9mm 1911, what's the advantage over a 45 ?

9mm is cheaper so more shots for the same $$$
Faster recovery and follow up shots (all other things being equal)
Better for me! I'm getting one:D
 
Ok here goes my first post....I'm sure it will make me popular LOL. As far as the whole 9mm vs. .45 debate goes ( as it says in my signature )...Shot placement not bullet size stop gun fights. As far as why would you want a 1911 in 9mm or .45 I can say this..and I am sure I won't endear myself to the 1911 fans out there...I have never had an out of the box 9mm jam on me ever. I cannot say the same with regards to .45's in the 1911 configuration. I have owned 5 1911's and fired many more. I only ever fired 2 that didn't jam that were not mine and out of the 5 I have owned ( 2 Colts a series 80 and a series 70, 2 Para's and 1 Norinco ) only two didnt jam on a regular basis. Those being the series 70 and the single stack Para I currently own. To me the only thing as important reliable stopping power is a reliable firearm!!

So for that reason I would say a 1911 in 9mm could serve you as well if not better than one in .45 ACP.

Now you may all free to whip me as you wish I fully expect it. For those that may say the issue was perhaps the ammo I was using....every 9mm I have owned or fired has fed everything run through them... again I cannot make the same observation for the .45.

That said let the whippings begin LOL :D
 
bushii, you've been here three years and this is your first post??!!

Anyway, are you refering to 1911 9mm's or other configurations. I've found
9mm 1911's to be a little finicky. I sure wouldn't trust my life to one.
 
Don't forget that 9mm shoots flatter and faster. There is nothing wrong with 9mm and it's not like we care about stopping power in Canada. It's all about the range report. If someone likes 9mm because it's cheaper, has less recoil, or some other reason, and they really prefer the 1911 design all the power to them. Besides why would you only want to shoot one caliber?
 
Not a whole lot

How much cheaper mrharley ?


I paid $32.00 for 100 primers for either large or small pistol
Powder is $30.00 a pound
Bullets(copper plated) for the 45 were $105.00 per thousand and I believe $76.00 per thousand for the 9mm, so you're only looking at about 2.9 cents per bullet so it would be about $1.45 cheaper per box of 50.

I use roughly the same amount of powder in both calibers.

I did buy some cheaper 9mm lead bullets at the October gunshow in Truro, but that won't happen there again, the old adage "you get what you pay for" certainly was true in this case. I reloaded 100 of them and I am going to fire the rest of them in the melting pot and recast them. Sometimes, a couple dollars saved can end up costing almost the price of the entire item you bought discounted. Better to go with what you know and trust.
 
Ok here goes my first post....

Welcome aboard. Good thinking on your part.

When I only owned one pistol, and read posts here regularly about what was everyone's favourite 'go to' gun... well it was the 'one' I had.

Now that I have a choice... it is not the caliber... but the competency and confidence I have in a firearm.

1911 is a nice, historic platform.. single stack feels sweet to me too. 9mm is cheaper to shoot. Less so if you reload. But even I, as a relative noob think only of .45 (not 9mm or others) when someone mentions a 1911.

There may be better choices (platform) in either caliber... but regardless..enjoy.
 
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The only sensible reason that I have been given so far is that 9mm is cheaper for non reloaders than .45acp. I think that anyone who does not reload for anything other than rimfire is not serious about his shooting.
OK I reload... 9mm is still cheaper to reload than .45acp! What's your point?

I also don't see how .45 is somehow more mucho than 9mm...:confused: just because the bullet is bigger? So what 9mm is WAY faster...I don't feel that much difference between 9mm .40 and .45 when shooting; to me it depends more on a load itself... I also have (and reload for) a .44mag that has have more power and recoil than 9mm and .45 combined so to me there's nothing manly about .45acp....
 
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Are you trying to say that the FBI agents in the US aren't manly because they couldn't handle the 10mm? :eek:

mrharley, have you ever fired a bunch of hot 10mms? If so, you will know the reason the FBI dropped the 10mm in favour of the 40 S&W. Did the FBI make the right choice? Not to me, I am sure the 45acp is a softer shooting round than either of these. Lastly, if you want a manly cartridge try a 357Sig out of a subcompact Glock. Regards, Richard:D
 
OK I reload... 9mm is still cheaper to reload than .45acp! What's your point?

The point is that until you have found the perfect load you can not get the best out of your gun. If you can not be bothered about getting the perfect load they you can't be bothered about getting the best out of your gun. If you can not be bothered about getting the best out of your gun you can not be serious about shooting.

9mm may be cheaper to reload but the difference is peanuts, especially so if you cast your own.

I also don't see how .45 is somehow more mucho than 9mm...:confused: just because the bullet is bigger? So what 9mm is WAY faster...I don't feel that much difference between 9mm .40 and .45 when shooting; to me it depends more on a load itself... I also have (and reload for) a .44mag that has have more power and recoil than 9mm and .45 combined so to me there's nothing manly about .45acp....

The only person that has mentioned "mucho"is you.

I think you are missing the point completely, the thread is about the benefit of 9mm 1911's over .45 1911's.
 
Are you trying to say that the FBI agents in the US aren't manly because they couldn't handle the 10mm? :eek:
Ever heard of affirmitive action? They've got quite a few women working at the FBI these days. Hence, the need for a more "womanly" caliber :D
 
I'm not trying to stir up anything. The thread is not simply a 9mm vs .45 debate, it is specifically about why anyone should prefer a castrated 1911 over the genuine thing.
The only sensible reason that I have been given so far is that 9mm is cheaper for non reloaders than .45acp. I think that anyone who does not reload for anything other than rimfire is not serious about his shooting.
Thanks for reminding me that I'm not serious about shooting. I'll make sure to keep that in mind next time I head out to the range.

If 9mm is castrated compared to .45, then .45 is castrated compared to 10mm. To turn your logic against you, why would anyone want a 1911 in an outdated 100 year old subsonic caliber when you can have it in a much more modern, far more powerful 10mm load?
 
"I guess I must be missing something, but I can't for the life of me understand why anyone should want a 9mm 1911. I admit being fairly new to pistols and have only shot a couple of 9mm's, but to my mind the 9mm is nothing compared to the 45acp. Surely owning a 9mm 1911 must be like owning a pit bull without balls. What's the attraction ?"

Come back and discuss this when you have shot pistols a little more. You are just looking for a fight with your ignorant rant.
Most serious shooters recognize different calibres have pros and cons, but rarely voice this kind of rhetoric.
Many love the .357 magnum, but practice with .38 specials. A pitbull without balls?
 
10 mm

mrharley, have you ever fired a bunch of hot 10mms? If so, you will know the reason the FBI dropped the 10mm in favour of the 40 S&W. Did the FBI make the right choice? Not to me, I am sure the 45acp is a softer shooting round than either of these. Lastly, if you want a manly cartridge try a 357Sig out of a subcompact Glock. Regards, Richard:D


In regards to your question, yes! Ihave fired a big bunch of hot 10 mm loads, of course that was back in the 80's, I had purchased a new Stainless Colt Delta Elite, I made the mistake of selling it a few years later and have regretted it ever since, that and 2 Detonics Scoremasters', 1 in .451 Detonics Magnum and 1 in 45 ACP. So in answer to your question, I still can't see why the FBI dropped the calber, they don't reload.

Regards, Mike aka mrharley;)
 
Kitchen

Ever heard of affirmitive action? They've got quite a few women working at the FBI these days. Hence, the need for a more "womanly" caliber :D


It all boils down to the old adage " If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Just because women are entering a male dominated occupation shouldn't mean that the men should downsize their weapons to accommadate the women, the criminals will shoot you regardless, male or female, and I for one think that if you practice a lot with your guns that you will become very good with them.
 
Not only is it cheap to shoot but you're shooting a 9mm in a frame designed to take the beating of a .45. Even with +p+ 9mm rounds the gun will last longer.
Do you have data to back this up? :confused:


"I think that anyone who does not reload for anything other than rimfire is not serious about his shooting."

My apologies! Didn't I read somewhere that the .45acp would not penetrate modern Kevlar helmets, but the 9mm would?
:confused: And helmet penetration is important to us because? Both 9mm and 45 ACP go through paper just the same. Helmet penetration has never been one of my concerns when buying a gun... :eek:


OK I reload... 9mm is still cheaper to reload than .45acp! What's your point?

I also don't see how .45 is somehow more mucho than 9mm...:confused: just because the bullet is bigger? So what 9mm is WAY faster...
What's your point? :p

The velocity difference hardly makes a difference to point of aim at most handgun shooting ranges.

The difference in reloading costs is small if you pick up all your brass. 45 ACP brass does cost more than 9mm if you have to buy some, new or used. The difference in powder is VERY minimal so the real difference is the price of the bullets. Some reloaders will prefer to use jacketed 9mm bullets because of the higher velocity and to reduce barrel leading. I've never had a problem with barrel leading in my 45s with lead bullets.

One reason I like the 45 ACP in a 1911 is the much BIGGER HOLES! :p You can see the holes from a distance much easier than 9mm and that can make a difference in a competition.


Fudd
 
" And helmet penetration is important to us because? Both 9mm and 45 ACP go through paper just the same. Helmet penetration has never been one of my concerns when buying a gun..."

Then you're not a serious shooter!:p
 
If a 9mm will penetrate a kevlar helmet while a 7.62x39 will not, it must be on steroids!
As for higher mag capacity, you will NEED all those extra rounds. That has been proven in Iraq.
I shoot both 9mm Hi Powers and have several .45's. Its one thing to shoot at paper targets and quite another to shoot at someone whose only goal is to cause grevious bodily harm to you before he falls down.
As mentioned, its shot placement that counts, not magazine capacity.
And I find it quite easy to reload .45ACP.
While there are certainly nastier 9mm bullets the same goes for .45 bullets
HOWEVER the military uses FMJ, and in that case, bigger is better.

However that's only my opnion which is worth no more than anyone eles's
 
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