I rarely concealed carry my 1911; it’s still typically close by and is my home defense pistol.
I still argue shotguns are the better home defense weapon due to the lower chance of over-penetration.
However, if the need arises, I won’t hesitate to use my 1911 to protect my family and myself.
So recently, I tested the best ammo for 1911 45 ACP to determine the most accurate, reliable, and reasonably priced 1911 45 ammo.
Below you’ll find my conclusions so that you can make the best decision on your next m1911 ammo purchase.
Recommended Ammo for 1911 .45 ACP
- Hornady Critical Defense 45 ACP 185 Grain FTX JHP – Best Overall
- Federal Hydra-Shok Deep 45 ACP 210-grain JHP – Honorable Mention
- Speer Gold Dot 45 ACP 185 Grain JHP – Best Defense
- Federal HST 45 ACP +P 230 Grain JHP – Honorable Mention
- Prvi Partizan 45 ACP 185 Grain JHP – Best Plinking Ammo
- Fiocchi 45 ACP 200-grain JHP – Honorable Mention
Best Ammo for 1911 45 ACP Overall
Hornady Critical Defense 45 ACP 185 Grain FTX JHP
Specs
- Casing: Brass
- Bullet Type: Jacketed Hollow Point
- Bullet Weight: 185-grain
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,000 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 411 ft-lbs
Pros
- Excellent ballistics
- Trusted brand
- Reloadable
- Accurate
Cons
- Expensive
Why We Chose It
Hornady Critical Defense is one of the most trusted self-defense rounds. These are the brass-cased rounds that I trust in my 1911.
The jacketed hollow point has a polymer tip, which helps with accuracy and expansion to lower over-penetration.
If you think a 185gr bullet is too light, you can try the Hornady Custom 45 ACP + P ammo 230 Grain JHP. This self-defense ammo doesn’t have the polymer tip, but it’s loaded a little hotter to help propel the 230-grain bullet.
Personally, I like the 185gr bullet because it has a little less recoil but plenty of stopping power to stop a threat.
Even though it’s expensive, the ballistics and reliability are well worth the extra money. If you practice with this ammo, you’ll be able to reload the brass to get your money’s worth out of this ammo.
Honorable Mentions
If you find that your 1911 handgun malfunctions less when using Winchester ammo, I recommend buying Winchester USA Ready Defense 45 ACP 200-grain JHP or Winchester Ranger T if you’re in law enforcement.
I like the Ready Defense rounds because they’re a good compromise on bullet weight, recoil, and stopping power.
They’re designed specifically for defense, while the Ranger T ammo is designed with law enforcement in mind.
Federal Hydra-Shok Deep 45 ACP 210-grain JHP is a little less expensive than Hornady Critical Defense and has a heavier bullet.
The heavier bullet means it has a slower muzzle velocity but more muzzle energy, so it’s a harder-hitting round.
Federal Hydra-Shok is nickel-plated brass, which is smoother than brass, so it will help reduce malfunctions if you’re having problems with empty casings getting stuck.
For a budget-friendly option, check out Black Hills Ammunition 45 ACP 230 Grain JHP. The heavier bullet does lower the ballistics of this round. However, the threat you’re stopping won’t notice the difference.
Best 45 ACP Defense Ammo for 1911
Speer Gold Dot 45 ACP 185 Grain JHP
Specs
- Casing: Nickel-Plated Brass
- Bullet Type: Jacketed Hollow Point
- Bullet Weight: 185gr
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,050 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 453 ft-lbs
Pros
- Trusted by many shooters
- Designed for personal defense
- Excellent ballistics
Cons
- Expensive
Why We Chose It
Speer Gold Dot 185gr JHP 45 ACP easily made my list of best 45 ACP Hollow Points, so it’s no surprise I’m ranking it high on my list of 1911 45 ACP ammo.
Many concealed carriers brag on these rounds for their reliability and accuracy.
The ballistics are nothing to ignore, but remember that this is a 185gr bullet, one of the lighter 45 ACP self-defense bullets.
If you’re feeling more macho, try the Speer Gold Dot 45 ACP 230 Grain JHP. The ballistics are a little lower, but you get the added benefits of the heavier bullet. Not to mention bragging rights that you can handle the more significant recoil.
Because these rounds are designed for personal defense, many law enforcement officers use them as their everyday carry ammo.
Honorable Mentions
The Remington Golden Saber Bonded 45 ACP 230 Grain BJHP uses newer technology in the bullet design, which means it’s a little more expensive.
However, you might find the nickel-plated brass cycles better in your Remington 1911 and is more accurate because the bullets jacket is chemically bonded to the lead core.
Federal Premium Law Enforcement HST 45 ACP +P 230 Grain JHP isn’t for the faint of heart. The +P means it’s loaded hotter than typical factory ammo, so it’ll have more recoil.
The heavier bullet and hotter load mean it’s also more powerful than other 45 ACP rounds that don’t have as much powder in the case.
Despite being premium ammo, it’s less expensive than other +P 45 ACP ammo.
The Underwood 45 ACP +P 230-grain JHP rounds have a high muzzle velocity and tremendous muzzle energy at a similar price to other defensive ammo.
This is partly due to the increase in powder, which translates to more recoil. Though the ballistics stand out compared to other +P ammo, it’s more expensive than Federal HST.
Best 1911 Pistol Ammo for Practice
Prvi Partizan 45 ACP 185 Grain JHP
Specs
- Casing: Brass
- Bullet Type: Jacketed Hollow Point
- Bullet Weight: 185gr
- Muzzle Velocity: 935 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 359 ft-lbs
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Practice with the same ammo you carry
- Solid ballistics
- Designed for self-defense
Cons
- Lesser known brand
Why We Chose It
Using the same ammo for target practice as you carry is best, but that can get expensive.
That’s not the case with Prvi Partizan 185gr JHP; these rounds are inexpensive and designed for personal defense.
They don’t offer the best ballistics, which is expected when you’re saving this much money, but if you’re ever forced to stop a threat with them, neither you nor the bad guy will notice the difference.
Prvi Partizan 45 ACP 230 Grain FMJ is slightly less expensive because they use full metal jacket bullets instead of the JHP bullets.
For target shooting, these are perfectly fine, but I wouldn’t carry FMJs. They tend to over-penetrate and have less stopping power because they don’t expand on impact, like a hollow point.
If you prefer well-known ammo brands, this isn’t the ammo for you; however, Prvi Partizan has an excellent reputation.
For the price, you can’t beat the Prvi Partizan 185gr JHP for practice and carry ammo.
Honorable Mentions
Federal American Eagle 45 ACP 230-grain FMJ is not the cheapest ammo on the market, but if you prefer to use an ammo brand with a household name, these are the rounds for you.
Shooters have trusted Federal American Eagle rounds for decades. I don’t see that changing anytime soon, especially when the full metal jacket bullet’s ballistics are comparable to the jacketed hollow point bullets.
Though Sellier & Bellot 45 ACP 230-grain JHP doesn’t have the ballistics as other high-end JHP ammo, it’s nearly half the price. So you’ll be able to practice and carry this ammo without breaking the bank.
The Speer Lawman 45 ACP 230-grain TMJ is designed to perform similarly to defense or law enforcement rounds without having the increased price of a JHP bullet.
I had to mention the Fiocchi 45 ACP 200-grain JHP because these are in the sweet spot of price point and bullet weight. They’re not too heavy, and they’re not too light.
How to Choose the best 45 ACP for 1911
Deciding which ammo is best for you is daunting, with many options and things to consider.
However, it doesn’t have to be when you narrow the considerations down to three of the most important; budget, reliability, and recoil.
Budget
Setting and staying within your budget is critical. It’s silly to buy ammo but not the essentials like food, water, and shelter.
At Ammo.com, we offer quality ammo in all budget ranges, so you’re sure to find the rounds that work for your situation.
Hollow point bullets are more expensive than full metal jacket bullets; however, hollow points are the better option for personal defense, so they’re worth stretching the budget a tad.
Reliability
This is the most crucial consideration, in my opinion. If you can’t trust the rounds to go off and not jam, don’t trust them with your life.
That’s why it’s critical to test multiple brands and bullet weights with your ammo. You’ll find that Colt 1911s shoot a specific brand and bullet weight better than other brands of ammo.
The same can be said for all brands of 1911s, whether it’s a Springfield, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, or Glock.
Find out which ammo is most reliable in your 1911 and stick with that ammo.
Recoil
Recoil should be considered because it drastically affects how accurately and quickly you can get a follow-up shot off, two significant things in a self-defense situation.
You can call me a wimp, but I prefer as little recoil as possible because I’m more accurate and can get back on target quicker with a lighter recoil round.
However, don’t go so light of a recoil that you’re drastically sacrificing knockdown power. There’s a happy medium to find; once again, test out several brands, bullet weights, and powder loads to determine which works best for you.
How to Save Money on 1911 Ammo
Ammo is expensive and will only get more costly as demand continues to increase.
There are a few ways to save money when buying ammo, but they typically require a more significant investment upfront.
Reload
Reloading is a skill worth having, and it doesn’t require a gunsmithing certificate. You can reuse your spent brass and save money on factory ammo.
Reloading takes time to figure out and dial in, but once you get everything set to how you like it, you can quickly pump out several hundred rounds in your spare time.
The upfront cost is substantial because you have to purchase reloading equipment and ammunition supplies.
The money you save depends on how fast you can crank out rounds.
Buy in Bulk
Buying bulk 45 ACP ammo is an excellent way to save money per round.
The more rounds you buy at once, the more money you save per round.
500 Rounds of Browning 45 ACP 230 Grain FMJ costs much less per round because the manufacturer offers better discounts when you purchase more rounds at a time.
That’s why many shooters buy bulk ammo instead of 20 or 50 rounds at a time.
Combine the Two
If you have the time and money, combining the two tips mentioned above is best.
When you buy bulk ammo, you get the bulk discount; then, you can reload the spent brass to increase your savings even more!
Buy Aluminum Casings
Buying steel or aluminum-cased ammo is another way to save money.
These casings are much harder to reload, so I don’t recommend trying to reload the spent casings, but rounds like Blazer 45 ACP 230 Grain FMJ are cheaper than other 45 ACP ammo because they use a more affordable metal for the case.
Common Bullets Used in 1911 45 ACP Ammo
Bullet selection is critical when choosing the best ammo for a 1911 45 ACP. The first step in selecting the best bullet is knowing what each one was designed for and understanding how that fits into your situation.
FMJ
The full metal jacket bullet was designed in the late 1800s for military rifles. It’s now primarily used for target practice.
It gets its name from the lead core encased by a harder metal (typically copper), which helps the bullet keep its shape and leave less residue in the barrel. However, the lead bullet is not entirely surrounded by the metal jacket.
They’re less than ideal for self-defense because they can easily penetrate multiple people since they don’t expand like a hollow point bullet. This means even if you hit the bad guy, you could accidentally strike an innocent bystander with the same bullet.
TMJ
The only difference between a total metal jacket and a full metal jacket is a total metal jacket completely encases the lead core.
TMJ bullets are safer at indoor shooting ranges because you don’t get the lead vaporization as with an FMJ.
JHP
A jacketed hollow point is what most concealed carriers use.
They have better stopping power and are less likely to over-penetrate than an FMJ or TMJ.
However, they’re more expensive and illegal in some places.
BJHP
A bonded jacketed hollow point is the same as a jacketed hollow point, except the jacket has been chemically bonded to the lead core.
This helps the bullet hold its shape during flight and evenly expand on impact.
SCHP
A solid copper hollow point is made from copper instead of lead. These bullets better hold their shape than lead hollow points during flight.
However, they don’t expand on impact as well because copper is a more rigid metal.
Parting Shots
While the 1911 is one of the greatest guns ever made, it’s nothing more than a paperweight without the best ammo for a 1911 45 ACP.
That’s why I buy Hornady Critical Defense 185 Grain FTX JHP for my 1911. It’s some of the best personal defense ammo on the market.
There’s no sense in putting your family or yourself at risk any longer; pick up a box or ten today!
Don’t Settle for Less Than the Best Ammo for 1911 45 ACP originally appeared in The Resistance Library at Ammo.com.
“it’s nothing more than a paperweight without the best ammo for a 1911 45 ACP.” Hogwash. Where do people come up with with these kind of statements? LOL. Anyhow, no CCW of the 1911 style pistol (even a 9mm EMP) here in Kalifornia where I live, so my 1911 style pistols are out. I wouldn’t carry a 1911 these days, even if I could. There are lighter and more compact options for CCW. If I were able to open carry or own a reliable double stack 1911…then it could be a different story. At the house however, my 1911 stays nice a toasty by the bedside. Quality JHP ammo…it’s not the “BEST ammo” but oddly enough, it still goes BANG every time…my 1911 still isn’t a paperweight.
True that. Dad’s old USGI Colt 1911 isn’t legal in Massatwoshits any more. But here in La Florida totally, so and there’s that. Just another reason not to be there. It’s not something that I would want to conceal carry, I have an old M 3 holster for it, so perhaps under a loose jacket or shirt, but it would probably be a bit awkward.
Warren,why the 1911 not allowed in Mass.I get it is a communist system but the 1911 is fine here(work in Mass./N.H. resident).
No mention Glaser Safety Slugs.
Designed specifically to answer the over penetration/ricochet concern.
Marshall study proved they are a deadly round with ZERO overpenetration.
Unless the target is morbidly obese, the round is proven deadly.
I’m relatively lucky in all this regard. If I hear the dreaded bump in the night, all I have to do is reach over and pat where my wife is sleeping; not to mention numerous alarms around the house or shall I say sensors that will alert me if one is triggered. And they aren’t in places where people can look and see something; they’re hidden under and behind other things where you won’t know at best until you’ve passed by it. I get a friendly candy store “Hello, Welcome” right beside my bed. So if my wife isn’t in bed, I only have to figure out where she is. Usually, she’d be in the bathroom, but just in case, I can check without expecting to have to shoot someone. As far as overpenetration goes, well inside my house, things can be repaired. Neighbors, one lives roughly 150 yards away and I’d be firing toward the front of my house and theirs isn’t directly across from mine, anyway, which also would be unlikely from the inside. The other nearest neighbor would be outside our bedroom window, approximately, so unless they’re coming through that window, not an issue. In the directions I would anticipate someone coming, I only have basically nothing out the end of the house. I can’t use this site well enough to either post a photo or a diagram, but overpenetration is the least of my worries. My handgun as the old cliche is only to get to my AR, which will be the source of fire if possible. Not my 5.56, but my 300BLK.
Ditto the 300BLK.
Lmao, the 1911A1 was designed to shoot hardball ammunition and knock down with one shot the meaner sort, like the fanatical Moros over on Mindanao Island. The Moslem Moros would smoke hashish all day, tie off their joints with cords, then go out on Christian infidel head-hunting missions and a small diameter bullets wouldn’t phase them. But .45 caliber 230 grain ball will stop a kris swinging dopehead with no problemo.
“Experts” will probably say that the gunshot victim wouldn’t be dead from one hardball shot, but if he’s laying there on the ground and gets a second shot to the head, then a lot of that hype about hollow points is exactly that.
Here in Kentucky we can carry whatever we want. I do like big bore pistols but I have a little Russian Makarov with target sights and a custom made shoulder holster that’s a pretty sweet rig.
Spot on!
I’m going to butt in with a bit of semi-irrelevant jabber. I have a Springfield XDs Mod 2, small enough to pocket carry, although you really don’t want to. I did have a FNX Tactical 45 in FDE that I sold because even though I loved it, I couldn’t justify keeping it. You couldn’t conceal the bastard and since we aren’t yet in the middle of a civil or otherwise war, no one ever saw it. I had a color-matching Trijicon RMR on it and it was great right out of the box. Not quite a 1911, since it was striker-fired but it was the same size. In its place, I bought a Canik TP9SF in the same FDE color, it’s also too big to conceal, but at least it wasn’t $1100 without the RMR. I’ve mostly always gone with Federal Hydra-Shok but will try Hornady, which I may already have some of. My Canik is only a 9mm, but it’s easy to hit target. Now I’m really going off track. Back when we still lived in my home state of Tennessee, my wife and I took the requisite conceal carry course. She has a Glock 42 or 43, whichever is .380, and here I am with a Glock 21 in .45 I’m not the man I used to be, but I was still doing pretty well. I had the usual low-to-the-left shots from jerking the trigger, but she was Jason Bourne with that her .380. Once we were done and had our certificate, we went back downstairs and I shot hers. It was so easy to hit the bullseye. When we moved up here to this Midwest state about 4 years ago, I swapped my conceal permit for theirs, my wife didn’t. She argues with me, but I guarantee you if the people come (you know who), she’ll hand hers right over and if I’m not here, show them where mine are. It’s sad to think but I know it’s true. Anyway, that’s it.
The best ammo for the 1911 ? is easy to answer,tis the ammo you have for the 1911…..,simple as!
Be aware though that 1911’s do have a tendency to breed like rabbits!
I used to own a Hardballer…(tipped canoe)
“Hardball” was never a problem. Back in the day the magazines were nowhere near as good as say the Novak ACT-Mags and we numbered them to identify the ones trusted for carry and serious social purposes. The UAW made Colts were pretty sad for the most part too. If the union guns weren’t so shitty I guess a lot of the great gunsmiths would never have gotten started. The stuff coming out of the factories today can literally be taken out of the box sighted in well enough to clean a rack of plates at 15-25 yards and never have a failure to feed or misfire.
The softest shooting .45’s with full power loads in my experience are the Ruger American, HK P9S Sport/Target, and the S&W N-frame Model of 1955 Target revolver. The Ruger is an absolute steal. You can almost always find one new under $400. There have never been as many quality 1911’s at good prices as today.
Is this in some way related to the Birch Gold articles?
Yes. If you have gold,.you’re going to need to use lead to protect it. Especially after the collapse
For guard duty, I prefer sharks with laser beams.
Lasercats.
Say hello to my little kitty.
lol, that is going in the folder.
friggin’ sharks with laser beams.
“Is this in some way related to the Birch Gold articles?”
Both feature subject matter that’s going ‘Down’?
“If you can’t trust the rounds to go off and not jam, don’t trust them with your life.”
Home defense? 1 little, 2 little, 3 little Indians…Who knows ? (Allegedly how the Russians tested rifles on the Natives way-back-when in Alaska)
Over-Penetration?
S&W: SS; 629; .44 Mag; 6″. COUNTING on it.
Yes. They want you to waste your gold on overpriced ammo.
If I had money to waste on such things, I always wanted a 1911 for fun.
I don’t have money to waste but somehow I still waste plenty.
While I normally carry Critical Defense, I am dismayed at the price.
Several years ago they sold a product called Zombie Ammunition. It had a green polymer inside the cavity. In tests at home I found it worked better than all the other high-priced defense ammo. It is no longer available.
Maas Ayoob contacted Hornaday and they told him it was exactly the same as the Critical defense except for the color of polymer and the price.
Then why does it not perform as well?
I love old Massad. I read his book “In The Gravest Extreme” and his numerous articles on the HK P9S variants got me into those 40 years back.
Didn’t Zombies sort of fade out? Maybe why the discontinuation of Zombie ammo, not needed any longer but I don’t know for fact.
Fuck that overpriced shit! I plug you with 230 gr. ball ammo and you’re going down. It worked for Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children, it’s good enough for me.
“I do not kill with my gun. He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father. I kill with my heart.” – Roland of Gilead, The Gunslinger
You can get just plain ole jacked 230gr HPs and be done with it. You get plugged with a punkin head, it’s going to be a shitty day no matter what.