.45 load for Commander size 1911?

[AK Shooter]

FINALLY! Got my EB Kobra Carry the other day and can't wait put some new loads together. I'd like to use Montana Gold 200/230Gr CMJ bullets and N320 powder. Since this is a commander size 1911 (new to me), can those of you more wise than I give me your 2 cents on favorite loads? I heard some of these 4" guns can be a little fickle although she has chewed through everything (factory ammo) I fed her so far. Thanks.

Edited May 10, 2012 by AK Shooter

[RH45]

My Kobra Carry eats anything, including some that I mistakenly loaded too light, and were only about 150pf.

[FLSlim]

Commander length 1911 are not that fickle (but more problems seem to crop up with sub-4" barrels) and EBs tend to run really well. Load whatever you use in your gov't length 1911 and you'll be fine.

[jfrey]

I agree with FL Slim. I shoot the same loads in my govt. model as I do in my commander with no problems. My G36, on the other hand, doesn't like the flat nose bullets and will only shoot ball so it only gets a little factory once in a while.

[ZombieHunter]

Going to have to watch your FPS drop from a 5" down to the 4" .. I have a 50-60 fps drop using the same load. In my 5", I get 820fps average and it drops down to 760 or so average out of my 4" 1911. I use N320 with 5.1 grains using a 200 grain LSWC at 1.265. I will have to try and work up this load up to 5.2-5.4 is my guess, in order to meet major power factor in my 4". That's really pushing N320 though; I don't want to switch to a slower powder, so I might have to move away from VV powders for now? I hate the recoil impulse/speed of slower powders in 45, especially for USPSA matches. What gets me though, is that load should get me 900+ fps out of my 5" according to the load data, and I'm not even in the high 800's based on my chrono data (VV uses a 6" barrel for testing).

[jwhittin]

A little late but I just happen to catch this thread. My favorite load for USPSA using my 5" Les Baer is 200 gn Berry's Plated FP, CCI 300, OAL=1.225, with 5.4 gns of Titegroup. That gives me about 860 fps. For IDPA, I bump up the charge to 5.6 or 5.7 gns for my 4" and I get about the same velocity. Hope this helps.