converting a 1911 .38 super to 9mm and back

[ZippySwish]

Could it be done easily?

While .38 super has some advantages, 9mm ammo is a lot cheaper. So it would be best if you could just pop in a different barrel, but is it that easy?
I think some people just put 9 mm ammo into their .38 supers, but that would probably damage the gun sooner or later.

Experiences?



P.S.: Please no "Just get another gun in 9mm" answers, not everyone lives in a country where you can have as many guns as you like.

 

[BigG]

That is one swap you might be able to sneak by with. I think the 9mm will work ok thru the Super magazine, and the extractor will probably work also. So a bbl and recoil spring might get you a cheap plinker. Not sure, but that sounds logical. On the other hand, most conversions to different calibers require the whole top end, plus an ejector and magazine. So I would be willing to gamble.

I did have both calibers of Colts but never thought to try to swap out bbls. They are both gone now, though.

 

[NMshooter]

Big difference between 9mm and .38 super, the cartridges are not interchangable.

Since the case rim diameter of the 9mm is .394" vs. .406" for the super it MAY be possible to simply swap out barrels, but I will defer to the experts on that one. Even if you can use the same slide you might have to use a different extractor.

All the caliber conversions I have ever seen were a complete slide and barrel assembly.

 

[Otherguy Overby]

Functionally, you'd be better with a 9x23/9x19 combination. You'd need two barrels and probably two recoil springs. You might be able to use the same magazines.

For 9mm/38 super interchangabilty you might be better served with an SVI gun. They've interchangable breech faces held in with an allen screw.

One can shoot 9x23 in a 38 super gun but I don't think it would be a good idea to do it a lot. As a matter of fact STI actually recommends this for tight new 38 super race guns until they loosen up.

 

[Jim Watson]

Lotta theorizing going on here. I've done it and seen it done.
I HAVE a Colt .38 Super with 9mm P barrel installed, and used to have an early IPSC racegun with interchangeable .38 and 9mm barrels. A friend had a pistol originally built up with a Super barrel in a Springfield 9mm slide on a Colt receiver, then put in a 9mm barrel for the cheap ammunition. I know of several obsolete single stack .38 raceguns with 9mm barrels put in for cheap ammo and IDPA.

You must have a correct calibre barrel. 9mm P will go WAY too deep into a Super chamber (I just tried it.) It MIGHT headspace on the extractor if fed up through the magazine under the extractor... but it might not and then the fireworks start. 1911 firing pin protrusion is enough to fire it even down in the chamber and then the primer blows out and fire goes everywhere. George C. Nonte did that once, shooting 9x19 in a 9x23 Largo Astra.

The extractor may work, may have to be adjusted from the Super semi-rim to the Para rimless case, or it may have to be replaced with one with enough hook. The ejector will usually work. The recoil spring will usually work with full power 9mm loads. Some .38 Super magazines will feed 9mm P ammunition, especially if you stick to roundnose bullets.

 

[jungle]

Do not try 9mm in the Super barrel.

I have put together three 9mms using Colt .38 Super pistols as base guns. It really only requires a barrel. The extractor, ejector and magazines all worked fine.
If you want to do it right, get a GOOD barrel such as Kart, Barsto or Storm Lake(good,but less expensive) and fit or have it fit to your pistol. Mine all feed hollowpoints with no problems, but the motivation for most is cheaper ammo and ball rounds work great.

The 1911 in 9mm makes a great range gun. It is accurate, soft shooting and very quick on repeat shots. Most who try one are delighted.

 

[AJAX22]

Anyone know if the .38 super LLAMA clone of the 1911 can be converted to 9mm using the available colt parts?

 

[gunjunky]

.38 Super to 9mm

This is a fairly simple and strait forward change out. I have two such guns, one is a Colt 1991 .38 Super that I fit a Kart 9mm barrel in. The other is a Caspian Ti Commander that has Colt .38 Super and 9mm barrels fit.

The 1991 was an easy job: Fit the 9mm barrel, tuned the extractor to work well with both loads and it will feed anything from any of the combination of 9mm and .38 Super mags I have.

The Ti Commander was a bit of a challenge: The extractor took a few attemts to get it to feed both just right (I could have bought one for each cal, but what is the challenge there), it is picky which .38 Super mags it likes (only metalform).

But now all is well and both guns are fun to shoot. Pics att.