The 1911 break in period is an important part of making sure your pistol is reliable when you need it. There are some people who oppose carrying a 1911 pistol as their defensive firearm due to the need to break it in. While newer pistols that feature newer technology are very popular among conceal carriers, the 1911 pistol is still a great popular option for a self defense firearm.
Most 1911 manufacturers require a 500 round minimum before the firearm is considered functionally reliable. If a 1911 pistol is your choice for your concealed carry firearm, make sure it will function properly with your defensive ammo before you put it into your carry rotation. Learning that your gun isn’t reliable while you’re trying to protect yourself is a bad time.
The 1911 pistol was designed for full metal jacket ammo
The 1911 pistol was originally designed to fire full metal jacket ammo that was used by the military. Full metal jacket ammo isn’t the best option for civilian self defense due to overpenetration. Hollow point ammunition was developed for the specific purpose of not overpenetration a target.
Self defense ammo may not function reliably in a new 1911 due to the hollow point hitting the feed ramp and not going into the chamber. However, once the 1911 break in period is completed it should cycle most self defense ammo much more reliably.
The 1911 pistol magazine break in period affects reliability also
When you buy a new 1911 pistol there are two elements that will affect its reliability. The gun and the magazine it comes with can be a combination that results in a malfunction. As you can clearly see in the video above, a new 1911 pistol and a new pistol magazine may not cycle hollow point ammo reliably until the gun has been broken in.
Better pistol magazines may not show the same problem as some of the cheaper pistol magazines as I clearly show in the video. Some of the more budget friendly magazines such as Mecgar work fine after they loosen up.