I've had few 1911s in my lifetime.
All of them Commander length guns, and a couple I should have kept.
Dan Wessons are nice, but more expensive than some other brands.
My preference for a Commander, comes from the time spent with my very first
semi-auto handgun, a Series-80 Combat Commander in .45 ACP caliber.
We could only carry .357 revolvers on duty, but some of us opted for the 1911
or even Star .45 autos.
The only company that was out of the box for ammo, was Super-Vel, and I don't
know if they were in production in the mid-80s or not.
Duty ammo was either Winchester 158 grain lead JHP...the FBI LOAD, or the
very impressive Federal 125 grain JHP that would later be named as The King
of the Streets, due to it's awesome stopping power record, even from shorter
barrel guns like the then popular Model 66 Snubs.
Thus, it was unheard of at my first department for one to carry reloads or other brands
of ammo when off-duty, other than Remington, CCI-Speer, Federal or Winchester.
Some of us with 1911s were content with the CCI 200 grain FLYING ASHCAN JHP
that had a wide mouth and deep cavity, but also heavy recoil.
Other (like myself) liked the faster Winchester 185 grain SILVERTIP JHP.
Well.. fast forward about 40 years, and there is an abundance of duty and off-duty
ammuntion to choose from.
One of those is the longstanding and prolific DoubleTapAmmo. Net
These days I like the idea of carrying a .45, but they usually weigh more when loaded
and upon my person, than a comparable 9mm.
Recoil is also a consideration, as in the case of a short-lived Glock 36, just brutal
on my aging hands and arms with any ammo I could put in it.
I'm very happy with 9 rounds of 9mm in a 1911 Commander, thanks.
Lower recoil impulse, and cheaper to shoot than .45 ACP or even .38 Special..
as I no longer reload, and I am not one to ever use reloads for defensive purposes.
Colt's 2016 LW Commander offers a 9=1 capcity of 9mm Luger or even 9mm+P
or +P+ ammo.
I also prefer a gun with a firing pin safety, so the LW with their
Series-80 FPS makes the grade in my book. I do know that Kimbers and other
1911 do offer some sort of FPS as well.
looks to be ideal for me, but I don't know what ammo that I would want to use for carry?
A: It would be DOUBLE TAP
B: No lighter than their 77 grain JHP.
C: It would have to feed from the box in the stock Colt 9mm.
D: I might endure an initial bobble, but be for darned sure that
it would feed 100% from round two and onward.
One option might be the DT 124 grain Bonded Defense:
I carry this in my PPS M2, but there are other Double Tap loads
that I've carried in it, or might in the near future.
Their new COLT custom ammo line COLT Defnse Ammunition, sure looks promising.
If one look closer, you can see the striations on the bullet itself. These are more apparent on their
.45 ACP load.
Should a person need or want to go heavier. There is the DT 147grain Bonded Defense (Gold Dot)
JHP:
Along with somehting I've never actually been able to get from Mike and company.
The 165 grain EQUALIZER. This will put two projectiles on target.
I'm really excited to test this out.
Any of these, including the DT 115 grain Bonded Defense load, would be great candidates for a
1911 Commander in 9 x19 caliber.
