I know 1911s have a rep for sometimes being very finicky about the kinds of ammo they'll feed. I'm having that kind problem, and the answer might be that there is no answer. Please tell me what you think.
My issue is with a Springfield Armory GI 1911, the most basic and simple parkerized model with the tiny old-style sights. Not the nicest 1911 but I like it for what it is, my first 1911. Anyway, it seems to feed 230FMJ and 230JHP commercial ammo fine, at least the couple of mags of JHP I put through it (all with a COL of 1.260", by the way).
I cast my own bullets and this pistol also seems to feed the Lee tumble lubed 230LRNs ok, especially after I seated the bullet not quite so deep. I load the 230LRNs at about 1.275" and I don't get the occasional FTF jams I used to get when I was making 1.260" length rounds like the reloading manual says. The pistol also went back to SA to get a strut replaced and while it was there they polished the feed ramp for me and also reamed the chamber.
Ok, so the problem is that I bought a mould to make 230LSWCs and I'd rather shoot these than the LRNs if I could. I heard that they would feed better if I made the rounds longer so I did, all the way up to about 1.290" which is about as long as they can be and still fit in the magazine. (As well as that seems to push the bullet about to the end of the leade and into the rifling, based on trying to chamber one of these). Bottom line is no matter what I've tried so far, my GI 1911 will NOT take these semi-wadcutter rounds, it jams up hard (FTF I would describe it) and won't go all the way into battery. The same rounds go fine through my M&P45, so I am sure it's not an issue of not crimping correctly or of not resizing the cases correctly.
Anyone got any ideas of other stuff I could try? For shooting paper I like the nice holes the SWCs make and I've been told that for hunting and defense, flat nosed pistol bullets are more effective anyway. I'd like to use these if I can, but for now I just don't see how to make these work in my 1911.
