80% 1911 frame for 10mm

[Bhobbs]

So I recently finished an 80% 1911 in .45 ACP and I love it. I've always wanted a 1911 in 10mm, so I'm considering another 80% build. Most of the 1911 80% frames I know of are cast steel or aluminum. My first build was a Tactical Machining frame. Would there be any issue building a 10mm on a cast 80% frame?

[JTROKS]

I suggest not doing aluminum or cast if building a standard 5" barrel with bushing. Cast may last if built with a 6" slide and a bull barrel. A friend's Colt Delta with a forged frame got beat up fast with real 10mm loads. My 5" Caspian 10mm has a bull barrel and 2 port comp and held up well with original 10mm handloads. Caspian frames are cast.

[Bhobbs]

I suggest not doing aluminum or cast if building a standard 5" barrel with bushing. Cast may last if built with a 6" slide and a bull barrel. A friend's Colt Delta with a forged frame got beat up fast with real 10mm loads. My 5" Caspian 10mm has a bull barrel and 2 port comp and held up well with original 10mm handloads. Caspian frames are cast.

I remember reading about the Delta Elite frame issues. I thought that was corrected with the newer versions?

[MosinVirus]

I have no experience with 10mm, but why would a cast frame be a problem?

[Bhobbs]

I have no experience with 10mm, but why would a cast frame be a problem?

10mm has a chamber pressure of 37,500 psi and is known to be hard on frames. I just want to make sure it doesn't crack.

Do you have a YouTube channel? I remember seeing that name on a 1911 build series.

[MosinVirus]

Well that is not much more than .38 super and those get built all the time on cast frames, and get pretty abused in competitions but from what I have seen the frames are ok.

I would think if you go with a better frame (than a TM one) , like the quality of 1911 builders or similar, I haven't seen any voids in those, and would think they would be perfectly fine. And yes, TM frames have had voids. I personally found a couple.

Yes, I do have a youtube channel. That doesn't make me an expert though

[Blade Gunner]

Even the S&W 3rd Gens built specifically to handle the hot 10mm loads, suffered from some frame cracking after extended service.

[MosinVirus]

Ok, but I believe I have seen articles and many specifically call our Delta elite, but also say that the cracks didn't impede functionality. I wouldn't want my frame to have any cracks.

And from the little I understand about the 1911, if you don't want to "hurt" the frame by the slide slamming into it with too much force, there are easy things to do.

From what I see on 10mm builds:

1. Square bottom FP Stop
2. 25# hammer spring
3. 18# recoil spring
4. Shock buff.

I am pretty sure you can also get fancy with altering the hammer and FP stop angle to allow the hammer to over turn a bit in resting position, and this would further slow the slide, but I haven't seen anyone mention it.

I guess I am just trying to understand if there have been other reports of 1911 frames (outside of Cold Delta Elite) cracking.

[Bhobbs]

Well that is not much more than .38 super and those get built all the time on cast frames, and get pretty abused in competitions but from what I have seen the frames are ok.

I would think if you go with a better frame (than a TM one) , like the quality of 1911 builders or similar, I haven't seen any voids in those, and would think they would be perfectly fine. And yes, TM frames have had voids. I personally found a couple.

Yes, I do have a youtube channel. That doesn't make me an expert though

That's a good point about the .38 Super.

I got a TM frame because it wasn't too expensive and if I ruined it, I wouldn't get too upset. I wouldn't mind using a more expensive frame this time around, now that I have some experience. My TM frame was ok, just had some thin areas around the grip safety.

Haha yeah but I liked your videos. I think I watched the whole series.

[JTROKS]

One more feature that enhances safety when building a pistol that can handle real 10mm loads will be a fully supported chamber. Look into 1911/2011s in 10mm built by STI and RIA and they have bull barrels and fully supported chambers.

The difference between the 38 Super and 10mm is that the later shoots heavier bullets. I'm not a physics major but I'm thinking that'll make the slide travel at a greater speed. The gas volume is also greater with the 10mm.

I had a cast frame built as a 38 Super racegun back in the 175 Power Factor days and sad to say that it cracked.

[MosinVirus]

One more feature that enhances safety when building a pistol that can handle real 10mm loads will be a fully supported chamber. Look into 1911/2011s in 10mm built by STI and RIA and they have bull barrels and fully supported chambers.

The difference between the 38 Super and 10mm is that the later shoots heavier bullets. I'm not a physics major but I'm thinking that'll make the slide travel at a greater speed. The gas volume is also greater with the 10mm.

I had a cast frame built as a 38 Super racegun back in the 175 Power Factor days and sad to say that it cracked.

Where did yours crack? Also sounds like a compensator would be wonderful on a 10mm. And it would also slow down the slide.

[JTROKS]

The racegun that cracked was a 1Gen Caspian widebody. The crack started along the trigger bow channel. Caspian did some mods to the gen2 and finalized the Gen3 beefing up the grip with a solid plate.

As I mentioned I have a single stack Caspian in 10mm with a bull barrel and a 2 port compensator. It does slow down the slide velocity some. I had a 40 barrel fitted to it now as I outgrew my obsession with the 10mm. Instead of pushing hot loads that chew up shokbuffs in just a couple of hundred rounds I ended buying a 44 mag revolver. After trying to hotrod that I settled with the power of the 454 Casull. That's about as much power I'd like to be setting off with a handgun.

These are the 10mm left in my safe. The 5" 1911 has a 40 barrel now but all I have to do is install the comped barrel and its back in business. Maybe if I get a chance to hunt feral pigs again I'd have to get some unleaded billets to load up.

[MosinVirus]

Wow, that slide is freaking long... must be a pleasure to shoot

[JTROKS]

It's actually easy to shoot as it is accurate. I don't shoot real 10mm loads out of it anymore for the throating job done at the factory will ruin the brass.

[shutmdown]

sorry to go off topic, but whats the rules on building a 1911 from a 80?