Shooting 45acp+P a lot a problem?

[Oldjarhead]

I own two 1911s. An aluminum frame, steel slide Kimber Ultra Covert, and an all stainless steel Colt 1991A1 Commander. I have only shot regular .45acp. My question is this. Is shooting a lot of 45acp+P ammo hard on the gun? Excessive wear, etc. Thanks.

[rodwhaincamo]

Best advice would be to contact the manufacturer and ask them.

[Oldjarhead]

No offense rodwhaincamo, but I already know what a manufacturer will say, since they want to sell more ammo. They will say "No problem" whether true or not. I was looking for an answer from actual people that has used +P .45apc on a regular basis in their 1911s. After all that is what this forum is all about. Getting information from shooters like me.

[espnazi]

I think he meant for you to call Colt or Kimber.

[LarryFlew]

My vote would be gun mfg. My opinion would be that you might wear out springs faster but otherwise would be fine. Also of the opinion that regular 45 has enough power to get the job done without more over penatration questions.

[Auto426]

.45 ACP+p isn't that much more powerful than standard .45 ACP ammo. If you plan on shooting a lot of it, switch to a slightly heavier recoil spring. Standard weight for a 1911 is 16 lbs, so go up to an 18 lb or higher.

[shortwave]

IMO, the higher the pressure, the harder it is on the gun. I've always compared shooting high pressure loads to running an engine at a higher rpm than normal. Metal fatigue will come into play sooner or later but its hard to pinpont when that will be.

Would also be my opinion that softer alloy framed pistols would feel the affects of +p ammo faster than steel frames.

[cougar gt-e]

Ever hit your thumb with a small hammer? How about with a big hammer (+P)? Which one hurt worse?

[orionengnr]

IIRC, a .45acp +p in 185gr is +10%.
A .45 acp+p in 230 gr is +6%.

Ah, here it is. Take a look at the chart in this post:
http://www.realguns.com/archives/020.htm

So... your 12-oz hammer becomes either a 13.2 oz hammer or a 12.7 oz hammer. I seriously doubt you would be able to tell the difference.

Switching back to .45s, I can't see that being a major problem.

I shoot +p 230 gr in all my short-barreled .45s. I figure that the +p makes up for the short barrel. I don't own a chrono, but the difference in recoil between the standard load and the +p is noticeable. And if you understand Newton's Third Law, that is self-evident...

[martygrant]

What shortwave said.

[Trigger Finger]

I have shot thousands of rounds of 45+P through my 4506 with absolutely no problems. Works great. And if I had a choice I would always carry +P for S/D.
A little extra power never hurt and could only help if you can shoot it just as good as non +P!!!

[HappyHunting]

Buffalo bore recommends you pop in a wolf spring with some more umphh to it of you're going to be shooting too many 155 gr +Ps. I would like to see what that can do to a hog's shoulders.

HH

[WC145]

I'd say that the cost of shooting "a lot" of +P ammo would be the biggest deterent, and there's not a lot of gain for the expense. I use +P for carry ammo but practice with less expensive standard pressure. In fact, I can't think of an argument that justifies shooting "a lot" of +P.

That being said, a call to the gun maker will tell you what they think and heavier recoil springs will ease the wear on the guns.

[johnbt]

But doesn't a heavier recoil spring make the slide slam shut on the frame faster & harder? Everything is a trade-off.

John

[Brian48]

I assume you're referring to guns with all steel frames and not the ones made out of light weight aluminum. If the 1911 platform can take the pounding of the 10mm, it can certainly take whatever you feed it in .45ACP. Just use a slightly heavier recoil spring. You may also consider shock buffs for practice, but I would avoid using them for carry or self defense.

[bamaranger]

I saw a SIG P220 w/ a broken locking insert. It was a very early issue pistol.

I was once told that most of the early P220's went to the Alaska parks. The same hearsay story alleged that +P .45 ammo was commonly used in them.

[KyJim]

I carry an aluminum framed Sig 1911 quite a bit. I only occasionally shoot +P ammo (my carry ammo) and have not noticed a problem. For range use ONLY, I would consider using shok buffs.

[Eghad]

As Happy Hunting said a call to the ammo maker might be helpful. The folks at Buffalo Bore have always been helpful.

[SHAMUSPI]

Also, keep in mind the 1911 was chambered very early on for the 38 Super, which develops pressures far above the +P 45. I agree with most here not to use an alloy framed pistol (except for the S&W scandium alloy). I shoot only 45 Supers out of my Smiths, with the factory standard recoil spring, but added Sprinco's recoil reducer rods. Look them up on the web and read what they say. ;)

[Trigger Finger]

I shoot allot of 45+P also and all I did was put in a stronger recoil spring and a buffer. I thought about getting a sprinco system but I did not think the price was worth it. I would just as soon spend that much money on ammo!

[michael t]

I shoot +p 230 gr in all my short-barreled .45s. I figure that the +p makes up for the short barrel. I don't own a chrono, but the difference in recoil between the standard load and the +p is noticeable. And if you understand Newton's Third Law, that is self-evident...

I shoot Corbon 185gr +P in my compacts its my carry load
In my LTW Commander and my American Classic I shoot and carry Corbon 200 gr+P .

Might wear out springs a little sooner and empty pocket book a little faster buying the +P

[SHAMUSPI]

Trigger Finger: For just shooting +P rounds, your setup is fine, and a Sprinco system would be unnecessary. But remember, I shoot 45 Super.:D

[joe4570]

Just a personal opinion - I think orionengnr's comments are on target. It is Newton's Third Law of action and reaction that detemines slide velocity and the energy the gun has to absorb, not pressure. In fact, a 1911 design has to be at zero pressure before it will unlock (or at least it should). So the answer to "Does a +P load accelerate wear and tear over non +P load" really depends on the which +P load and which non +P load, as increased force is proportional to kinetic energy, or recoil generated by the round.

It is almost impossible to assign a static spring rate for any given cartridge to apply to all guns because slide weight by material and type and individual gun fit friction vary. Where slide resistance varies, recoil spring resistance must vary also. When I set up my own guns I use Wolff's suggestion for checking for proper spring rates - ejected cases should hit the ground 3 - 6 feet from the gun. Less requires a lighter spring, more a heavier spring.

Anytime ammunition that outputs higher kinetic energy is used, wear and tear on a gun is accelerated, however, in this case the effect is negligible... assuming the gun was correctly sprung in the first place.

[Trigger Finger]

"Just a personal opinion - I think orionengnr's comments are on target. It is Newton's Third Law of action and reaction that detemines slide velocity and the energy the gun has to absorb, not pressure. In fact, a 1911 design has to be at zero pressure before it will unlock (or at least it should). So the answer to "Does a +P load accelerate wear and tear over non +P load" really depends on the which +P load and which non +P load, as increased force is proportional to kinetic energy, or recoil generated by the round."

I think you are over complicating this!!! Hotter loads increase wear. It's that simple.
Next you'll be adding in the time of day you shoot, outside temperature and weather or not you are shooting with a hangover!!:)

[KyJim]

Bottom line on this is that you should be able to shoot tens of thousands of rounds (or more) of +p ammo before wearing out an alloy 1911. By the time you shoot that much ammo, you could have paid for a new pistol several times over.

I personally don't shoot a lot of +p ammo in my 1911s because it's expensive and, in all but short barrreled guns, is unnecessary.