I love general statements like this one. Every weapon is different. I have had 45s which love the 230s and others which like others like the 185s. You need to try a variety of bullet weights and brands to find what your pistol likes the best. As for as the bullet weight used needs to be adjusted for barrel length. Again you need to see what works well in your pistol. Two pistols with consecutive serial numbers, will often like different loads.
I have been reloading for a few years-since 1974. With different barrel length I will be able to use different powders for the most efficeincy. The same with bullet weights and styles. However, ammo manufactures make their ammo to work adequately in all types of pistols and all types of barrel lengths.
for the .45ACP the traditional round of choice and design is the 230 grain roundnose.
Quite often a handgun will respond well to reloading. Pushing a 230 grain bullet a little bit faster or a little bit slower than the standard velocity might result in greater accuracy for your particular handgun.
Warning - stay in the safety bounds of the reloading manuals. Nothing is worth damage to your body.
I think the statement is opinion instead of fact.
The nines that I have shot all did ok with bullet weights from 115 gr. to 147 gr with no sight adjustments at typical pistol shooting distances.
Even cast lead bullets were good.
The 45's did ok with bullets from 185gr to 230 gr.
The only pistols I have seen that are picky are Kimber 45 autos, they seem to like 230 grain ball ammo and that's all.
My $.02 take on it!
John Browning's M1911 was designed for the 230 grain FMJ and all of those I've run across, including the clones, shoot best with that load. This is not necessarily true for other pistols of different design chambered in .45 ACP.
Actually I would say it is quite the opposite way in reality. The limited capacity of the 9mm casing could cause a squib in a long barrel with a heavy round. The Calico 9mm carbine (16 inch barrel) says DO NOT use 147 grain because it may not exit the barrel. They strongly suggest 115 gr for best performance.
__________________ We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. -Aesop
I dont know about 9mm and 147gr never tried them. But before we were forced to hand in our 45 pistols I did find that every 45 pistol I tried 230gr cast in loved them. I cast them from an old RCBS 230gr gas check double cavity mould I got in a horse trade. I cast them out of wheel weights and never used gas checks after I found they shot better without them. Still shed tears when I think of the wast our govenment caused all to no avail.
Since I am a neophyte, I ax or ask the general membership for their highly valued opinion.
Those are opinions. Also, it kinda depends on how you define "do well". There was a fad several years ago where some thought that the 9mm 147 grain subsonic load was just peachy (subsonic is just another way of saying "slow"). Keep in mind this principle: if you double the weight of the bullet you double it's energy, but if you double the velocity of the bullet you quadruple it's energy. So if you want a self defense round you're looking for something with some velocity. The 230 grain .45acp is/was the old standard military load for the 1911 pistol. Functions great with those, mild to shoot, usually the cheapest ammo you can find. BUT there are lots of rounds out there that are more effective.
The only way to figure out which ammo your pistol likes best is to get multiple brands and make your own observations and judgements.
__________________
"The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance" Einstein
Also, some pistols change after being fired a bit (usually for the better in my experience). A load that turns a new pistol into a jamomatic "may" function flawlessly after the pistol has been fired a few hundred times.
__________________
"The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance" Einstein
Well, I haven't had too many experiences with handguns other than the military guns with military loads...
But what I know from rifles is that there is a balance between bullet weight, velocity and rate of twist... since I am just a human. I am guessing that this is the same for handguns.
That means a particular handgun will be made for a particular bullet weight, velocity and rate of twist. OK the shorter range of handguns changes the weight of factors because at 10 ft you don't really care about MOA.
Correct me if I am wrong... But the original question asks about bullet weight and barrel length... I think that the question is kinda idiotic.... it's not the length, it's not the size.....
Thank you narr, however, how can I tell which one the handgun likes?
My suggestion is you decide on a few brands or bullet/velocity combos you'd be hppy with then sit down at the range and use a sandbag for a rest and see which one shoots to point of aim, and groups best. Then you wanna judge dependability. Does it eject, does it feed properly
Sorry for the multi reply.
__________________
"The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance" Einstein
Is This Statement True? 
and our Men and Women In Uniform. RIP Arkansas Hunter e 
