platform for competition but I like the gun first and the sport second, at least for now...

Reloading costs seems to be not too different (~30-40 bucks more for 1000 rnds for the .45), but I'm mainly concerned with pleasure to shoot and follow up shots in competition (again, mainly for fun for now).

So, what's your advice?

And yeah, a single stack division would rock...

Thanks!
 
-Less recoill which result in faster double taps & consistency,
-A kill is a kill...Even with a 9mm,
-Slim frame which makes very comfortable for concealment,
-Lots of parts & accessories since .45 1911's are pretty much the same except a few like the barrel obviously.
-1911's just feels right like you menioned on the above & is battle proven,
-In 9mm you have an extra round in the mag, could meen life or death for some :)
-Lots in the world.

9mm?? why not!!
 
A lot of people will tell you that a 1911 should ONLY be in .45 :rolleyes:....I have two in .45 (Colt and Norc) and two (an STI and Para) in 9mm. I love them all equally. Both the STI and the Para in 9mm have no feed problems what so ever work flawlessly. My advice is buy what works best for you. If you perfer shooting 9mm and are in love with the 1911's (a great choice by the way) then buy what you want.
 
the school of thought is that a heavier bullet pushes back while a lighter bullet tends to want to twist more in your hand. this is because a lighter bullet moves faster (45/230=850 FPS 9 mm/124=1200 fps) and energy is the square of the velocity.
 
.45 is in my opinion a funner cartridge to shoot.
Its also a very low pressure round so it stresses the gun much less than a 9mm 1911.
1911s in 45 last longer than ones in 9
 
mausermaniac said:
.45 is in my opinion a funner cartridge to shoot.
Its also a very low pressure round so it stresses the gun much less than a 9mm 1911.
1911s in 45 last longer than ones in 9
Click to expand...

I have well over 7000 rounds thru both on my 9mm 1911's with no sign of a problem. Where are you getting your info on 9mm 1911's not lasting as long?
 
STI Spartan is an excellent gun especially for the money. It comes in .45acp only. Recoil shouldn't be an issue after you do some practice. You can customize it all you want as it doesn't use any propriotary hardware. Extended mag release with a button is the first you should get, it's cheap and easy to put in yourself too.
You can later get a .22LR conversion for it and shoot all you want for cheap.
For 9mm, see what you like in CZ lineup, they are very good guns and on cheaper side too, parts are easy to get as well as holsters and so on.

Cheers...
 
Bomber said:
I have well over 7000 rounds thru both on my 9mm 1911's with no sign of a problem. Where are you getting your info on 9mm 1911's not lasting as long?
Click to expand...

An article in Petersens Handguns by Jerry Ahern.
He stated that because of the stress generated by 9mm and 38 super that Detonics would not make 1911s in anything but 45
 
I would go with the 9mm if you are recoil sensitive, A's are worth five points in major or minor.
My vote would be for a 9mm Trojan from STI
For steel/action matches the 9mm with the right spring/load combination will serve you well and you might be suprised with the accuracy you can get.
One downside there might be a bit of magazine tuning needed to get the single stack 9mm running right.
You sre also right about the tonnes of add ons and accessories.
 
maurice said:
how about a .40 instead of the 9mm or .45?
Click to expand...


Exactly! meet half way.

I have been shooting a single stack Springfield 1911 in 40 loving it. Found some single stack 9 round mags that will fit in the Box no problem. No problem to make major, and the reloaded I buy from sells 9mm and 40 for the same price.(185/1000)


I bought a single stack for the same reason you are saying parts and availability etc. I found quite quickly that there is a TON of comp. stuff supporting double stack so don't make that your only reason.

But double stack is fun and having less shots will make you a better competitor, you KNOW you don't have extra shots.

a Great 1911 40 out there is the DARK40

http://darkinternational.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15&language=en

$650, double stack, norinco but was build for a local Gunsmith to his specs, and Rodger can really slick up a norc, if you want a little extra done.
 
Thx for the inputs people :)

I'm budgeting 600-700 for now, so I guess an Armco tuned Norc fits the bill nicely.

Looking at Hodgdon's site, I see that basically every .45 bullet weight will allow to be loaded down to minor (idpa/steel) or major (ipsc). How will the recoil, say of a 200gr@ 850 fps (PF 170) compare to a standard 124gr 9mm load? I'm especially interested in recoil and ability to follow up.

Would you rather have 7rnds per mag scored as major, or 9 scored as minor?

The .40 seems like a neat idea. But I understand that the Norc double stack uses some proprietary trigger, right? Any other affordable 1911 .40 out there? (less than say CAD$ 800).

Cheers
 
Airborn_69 said:
-Less recoill which result in faster double taps & consistency,
-A kill is a kill...Even with a 9mm,
-Slim frame which makes very comfortable for concealment,
-Lots of parts & accessories since .45 1911's are pretty much the same except a few like the barrel obviously.
-1911's just feels right like you menioned on the above & is battle proven,
-In 9mm you have an extra round in the mag, could meen life or death for some :)
-Lots in the world.

9mm?? why not!!
Click to expand...

Firstly what are you killing with a handgun in canada?
Secondly, and thirdly the OP already knows he is going with the 9mm so these points mean nothing. Also there has never in my limited library of knowledge, ever been a 9mm 1911 in service.
And lastly since it is illegal to carry in canada, and you can get 10 round .45 mags anyways this point means nothing.

Now I say go for .45. If you are reloading anyhow money isn't the issue. I own both and like the .45 better. More versatility in the loads, and the larger cases are easier to handle when reloading for me, as well as primers. Not a big deal but really there is only small differences to talk about. Recoil is very different between 9mm and .45 but I find follow up shots are easier on the .45 as there is not so much muzzle flip, as there is a push straight back. But really it comes down to the .45 just being a f in huge round and a huge barrel to look at. It is simply the awesome factor that wins the battle here. For the money an Armco tuned 1911 with some upgrades would be a very good choice. YOu could also find a used sprinfield, or para but they are at the top of your price range, and wouldn't leave any room for trigger work or customization.
 
"It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better." -John Ruskin
 
mlehtovaara said:
Firstly what are you killing with a handgun in canada?
Secondly, and thirdly the OP already knows he is going with the 9mm so these points mean nothing. Also there has never in my limited library of knowledge, ever been a 9mm 1911 in service.
And lastly since it is illegal to carry in canada, and you can get 10 round .45 mags anyways this point means nothing.

Now I say go for .45. If you are reloading anyhow money isn't the issue. I own both and like the .45 better. More versatility in the loads, and the larger cases are easier to handle when reloading for me, as well as primers. Not a big deal but really there is only small differences to talk about. Recoil is very different between 9mm and .45 but I find follow up shots are easier on the .45 as there is not so much muzzle flip, as there is a push straight back. But really it comes down to the .45 just being a f in huge round and a huge barrel to look at. It is simply the awesome factor that wins the battle here. For the money an Armco tuned 1911 with some upgrades would be a very good choice. YOu could also find a used sprinfield, or para but they are at the top of your price range, and wouldn't leave any room for trigger work or customization.
Click to expand...


And what the hell is a double tap...lol
 
How even to think of a 1911 in 9mm... Pure Evil...

I have 1911's in 9, 38 Super, 38 Special, 40 and 45....

You are a new shooter you will find the 9mm is cheaper.. But I find it's a little light for the gun...

Maybe look at 40 or 38 super... if you reload 38 super is not a bad round for a 1911..
 
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