9mm 1911 experiences wanted...

[CAR]

After 40+ years of shooting only Colt 1911s in .45 Auto, last month I purchased a Colt Combat Unit in 9mm mostly after listening to Ken Hackathorn's reasoning on the capability of a 1911 shooting modern 9mm loads.

After limited shooting, I must say I agree. The 1911 in 9mm is a great pistol. Mine has been 100% reliable so far, even with bulk Federal 115 gr. and the shooting characteristics of a 1911 chambered in 9mm are very nice.

The improvements in 9mm bullet design and loading makes the old .45 vs. 9mm debate pretty much a moot point these days.

[CFII]

Im glad your CCU in 9mm works well. Mine does as well, and I love it. It made me like shooting 1911s again so much I bought a Nighthawk in 9mm as well.

[CAR]

Ha! I spoke too soon. I was out shooting my 9mm Combat Unit over the weekend and I had 1 stovepipe. I was shooting Wal Mart Federal 115 gr. value pack (I keep a lot of the Federal 115 gr. on hand as it is a good load to use in my old WWII vintage 9mm surplus pistols).

I think the Combat Unit 9mm is sprung just a tad heavy for the light loads, but this pistol was not made for light loads, it is a combat pistol. I will shoot full power loads in it from now on.

[CFII]

I removed the factory double spring, and installed a Wolff 10lb recoil spring. I also added a touch of extractor tension as my ejection was right into my face sometimes. The gun shoots softer and runs like a top now (well, its always ran well).

[Tokarev]

Taurus is offering a 9mm Commander now. Might be an option for those on a tight budget and/or wanting more of a beater grade pistol.

I have owned a couple Taurus Government models over the years and have had good luck with them. They are a little rough with crude checkering but they seem to run. That's the main thing.

I assume the new Taurus would benefit from Tripp or Wilson mags just like the other 9mm 1911s on the market.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

[sidewaysil80]

Speaking only from the competition side of the house, my Dan Wesson PM-9 (not exaggerating) recoils like a .22 with my hand loads which are 147gr Blue Bullets/2.9-3.0gn Alliant Sport Pistol. I switched to a 9lb recoil spring but other than that the gun is factory.

From my experience and that of others, a 9mm 1911 needs a ramped barrel for reliability and spring weight is less forgiving compared to a .45 variant.

[Gunnar da Wolf]

I shot my Kimber Stainless II enough to be interested in 9mm 1911 pistols. Then found a 9mm Ruger SR1911 Lightweight Commander size pistol at a decent price at a LGS. It went home with me.

It had a 10# recoil spring and you could almost watch the slide cycle like a .gif on 1911’s. I only shoot 124gr ball or +P jhp ammo in a carry gun, so it got a 14# Wolfe spring. The sights were 6” high at 25 yards, so we went to Novak’s for a taller front sight with an orange ring around a tritium insert. Now it’s an inch high at 25 yards. And the rubberish grips were replaced with Magpul TSP grips that fit my hand better.

With @400 rounds thru it I’ve only had one malfunction. I let the slide hit the top of a window during an IDPA match. Otherwise it has been flawless. Bullets go where I aim them, empty brass lands at 4:00 @ 4 feet behind me (not in the center of my forehead like every .45 Commander I ever owned) and with a good belt and holster I forget I’m carrying the little gun.

The only drawback is I let my wife shoot it, I may need a second one...

[DD_USMC]

1911's in 9mm normally need more tuning than .45ACP to get them running just right, and a ramped barrel is in most builds these days. The 9mm issues are mostly magazines, ammo, and then extractor tuning/tension....normally in that order. They have the potential for stellar accuracy, and are soft shooting compared to 230 grain .45ACP hardball ammo.

[1986s4]

Ha! I spoke too soon. I was out shooting my 9mm Combat Unit over the weekend and I had 1 stovepipe. I was shooting Wal Mart Federal 115 gr. value pack (I keep a lot of the Federal 115 gr. on hand as it is a good load to use in my old WWII vintage 9mm surplus pistols).

I think the Combat Unit 9mm is sprung just a tad heavy for the light loads, but this pistol was not made for light loads, it is a combat pistol. I will shoot full power loads in it from now on.

In my great .38 super experiment I played with light springs with a light load and a heavier load, heavier springs and light loads and higher velocity loads. Light spring with a light load did recoil nicely but I ran into stoppages [failure to go into battery] once the gun got dirty, in my estimation not enough push from the spring to strip a round. Failure to extract fully also happened with the lighter loads when dirty with almost any spring weight. I concluded that for me the best combination for reliable function under all conditions was a 124/5 gr bullet @ around 1200 fps or greater. This with a #15 Wilson flatwire spring. I also started using a medium speed powder VV N340.

[gaijin]

1911's in 9mm normally need more tuning than .45ACP to get them running just right, and a ramped barrel is in most builds these days. The 9mm issues are mostly magazines, ammo, and then extractor tuning/tension....normally in that order. They have the potential for stellar accuracy, and are soft shooting compared to 230 grain .45ACP hardball ammo.

This is on the money.