Lately I've been spending my time reloading. So naturally being an Arfcomer time is spent in the reloading forum. Some good questions and issues have been OP threads. 1911 feed issues are common conversations in our home forum. 1911 Discussions. Here's a good link for some of you. Every night for a few nights anyway I will post a new link for some to form a better understanding of the 45acp cartridge and the 1911.

http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=9178

This is another good read about how things came to be for the 1911. Note towards the bottom the original Military specs for the 45acp cartridge.

http://www.sightm1911.com/Care/45acp.htm

What catches my attention quickly are Specifications of the original military loading of the .45 ACP. Notice dimensions for OAL, bullet diameter, and case mouth. If your using a factory loaded LSWC chances are the cartridge maker is using a .452 diameter bullet and diameter at case mouth will be  greater than .472. Chamber reaming your barrel in some cases is essential. Notice too .. the minimum and maximum COAL (overall length) required by the military for ball ammo. It was a much smaller window than where we are at today. Think about how short some HP and SWC ammunition is today.

Why the lower Cartridge Over All Length. ( COAL ) from todays cartridge manufactuers ?? For one:  the advent of the Hollow Point Bullet and Combat Bullets like the SWC. .... For two: to feed a demand for velocity.

Here's another good read.

http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/history/45_Auto_Cartridge_History.htm

Understanding Ogive in relation to controled feed helps me choose and load the types of ammunition I use in my 1911s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogive

That's it. Just some personal thoughts. Not all 45acp ammunition is tuned for your 1911. The plastic fantastics will run a wider variety of ammunition than your 1911. Stay away from flat point bullets with a bone stock 1911. To summarize from first thread anything under 1.20 is likely to cause a feed issue. 1.240 to 1.245 ( for me ) has been an optimal height for Combat Target bullets, ( SWC ). 1.230 is the lowest COAL for a Hollow Point and feed effectively in an untuned 1911 in my opinion. Hornady XTP's when I reload them are at 1.235. Ball ammunition like Winchester's Ogive I run at 1.260. ( Factory 230 grain Winchester height. ) You can buy and run hardball lower but generally speaking I don't like to see a bullet's ogive start from the case mouth.

This thread is from the reloading section for pistol loads. Several guys running 1911s have posted their loads. Notice the type of pistol used with their COAL setting.

http://media.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=9860

This was done for those of you who are running untuned 1911s and/or are new to the 1911 platform.

Last thought. Winchester's 230 grain hardball and 230 grain JHP should run in any of the cookie cutter 1911s. If these don't work in your 1911 you've got issues with your pistol and/or magazine.

ETA: almost forgot... 0.471 is what I run my case mouth diameter too. Defensive Nickel Plated brass loaded with a .452 diameter bullet will most likely hang in your barrels chamber unless chamber is reamed. Or if your reloading a factory crimp die is used. Case rims on these can also deal an untuned extractor fits. Hornady brass cases are known for this too. Specifically Hornady XTP's.

Could you please define/expound upon , "untuned 1911" please?

Thanks

Good info.  I've never really paid much attention to OAL other than to use a factory 230 gn. fmj round to set up my seating die.  My 1911s (all Colts) have never had an issue.  A couple years ago we bought a Series 70 Colt for my youngest son and it has issues.  His magazines came from the same box mine did when I bought a bunch of C. McC. shooting star 8 round SS mags but his pistol gags on reloads (200 grn. round nosed flat point intended for a .45 Colt revolver - too good a deal to pass up from a retiring single action shooter) that mine effortlessly shuffles through.

We didn't try to find out why, I just traded him some boxes of 230 grn. LRN reloads for the 200 grn. reloads I'd loaded up for us.  The mis feed is a nose up jam.  The first round fires, extracts, ejects and the next round sticks it's nose out the ejection port and waits on the slide to come forward and shut on it.  I'll have to read up on the links you provided, too.

Thanks.

PS.  Never tried it with the big boys but my Combat Commander will feed empty cases from the magazine to the chamber just as slick as it feeds whole rounds.  I used to do that to folks to cause a "aw shit" when they were shooting and see what they did about it.

This is a good thread and answers a lot of " tuning ". Reliability Solutions.

http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/tech/reliability_secrets.htm

Once your 1911 is properly tuned with a " Reliability Package ". You should be able to run most types of 45acp ammunition with a wider COAL range.