Best ammo for 9MM 1911?

computergeek · Dec 28, 2002

I've been having a heck of a time finding ammo that my SA 9MM 1911 likes. So far, the reloads I bought at a local gun show ("MillWall") are a no go (all my other non-1911 9MMs have no problem with it). No dice with Wolf. With both the reload and Wolf, the cartridge appears to get stuck (like the case is too big)

. PMC 124 grain didn't feed out of the mag correctly all the time. The only ammo that worked without issue was American Eagle 115 grain. So with my indepth research

, it would appear American Eagle is the way to go. I'm just hoping there are other options out there.

photo_guy · Dec 28, 2002

It sounds like your SA1911 is somewhat finicky with ammo. I would look to see if something is not quite right with the barrel chamber and/or the mags. It may open up with use.

Most of my 9mm 1911 shooting is with a Colt series 70. It has almost no problems with feeding almost anything I run through it. My ammo selection has been based on performance(accuracy/precision) and price rather than reliability. I have found my 1911 really performs best with 124gr 9mm. Groups are much tighter than with any 115gr rounds I've tried.
Of course, 124gr rounds tend to be more difficult to find at a good (low) price. I have found Aguila 9mm 124gr to be a good match for performance and cost.

BTW - I have a new SA1911 in 9mm also. It likes the 124gr also but I haven't shot it enought to get a feel for reliability yet.

Kevin-64 · Dec 29, 2002

My Springfield is picky to, try Remington UMC and Winchester USA, they are fairly accurate and they are reliable in my gun.

Don45cal · Dec 29, 2002

MAI_0723 · Dec 29, 2002

computergeek -

My SA 9mm 1911 shoots "Miwall" reloaded 115 gr. and 124 gr. ammo just fine. My Glock 19 does not seem to like the Miwall reloads though (a few of FTEs). So, I have been considering the Miwall new NATO 9mm on my next bulk ammo purchase.

Otherwise I have had no problems with FMJ or HP ammo with the SA 9mm. So, photo_guy may be right about your particular SA and you might need to run a few more hundred rounds through. However, based on other threads on these forums it sounds like you might have an extractor tuning issue and magazine issues.

I feel very lucky that I have had almost no problems with my semi-auto pistols purchases. The only "problem" I can talk about is with my Glock 19 and I am pretty sure this is an ammo problem.

Good luck with your SA 9mm, I really love mine.

Mark in Torrance, CA

WESHOOT2 · Dec 30, 2002

FERRARI ON REGULAR

Start at the bottom of the price ladder, and work upward in price until you meet your desired performance level.

Or you might consider handloading, because it's cheap. Sounds like you want 'cheap'.

computergeek · Dec 31, 2002

My research continues. I used Winchester's white box ammo from WalMart. It worked perfectly (200 rounds). No breach or mag problems. Accuracy was great (for me) and the cost factor is on the good side.

lanyard_loop · Feb 14, 2003

Hello:

I have a thing for 9mm 1911s. I have been
playing with them since 1990. Cheap
ammunition, low recoil.

It is no secret that the 9mm can be a finicky
feeder in a government model because of the
short overall length of the cartridge. The
gun was designed to feed much longer
cartridges.

I changed the springs in all of my 9mm
magazines with the spacer in the back with
Wolf extra power springs which helped feeding
immensely.

The magazines with the spacer in the back are
only reliable with 115gr FMJ ammo in my guns.
I tried one of the new modified Springfield
9mm magazines with the crimp in the front.
These are the new ones modified by and
available only through the Springfield custom
shop at this time (the older ones with the
front crimp gave some people problems). With
the new magazine, 124gr bullets now work
fine. I haven't tried any hollow points in my
9mm 1911s because I use .45s for self
defense.

By the way, to get the gun to lock back 100%
of the time, I use an 11.0lb recoil spring.

Stainless.

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