If we hot rod the 45acp/1911 with hotter ammo it wasn't designed for don't we beat the gun up? I still like the 45acp and would rust my life with it. I wonder without seeing the ballastics how does the 45acp 185gr+P ammo ballastics compare to the 40cal and the 10mm rounds. Stopping power wise? I figure with the 185gr+P the 1911 in 45acp is the best it can be power wise but i maybe wrong. I never ventured past the 230gr FMJ's or is there a heavier cast bullet that has more umph?
Hi again,
No problems to "hot rod" a 45acp in a 1911, they are a great design, but it has to be done properly, a poorly fitted barrel, without enough locking lug engagement, poor link and hoof fitting etc will see you beat up a 1911 pretty fast, the barrel will go first, the locking lugs will round off, then the whole thing goes to hell in a handbasket, takedown pins break, lower lugs crack from barrels and then "experts" blame a poor design. WRONG.
All of the parts in the lock, fire and unlock work together, dropping in a surplus barrel will work most of the time, but not much good to "hot-rod" as the unsupported chamber and brass designed for low operating presures will see buldged cases and such pretty fast.
To do one properly, and I dont mean destroying a Union switch and signal or Singer WW2 issue, I mean a late model, dime a dozen Kimber or Springfield ( by dime a dozen, I mean still in manufacture with no colector value), you need a fully supported barrel, a Bar-Sto, schueman, Lissner (aussie) or alike, and have it fitted, or fit and get it done right, full lug engagement, hand fitted lower lugs etc. Every part will effect the next, the link must be correct for the locking lug, the hood length, barrel taper etc will control timing which will allow higher pressuers to be run safely.
You must also use good quality late model brass, it is thicker than old GI brass, dont try to hot up 50 year old remington stuff, you are just asking for trouble.
Running buffer pads and a "recoil reducing" guide rod, such as a Sprinco brand, will also help preserve the frame from being beat to death. change your recoil spring and buffer every 1000 round or so, they are cheap, a few dollars each, use good springs, the wolf springs are great, and again, cheap.
The 45 can be pushed pretty hard when all of the above is done, many 45's were used in IPSC and Bowling pin for years using 200 gr projectiles at well over 1200 fps, with great accuracy, I had a Clark barrel and slide on a Colt frame, race setup but no optics, would group under 2" at 50 yards. Fitted by a bloke who knew what he was doing.
My smith built STI will return to battery with the barrel in the same spot every time, I have measured it with a dial depth gauge, it is under 0.0005" variation shot to shot, again fitted by a master, Peter Murphey, RIP. This gun has zero perceivable play, slide to frame feels like one bit of metal, the barrel can not be pushed down at all when in battery, shake it and it wont rattle, however, every part just moves like it is teflon coated, no drag, hang up or binding, this gun is all stainless , both slide and frame, zero galling, it is mechanical perfection. I do like it. It does shoot, better than I ever can, I would love to machine rest it, I think it would keep most things honest to 75 yards.
If a 45 is done right, it will equal the 40 all day long and give the 10mm a scare, but the 10mm is a "HOT HOT HOT rod" from the factory, huge rifle like presures make it hard to beat, but recoil is strong, brass is $$$ etc, the 10mm from the factory is about as hot as you could every need, hand loading would be wild.
If you want to hear and shoot a real cracker jack, get a 9x25dillon, 90-100gr projectiles at 2100fps, noise that cannot be described, a shock wave from a compensated IPSC gun that will literally blow your hair back, your glasses and muffs off. They were banned from our club due to noise complaints, and punching holes in the popers.
As for the 9x23, it is a round I have never owned, but I do use the cases, as they are much thicker than 38super, which is based on the old 38ACP case, the Starline 38 Supercomp case has pretty well got it covered now.
The 9x23 feed better from the hi cap mags, as the rim is rebated like the 9x19, the 38 super has a protruding rim, which can cause hang up in the mag and is harder to get under the extractor at times, the 9x23 just feeds. it can handle higher presures, feeds better and will function in most 38 super guns, some may require the extractor to be tuned, most wont though.
Great cal, sort of made redundant due to Starline and Hornady making cases that fix the small issues the 38 super had, but still a great round.
Take care.
