Josh Aston
Member
Would it be possible to fit 5 rds of .45 Colt into a K Frame? If so who would be the best gunsmith to do it?
K frame .45
- Thread starter Josh Aston
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Jim Watson
Member
Years ago Spokhanguns built a five shot .45 M&P.
As I recall, they said "maybe we went a little too far" and declined to do another.
As I recall, they said "maybe we went a little too far" and declined to do another.
Josh Aston
Member
Because I can. And because .45 Colt is my favorite cartridge. And a 3" barrelled .45 S&W 65 would just be way too cool.
Deer Hunter
Member
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.44 Special is stretching it in even an L-frame.
Brian Williams
Moderator Emeritus
Spokehandguns also did a number of K frame 44 specials, but Taurus has done both a 45 ACP and Colt in a Kframe size gun, the Tracker. I had a 4" 45 Colt and it was a nice gun, sold it to fund something else. I should have kept it and shortened the barrel to 3" and gotten some of the nicer wood grips that are out there today.
Jim Watson
Member
Several shops have done .44 Special K-Smiths (and Ruger Speed Sixes) but I forgot about the Trackers.
Taurus seems not now to be making anything but the ridiculous "Judge" with that bolt circle, though.
Taurus seems not now to be making anything but the ridiculous "Judge" with that bolt circle, though.
Tom Servo
Member
Deerhunter hit it on the head. The larger the cartridge, the thinner the forcing cone and cylinder walls get. I have a S&W 696, which is a great carry gun, but I wouldn't run heavy Keith loads through it.
Even for a .457" casing, you're making some compromises on the K/L frames. Even though it CAN be done, I don't imagine it being very durable in the long run.
Even for a .457" casing, you're making some compromises on the K/L frames. Even though it CAN be done, I don't imagine it being very durable in the long run.
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Josh Aston
Member
I wouldn't use something like this for nuclear handloads, just mild defense loads.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
O.K., lets try one more time.
The barrel threads on a .38/.357 K-Frame measures .542" O.D., not counting the gas-shield ring relief cut on the bottom of the barrel shank.
The barrel shank on an N-Frame measures .668", and it doesn't have a relief cut in the barrel shank weakening it.
By the time you cut the forcing cone in a .45 caliber K-Frame barrel, it would almost be a knife edge at the gas ring relief cut.
Further, the cylinder wall thickness on a .38/.357 K-Frame is about .083".
A .45 ACP case measures .476" at the head.
Subtract the .380" of the .38/.357 chamber from .476" and you have .096".
Divide that by two, and you have only .049" cylinder wall left, or only about half as much as on a .38 Special.
And you have seriously cut into the cylinder ratchet / extractor star on the other side of each chamber, which would make timing very difficult.
Bottom line = K-Frames are not big enough to chamber them in .45 ACP and have any safety margin or timing reliability left.
rcmodel
The barrel threads on a .38/.357 K-Frame measures .542" O.D., not counting the gas-shield ring relief cut on the bottom of the barrel shank.
The barrel shank on an N-Frame measures .668", and it doesn't have a relief cut in the barrel shank weakening it.
By the time you cut the forcing cone in a .45 caliber K-Frame barrel, it would almost be a knife edge at the gas ring relief cut.
Further, the cylinder wall thickness on a .38/.357 K-Frame is about .083".
A .45 ACP case measures .476" at the head.
Subtract the .380" of the .38/.357 chamber from .476" and you have .096".
Divide that by two, and you have only .049" cylinder wall left, or only about half as much as on a .38 Special.
And you have seriously cut into the cylinder ratchet / extractor star on the other side of each chamber, which would make timing very difficult.
Bottom line = K-Frames are not big enough to chamber them in .45 ACP and have any safety margin or timing reliability left.
rcmodel
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