Ruger SR1911 & 45 Super

[Capstick1]

About 25 years ago when I was young and stupid I had a Ruger P90 that I started shooting some 45 +P reloads in. At the time this pistol was considered "Overengineered" and "Strongly built". After several trips to the range and a few IPSC matches it started giving me reliablility issues. A close inspection of the reciever showed me something shocking. The front of the magazine well was bent and misshapen just behind the chamber. I'm thankful that this pistol never went "Kaboom" on me but that was the last time I ever played in the red zone on my reloads. The pistol was ruined. Every once in a while God will gently tap you on the shoulder and say "Hey Dumbass, you're fixing to hurt yourself." Whenever this happens you'd better listen because you usually won't get lucky a second time. This was one of those moments and it made me a little wiser.

 

[Mauser lover]

The 9mm Major guys in USPSA open division are usually running buffers fitted to their guns. This is to keep the slide from hitting the frame at the increased speed from the more powerful load. The chambers don’t usually blow up, but they wear out faster from the slide traveling faster and impacting the frame faster each shot. If you can slow that impact down, you can mitigate the faster wear.

Also, if you have a compensator (fitted to your barrel, not some useless lookalike fitted to the bushing) forcing your barrel down with each shot, it seems like it would act to delay the unlocking of the slide from the barrel. The weight of the comp certainly will always be there, but the force from the gas may not be there until the slide is unlocked. I’m not sure.

Go slow and be cautious! Check out what everyone else did to use .45 Super in 1911s, and I certainly would NOT do it in an unmodified 1911 of any brand.

 

[fxvr5]

Many people here have warned against it. You still do not get it. It would not be hard to look it up yourself via google if you want more info. You will find out it probably is a bad idea with your gun.

But, you will likely press on anyway. I just hope it doesn't go too bad for ya.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

By all means tell us about your experience with the 45 Super and how you were injured by it. And please point to verified accounts of people who have been injured by shooting 45 Super.

You're making this all up out of thin air.

People who are saying 'don't do it' probably have no experience with it. But again, please tell us how you were injured by shooting a 45 Super.

I've already shot 45 Super and 450 SMC from several guns. I've not been injured as you claim happens.

 

[rust collector]

If we can cite resources or personal experience rather than analyses of other people's veracity, this thread may remain open. If it gets personal, it will have outlived its usefulness. Thank you for your understanding.

 

[jski]

You asked

You got several answers of: Don't do it. You think that is lawyer talk?

No need to get sore about it. I simply ask an obvious question. Nothing more. And yes, I kind of got the impression that it’s not a good idea.

 

[murf]

have you called gary hindman yet? this seems to be the best solution for you.

luck,

murf

 

[fxvr5]

I kind of got the impression that it’s not a good idea.

According to who?

Forums are not the place for facts. Some forum people have no clue what they are talking about.

Contact Garey Hindman via the information in post #14.

 

[jski]

Starline does have this caveat on their 45 Super webpage:

*Loads to be shot ONLY in guns modified professionally to handle extreme pressures of this cartridge. DO NOT SHOOT IN STANDARD 45 AUTO!

 

[Richard Jay King]

I believe the original question was: "Is it safe to shoot .45 super in a Ruger 1911?" Well there is NO certainty in the world of things that go boom so it becomes a matter of measuring the risk anytime we shoot anything. However in my experience with the .45 Super...I have shot many rounds of Super in my own S&W 4506-1 with NO problmes at all. The gun has an 18# mainspring and the chamber is fully supported in the gun. I have also developed a spreadsheet that calculates the slide velocity at different bullet weights and velocities for this gun but it can be modified easily for a 1911. The spreadsheet is based on conservation of momentum and it clearly shows that the slide energy shooting Super vs. .45acp DOUBLES but it does the same shooting full power 10mm loads since the momentum of both loads is almost identical. Now there is no doubt that this will batter the gun faster than normal .45acp loads but the key is will these loads allow the gun to unlock BEFORE the bullet leaves the barrel. THAT would cause a bad accident! The answer is NO...in normal length barrels..Then the question is will the barrel lugs hold against the higher pressure round? That answer is YES because there are thousands of modified 1911's that are shooting Super with no issues and the locking lugs are NOT modified in most .45 Super modded 1911's. Next I might ask..ok..will the higher pressure of the .45 Super cause the case head to rupture in unsupported barrels? Using .45 Super specific brass SHOULD counter that hazzard but a fully supported chamber is always better.

So....should you shoot Super in a standard all steel 1911? Well...that is up to you after evaluating all the risks...In my case I would not hesitate to do it....Will it beat the gun up faster? Without doubt it will!! Am I encouraging anyone to try shooting Super in a 1911? NO and NO! I only encourage carefully evaluating and quantifying the risks before you do ANYTHING regarding a firearm.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

.45 Super is the equivalent of a .45 ACP proof load +P 'ed.
Yes, they fire proof loads in guns to prove them safe for further use with standard ammunition.
A steady diet of proof loads will eventually wear a gun out early.
And firing a gun with proof loads after it has been compromised structurally is ... well .. courting disaster.

 

[Mike J]

that gun is made in 10mm: https://ruger.com/products/sr1911Standard/specSheets/6756.html

the 10mm cartridge max average pressure is 37,000 psi. i think the slide velocity of the above gun is a tad faster than one chambered in 45 acp and running 45 super (28,000 psi). i would not run 45 super through your gun until it is modified to run that cartridge.

my glock 30 has an alpha wolf barrel and a 21 lb. recoil spring. cases eject 15 feet out @ 4:00 shooting a 230 gn. xtp bullet @ 1,000 fps. ball rounds (230 gn lrn bullet @ 800 fps) eject 6 feet out @ 4:00. i also run extra power magazine springs.

i don't worry about battering the frame of my glock since a glock 29 (10mm cartridge) has a stock 17 pound recoil spring and the same frame as the glock 30.

luck,

murf

When Ruger decided to make a 10mm SR 1911 they went back to the drawing board so to speak. The 10mm guns are made different than the .45 ACP version of the SR 1911. They are truly 2 different animals. Ruger actually changed the way one part was made after their 10mm SR1911's had been in production for a while due to people having issues with them breaking. In all honesty I don't remember the differences well enough to repeat & explain them here but there are differences. I wouldn't take it for granted a .45 acp SR 1911 could handle the same pressure a 10mm one can.

 

[jski]

I called the pistolsmith recommended by Buffalo Bore for 45 Super conversions. He said that a 1911 conversation required a full size government standard 1911. You needed a new recoil spring, new firing pin spring, and new magazine springs.

He also said that H&K sells the only 45 ACP pistols that can handle 45 Super ammo right out of the box (no mods needed).