Newbie 1911 question

[eastwood44mag]

*Insert newbie icon here*

Given that you can get conversion kits for 1911's to take rimfire rounds, I was wondering if you could go from .45 to .40 just by changing barrels, bushings, etc.

Please don't laugh, I'm seriously asking.

 

[harvester of sorrow]

Only when the casehead of the two cartridges are the same size. The breechface (the part of the slide that sits right behind the barrel) of the slide needs to be the correct size to support the cartridge and to present the extractor and ejector correctly. In other words, .45 ACP and .40 S&W can't work with the same slide, but .45 ACP and .400 Cor-bon (a .45ACP case necked down to .40) would. A gun in 10 mm could be converted to .40 S&W but not .45 or 9mm.....get it?

Now, iirc STI or SVI designed a slide where you could change the breechface to accomodate different calibers, but I'm sure that isn't cheap.

 

[Jac]

You can also get conversion kits (slide, barrel, mag) from some manufacturers. The parts catalog that came with my Auto Ordnance 1911 had them.