should I make ammuntion?

jessejarrar · 01-05-2008, 09:37 PM

I've finally decided after about a month of researching that a 1911 would be ideal for me. I'm needing a gun that I can carry and use for home defense. I'm also wanting something cheap to shoot...which I know .45 acp ISN'T.

I read that you can get .22 conversion kits for around $300, but I've heard they have a ton of problems with jams and whatnot. I watched a few videos of people shooting one and I also noticed that the slide doesn't stay back when you use the last round in the mag. the hammer just goes down...

Would I be better off making my own ammunition? How would I go about doing it?

M14man · 01-05-2008, 10:04 PM

While 45ACP in not cheap, it is not expensive either. You could easily get 1000 rds for the price of a 22LR conversion kit. The conversion kit is a training aid, and many once fitted properly become quite reliable. The locking back on the last round is a nicity, but not an essential. Alot depends on the magazine if it is designed to lock the slide on last round. I would start with a 45 of your choice, get 200-300 rds and start practicing. You can always buy a conversion kit later. There are several pistols for that $300 that are quite good. The Ruger MK2 class of guns is one. You really don't need a separate upper anyway. I would buy a second pistol instead.

toolman · 01-05-2008, 10:04 PM

Welcome to G&G! .45 ACP ammo can be had for reasonable prices if you shop around but reloading is very rewarding and can (eventually) save you money if you're EXTREMELY disciplined. To reload, you need a press, dies, shellholders, case trimmer, case lube, calipers, reloading scale, brass, bullets, powder, primers, and, above all, several good reloading manuals. There are several different methods of doing certain procedures and the tools needed will be different. IMO, if you use the Lee kit, it will cost you around $100 in equipment costs to get started, not including component costs. FWIW, unless shooting mil-surp ammo, save every case you can find when you go shooting, they're a major part of ammo cost-why buy them again later? You're going to need other stuff after buying the kit (assuming you go with the Lee kit)including a case-length guage, dial calipers, and probably a different scale. you have the advantage of having a Cabela's nearby, They can set you up with everything you need at very good prices.

rfc357 · 01-06-2008, 07:26 AM

If you carry, or use your gun for home defense, it should be loaded with factory ammunition. Your lawyer will explain why.

Handloads are great for practice. I put 100 rounds of handloads through my carry 1911 yesterday. But when it went back into my holster, it was full of Golden Saber.

toolman · 01-06-2008, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rfc357

If you carry, or use your gun for home defense, it should be loaded with factory ammunition. Your lawyer will explain why.
Handloads are great for practice. I put 100 rounds of handloads through my carry 1911 yesterday. But when it went back into my holster, it was full of Golden Saber.

Excellent point!

Bookman · 01-07-2008, 07:32 PM

Reloading is great fun. Buy the equipment. You won't regret it.

+1 to toolman's suggestion about getting a Lee reloading kit.

jessejarrar · 01-08-2008, 05:54 PM

I want to thank you all so much for the information!

I do have patience and I do think that reloading would be a nice activity at the end of the day to relax to.

I'm not much of a handyman though, so I'm hoping the process isn't TOO hard to figure out.

I read somewhere before that using reloads for carry and home defense is really bad. They can get you for overloading them and what not. So I assumed that I would use reloads for target practice ONLY!

Bookman · 01-08-2008, 06:14 PM

The use of reloads for self defense is much debated. I doubt shooters will ever come to an agreement on this topic.

Personally, I would not say carrying reloads for self defense is "really bad" or even "bad" at all, but plenty others will disagree.

jessejarrar · 01-08-2008, 06:22 PM

well, imho, i think i can afford to get the BEST ROUNDS factory made for home defense / carry. I (hopefully) won't have to use them often enough to worry about prices.

As far as reloads go, I can't imagine spending $30 for 50 rounds for the range. I bet I could go through 50 rounds pretty damn fast and I just don't really have the money to blow on that.

I'm thinking maybe that in the long run, reloading would be cheaper and drop that cost hopefully to 1/2 of it.

mym1a · 01-08-2008, 06:57 PM

I think a 22Lr conversion kit for a 45 acp is the way to go for savings and training purposes. Depending on the model/make you might experience problems utilizing the elevation travel of the rear sight and or hammer clearence ,(allowing the firing pin assembly to strike the primer area) which on a 22Lr is rim fire.Another area of concern is ammuntion,It's been my experience normal velocity 22LR doesn't seem to have enough power/recoil to push the reciever back enough to eject the spent cartridge and feed a live round into the chamber. Since I started using supermaximum/hyper velocity 22LR ammo I haven't had a problem .This ammo is a little more expensive but still a heck of a lot cheaper then 45acp.For self defense/carry I would suggest factory only.Use your 45acp reloads and 22LR for training/target shooting. I hope this helps you jessejarrar with a little modification and the right ammo you should have very little problems.As for the reciever locking to the rear after the last shot with the 22LR.I don't know for sure what causes that problem? maybe the design of the magazine/ reciever?

I don't know if a regular armed citizen would be held to the same standards as police departments or the military in regards to factory vs handloads? type of bullet ????

sunray · 01-11-2008, 11:58 PM

The absolute cheapest shooting is with a .22. Using a handgun for self-defense requires training and proficiency with whatever pistol you use.
"...How would I go about doing it?..." It's called reloading. Very simply put, you return the case to factory size, remove the spent primer and put in a new one, put in a new powder charge and a bullet. Reloading isn't about saving money though. It's about using the best possible ammo in your pistol. However, loading with cast bullets is much cheaper shooting than any factory ammo with jacketed bullets. They're a whole bunch more expensive for reloading too.
Buy a copy of The ABC's of Reloading. Then look into an RCBS Beginner's Kit. Gives you everything you need less dies and shell holder. Buy a Lyman manual too. Not that there's anything wrong with the book that comes with the kit. The Lyman book is just more versatile.
"...should be loaded with factory ammunition..." Any good lawyer can easily refute that. In any case, you should practice with the ammo you intend using for any purpose.

big boomer · 01-12-2008, 12:38 AM

If you decide to reload I recommend the lazer cast bullets they don't lead like some others. You should use factory for home def. but shoot enough of them so that you know they work in your gun and you know where they hit.

01-05-2008, 09:37 PM	#1
jessejarrar Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 7 Trader Rating: (0)	should I make ammuntion? I've finally decided after about a month of researching that a 1911 would be ideal for me. I'm needing a gun that I can carry and use for home defense. I'm also wanting something cheap to shoot...which I know .45 acp ISN'T. I read that you can get .22 conversion kits for around $300, but I've heard they have a ton of problems with jams and whatnot. I watched a few videos of people shooting one and I also noticed that the slide doesn't stay back when you use the last round in the mag. the hammer just goes down... Would I be better off making my own ammunition? How would I go about doing it?

01-05-2008, 10:04 PM	#3
toolman Mr. Fixit Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: abilene,tx Posts: 5,227 Trader Rating: (0)	Welcome to G&G! .45 ACP ammo can be had for reasonable prices if you shop around but reloading is very rewarding and can (eventually) save you money if you're EXTREMELY disciplined. To reload, you need a press, dies, shellholders, case trimmer, case lube, calipers, reloading scale, brass, bullets, powder, primers, and, above all, several good reloading manuals. There are several different methods of doing certain procedures and the tools needed will be different. IMO, if you use the Lee kit, it will cost you around $100 in equipment costs to get started, not including component costs. FWIW, unless shooting mil-surp ammo, save every case you can find when you go shooting, they're a major part of ammo cost-why buy them again later? You're going to need other stuff after buying the kit (assuming you go with the Lee kit)including a case-length guage, dial calipers, and probably a different scale. you have the advantage of having a Cabela's nearby, They can set you up with everything you need at very good prices. __________________ Don't be messin' with my gun!

01-08-2008, 06:57 PM	#10
mym1a Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,312 Trader Rating: (0)	I think a 22Lr conversion kit for a 45 acp is the way to go for savings and training purposes. Depending on the model/make you might experience problems utilizing the elevation travel of the rear sight and or hammer clearence ,(allowing the firing pin assembly to strike the primer area) which on a 22Lr is rim fire.Another area of concern is ammuntion,It's been my experience normal velocity 22LR doesn't seem to have enough power/recoil to push the reciever back enough to eject the spent cartridge and feed a live round into the chamber. Since I started using supermaximum/hyper velocity 22LR ammo I haven't had a problem .This ammo is a little more expensive but still a heck of a lot cheaper then 45acp.For self defense/carry I would suggest factory only.Use your 45acp reloads and 22LR for training/target shooting. I hope this helps you jessejarrar with a little modification and the right ammo you should have very little problems.As for the reciever locking to the rear after the last shot with the 22LR.I don't know for sure what causes that problem? maybe the design of the magazine/ reciever? I don't know if a regular armed citizen would be held to the same standards as police departments or the military in regards to factory vs handloads? type of bullet ???? Last edited by mym1a; 01-08-2008 at 07:39 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

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01-05-2008, 10:04 PM	#2
M14man Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: FLA Posts: 343 Trader Rating: (0)	While 45ACP in not cheap, it is not expensive either. You could easily get 1000 rds for the price of a 22LR conversion kit. The conversion kit is a training aid, and many once fitted properly become quite reliable. The locking back on the last round is a nicity, but not an essential. Alot depends on the magazine if it is designed to lock the slide on last round. I would start with a 45 of your choice, get 200-300 rds and start practicing. You can always buy a conversion kit later. There are several pistols for that $300 that are quite good. The Ruger MK2 class of guns is one. You really don't need a separate upper anyway. I would buy a second pistol instead.

01-06-2008, 07:26 AM	#4
rfc357 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 741 Trader Rating: (0)	If you carry, or use your gun for home defense, it should be loaded with factory ammunition. Your lawyer will explain why. Handloads are great for practice. I put 100 rounds of handloads through my carry 1911 yesterday. But when it went back into my holster, it was full of Golden Saber.

01-07-2008, 07:32 PM	#6
Bookman Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: 10 paces south of Canada Posts: 738 Trader Rating: (0)	Reloading is great fun. Buy the equipment. You won't regret it. +1 to toolman's suggestion about getting a Lee reloading kit.

01-08-2008, 05:54 PM	#7
jessejarrar Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 7 Trader Rating: (0)	I want to thank you all so much for the information! I do have patience and I do think that reloading would be a nice activity at the end of the day to relax to. I'm not much of a handyman though, so I'm hoping the process isn't TOO hard to figure out. I read somewhere before that using reloads for carry and home defense is really bad. They can get you for overloading them and what not. So I assumed that I would use reloads for target practice ONLY!

01-08-2008, 06:14 PM	#8
Bookman Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: 10 paces south of Canada Posts: 738 Trader Rating: (0)	The use of reloads for self defense is much debated. I doubt shooters will ever come to an agreement on this topic. Personally, I would not say carrying reloads for self defense is "really bad" or even "bad" at all, but plenty others will disagree.

01-08-2008, 06:22 PM	#9
jessejarrar Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 7 Trader Rating: (0)	well, imho, i think i can afford to get the BEST ROUNDS factory made for home defense / carry. I (hopefully) won't have to use them often enough to worry about prices. As far as reloads go, I can't imagine spending $30 for 50 rounds for the range. I bet I could go through 50 rounds pretty damn fast and I just don't really have the money to blow on that. I'm thinking maybe that in the long run, reloading would be cheaper and drop that cost hopefully to 1/2 of it.

01-11-2008, 11:58 PM	#11
sunray Banned Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 98 Trader Rating: (0)	The absolute cheapest shooting is with a .22. Using a handgun for self-defense requires training and proficiency with whatever pistol you use. "...How would I go about doing it?..." It's called reloading. Very simply put, you return the case to factory size, remove the spent primer and put in a new one, put in a new powder charge and a bullet. Reloading isn't about saving money though. It's about using the best possible ammo in your pistol. However, loading with cast bullets is much cheaper shooting than any factory ammo with jacketed bullets. They're a whole bunch more expensive for reloading too. Buy a copy of The ABC's of Reloading. Then look into an RCBS Beginner's Kit. Gives you everything you need less dies and shell holder. Buy a Lyman manual too. Not that there's anything wrong with the book that comes with the kit. The Lyman book is just more versatile. "...should be loaded with factory ammunition..." Any good lawyer can easily refute that. In any case, you should practice with the ammo you intend using for any purpose.

01-12-2008, 12:38 AM	#12
big boomer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Minn. Posts: 695 Trader Rating: (0)	If you decide to reload I recommend the lazer cast bullets they don't lead like some others. You should use factory for home def. but shoot enough of them so that you know they work in your gun and you know where they hit.