1911 38's

[bigted]

Hey can anyone tell me the trick to modifying the 1911 45 Colt auto into shooting and functioning with 38 special's?

I know there is a way to do so but till recent, never cared enough to learn the mod's needed.

Thanks for any info you could lend me.

[DBrown]

Following

[Dan Cash]

Start with LOTS of money and a .38 Super. With luck you will have a wad cutter pistol before the money runs out.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

this thread has some info

http://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php?t=18641

[country gent]

The big thing is finding the right magazines for your conversion and the right springs. There are 2 versions of them The AMU and custom builders made some lock up guns that used the locking lugs and a well modified magazine, also a 5-7 lb recoil spring. Bar sto made the barrels for these. Then colt made a 38 spl gold cup that was blow back operated these used a more standard mag and I think a 16lb recoil spring.

There is a mod to the feed ramp some do. I elieve this was done when the AMU was converting 38 super barrels.

My wadcutter gun is built on a springfield armory GI model. I ran across the bar sto 6" barrel and 2 mags on commercial row. Git a low power spring set 5,6,7,8 lbs. I fitted the barrel to the bushing with a hone. then fitted it to the slide. A little work on the extractor and ejector. Mine feeds and functions very well. and 10 shot groups from the bench can be covered with a 50 cent piece. I settled on the 6 lb spring. 5 lbs was a little brisk and didn't always fully seat, 7 lbs didn't always fully eject.

Do to mag capacity these guns are only capable of 38 wadcutter loads. Any bullet protruding from the case makes them to long. Most are very accurate and easy shooting. Mine has a frame mounted mount and Ultra Dot red dot sight on it. I also installed a cylinder and slide 3 1/2lb trigger kit in it. Made a wide smooth trigger shoe for it also. Last is a guide rod for the recoil spring.

AMU and Marine built guns turn up occasionally for sale along with Clark and other customs. I ran across a couple mags and Bar Sto barrel for 32 S&W a few years ago but passed on them

[wv109323]

There were several paths taken to get there none of them simple or inexpensive.
Colt made a midrange using a special barrel, their own magazine and looked like an 70's Gold Cup.
Some started with a.38 Super but the barrel diameter is not .357. Also breechface and extractor need to be modified. Magazines were highly modified. Clark was a big in manufacturing 38 spec.
You would be better off to buy a used one. Get as many mags as possible.

[Petrol & Powder]

In terms of money expended, you might be better off trying to find a used S&W Model 52.
While a 1911 can be modified to fire 38 Special wadcutters, (and many have gone down that path) it's not a simple or cheap process.

The S&W Model 52 has become a bit rare and they're not inexpensive but just the parts alone to assemble a 38 Spl. 1911 are going to put you in the same territory in terms of money.

[bigted]

Wowww. Guess I am not that enamored. I had hoped it would be a little more simple to do. And WAY less expensive. So guess I will pull back and scribble a line through that item on the list.

Thanks for all the helpfull experience and hints.

[PBlover429]

What P&P said. The 52 is a better target gun and drives tacks. A minty one is 2 grand or so.

[osteodoc08]

As far as money and effort you’re best getting a smith 52 or a Coonan.

[RJM52]

Here is an AMU... They had it advertised as a .38 Super but when I pointed out to them that the magazine was for .38 Special apparently they checked it out and it was a AMU... You could probably make them an offer and they would consider it....

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/803957820