Recommendations for Building a .460 1911

[Life During Wartime]

A friend wants to buy the .460 Rowland Conversion for 1911 from Clarke Custom. He has an old Colt 1911 frame, before colt started messing around with the design and a surplus mil-spec slide. Clarke advises against using original USGI pistols but says Colt works. Does this mean his gun wont work.

If its not, my friend will buy a whole new pistol to drop the kit into. They recommend Colt, Kimber, Springfield Armory, Smith & Wesson, Dan Wesson, Essec and Caspian. Price is a concern, as is adjustable sights in case the Rowland behaves differently. What do you think would be best on budget.

 

[Life During Wartime]

I just checked on essec's website which has a link to Iver Johnson. Will these work

 

[digsigs226]

Personally, I wouldn't risk the accelerated frame wear with an old USGI colt. I think it would probably be okay safety wise as long as it is steel frame, but might wreck the gun long term. If he really wants to use it, I would just send an email to Johnny Rowland himself and ask, he's generally pretty responsive.

Eventually, I plan to get a 1911 conversion kit too. I was thinking of getting a whole new pistol for it but might just end up using my Springfield range officer because it already has target sights.

 

[Life During Wartime]

The Range Officer is one of the guns that my firend was specifically considering. Any pros cons that I should let him know

 

[Life During Wartime]

How do I contact Rowland

I went to his website but he doesn have a contact me link

 

[Silent Sam]

Clark Custom Guns produces the kits
(M-F 7 am - 4 pm CST)
318-949-9884

 

[Snowdog]

Keep us updated on your progress. I'm considering a .460 Rowland conversion.
The energies from this round is quite impressive and I'd like to have at least one power-monster pistol in my collection.

 

[tarosean]

What do you think would be best on budget.

Find a Norinco. Should be had cheap enough, and are known to be extremely stout for high horsepower builds.

 

[WC145]

I had Clark fit one of their kits to a Para GI Expert a couple of years ago, it's a good solid gun and on their list of choices. They're good about answering questions and will fit the barrel to the gun for free if you buy their kit. I bought the gun from Bud's for under $500. Never did shoot any .460 Rowland ammo out of it, got into a classic car project and sold that gun along with some others to finance car stuff.