Is a zinc alloy frame as strong as polymer?

NO!
Don't even think about it.

The plastic guns with plastic grips have real steel frame rails & locking blocks molded & pinned inside them.

If your zinc .22 frame lets go with a .45 ACP slide & barrel recoiling to the rear at high speed?

You will be wearing it stuck out of your right eye hole bone, all the way to the ER, or autopsy.

rc

What RC said!

If pot metal could take the recoil without cracking, you'd think there would be even one model of centerfire handgun made with it.

If pot metal could take the recoil without cracking, you'd think there would be even one model of centerfire handgun made with it.

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There are, but they're generally not very well regarded (think Jennings, Bryco, etc).

Just to reiterate though, if you're particularly interested in keeping all your limbs and/or digits attached I'd give up on this quest now. If you want a .45ACP 1911, then break down and buy one of the real ones with a steel frame that's actually designed to handle centerfire pressure.

Wow, proved wrong by a Jennings... I stand corrected!

At least there will be a story to tell at BBQs with a patch over an empty eye socket.

"The actual slide, barrel and mags from the GSG will swap over to a .45 1911 and fire."

I hope the company did something to prevent the reverse from working. Of course, if the .45 slide would fit and fire on that soft frame, I suppose the shooter (or his heirs) could sue for negligence for "letting" someone do something like that.

Jim

I am not a medical doctor.
And I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

But I'm here to tell you, if you get a 1911 slide in the eye, you won't be going to anymore BBQ's.

rc

Why not stop there? My $15 Crossman Airsoft pistol is an exact replica of a 1911--I can even swap grip panels with it. Its "polymer" frame might be see-through, but I wonder if I can use it with my Colt 1991 slide?

I doubt any .45acp ammo would fit into the .22lr mag of the GSG 1911-22 anyway

usp9 said:

I doubt any .45acp ammo would fit into the .22lr mag of the GSG 1911-22 anyway

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Probably not... But the magwell is large enough to fit a .45ACP magazine (with one minor problem). I just tried with mine, and for some reason the mag will only go about halfway in, there's something blocking it from being fully inserted.

Being the responsible gun owner I am I can't find my little toolbag containing the allen wrench that came with the gun to field strip it and investigate further, I'm also too lazy to go out and search my toolbox for another allen wrench.

So the mystery must go unsolved for now.

Edit, found the darn toolbag.

Seems that GSG designed the top half of the magwell to be juuuust small enough to keep someone like the OP from inserting a .45ACP mag without modifying the gun.

Zinc alloy is pot metal...not intended for firearms manufacturing, e.g., Lorcin, etc.

I don't want to shoot .22lr out of pot metal guns, much less .45 ACP.

Sometimes, ya gotta let Darwin perform his magic..............

Slightly unrelated question to the OP, how does the GSG upper slide assembly shoot on a regular 1911 frame?

Seems to me the barrel wouldn't be as stable vertically since it's lacking the extra pin+screw that help hold it in place on the GSG frame.

Its "polymer" frame might be see-through, but I wonder if I can use it with my Colt 1991 slide?

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Ah man, I was thinking of trying the same thing!

Arp32 said:

Wow, proved wrong by a Jennings... I stand corrected!

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Don't sweat it, Jennings never made a pistol chambered for .45acp, nor did any of the following companies after they were sued out of existance by anti gun groups.

The only zamak .45acp that I know of is made by Hi Point and the only reason it works so well is because the slide is massive.

Even Jennings and Lorcin knew that zamak couldn't handle anything more powerful than 9mm. Even the .380 versions are known for frame cracking under the stress of the round. As long as people know the limitations of these guns though they can be made to work just fine.

The phrase "Saturday night special" come to mind here. And ... it's called "pot" metal for a reason.

It is called a Saturday Night Special because people were brainwashed by the Brady campaign.

It is called a Saturday Night Special because people were brainwashed by the Brady campaign.

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Really? Odd since "Saturday night specials" were banned in '68 and Reagan's assassination attempt was in '81 resulting in all things "Brady"

You never had to really worry about frame strength too much with a Jennings or Lorcin. All the ones I saw spent more time jammed up than firing.

Saturday Night Special is just a blanket statement applied to any gun that anti gun people don't like that contains zinc alloy. The Brady campaign against gun ownersh...I mean against gun violence labeled any zamak gun a SNS along with your hunting rifle as a long range sniper weapon. The media helped them spread the word by giving them lots of airtime.

The Brady Campaign IS the reason you call "Ring of Fire" guns SNS and not just imported guns that were banned.

mf-dif said:

Curious because I have a GSG 1911 .22 and would like to fit a .45 1911 slide and barrel to it. The actual slide, barrel and mags from the GSG will swap over to a .45 1911 and fire. So this gets me thinking...

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quick someone hold his beer while we all watch this

A certain group of students tried making a set of universal joints for a four wheeled bicycle out of a cheap zinc alloy.

The second that torque was applied, they sheared cleanly in half and all four wheels fell off.

Zinc metals are the last thing you would want in a high mechanical stress application.

It depends on the particular Zinc alloy. ZA12 and 27 are stronger than the Nylon plastic used in pistol frames.
They are as strong as cast iron, which is plenty strong. Trouble is, both prone to cracking when shock loads are applied. This has nothing to do with strength.
But, the Tupperware pistols all have steel, and/or aluminum slide rails and frame inserts.
Tupperware frames are more elastic and resistant to cracking.

Yes, you could do it. No, it's not a good idea. It would absolutely suck to blow your own brains out from behind the gun.