Make my Springfield 1911 9mm into a 45?

BigUglyMan

BigUglyMan

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I can't see why it's not possible. I'm curious if I can change my Springfield 1911 from a 9mm to 45ACP. Should be as simple as swapping barrels, mags and maybe a recoil spring, right? Or is there something I'm missing? Anyone try it before?
 
The breech face is of a different size (9mm cartridge uses small primers while .45 uses large), so the slide would not be compatible. The frame is also not compatible because the feedramp is too large to feed the 9mm bullet reliably.

Unfortunately, you need a whole new gun.
 
.88 magnum said:
The frame is fine for either cartridge. They are all the same. Top end needs to be caliber specific, as does the ejector.
Click to expand...


Din, ding, ding - a winner!!! Thanks Johnny Dangerously...

The size of the primer has nothing to do with your caliber conversion; as JD has stated it is the size of the breech face. As an example, the .40 S&W and the 10mm Auto (loaded properly, the only TRUE Man's Auto cartridge :stirthepot2:) can be used with the same slide, hwever the .40 uses a small primer while the 10mm (tah dah) uses a large primer.

The 1911 frame is by far the most versatile insofar as adaptability to different calibers. At one time I had a single frame set up for .22LR. 9x19, 9x23, 9x25 Dillon, 10mm, .45ACP and .400 Cor-Bon...


blake
 
This is, as everyone has said, an easy conversion. With that said, 45acp to 9mm isn't that easy as you may have reliability problems. Lastly, with any 1911 9mm or 45acp conversion you may have slide/frame problems that effect your accuracy. Regards, Richard:)
 
I converted a colt 80 series from .45 to 9 a couple of years ago.... zero problems so far. It's alot cheaper to shoot.

B U M, check your inbox.
 
With the 9mm Springfields being so hard to get here, why would you want to change it to a 45? It would retain it's value if you kept it the way it is. It's already worth more than a 45 of the same model and features.

Now if you wanted to go from a 45 to 9mm, that wouldn't be so bad as 45 Springfields are relatively easy to get on this side of the border.

Aside from the slide, he will have to swap out the ejector on the frame, too. The 45 one is a lot shorter. Other than that he should be set to go.
 
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Armco has STI parts for this swap, taken off Spartans. - actually, yeah, he'll sell you a tuned Norc for about the same cash.
 
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