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My EDC is a 1911, either a CCO, Commander, or Government model, in .45 ACP. I use 230gr HST HP ammo. It feeds and shoots reliably in all of my carry guns. If I encountered a situation where HP ammo did not reliably feed in any of my guns, I would switch guns, not ammo.

If a .45" wound is good, an expanded 3/4" or more wound is even better.

Good to have...yes. Necessary...not in .45.

Handgun calibers are marginal. Why handicap yourself with FMJ?

Personally like the Speer 230gr JHP which is my .45 EDC. You get the weight of the ball ammo yet the pluses of the JHP which should penetrate well enough and the extra weight and expansion. Real key as far as I am concerned is what feeds best in your particular gun. My Shield .45 eats the Speer 230gr JHP just fine (and everything else I have fed it), as does my Rock Island Tactical Officer's Model and my original USGI 1911. My Colt Series 70 is not happy with anything but 230 RN. See what your gun likes and that you shoot accurately with.

Hollow points ALWAYS........unless you're willing to accept the consequences of over-penetration.

Pawpaw wrote:If a .45" wound is good, an expanded 3/4" or more wound is even better.

So the TV ad is correct, "more is better!"

If you carry ball ammo, carry good ball ammo. Winchester white box ammo is fine for practice, for example, but I've experienced two failures to return to battery from 9 MM cases that were too long.

I'd say JHP is a better choice than ball, but either one will leave a mark.

The Annoyed Man wrote:Hollow points ALWAYS........unless you're willing to accept the consequences of over-penetration.

TAM, as usual, is correct. Even if an expanded hollow point did over penetrate it would likely not have enough energy to do serious harm to a bystander. FMJs on the other hand would maintain enough energy to seriously injure or kill a bystander.

Here's a pretty quick discussion about it. Shooting The Bull

There are reasons why a hollow point may not expand but there is no reason for a FMJ to expand.

Hollow points.

AF-Odin wrote:Personally like the Speer 230gr JHP which is my .45 EDC. You get the weight of the ball ammo yet the pluses of the JHP which should penetrate well enough and the extra weight and expansion. Real key as far as I am concerned is what feeds best in your particular gun. My Shield .45 eats the Speer 230gr JHP just fine (and everything else I have fed it), as does my Rock Island Tactical Officer's Model and my original USGI 1911. My Colt Series 70 is not happy with anything but 230 RN. See what your gun likes and that you shoot accurately with.

And the addendum to that is: don't carry it if it won't feed JHP. Remember....... an early example 1911 that won't feed JHP (although my 1943 Ithaca feeds it just fine) is understandable. The platform was designed to shoot military ammo of the era, which for several reasons was restricted to ball, and getting one to feed hollow points reliably sometimes used to involve some gunsmithing. But JHP is regarded in the modern era as the primary choice for self defense ammo. The reasons for JHP's superiority as an SD choice over ball make up a pretty long list. All modern SD pistols are designed to be able to cycle JHP reliably........such that, if a pistol WON'T cycle it, then it isn't really to be considered as a SD pistol. In fact, it is probably safe to say that if your modern pistol has trouble with Brand X JHP, it will probably cycle Brand Y, Z, A, B, C, etc., just fine; so it is merely a matter of finding the JHP ammo that suits your gun. But most modern pistols - 1911s included - simply aren't that finicky.

And even if, by some weirdness, your JHP fails the penetrate heavy outdoor clothing, remember what someone's skin and ribs look like after they've been shot while wearing body armor. They're going to feel like someone wailed on them with a tire iron. It bloody hurts. A LOT. So the trade off of carrying ball only because of the small possibility that the bad guy has on such heavy clothing just isn't a good enough reason to not use JHP. There are JHP bullets designed to penetrate heavy clothing and still expand reliably. If your pistol won't feed JHP, then it's not a self defense pistol......it's a "fun day at the range" pistol, but I wouldn't stake my life on it. After all, if it is so finicky that it won't feed JHP, then is it so finicky that it will choke on some brands of hardball loads too?

In Texas, as in the contiguous lower 48 states (I can't speak to Alaskan winters), there is literally no good reason to carry anything except JHP...... and conversely, there are plenty of good reasons why ball ammo is not the best choice. Again, if your gun won't feed any kind of JHP, then it is a very poor choice as a SD pistol. Shoot ball if that's all you've got, but don't choose to carry ball because your gun has difficulty cycling anything else. If that's' the case, either get another gun that will, or do your homework and find the JHP that will cycle in your gun.

Just my opinion.

My EDC
Primary=
Glock 30-S (Slim frame like the 9mm Glocks, Slim Slide like the Single Stack Glockl 36 .45) .. doublestack Glock 21 Mag with +2 Baseplate from PearceGrip and XGrip Mag spacer
so ...
16 rounds of .45 (15 in Mag +1 chambered)using either:
Hornady Critical Defense 185 GR FTX
or
HPR 150 GR OTF "BlackOps" HyPeRClean
(I OWN aStainless XD.45 that carries 15+1 using the 13 rd mag +2 pearcegrip base plate, but the Glock seems to weigh less, so the XD is a safe Queen now))

Backup=
Glock 26 9mm with 14 to 21 rounds of Critical Defense in Winter, Gold Dots in Summer
1 chambered (usually in pocket holster with 14 to 16 rounds)
+ using +3 PearceGrip baseplates (10 +3; or 15 [Glock 19 mag] or 18 [Glock 19 mag +3]
or if wearing it on belt, 21 rounds of 9mm (Glock 17 mag +3 + 1 chambered)

Unless I'm going to a 30.07 + 30.06 posted location, where I just carry my concealed rifle, pepper sprays, Kimber Pepper Blasters, couple knives and hickory cane ( I might have something else that's legal, but i believe in "Never show your hole card" .... but the handguns stay in the car or at home at those locations.

I've been thinking about buying a lithium battery powered chainsaw for "no firearms per 30.05+30.06+30.07 posted" locations

Hollowpoints vs ball
Seems to me the profile of the bullet might matter sometimes, I've had no problems with the rounder Critical Defense rounds, but some sharp HP jackets even in 9mm hung or were finicky in some other pistols of mine... but of course Glocks shoot anything so ...

Anyone use Powerball?

G26ster wrote:Anyone use Powerball?

Curious, but never tried it because it seemed too pricey to me.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

G26ster wrote:Anyone use Powerball?

Curious, but never tried it because it seemed too pricey to me.

Cabela's 9mm Powerball $16.99 box of 20 - .45 ACP $20.99 box of 20. Seems in line with all other defensive ammo. I usually order from Able Ammo, but they are out of stock in 9mm as are most others. Wonder why? Sell too much, sell to little, factory behind, who knows?

Thanks for all the input I have read all the posts.

I have an assortment of ball ammo that I have been using for range practice.

My current HP holdings consist of: - Federal 165gr JHP and Monarch 185gr JHP.

I hold more of the Monarch at the moment, though the few filled mags have the Federal in them so I guess that it what I will be carrying until I buy something else.