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will different calibers fit same 1911 frame?

3K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  wpage 
#1 ·
Hi, I'm going to be getting one of these http://www.gunco.net/forums/f259/fs-stainless-1911-castings-100-shipped-70597/ and am doing some planning. On a complete 1911 frame are the dimensions the same for .45, 38 super, 9mm, 10mm, .40, etc? I know a .45 would more than likely be simplest - but have noticed there are 38 super and 9mm parts out there - plus if one of these calibers are used then it looks like there is a 7.62x25 conversion as well (works with non ramped frames only - not sure the differences????) Like this one 7.62x25 Tokarev Barrel kit, 5 inch, for 1911 Gov't models in 9mm or 38 Super. New, by J&G Sales. That would be nice from an ammo standpoint.
 
#2 ·
i think the answer is --"sorta"--or 'mostly"

i have seen a frame that could do 40/10mm and 38 super with the same slide too.

the frame is not where most of the conversion is --that is mostly in the slide

i am thinking of building a 40S&W myself --that is i i don't do another 45acp--

these stainless frames are much like a RI frame and look to be OK for the tok conversion to me--
 
#7 ·
So they should work for the 9mm or other calibers - sweet! :)

45, 38 Super, 40/10/400 Corbon, 357 Sig and 22 are all calibers that I have seen on a standard A1 frame.

I can't speak to the 9mm because I have not personally seen one on a 1911 frame but I know brownells sells 9mm 1911 10 rd. mags
The possibilities almost seem endless.

I'm trying to think of a fellows name with a conversion kit... Rowland? Johnny Rowland maybe? supposed to be powerful as the 44 magnum??

I need to go Google.

Sorry...you just got me thinking with all the possibilities there....
I think he recommends full heat treatment for that one.

460 iirc.

Does 38 super use a 45 mag?
The .460 Rowland is the conversion I saw while searching. 460 Rowland Conversion Kits for your 1911

The 38 super has its own mag from what I've seen. the 7.62x25 conversion uses the 38 super magazine.

The frame itself is the same, only the ejector is changed for the various calibers it can fire. And the factory 10mms machined out the top of the slide stop window because they kept cracking there....

The rest of the conversions are in the slide, bbl, and magazines. Every mag is proprietary to the caliber. Some of the less common hand cannon wildcats might require more mods.
Thanks, it looks like I have some deciding to do - as to which caliber to go with. It could get interesting. :D
 
#4 ·
I'm trying to think of a fellows name with a conversion kit... Rowland? Johnny Rowland maybe? supposed to be powerful as the 44 magnum??

I need to go Google.

Sorry...you just got me thinking with all the possibilities there....
 
#6 ·
The frame itself is the same, only the ejector is changed for the various calibers it can fire. And the factory 10mms machined out the top of the slide stop window because they kept cracking there....

The rest of the conversions are in the slide, bbl, and magazines. Every mag is proprietary to the caliber. Some of the less common hand cannon wildcats might require more mods.
 
#8 ·
if you want to do 7.62 TOK.. let me know and i'll post some pix of mine...

this is an easy conversion from a 38 super base 1911...
 
#9 · (Edited)
sniper..

Ah hell. Just put it together like we do and bring it down too the "Swamp Tech. Test Dept."
Damn thing blows up, I know some guys near here have a small company making 1911 frames.
Nice guys, we can get all we want..
Your due for a visit anyway.. Bring a helmet and safety glasses.
Bring my Bro Hunter. Kids like fireworks.
 
#11 ·
Ah hell. Just put it together like we do and bring it down too the "Swamp Tech. Test Dept."
Damn thing blows up, I know some guys near here have a small company making 1911 frames.
Nice guys, we can get all we want..
Your due for a visit anyway.. Bring a helmet and safety glasses.
Bring my Bro Hunter. Kids like fireworks.
Sounds like fun just don't have one of the kids hold your beer as you tell me that I won't need hearing protection when I shoot it, it won't be loud. :trulies: :rofl: :nanabang: :whisker: :whisker:
 
#12 ·
For some reason I've always been fascinated by the .38 Super, but I've never coughed up the money for the proper slide.

The .38/9mm frame theoretically has a different feed ramp shape, but there's such a wide variation among manufacturers it's lost in the noise.

.38/9mm use a different ejector. They're cheap and many different configurations are available to play with.

The magazines are different between the .38/9mm and .45; feed lip width, mostly. They're the same size in the main body.

The slides are different between the .38/9mm and .45. The width of the slot where the case head rides onto the breechface is narrower on the .38/9mm. Some people have had good luck using .45 slides with the small cartridges, but Colt felt it required a different slides. There may be a third breechface for the .40-based cartridges.

There were some other minor differences, like the smaller diameter firing pin used with the small cartridges, but a lot of .45s use that nowadays.

Major factory calibers are: .38 Colt, .38 Super, .38 Special, 9mm Parabellum, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, 10mm S&W, .45 ACP. Yes, rimmed .38 Special, with the bullets loaded flush with the case mouth like a Nagant. Colt sold them for target shooting several decades ago. .38 Colt is the base cartridge for Super, and pretty much obsolete.

Some aftermarket calibers are: .45 Super, .460 Rowland, 9x23 Dillon, .41 Avenger. The Super is just a high pressure .45, the Rowland is ballistically equivalent to a .44 Magnum (take THAT, Desert Eagle fanboys!), the 9x23 was designed around "high power" pistol shooting rules.

With a little "adjustment", 7.62 Tokarev can be made to work. Search "1911 Tokarev" to find Tok'11's threads on it.

1911-based pistols are made in .50 GI and .357 Magnum, but the frames are cast with larger grips to accomodate those cartridges. There are also some "double stack" .45 frames floating around; many internal bits needed to finish one of those are rare and expensive.

Several 0% builds and caliber conversions at the bottom of this page: 1911 Internet Thread Archive
 
#13 ·
ok dug a couple pix up for you... this is my RIA 1911 converted over to 7.62TOK..

its a blast to shoot and is actually very easy on both the gun and the shooter.






 
#14 ·
thanks for sharing the pics. Looks nice. :)
 
#15 ·
best thing is that you arent doing anything to the gun that you cant undo and just swap back out to 38super in a matter of minutes..

so you get a true multi cal 1911 that way. :)

oh BTW: everybody knows my pictures suk! LMAO
 
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