.45 ACP +p?

1
Anybody know if plus pee is ok in a series 70?

Special ramp shape requirements? Chamber wall thickness? Recoil spring? Firing pin spring? Recoil buffer?

Clearly I know just enough to have the beginnings of an idea as to how much I don't know.

Re: .45 ACP +p?

2
I don't think it would be a problem if the ammo is not used continually but only for defensive purposes. It should also function fine if the ammo is dimensionally the same as standard ball ammo. One idea that I would like to share with you is that the 38 special is a weaker, smaller cartridge and can be improved with +P ammo. The 45 military ball of today uses the same ballistic profile as it did 100 years ago and the military has no plans to change it. As is, standard ammo is brutally effective and a series 70 could shoot hundreds of thousands of rounds and only suffer wear on springs, bushing, and barrel. Your series 70 can most likely handle the +P but it will wear out much sooner. It is just an idea that perhaps the +P might not be needed to accomplish the mission and the additional wear and tear might not be a fair trade off. :cap:

Re: .45 ACP +p?

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As punkinlobber said, it is dimensionally except for minor variations due to bullet profile. Provided that the gun is mechanically sound, you should be able to shoot +p out of it. How often are you planning on shooting plus P? If you're talking about a steady diet of them I would recommend against it, but using them infrequently isn't much of a problem. I also agree with punkinlobber about the bennefits of plus P not always being enough to justify the additional wear and tear in that particular round.

Re: .45 ACP +p?

7
Hello,

Plus P is just fine in a Series 70 or any modern 1911. In fact, Browning's specs originally called for a 200 grain bullet at over 900fps, which the military requested to be made heavier and slower.

Though I don't recommend it, some people have been firing .45 Super in .45acp handguns after just re-springing. (A proper conversion includes a ramped barrel for full chamber support).

Regards,

Josh
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Re: .45 ACP +p?

8
Special ramp shape requirements? Chamber wall thickness? Recoil spring? Firing pin spring? Recoil buffer?
To answer your questions, in order...

You probably won't need anything special on the barrel or ramp, but that depends on your definition of a "hot load.". If you're approaching 45 super pressures you need a fully supported barrel, but for +p as defined by SAAMI 21000-23000 CUP (9.5% over pressure) you should be fine.

According to Starline, there is a difference in their 45 ACP standard pressure and +P brass. The +P brass has 2 grains less H2O capacity. It has a thicker web and stronger sidewall at the base.

Look at Wolf springs, they make an "over power pak" of springs for use in Colts that run from 16# up to 24#. The recoil spring can prevent a lot of wear and tear to the gun. I'd start with the heavy springs and work down. A lot of people seem to settle around 18-20#.

You should probably go with a recoil buffer or shock buffer. Wilson Combat sells a pack of 6 for around $7. Some folks report some reliability issues, some say they run flawlessly. It's generally recommended not to use them in a HD/SD gun. I loaded some hot a while back and didn't use them, I only upgraded the springs. I'll use them on the next batch that I make.

Re: .45 ACP +p?

10
Mojojojo wrote:
Special ramp shape requirements? Chamber wall thickness? Recoil spring? Firing pin spring? Recoil buffer?
To answer your questions, in order...

Look at Wolf springs, they make an "over power pak" of springs for use in Colts that run from 16# up to 24#. The recoil spring can prevent a lot of wear and tear to the gun. I'd start with the heavy springs and work down. A lot of people seem to settle around 18-20#.

You should probably go with a recoil buffer or shock buffer. Wilson Combat sells a pack of 6 for around $7. Some folks report some reliability issues, some say they run flawlessly. It's generally recommended not to use them in a HD/SD gun. I loaded some hot a while back and didn't use them, I only upgraded the springs. I'll use them on the next batch that I make.
Hello,

No need for a recoil buffer. It shortens the slide stroke and the pistol will not work as designed. Thought it may (and probably will) still work, the spring rate will be changed and the slide action will be choppier.

After playing around with a LOT of springs out there, I went with a 17.8lb variable. It does not nose down the pistol on slide return.

Also consider that the recoil spring's main function is to return the slide. It shouldn't be any more powerful than is required to strip a round from the magazine. The stock spring is 14lbs to 16lbs, depending upon how you choose to measure.

The higher the slide velocity going forward, the more the bottom lugs (the "feet") are battered.

A better solution would be to switch to a square-bottomed firing pin stop. This is a Browning original design, the radiused design only being introduced with the 1911a1 model.

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http://www.egwguns.com/firing-pin-stops ... -pin-stop/

This is the absolute best video I've seen on the subject:



Though this is a race pistol, the very same principle applies to carry and range pistols.

Regards,

Josh
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