Old myths die hard and especially so those connected with .45s. When I started shooting it was a known “fact” the only .45 rounds which could be counted on to feed and function through a 1911 were standard FMJ hardball. Many gunwriters not only said the .45 ACP 1911 was not dependable, but also hung this same albatross around the necks of other autos. While this myth has some foundation, it was busted decades ago. Today's crop of semiautos in general, and especially so the .45s, are exceptionally dependable with many bullet designs. It’s a rare .45 which won’t function with any reasonably shaped bullet today.

The .45 ACP chambered in a sixgun has several advantages over a semiauto. Heavier loads can be safely used, brass is not scattered all over the landscape, longer than standard loads which will not fit in a semiauto’s magazine work just fine in a cylinder, as do light loads which will not operate the semiauto’s slide. That is four distinct advantages on the side of the sixgun and not one of them has anything to do with the .45 ACP semiauto’s main purpose, which is self-defense.

My first 1911 was purchased for the princely sum of $7.50 in late 1956. It was a military surplus, Remington Rand if I remember correctly, and yes I wish I had it back. It was loose, rattled, and was only used with military surplus hardball which I could buy at that time for $1 per box. At about the same time bull's-eye shooters were shooting a lot of .45 ACP rounds through S&W’s Model 1950 and 1955 Target revolvers. Gunsmiths started working with the 1911 by tightening and tuning, fitting adjustable sights, and definitely performing the art of a crisp creep-free trigger pull. It wasn't long before the world’s best combat pistol also became a superb target pistol.

Now there were two distinct types of .45 ACP semiautos; loose ones for combat and tight ones for target shooting. Everyone knew the two could never mix — almost everyone that is. Today we have .45 ACPs on the 1911 platform with slides hand-fitted to frames so tightly there is no perceptible play. They may feel like target pistols, however those from such custom ‘smiths such as Bill Wilson or Les Baer are totally tight and totally reliable at the same time. Even non-custom factory-produced 1911s are also very tightly fitted and they work perfectly when quality ammunition is used.

I've always been one to carefully sort brass for reloading by headstamps as I placed them in MTM cartridge boxes. Whether loading for sixgun or rifle I would not think of mixing one brand of brass with another. Anymore I'm not so sure this is necessary for most purposes. What changed my mind was a box of .45 ACP reloads of mixed brass from Black Hills Ammunition. After testing a dozen or so different factory loads I was stunned to find those bargain priced economy reloads outshot everything else. Now, unless working I am on a special project, neither my .45 ACP nor .38 Special brass gets sorted by headstamp. My everyday shooting loads are diversity at work.