Winchester rolling out 1911-specific .45 ACP ammo

[PAMedic=F|A=]

Maybe this should have went in the ammo & reloading forum, but given that it is ammo for a specific type of pistol, I thought it would be better here.


So what does everyone think? gimick? Does the nickle plating help?


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http://www.guns.com/2013/11/20/winch...c-45-acp-ammo/

As a sort of brass and lead tribute to the venerable and much-loved 1911 pistol, Winchester has developed a pair of loads that are tailored specifically for the classic .45.

More than 100 years old the 1911 remains one of the most popular handguns of all time. Almost every major gun manufacturer makes a version of the 1911 and it’s come a long way since the first run produced by John Moses Browning.

“The M1911 pistol is one of the most recognizable and iconic firearms on the market. We at Winchester have undertaken significant testing to maximize functioning and accuracy with these new offerings to create an ammunition line that lives up to the name of the legendary pistol,” said Winchester V.P. Brett Flaugher.

That isn’t to say the design is ageless; the design has a bit of a personality that 1911 owners are happy to overlook in favor of the gun’s standard-setting grip and trigger. One of the more common quirks about 1911 is a preference for specific flavors of ammo.

The 1911 was designed to fire military ball ammo and as ammunition technology has advanced, there are more than a few .45 ACP loads that just don’t work with a lot of 1911s.

And that is why Winchester has engineered their Win1911 ammo. The ammo comes in two varieties, a flat-nose full metal jacket and a jacketed hollow-point. Ballistically the two loads are identical, both pushing 230-grain bullets at a nice round 880 feet per second. Proven bullet weight, proven projectile velocity.

The idea is of course to have two loads that shoot exactly the same, with one, the full metal jacket load, for target practice and training and the other, the hollow-point load, for self-defense. This way a person can get range time under their belt with the less expensive ammunition knowing it performs identically to the self-defense ammo.

To make them stand out, and maybe feed a little better, the bullets are also nickel-plated.

Of course, not all 1911s are picky about what they cycle reliably, but anyone who owns a 1911 — or any .45 ACP handgun, for that matter — can take advantage of this ammo combo. If you have a SIG P220, FNX 45 or even a Smith & Wesson 625, you can still easily benefit from having a matched pair of training and self-defense rounds.

Despite the ammo shortages that have run rampant nation-wide this year Winchester has not stopped developing new loads for hunting and self-defense.

Just recently Winchester announced their new Long Beard load for 12-gauge shotguns for hunting turkey. The load has an interesting and efficient shot cup that ensures tight, ethical patterns out to a game-changing 60 yards.

For hog hunters they also just expanded their Razorback line. These loads are designed to deliver deeper penetration and slower expansion to ensure that they are effective against the tough and resilient feral pig.

More information about Winchester’s new products for 2013 can be found on their website.

[harold63]

So what does everyone think? gimick? Does the nickle plating help?

There's never anything wrong with improvements. The main reasoning behind the nickel is if it dents or takes a scratch less than copper, then in theory, it will not clog on whatever put the dent or scratch there in the first place. In other words, it is more slippery (in theory, anyway). Just off the top of my head, nickel plating that is very thin and put on a big, soft lead bullet is only going to offer a minor enhancement, but that's all Winchester is looking for, and may be the one small thing that works for everyone.

Having your training ammo and SD ammo the exact same...muzzle rise, recoil, cycle speed, no recoil spring blunders, etc.; could definitely be a benefit to someone that cannot go shooting much. Since a lot of SD ammo's are hotter than regular old ball, a less experienced shooter can have POA/POI issues between the two (not that it is usually much, but everyone wants POA/POI to be there everytime). I could see where this would be tempting to some. Just the fact that some 45 ACP got on the shelf is going to make some people happy, regardless of the perks. Now, how do we keep the Fuckbamma Administration from buying up all the Winchester '1911' ammo?

ETA - FWIW, a 1911 smith that will take the time to really study why your 1911 doesn't feed well with HP's, or what ever you like to shoot, can tune a 1911 to feed a soda can. You just have to be willing to spend the coin to get it done.

[animalmother85]

It's a good sales pitch...almost as good as Remington's HyperSonic ammo (Hyper sonic as over 5,000fps/Mach 5, by the way).

Anyone can make ammo for their 1911.

I wonder if this will come with uncut flash holes, too?


Nickel coating does make the bullet slicker. Aluminum bullets should be coated this way, due to the fact that aluminum barrels are more likely to sand the barrel down.

I still stick with my mentality of pistols; they are only meant to get you to your/a rifle, one way or another. With that being said, I'd rather have a pistol that shoots anything than a load tailored specifically for that pistol. If it can't shoot a wide range of ammo, from Wolf to Corbon, what good is it? To sum it up, I'd invest the money into my 1911 to make it shoot, than the premium price for ammo made for a rack-grade 1911.

[bigdawgbeav]

I'll stick to rolling my own.

[762xIan]

I'll stick to rolling my own.

Same here, doesn't affect me at all.

I do like the idea though, I think they should have done this a while ago.

The ammo comes in two varieties, a flat-nose full metal jacket and a jacketed hollow-point. Ballistically the two loads are identical, both pushing 230-grain bullets at a nice round 880 feet per second. Proven bullet weight, proven projectile velocity............The idea is of course to have two loads that shoot exactly the same.....

I like it, sound concept.

[bob308]

pure sales gimmick. all my 1911s have ate every thing I have put in them. I will keep loading my own.

[Farbmeister]

As long as you pay the licensing fee you can put 'Winchester' on dirty underwear. It ceased being a great gun company many, many years ago.

Not impressed... and definitely not going to buy any.

[rwilson452]

I load my own an load them to match my store bought SD rounds My Colt 1991A1 eats anything I feed it. However, my XD45 for some reason will not feed SWC rounds.

[762xIan]

As long as you pay the licensing fee you can put 'Winchester' on dirty underwear. It ceased being a great gun company many, many years ago.

Not impressed... and definitely not going to buy any.

Winchester ammo....owned by Olin Corp. since the "first" great depression.

Winchester the guns....been owned by a multitude of different outfits over the years.

Same name, but the ammo side and gun side are seperate and have been 2 different animals for a long time.

[Gunsnwater]

To make them stand out, and maybe feed a little better, the bullets are also nickel-plated.

And maybe!!! A little better!! Kinda says it all right there don't it. Pure Madison ave. garbage. By the way I don't want hard nickel scraping my bore. And mine eat everything like little fat kids.