Getting into 1911's / Need .45ACP advice and load setup

[barsik]

Some gold cups will have a target weight recoil spring, so could cause damage with major loads. If slide racks easily, u may have lite spring. Unless you're into ipsc or odpl, no need for heavy loads with 230 gn. Semi wad 190-200gn work fine.

go to the Brownells website and enter Wilson Shok-Buff. these things are a great addition to any 1911 pistol, they absorb the shock of the slide coming back to hammer the frame. you could also order a full length guide rod at the same time for around 40 bucks USD.

 

[Dfbshaw]

5.0 grains of Reddot under a 230gr campro works for me. Try a bunch powders and charge weights to see what your pistol likes.
Btw ive dealt with Fast Toys Performance before for reloading supplies...great business to deal with.

 

[gwesson]

3.2gr VV N310 under a 230gr DRG LTC for ~610 fps; a light, accurate load. I load all my .45 light as I have a spare cylinder for my Webley Mk. VI, and I don't want any +P finding its way into the cylinder and blowing it up. I initially used Trail Boss - NO chance of double-charging with Trail Boss, the stuff is HUGE - but very dirty. I've used N320 and Unique - same; dirty. I have a couple'a pounds of WW 231 I'm giving away at the club, the 9mm'ers all love it but I can't STAND the smoke 'n smell of the stuff. I've used that powder load with 200gr's - didn't feed all that well in a semi - and my favourite .45 bullet, a 255 Lyman SWC; but you only get 28 of the 255's out of a pound of lead The 230's punch a decent-enough hole in paper, and feed well through the 14-lb recoil spring in "HER" SR1911. In general, .45 is a lot less fussy to reload than 9mm - just don't do what a buddy did and roll-crimp them!