Using cheaper ammo for defense purposes?

[ap3572001]

in case of a 1911 ( I have been playing with 1911's for about 30 years now , from basic Colt to Custom Swenson's and Novak's )
I can tell You that no matter what You do to a 1911 , it will still work much better with quality ball ammo.

I would have no problem wo carry a 1911 with some good 230FMJ rounds.

[Lead Waster]

I would think that the number one priority of any gun is reliability. You can have a katana loaded in your gun, or a gun that shoots dogs that shoot bees from they mouths... It doesn't matter if the projectile doesn't leave the barrel!!

So for ME I'd stick to fmj.

If the shot can't get through a jacket, then I'll aim for something else. Also most people are not so determined to kill you that they won't leave when being shot at!! Crooks might fight to the death when cops have them cornered but most home invaders probably are looking for quick cash and not a glorious death.

[sholling]

As some may know, i just recently purchased a 1911 in .45 and I am looking for a moderately priced and readily available option for stocking up on some defense ammo for it. I know 1911's (especially cheaper models like mine) dont eat hollow points very well and im more interested in the penetration characteristics of FMJs anyways. I came across a good deal on some PMC Bronze .45 FMJs in 230 grain ($23 a box of 50 and i bought 3 boxes) and was wondering what some of you think about using it as a solid option for defense should the need ever arise. Im not big on spending $1+ per round for defense mostly because I want to train at the range with loads similar to what I plan to keep the gun loaded up with at home, and Hydrashoks and other high end defense loads make doing so pretty costly (not to mention the +P loads introduce metal fatigue sooner)

So what do you guys think? Will the 800+ FPS 230 gr. PMC Bronze FMJs stop an assailant through several layers of leather/denim or whatever else?

Having a case of FMJ for the practice and zombie apocalypse is fine idea but it wouldn't be my 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd choice for home defense. First a 45ACP FMJ will penetrate as much as 26" of flesh or about 2 to 2-1/2 people while making a hole much smaller than that of a 9mm JHP. In other words there is an extreme over penetration hazard. On the other hand a round like Federal's HST 230gr JHP will open up to .8-1.1" and penetrate a more controlled 11-13". This isn't 1980 and if your 1911 won't feed JHP reliably there is something wrong with it - get the manufacturer to fix it. I have four and they all feed JHP reliably.

http://shootingmessengers.blogspot.com/2006/05/wound-ballistic-workshop.html

Second, if you're shooting another human being it's because your life is in extreme danger and betting your life on a round just because it's cheap is beyond foolish. Pick a known good premium JHP from Doc Robert's list and shoot a box to prove reliability in your handgun and then once you know it feeds buy one more and keep 2-3 premium quality mags loaded with it. I recommend Federal LE HST, Winchester Ranger-T LE 230gr JHP, or Speer LE Gold Dot. They're out of 230gr right now but Ammunition-To-Go is usually a great source for discounted super premium ammo.

[tbc]

As long as it goes bang, you are good to go.

[Sam]

Second, if you're shooting another human being it's because your life is in extreme danger and betting your life on a round just because it's cheap is beyond foolish.

I will never understand the mentality behind why people select cheap ball ammunition for self defense purposes. I will flush all the money I have down the toilet if it means I will have survived a defensive handgun use. If a person doesn't have the money to use adequate, modern self defense rounds then they should find the money. I apologize if I ruffle anyone's feathers here but if a person has made the decision to buy a gun for self defense then they should buy the ammo suited for self defense. Why not give yourself all of the possible advantages when you will need it the most?

[Red Devil]

Well...

Federal .45 caliber HST


And, if you promise not to tell everyone where you got it?

FEDERAL PREMIUM TACTICAL HST 230grn 45ACP (P45HST2) - 50 ROUNDS


45 ACP Federal HST 230 gr Ammo Gel Test

Beware the Tarantula...

Hollow points don't feed well in 1911s though, and even less so in lower end models. Our so I've read. I want good cheap ammo. As one member stated, better to have 1000 decent rounds than 300 luxury rounds. Just want some "decent" ball ammo

Again... Shhhhh.

CCI BLAZER 45 230GR TMJ (3570) - 50 ROUNDS

[Pistolgrip Pump]

I will never understand the mentality behind why people select cheap ball ammunition for self defense purposes. I will flush all the money I have down the toilet if it means I will have survived a defensive handgun use. If a person doesn't have the money to use adequate, modern self defense rounds then they should find the money. I apologize if I ruffle anyone's feathers here but if a person has made the decision to buy a gun for self defense then they should buy the ammo suited for self defense. Why not give yourself all of the possible advantages when you will need it the most?

This is the best advice you can have. A burglar is much more likely to break into your house than a SHTF scenario so why not prepare for that?

[Old4eyes]

When a newbie asks me what gun to buy and mentions a tight budget, I inform them the gun will eventually be cheap in the total ownership.

If your envisioned self defense scenario figures that over penetration is never an issue, then the reliable hardball has merit. But one also must remember that self defense ammo is often designed with a lower muzzle flash. Considering that most things that go bump do it in the dark, the lower muzzle flash is a significant consideration.

I am fortunate that my budget does allow me to practice with self defense ammo. Not everyone has that luxury and for those that can't, they should recognize the potential pitfalls.

[evidens83]

Which cheaper 1911 do you have? My cheap RIA Tactical eats FMJ and JHP all day. Not one FTF/FTE to date.

[Haplo]

Whatever you intend to use as self defense ammo, make sure you put at least 250 rounds through the firearm to make sure it works flawlessly. I think the cheaper stuff will stop a bad guy, but check out something like box o truth to be sure.

[HOGLEG]

I run these in my Glock and Colt.

Lucky Gunner has these and others in stock.

The price isn't that ridiculous for being in stock and available,

Good self defense hollow points.

http://www.luckygunner.com/45-acp-185-gr-jhp-federal-hi-shok-classic-50-rounds

http://www.luckygunner.com/45-acp-230-gr-jhp-hst-federal-law-enforcement-50-rounds

Ball ammo

http://www.luckygunner.com/45-acp-230-gr-mc-remington-umc-500-rounds#videogallery

[jcaoloveshine]

Wow, the UMC Remington JHP 230gr 45acp seems to perform well.

I'll have to check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URgHHiwv4-Y

[sholling]

Wow, the UMC Remington JHP 230gr 45acp seems to perform well.

I'll have to check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URgHHiwv4-Y

I would say it's much better than FMJ but not something I'd choose for a self defense round. First 17" is too much penetration and you're only getting that much penetration because it's not expanding all that far (44%). You're looking for 11-15" to reach the deepest organs while minimizing the threat downrange. Second if you compare it to the HST video .652" vs .892" (97% expansion) after expansion you can see which will do more damage. It's better than FMJ but my life is worth the price of premium ammunition.

[Slugz]

Well...

Federal .45 caliber HST


And, if you promise not to tell everyone where you got it?

FEDERAL PREMIUM TACTICAL HST 230grn 45ACP (P45HST2) - 50 ROUNDS


45 ACP Federal HST 230 gr Ammo Gel Test

Beware the Tarantula...




Again... Shhhhh.

CCI BLAZER 45 230GR TMJ (3570) - 50 ROUNDS

Very interesting. Range anno that mimics shape and ballistics to defense HPs. Too bad i can't get it locally. My outings are usually spur of the moment =( but would be worth picking up a few boxes online to test my particular pistols eating habits with JHPs. Thank you for the info =)

To everyone else, thank you ask for your insight and i will be looking for a reliable home defense option too store in a few mags bedside. Though, my mossberg really is my #1 choice for intruders, it can't hurt to have a nice backup. In also pleased to hear that so many are comfortable with FMJs as a reliable backup because i do want to have a ton of those for SHTF scenarios and even if i rack up enough defense loads in the future i can always go back to them for target ammo. I like multi purpose stuff lol =) thank you all!

[0150r]

I want to have thousands of rounds at my disposal should the sh*t hit the fan

How many people do you think you're going to have to shoot?