.400 Cor Bon- What's the story?

[lgm270]

Anyone have any experience with the .400 Cor Bon...the .45 ACP necked down to .400?  

I'm thinking of buying a Bar-Sto barrel in that cal for "drop in" into a 1911 frame.

[Mikey]

Igm:  I don't have a very high opinion of the cor-bon pistol stuff, especially thier 400 cor-bon cartridge.  The other day I saw an add for the 40 Super, which looked like a much better cartridge design for the 45 acp bottleneck concept.  The 40 Super appears much closer in concept and application to a cartridge I wildcatted some years back for silhouette, whitetail and bear.  I also saw that Triton makes ammo for this cartrdride.  Personally, I would endeavor to find out a bit more about the 40 Super (and I think Starline seels the brass) and then make a decision about the 400 caor-bon or the 40 Super.  

I don't think the overall design of the cor-bon cartridge is all that great.  It is basically a 40 caliber version of the old 38-45 designed by Jim Clarke a number of years ago and if you don't get a properly chambered barrel you are liable to experience high pressure.  Check out tht 40 Super first - it's a better cartridge design and should be more accurate than the cor-bon round.  HTH.  Mikey.

[JC]

I have an ED Brown drop in barrel for my p14 ltd. With factory ammo with the 135 grain weight it is accurate as all get out, and hot. The fun stop then though anyone with an auto will want to reload and this one can be a bugger. My ramped barrel has a tendency to jam the bullets back into the case. I have found some decent loads for it but none that really made me deel at ease in hog infested woods. You can get a cannalure tool from 4dh tool and die but that is an extra 50 or so. If you want a strong 40 cal go 10mm. Just my thoughts, haven't done any 40 Super so can comment on that.

[Mikey]

JC:  hogs and the 135 gn hp in 10mm or even the 400 Corbon is not a good idea for hog country.  You need a heavier slug to penetrate and that hp won't do it.  

There are some good cast slugs around for the old 38/40 that should work well in the 400 case design, although you will need to be careful of overall cartridge length.  These are in the 170 - 172 grain range.  There is also a Keith style 170 gn RCBS bullet that I just love in that 40 bore.  Driven out to about 1200'/sec or better they should be better medicine than the factory corbon loads.

Also, if your jacketed slugs are being driven back into the case during cycling, your case neck expander is probably too large.

The Corbon case has a long neck and if your sizer is tight but your neck expander too large, even by 1/1000th, your bullets will jam back into the case.  I had to take a .401 diameter neck expander to a machinist to have him take off that 1/1000th inch so it wouldn't open up the case to any more than .400 and I never had a problem with a jammed bullet after that - and my neck was only 1/10" long, not the long neck of the Corbon.  HTH.  Mikey.

[JC]

Thanks Mikey, I have a buddy who is a machinest and I will see if that helps after some careful measuring.  I also agree that 135 is to small for a hog. I have seen them killed with a 30 carbine and a 110 but that was luck and the guy had to change pants after it charged him. I was trying to note that this was the most accurate factory load in my gun.  Bull-X had a 140 lead that I bought a bunch of that I need to keep trying. Well other than info you have given me an excuse to go reload some more. Thanks

[Loader 3009]

I've had a .400 Corbon for several years and like it.  You will need a heavier than standard recoil spring as the recoil is quite sharp.  I have as yet to experience a jam or ftf.

Saw some barrels advertised for $69 on the net....do a search.  You might want to get a barrel link set from Brownell's as most barrels come without a link.

[JOE MACK]

Hmmm. I have what's probably the precursor to the .400 Corbon. It's the .41Avenger from SSK. J.D. launched this long before Peter Pi got rolling on the .400 Corbon. It's best when .45 Winchester Magnum brass is trimmed and formed as it has the proper neck. It can be made with .45ACP brass, but the neck is a little shorter. I use either cast 170gr TC bullets or from my remaing hoard of Speer 180gr JHC. I've been thinking of giving .45Super brass a try. :grin:

[Mikey]

JOE MACK - yep, the 41 Avenger was a precursor to the 400 CorBon, and I think there was at least one other in addition to the cartridge I developed back in 19and 78.  My problem was that I corresponded on this development to a knifemaker named Bob Loveless, in kalifornika, who then wrote about it to a known gun writer who passed on the information to Peter Pi, who then went and screwed up the design and called it the 400 CorBon.  Actually, I think the CorBon cartridge is simply a necked up 38-45, the one developed by Bob Clarke a long number of years ago.  

Your 41 Avenger based on 45 Magnum brass with a 170 gn hp should be an excellent field load, and accurate to boot.  Have you ever chrono-ed your loads???  Mikey.

[JOE MACK]

Took a 180gr.JHP to 1150fps then got distracted by something else.