RIA 38 super to 9mm

[CptDan]

You might have to refit the extractor for the 9 as the 38 super is a semi rimmed cartridge. I ended up going with the 38 super comp brass because the semi rimmed cartridge is sometimes a PITA. the super comp cartridge has the same base as the 9

[sghart]

I did this conversion on my RIA 38 Super. It is the older version with the non-ramped barrel. The barrels were not available from ARMSCOR so I went with this one from Midway:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1005748725?pid=465068

I used this link:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1005761014?pid=448108

The toggle link pins come in two diameters, .156 and .158 if I remember correctly. I ordered both to be safe and ended up using the large one.

It was very easy and truly a drop in install for me.

I use the original 38 Super magazines. They feed perfectly. I did not have to adjust the extractor at all.

It has been very reliable and very accurate for me.

[walmart_ar15]

I would also recommend staying with RIA 9mm barrel if caliber change for RIA 38 Super. RIA manufacture their parts heavily with CNC machines with good QA/QC control thus resulting their parts being 99% interchangeable.

That said, I swapped the 38 super barrel for my RIA 38 Super with Sarco Roto brand 9mm barrel, non-ramped, with 100% reliability. No springs, ejector change.

I would recommend buying good quality 9mm mags tho. 38 Super is a longer round compared to 9mm thus the "release" from the mag lips dimension is different. Require 9mm to jump a longer "gap" before chamber with 38 super mag. It will likely work 90% of the time, if your extractor is tuned correctly. Thus depends what you are using it for.

+1 on knowing if the 38 Super comes in ramped or non-ramped barrel.

[smle-man]

I would also recommend staying with RIA 9mm barrel if caliber change for RIA 38 Super. RIA manufacture their parts heavily with CNC machines with good QA/QC control thus resulting their parts being 99% interchangeable.

That said, I swapped the 38 super barrel for my RIA 38 Super with Sarco Roto brand 9mm barrel, non-ramped, with 100% reliability. No springs, ejector change.

I would recommend buying good quality 9mm mags tho. 38 Super is a longer round compared to 9mm thus the "release" from the mag lips dimension is different. Require 9mm to jump a longer "gap" before chamber with 38 super mag. It will likely work 90% of the time, if your extractor is tuned correctly. Thus depends what you are using it for.

+1 on knowing if the 38 Super comes in ramped or non-ramped barrel.

My RIA .38 to 9mm worked fine with .38 magazines, 100%.

[Robert1234]

1911 parts are designed to be fitted for tighter tolerances, which means they come intentionally slightly oversized. If you get a drop-in barrel for 1911, you pretty much know it is going to be a loose fit. It might or might not affect accuracy and feeding.

Glocks and other polymer guns are built by one company using their own dimensions and their own tolerances so that parts are truly drop in. If there were multiple manufacturers and they had slightly different tolerances, it would all fall apart. 1911s are more of a "base platform" on which specific guns are built. That's why there are ramped and non-ramped barrels, series 70 and 80 (with additional safety) designs, different angles and radiuses of the beaver tail, slightly different locking lugs, etc. A few thousands of an inch here and there, and parts are not truly interchangeable.

So, back to your RIA, to the extent that ALL RIA-s are exactly the same dimensions and tolerances and the same fit and finish (where small parts of metal are shaved off), you might be able to get a decent drop-in that works. If there is any variation in the core manufacturing, some guns will work better and some worse when you put in a "generic size" part. That's just the nature of the variances in the production of 1911s.

Personally, I would have the barrel fitted by a gunsmith, the rest of the conversion you can do yourself.

Browse the interwebz or a Brownell's catalog and you'll find that there are numerous companies making all parts of Glocks, even frames. Slides, barrels, internal parts, sights, all made by multiple companies. 99% of these parts are drop in.

And there are companies making essentially "Glock" copies, RIA has their aluminum model that is supposed to use Glock parts, and this isn't even accounting for the 80% Glock frames.

So it has little to do with single manufacturer, it's more along the lines that people want 1911 type guns to be free of any play between the moving parts, so companies make parts oversize to allow fitting. Same people are willing to accept play in Glocks.

Whether it makes a difference or not is probably depending on how well the gun was built, I've had Glocks that were super accurate out of the box, and Glocks that were ridiculously inaccurate, so go figure. Same with 1911s, I've had guns that weren't super tight, but were super accurate, and seen guns that were super tight, but weren't necessarily super accurate.

[jimmykan]

Just to see if it would work, I shot 9mm ammo in my 38 Super RIA 1911 without changing the barrel or anything.

The extractor held the 9mm cartridge against the breech face, so the round was not loose in the 38 Super chamber.

Shot 3 or 4 rounds like that, and it cycled too. Not saying it was safe, but it worked.

[IVC]

^^^ People shoot .40 out of 10mm barrels all the time. Same principle.

[Robert1234]

Just to see if it would work, I shot 9mm ammo in my 38 Super RIA 1911 without changing the barrel or anything.

The extractor held the 9mm cartridge against the breech face, so the round was not loose in the 38 Super chamber.

Shot 3 or 4 rounds like that, and it cycled too. Not saying it was safe, but it worked.

Probably not unsafe, but may result in reliability issues at some point. Or not.

[walmart_ar15]

My RIA .38 to 9mm worked fine with .38 magazines, 100%.

Of course it does, until it doesn't. Here is a picture showing the difference of a 38 Super to 9 mm magazine. Note the difference where the round is released.



Normally the round's nose contact the ramp before it is pushed up (released) into the breach face to ensure hold and alignment to the chamber (how JMB designed it). Without contacting the ramp, there is potential to cause a stove pipe or nose dive. Why it works 90% of the time because the round is held by the extractor against the breach face to jump across the "gap" while shooting stationary. Thus, it can work most of the time, just depends on how much reliability is needed. Range toy, why not. Using it for dash and shoot, or competition involves movements, probably not.

[walmart_ar15]

Just to see if it would work, I shot 9mm ammo in my 38 Super RIA 1911 without changing the barrel or anything.

The extractor held the 9mm cartridge against the breech face, so the round was not loose in the 38 Super chamber.

Shot 3 or 4 rounds like that, and it cycled too. Not saying it was safe, but it worked.

Shoot too many 9's this way will gum up the chamber, especially if shooting lead. Bullet gets shaved ever time it passes the ledge where the case is head spaced.

Reliability wise, if the extractor gets loose, the round get stuck in the chamber and need to be rodded out.

The danger comes when switching back to 38 super that may jam the bullet due to the gum and cause an overpressure.

It is like shooting 38 special out of a 357 wheel gun. Eventually, the cylinder is so gummed up, you will not be able to fit a 357 round anymore.

[JTROKS]

Just to see if it would work, I shot 9mm ammo in my 38 Super RIA 1911 without changing the barrel or anything.

The extractor held the 9mm cartridge against the breech face, so the round was not loose in the 38 Super chamber.

Shot 3 or 4 rounds like that, and it cycled too. Not saying it was safe, but it worked.

Your 38 Super has one heck of a loose chamber if it chambered and cycled the 9mm ammo. I have two 38 Super(Comp) race guns and every now and then a 9mm, 9x23 slips pass my eyes when reloading. Usually catch them during plunk test.

[smle-man]

Of course it does, until it doesn't. Here is a picture showing the difference of a 38 Super to 9 mm magazine. Note the difference where the round is released.



Normally the round's nose contact the ramp before it is pushed up (released) into the breach face to ensure hold and alignment to the chamber (how JMB designed it). Without contacting the ramp, there is potential to cause a stove pipe or nose dive. Why it works 90% of the time because the round is held by the extractor against the breach face to jump across the "gap" while shooting stationary. Thus, it can work most of the time, just depends on how much reliability is needed. Range toy, why not. Using it for dash and shoot, or competition involves movements, probably not.

Yep, multi year reliabily, say 7,8 years is pointless experience. Mine worked yours doesn't, oh well.

[Sailormilan2]

When I did mine, I used a barrel from Numrich. Very nice stainless steel barrel, that I suspect is an over run from a name brand 1911 parts maker. However, it is a full fit barrel.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1434530A

When I did the same for my Commander slide, I used a barrel from Remsport. It's not a complete drop in though. The hood must be shortened a bit with a file, which is not hard.

https://www.tr-enabling.com/product-p/ba-p-1911-9-5.htm

The kicker is that all of my aftermarket barrels, 9mm, 38 Super, 10mm, and 45 acp, have needed to have the chamber finish reamed. Which means an added cost of getting a reamer and gauges.
I have not had to ream one of Rock's drop in barrels, so that is another argument in their favor. For simple ease of installation, I would go with a Rock Island barrel. It should be fine.

The recoil spring with the 38 Super may work just fine. But it may not. I would suggest getting the 1911 recoil spring pack from Klonimus on eBay, and then you have choice of springs to use if the 38 Super spring is too heavy.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/222294280146?

[Got ammo?]

Mine is a RIA 38 Super. I got a 9 mm RIA barrel from Ebay, dropped right in and functions perfectly. Also got one Tripp Research Cobra 9mm magazine. It is a 10 rounder, but getting all ten in it is difficult. And 9 mm rounds feed perfectly fine from the 38 Super mags.

[walmart_ar15]

Yep, multi year reliabily, say 7,8 years is pointless experience. Mine worked yours doesn't, oh well.

Happy for you.