Converting .45 ACP 1911 to .460 Rowland

[fozzdesy2001]

Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Originally Posted By: Marco620
Goodnight! I like 45 but apparently that aint enough for you. Dan Coonan makes 1911 in 38 Super,357, and 44mag.


Thing is, .45 ACP is not that powerful! It’s a Low-pressure cartridge. That’s why when you shoot a .45, it’s not that sharp of a recoil. More of a shove...unlike, say, .40 S&W, which has the tendency to be sharp and snappy to many people.


In my converted Norinco 1911, I use these loads'

230 grain MAXZ
Sierra JHP Alliant Power Pistol 12 1,280
Hornady FP Alliant Power Pistol 11.9 1,272
Hornady FP Alliant Power Pistol 12 1,311
Sierra JHP Alliant Power Pistol 9.5 1,155

If you have a checkered backstrap you WILL want gloves unless you like the cube stake look! The 460 is a fun and powerful round to shoot but is better with hand loads My favorite load is 10.5 grains of power pistol pushing a 230 grainer, it just plain works.

 

[emg]

Originally Posted By: bunnspecial
I have a friend with a L.A.R. Grizzly in 45 Win Mag.


I've wanted one of those for years. Unfortunately I don't know whether they ever even exported any to Canada (and I'd need to get a pistol license).

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: fozzdesy2001
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Originally Posted By: Marco620
Goodnight! I like 45 but apparently that aint enough for you. Dan Coonan makes 1911 in 38 Super,357, and 44mag.


Thing is, .45 ACP is not that powerful! It’s a Low-pressure cartridge. That’s why when you shoot a .45, it’s not that sharp of a recoil. More of a shove...unlike, say, .40 S&W, which has the tendency to be sharp and snappy to many people.


In my converted Norinco 1911, I use these loads'

230 grain MAXZ
Sierra JHP Alliant Power Pistol 12 1,280
Hornady FP Alliant Power Pistol 11.9 1,272
Hornady FP Alliant Power Pistol 12 1,311
Sierra JHP Alliant Power Pistol 9.5 1,155

If you have a checkered backstrap you WILL want gloves unless you like the cube stake look! The 460 is a fun and powerful round to shoot but is better with hand loads My favorite load is 10.5 grains of power pistol pushing a 230 grainer, it just plain works.


Awesome!

Pretty reliable?

 

[KCJeep]

Originally Posted By: bunnspecial

I have to admit that I get a bit worried about slide velocities on my cheapie RIA 38 Super loaded like it was meant to be loaded. In my circle of friends, RIA 1911s are quite popular, and I'm the odd one out who has a Super. Most die-hard 1911 shooters are quite surprised the first time they shoot a Super as the recoil is quite different from a 45. As mentioned, the familiar 45 recoil is more of a push, while the Super is fairly "snappy."


I shoot a 1911 in Super a lot and I shoot the real stuff, the stuff with the "Super" still in it. Just make sure you have an appropriate recoil spring for Super and you are good to go. Mine has a 14# Wolff in it. I also have a 16# but have not felt the need to use it.

 

[fozzdesy2001]

Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Originally Posted By: fozzdesy2001
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Originally Posted By: Marco620
Goodnight! I like 45 but apparently that aint enough for you. Dan Coonan makes 1911 in 38 Super,357, and 44mag.


Thing is, .45 ACP is not that powerful! It’s a Low-pressure cartridge. That’s why when you shoot a .45, it’s not that sharp of a recoil. More of a shove...unlike, say, .40 S&W, which has the tendency to be sharp and snappy to many people.


In my converted Norinco 1911, I use these loads'

230 grain MAXZ
Sierra JHP Alliant Power Pistol 12 1,280
Hornady FP Alliant Power Pistol 11.9 1,272
Hornady FP Alliant Power Pistol 12 1,311
Sierra JHP Alliant Power Pistol 9.5 1,155

If you have a checkered backstrap you WILL want gloves unless you like the cube stake look! The 460 is a fun and powerful round to shoot but is better with hand loads My favorite load is 10.5 grains of power pistol pushing a 230 grainer, it just plain works.


Awesome!

Pretty reliable?


My Norinco with the Clark 460 kit is very reliable, no jams, failure to feed, and defiantly no failure to eject. My 460 brass goes into low earth orbit and I might find 5 out of 10...the other 5 might have reached escape velocity and are still going! One box of Underwood 460 convinced me that handloading and a Lee factory crimp die is the only way to go with this round. I also stopped using hollow points of any kind because with the massive 26 lb slide spring that big hollow point opening is just asking to catch on something and set the bullet deeper into the case. Those Underwoods were a real handful out of my Norinco, no 460 is good for dumping a clip fast with accuracy, just too much power for that. Nothing about the 460 is gentle it is the limit for a 1911. I would rather blast away 100 rounds in one session with my 6-inch model 29 than 100 rounds of 460 Rolland out of my 1911...but is it accurate and fun to shoot!

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: fozzdesy2001

My Norinco with the Clark 460 kit is very reliable, no jams, failure to feed, and defiantly no failure to eject. My 460 brass goes into low earth orbit and I might find 5 out of 10...the other 5 might have reached escape velocity and are still going! One box of Underwood 460 convinced me that handloading and a Lee factory crimp die is the only way to go with this round. I also stopped using hollow points of any kind because with the massive 26 lb slide spring that big hollow point opening is just asking to catch on something and set the bullet deeper into the case. Those Underwoods were a real handful out of my Norinco, no 460 is good for dumping a clip fast with accuracy, just too much power for that. Nothing about the 460 is gentle it is the limit for a 1911. I would rather blast away 100 rounds in one session with my 6-inch model 29 than 100 rounds of 460 Rolland out of my 1911...but dam is it accurate and fun to shoot!


Haha!

Good stuff, man!

Thanks for sharing!

I'd love to have a Model 29 (blued) with 8-3/8" barrel. No dumb safety lock either.

 

[fins]

I just saw this thread..........

I recently converted one of my 45's to the 460 Rowland
Got the Clark conversion with stainless comp.

 

[bunnspecial]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep

I shoot a 1911 in Super a lot and I shoot the real stuff, the stuff with the "Super" still in it. Just make sure you have an appropriate recoil spring for Super and you are good to go. Mine has a 14# Wolff in it. I also have a 16# but have not felt the need to use it.


Mine is all stock, and I would assume it's good to go for the "real stuff." I don't know what the recoil spring weight is, but I know it's a fair bit stiffer than the RIAs in 45.

It's around 2º outside and the building at work is so cold that my supervisor just told me to leave. I think it's a good day to do some reloading-I have a pound of BE-86 that I haven't opened, so I'm going to see what Alliant says for 38 Super and work up some loads. I suspect it will be a good Super powder, but if not there are always my old stand-bys of Herco and Blue Dot.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: fins
I just saw this thread..........

I recently converted one of my 45's to the 460 Rowland
Got the Clark conversion with stainless comp.




Done much shooting with it yet?

 

[BigdaddyG]

The extra weight and action of the gas on the compensator help slow the slide down. I would expect the kit comes with a heavier recoil spring as well. A heavier hammer sporing can also be used to help slow and delay the slide.

The .460 works and you'll note you can not buy a conversion without the compensator because the slide velocity would be too high and would batter the frame.

You could always pick up a used LAR Grizzly in .45 Win Mag. It's just a larger 1911.

The 10mm cracked frames above the slide stop cut out. So did just about any caliber with enough use. If you look at most production 1911's they have simply cut out the rail portion over the slide stop cut out and problem solved.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: BigdaddyG
The extra weight and action of the gas on the compensator help slow the slide down. I would expect the kit comes with a heavier recoil spring as well. A heavier hammer sporing can also be used to help slow and delay the slide.

The .460 works and you'll note you can not buy a conversion without the compensator because the slide velocity would be too high and would batter the frame.

You could always pick up a used LAR Grizzly in .45 Win Mag. It's just a larger 1911.

The 10mm cracked frames above the slide stop cut out. So did just about any caliber with enough use. If you look at most production 1911's they have simply cut out the rail portion over the slide stop cut out and problem solved.


Good info. Thanks!