Multi caliber 1911

[Lost In The Pits]

With SSE coming to an end soon I need to know if I need to act now. I love shooting my Sig 1911 the .45 is just a blast to play with, but .45 isn't cheap and I would like to shoot more often and I have been considering a full size 9mm 1911. My only thing holding me back is how many people on the internet say the .38 super is better then the 9mm in reliability, accuracy, and power. It's on the internet so it must be true. I only have one SSE left vacant this year and want to know my options. I have a few questions and hopefully CG can answer them.

1. Can I just buy a .45 pistol that's on roster and have a smith fit a new slide to the frame and use different mags? I'm not sure about this because I don't know if the internal frame ramp of the .45 would have difficulty reliably feeding a 9 or a .38.

2. Can I buy one of the few on roster 9mm 1911's and have a smith fit a new slide in .38? I'm aware that the .38 is larger diameter if needed could a smith enlarge the frame ramp. Not sure if this would in turn lower 9mm feeding reliability

3. Just SSE a .38 and be done with it and later get a 9mm as well.

4. I could try to find someone with a 9mm and PPT. But this doesn't sound that easy as they don't come up that often in the marketplace.

5. Probably cheapest and least preferred method for my self. Just have a smith fit a barrel and bushing to a .45 slide. This seems to the most common method I could find in my research and also somewhat the least reliable to me. My biggest concerns where extraction problems and FTF and fire because the the cartridges are very different in dimensions the extractor would not have enough tension to grip and the firing pin could not reach the shorter 9mm.

So what are your suggestions everyone I'm open to hearing your input I just want to get out and shoot more.

[Sikvenum93]

My vote goes to just buying a brand new 9mm 1911. That way you have one gun for each hand! I'd say if you want more versatility go with the .38 super. Most of the parts are interchangeable with 9mm. Only reason why I got a 9mm 1911 was because it was on sale and I knew I wouldn't shoot .38 super because the ammo is more expensive.

[davidb]

im thinking a 45 to 9 would be doable but require a new slide

going with a 38 to begin with allows a simpler conversion to 9mm with just barrel change (although id have a bushing fit for the new barrel as well) and could also get a 7.62x25 barrel for it for 3 cal. options

if it were me, and i did go through this decision, id get both a .45 and 9mm 1911...i personally have no need for .38 or 7.62, and prefer dedicated fitearms vs conversion units

[bwhited]

Generally the 45 is an unsupported barrel and the 9mm and 38 super use a supported chamber.
It is not an issue to convert a 45 frame to use a supported barrel but it would require a supported 45 barrel to work after the conversion.
My first choice is always another firearm. That way, if one has an issue the other can still be used till the first one can be repaired.
Converting a between 9mm and 38 super, or its variants is easy. Normally it just takes fitting a new barrel and link, normally also a link pin to make conversion easy.

With SSE coming to an end soon I need to know if I need to act now. I love shooting my Sig 1911 the .45 is just a blast to play with, but .45 isn't cheap and I would like to shoot more often and I have been considering a full size 9mm 1911. My only thing holding me back is how many people on the internet say the .38 super is better then the 9mm in reliability, accuracy, and power. It's on the internet so it must be true. I only have one SSE left vacant this year and want to know my options. I have a few questions and hopefully CG can answer them.

1. Can I just buy a .45 pistol that's on roster and have a smith fit a new slide to the frame and use different mags? I'm not sure about this because I don't know if the internal frame ramp of the .45 would have difficulty reliably feeding a 9 or a .38.

2. Can I buy one of the few on roster 9mm 1911's and have a smith fit a new slide in .38? I'm aware that the .38 is larger diameter if needed could a smith enlarge the frame ramp. Not sure if this would in turn lower 9mm feeding reliability

3. Just SSE a .38 and be done with it and later get a 9mm as well.

4. I could try to find someone with a 9mm and PPT. But this doesn't sound that easy as they don't come up that often in the marketplace.

5. Probably cheapest and least preferred method for my self. Just have a smith fit a barrel and bushing to a .45 slide. This seems to the most common method I could find in my research and also somewhat the least reliable to me. My biggest concerns where extraction problems and FTF and fire because the the cartridges are very different in dimensions the extractor would not have enough tension to grip and the firing pin could not reach the shorter 9mm.

So what are your suggestions everyone I'm open to hearing your input I just want to get out and shoot more.

[chuckdc]

I've actually done the .45 to 9mm thing. The best way to do it is with a 9mm barrel and 9mm/.38 slide, as you can get the ejector and extractor to work properly without having to do anything exotic. I got mine (oddly enough) as a "kit" off of eBay. It's a Springfield complete top end. You do also need to change ejectors during a caliber change (they are completely different and will NOT interchange with a .45 slide!).

Shooting the 9mm is a kick. It is a lot like shooting a .22 in terms of recoil, and uses a REALLY light recoil spring (maybe a 12#).

You'll end up having to fit the slide and barrel to the frame. My kit did NOT have a ramp on the barrel, so I was able to do all the fitting at home without involving the services of a 'smith. Took a bit of work to get it to feed the 147 grain subsonic HP stuff, everything else worked without a lot of work.

I also have a Colt .22 conversion unit for mine, one of the originals with the "floating chamber", so I have 3 calibers readily available.

[SimonBirch]

Get a 38 super and buy a 9mm barrel with the link

[Click Boom]

Doesn't the 22 tcm RIA come with a 9mm barrel? Takes the same mags. That might be fun.

[dpop24]

Don't buy a new gun, but a reloading set up and start making .45 for less than the cost of new factory 9mm.

[BEE]

10mm and have a smith fit a 40s&w barrel

[Treb5]

Get a 38 super and buy a 9mm barrel with the link

I agree..

[Lost In The Pits]

I pretty much just want a 9mm 1911 so I'm fine with purchasing a new pistol, but to go back to my second option will a .38 feed with the 9mm internal ramp? it's only a little bigger and if the ramp is opened will the 9mm still feed. Because I don't mine having caliber variety getting a new slide for range fun.

[Mot Mi]

Ria makes a 38 that is on roster and you have the option to buy the 9mm barrel and have both 38 and 9 utilizing the same magazine, frame, and slide. Please correct me if I am wrong about the magazine being compatible with 9mm.

[Mot Mi]

Doesn't the 22 tcm RIA come with a 9mm barrel? Takes the same mags. That might be fun.

Omg, you Sig!!!!!!!! Sorry to side track your thread OP but got damn that sig of ClickBooms. Now, that's what you call jiggly approve!

[Click Boom]

Hypnotizeeeeee

[Lost In The Pits]

It's still on roster but does anyone know if Springfield still produces .38 super's?