Full Auto 1911

Yes the 1911 has been converted to FA, as have many other semi auto guns.


I'd tell you how to do it but then I'd have to shoot you.

I seem to recall seeing a picture of a 1911 (John Dillinger's?) modified for full auto with a snail drum magazine.

It's actually pretty easy to get a 1911 to go full auto. Kitchen table gunsmiths manage to do it often.

Auto426 said:

It's actually pretty easy to get a 1911 to go full auto. Kitchen table gunsmiths manage to do it often.

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...and occasionally, I suspect, done by accident by "kitchen table" gunsmiths who don't know enough about them before they start making modifications. (No, I haven't done it myself by accident or on purpose.)

There were a couple at a school I attended once. Seriously NOT fun to shoot or control as a standard dimensioned and accessorized handgun.

I think at least one of Dillinger's had a Thompson fore-grip, lengthened barrel and freakishly long mag.

It was also .38 super.

...and occasionally, I suspect, done by accident by "kitchen table" gunsmiths who don't know enough about them before they start making modifications. (No, I haven't done it myself by accident or on purpose.)

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That's what I was referring too. Every now and then you will see someone who decided to do their own trigger job or started bending springs in order to get a lighter trigger pull, and they scare the crap out of themselves when they pull that trigger and dump an entire mag. Moral of the story is, if you don't what your doing stay out of your guns fire control parts.

Ive only seen the .45 "Machine Pistol" they made for the movie "Public Enemies" which was about John Dillinger. There are some very small, poor quality images of the real gun Dillinger carried but it was chambered in .38 Super.

As i recall the movie gun was chambered in .45ACP simply because there arent any blank fire .38 Super guns in movie inventories and it was just easier to convert a .45. Dillinger isnt actually seen using the gun, its only seen in the hands of Baby Face Nelson.

Still, cant say itd be a practical gun, eitherway.

Some info here, at Internet Movie Firearms Database:
http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Public_Enemies#Dillinger.27s_Colt_.38_Super_.22Machine_Pistol.22
Dillinger's Colt .38 Super "Machine Pistol"

Bio note on the gunsmith who made them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_S._Lehman

A man named Hyman Lebman made a number of full auto 1911's for sale to gangsters. Dillnger and Nelson both owned Lebman full auto 1911's. He made them in both .45acp and 38 Super for various customers.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_S._Lehman

I had one that went full-auto after about 100 rounds (without my help, I might add). A new sear fixed it though....

That pic looks incredibly impractical, but hey, guys still buy gold plated Desert Eagles, so.....

txgunsuscg said:

I had one that went full-auto after about 100 rounds (without my help, I might add). A new sear fixed it though....

That pic looks incredibly impractical, but hey, guys still buy gold plated Desert Eagles, so.....

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Ooh, full auto gold plated Desert Eagles... now we're cooking!

Neat!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXh3nRd1K8U

As i recall the movie gun was chambered in .45ACP simply because there arent any blank fire .38 Super guns in movie inventories and it was just easier to convert a .45. Dillinger isnt actually seen using the gun, its only seen in the hands of Baby Face Nelson.

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The FA 1911 movie gun was 9mm.

I have never fired a .45 FA pistol, but I have fired 9mm and 7.63mm pistols in full auto. Anyone thinking of converting a pistol to FA needs another thought, not only because it is illegal in the US but because the result is a totally useless gun, even with a shoulder stock. The first shot goes on target, the rest of the magazine goes... somewhere.

Fun, if you can arrange for someone else to pay for the ammo.

Jim

That seems kinda pointless to have such a low capacity FA

Jim K said:

I have never fired a .45 FA pistol, but I have fired 9mm and 7.63mm pistols in full auto. Anyone thinking of converting a pistol to FA needs another thought, not only because it is illegal in the US but because the result is a totally useless gun, even with a shoulder stock. The first shot goes on target, the rest of the magazine goes... somewhere.

Fun, if you can arrange for someone else to pay for the ammo.

Jim

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While you're right in the case of most shooters, I personally know more than a handful of people who can easily keep all 32 rds out of a G18C on a man sized target at self defense ranges doing a mag dump. Using the trigger sparingly and firing short bursts, several of them can keep all rounds on a man sized target at much greater distances.

Unfortunately I've never had the chance to personally see other FA pistols in action, but considering my local PD has at least 2 available to them I have the opportunity to see G18's in action from time to time.

I saw a guy bump fire a 1911. Seems like a waste of ammo.

IIRC, in a 1911, full auto is a malfunction condition called "hammer follow".

I would do my best to avoid it.

I don't deny it is possible, with enough practice (see above about someone else buying the ammo), and at "self defense" range (not sure what that is), but I wonder if those folks could keep the full mag on a man size target at, say, 25 yards.

Jim

I think the idea was more about having a concealable 25 or 30 round weapon that could be walked into a bank. As with any FA weapon, you'd fire it in short 2 or 3 round bursts.

I recall, and NOT internet hype, more than one person I heard of in the last 50 years has shot themselves in the head with an accidental FA 1911. I witnessed an older gent almost do it with the pistol still firing over his head slightly as it rode up about 75 degrees in the 6 shots that discharged. That Dillinger configuration was built for a reason. Ain't no Glock 18!