taoshum, you've mentioned looking at big box stores for ammo, and coming up empty. Even if ammo were in plentiful supply, I would not buy it at a large department store. It is likely to be old, stale, and cheaper brand. I don't want my safety to be dependent upon 2nd grade ammo. It is more likely to missfire or hangfire or fail to load in a .45. If the sound of a gun being fired is frightening, I'll tell you that a more terrifying sound when you are trying to fire any gun is a "click." Nothing quite like it.
Try smaller, gun stores. Gotta be some good ones, there. If they don't have what you need, they will order it.
Also, you can buy ammo on line. I have never done that and don't know what hoops one has to jump through. But I have friends and associates who do it regularly. Google Handgun ammo.
I have no interest in any business, but would suggest for a .45 that you consider Federal Hydroshocks or Federal Personal Defense Ammo, (PDA). The PDA has slightly less powder and a slightly lower weight bullet. In .45, they are also affectionately known as "The Flying Dinner Plate." When they expand, they are huge! Last I knew, they had the highest "one shot stop" rate of any handgun ammo.
A second suggestion would be Glasser Safety Slugs, (in blue.) They fragment, when they hit soft tissue or a hard surface. They penetrate less, but still plenty, especially in .45 caliber. The benefit is a harder hit, when the bullet fragments in soft tissue and in the case of a miss, less likely to penetrate walls or even windows, with lethal force still in them. The downside is that this ammo is spendy enough to curl your hair!
Use something else for practice. (I do have Glaser Safety Ammo for our RV guns.)
An additional benefit to the smaller specialty store is that you may meet some skilled gunsmiths. Good to know when a gun misbehaves. :
Let me know if I made a sale, here.
;D
Ray D ;D
