Posted: 2/9/2009 6:06:06 PM EDT
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Ok, have seen a few posts that hint or suggest this, and one picture thread of an example, but looking at it objectively, this should not be too hard if: you start out with a frame ready to be fit, and three slides with each of the three breechfaces (9, 40 and 45). It should be a simple matter to fit each slide to the frame, and whichever barrels you intend to use to the slide/barrel combo. Then, it is just a matter of removing the ejector when swapping slides/calibers, correct? Or am I missing something? Yes, you could just get a gun in each caliber, but what if you don't want to?
D-R |
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If you fit all three slides at the same time, it's not that bad to do. I don't loctite my extractors. The slide holds the pin in place and the pin holds the extractor in place without fail. You only need to swap them from 9mm/.40 to .45. The 9 and 40 use the same extractor.
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Quoted:
If you fit all three slides at the same time, it's not that bad to do. I don't loctite my extractors. The slide holds the pin in place and the pin holds the extractor in place without fail. You only need to swap them from 9mm/.40 to .45. The 9 and 40 use the same extractor. Sorry if my question is a newbish but I am polymer pistol guy that has recently seen the glory of all things 1911 
How difficult is the swap and does it affect reliability? Monk |
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Quoted:
If you fit all three slides at the same time, it's not that bad to do. I don't loctite my extractors. The slide holds the pin in place and the pin holds the extractor in place without fail. You only need to swap them from 9mm/.40 to .45. The 9 and 40 use the same extractor. I shot a few hundred down range on my ipsc gun before I noticed the gun did not have the extractor] ejector pin installed. The slide will keep the ejector in place. I would not recommend such practice on a carry pistol, but for 500 rounds I had no jams of any kind. 3 complete slides and 3 barrels add up then you have fees to fit the barrels, slides and frame. |
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Well, it would probably be cheaper to buy several entry level guns but if you got the money you could look into SVI's interchangable breechface. About halfway down the page http://www.sviguns.com/1101.php?indx=8 Quoted: Ok, have seen a few posts that hint or suggest this, and one picture thread of an example, but looking at it objectively, this should not be too hard if: you start out with a frame ready to be fit, and three slides with each of the three breechfaces (9, 40 and 45). It should be a simple matter to fit each slide to the frame, and whichever barrels you intend to use to the slide/barrel combo. Then, it is just a matter of removing the ejector when swapping slides/calibers, correct? Or am I missing something? Yes, you could just get a gun in each caliber, but what if you don't want to? D-R |
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Wow. That's it. I had no idea that sort of thing even existed. Long story short, have been intrigued by the Sig P250, and its claims to be a "modular" pistol, but Sig has been taking their sweet time getting these things out to market. I felt that there is no reason you could not do the same sort of thing with a 1911, and here is the proof. So instead of needing 2 different slides (a .45 and a 9mm/.38S with breechface opened .012" to function with .40) you can do one slide, one set of sights, and just fit different barrels to it. Ejector sounds like it should not be a problem, use standard staking method after thinning a .38S or 9mm ejector down to clear slide:
http://forum.m1911.org/archive/index.php/t-1317.html Tune, and enjoy. Only need to swap extractors and barrels, and possibly mags (though some more digging has shown you can use good quality .38S mags in .40 and 9mm). The feedramp is possibly sounding like the only problem, but weren't early 9mm Combat Commanders built on the same frame as the .45 (unramped barrels, feedramp on the frame)? Sounds like some judicious tweaking, TLC and polishing would enable a gent to get a triple caliber 1911 working like a sewing machine! I noticed the SVI breechface has several different tolerances for each caliber- would it be best to go on the high or low end of the tolerance range for an everyday use gun (function with the widest variety of ammo, etc.?) Thanks for the heads up on this! D-R |
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There is an easier approach, though it is a little bit sloppy. My Delta Elite is chambered for 10mm, and a barrel/spring/mag swap gives me a .40 S&W. Then, a 357 SIG barrel allows me to shoot that cartridge. So far, nothing unusual. Now for some thing completely different! a 9mm barrel/bushing/spring/mag will drop right in, as will a .38 Super barrel/etc.
This is just for range use, of course. For serious use, I would only trust the original 10mm. The ejector is too short for the .40S&W/357SIG/9mm, and the breech face is very sloppy for the 9mm/38 Super. Still, mine has been very reliable. I know, this doesn't get the .45. Oh well, you can't have everything. It is as cheap a convertible setup as I have been able to come up with, and is also one that uses unramped barrels. I am lucky, my extractor works well with all these cartridges. That may not always be the case. I am amazed that it is so reliable with such a variety of rim sizes. It is kind of picky about ammo in some of the alternate calibers, but will shoot FMJ quite well. Not a big problem, since I consider it a range toy only. Except in its original configuration, of course. |
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Quoted:
Any way to get the ejector to work in multiple calibers, or make it quick release/easier to remove? How does the feedramp angle differ from .45 to 9? Are there any specs/drawings that will illustrate optimal angles/geometries? D-R The big problem with the GM ejectors is that the .45 is shorter in height than the 9mm, etc. So the slide is cut to match. So you can't just throw on a 45 slide with the 9mm ejector installed because the higher 9mm part gets in the way. It's not so much the actual angle differences, but the physical height. One way around this is to use a Commander. The ejector heights on all the Commanders are the same for .45,9mm and .38. So you can make a .45-9mm-38 out of a Commander and not have to swap ejectors. Tuning is definately required for this, but I've seen it done. |