Why not more guns in .45 Super?

[yhtomit]

Noticed the nearby thread on .45 Super, and rather than hijack it, am starting this one with a related question: Why aren't more guns made in .45 Super? It seems (naive, but then, so am I) that a gun in .45 Super can also fire .45ACP, so wouldn't it be at the very least good marketing for a company like Springfield to make / sell / advertise their .45s as "multi-caliber" guns? (Like the various revolvers that can fire both hopped-up and toned-down variants, 357 Magnum v. 38 Special, for instance.)

Is it that the stronger springs etc. used for .45 Super are in some way inappropriate for firing conventional (ACP) ammo? Is it that barrels need to be hugely heavier and therefore hurt smaller .45ACP guns as CCW choices? Production costs / testing? Fear of lawsuit when some idiot assumes that *every* .45 shoots Super?

In short, why is my XD45 not built for .45 Super? At least for now, there's no way I'd be shooting .45 Super unless it was magically cheaper than .45ACP, but options are always good.

timothy

 

[Car Knocker]

Insufficient demand.

 

[ugaarguy]

Is it that the stronger springs etc. used for .45 Super are in some way inappropriate for firing conventional (ACP) ammo? Is it that barrels need to be hugely heavier and therefore hurt smaller .45ACP guns as CCW choices? Production costs / testing? Fear of lawsuit when some idiot assumes that *every* .45 shoots Super?

From what I've read that pretty much nails it. A standard 45 ACP, even +P doesn't generate enough recoil to cycle a pistol with 50% (give or take) heavier recoil spring needed to handle the 45 Super. Standard ACP bbls can be used. A shorter gun with it's shorter slide travel would either get severly battered or have to be sprung so heavily most folks couldn't cycle the slide, much less reassemble it. Our law suit happy society furthers the problem. The super is externally identical to the ACP, so you can chamber it in an ACP gun. The .357 Mag has a slightly longer case so it can't be chambered in a weaker .38 Spc only revolver - and S&W did that intentionally back in the mid 1930s when they brought that round to the commercial market.

I've read that Springfield Armory did offer a ported 6" long slide 1911 factory chambered in 45 Super. Apparently they were discontinued because they had reliability problems.

That's what I've gleaned from my research. Hopefully that helps you too. You might also look at the .460 Roland which is a similar concept that uses a longer case. Glad to see another member here getting interested in the less common calibers.

 

[yhtomit]

Danke

That's what I've gleaned from my research. Hopefully that helps you too. You might also look at the .460 Roland which is a similar concept that uses a longer case. Glad to see another member here getting interested in the less common calibers.

Thanks, and Yes, helpful -- glad to know it seems I was at least on a right track

However, when it comes to less common calibers, I am interested in them in only an esoteric way; I want all my guns to be capable of firing the very *most* common calibers But with .45 Super, there seems to be a bit of a twofer -- or at least, sort of. As you point out, it's more complicated than I was hoping it would be, when it comes to interchangeability. It's still an option I'd like (to be able to swap out a slide / spring assembly and have an XD45Super

timothy

 

[ugaarguy]

It's still an option I'd like (to be able to swap out a slide / spring assembly and have an XD45Super

I saw guys over the HK forums that are running 45 Super through their fullsize USPs with only a heavier recoil spring. If I was going to experiment with 45 Super through and XD I'd start with the tactical since it has the longest slide & spring, and subsequently the longest travel. You might check the HK forums to see what the stock spring weight on a fullsize USP in 45 ACP is and what weights guys there are switching to when they shoot the Super thru them. Using that info you could find what percentage heavier they go for the hotter cartridge. Then get a recoil spring that much heavier, percentage wise, for your XD as a starting point. Start with heavy 45 ACP +P loads and work your way up progressively. As always, frequently check the slide and frame for any excessive or abnormal wear, signs of excess strain or stress, etc. while you're testing. I'd be interested to see how an XD handles the 45 Super if you do try it.

 

[Chipperman]

I've run a couple of mags through my USP Tactical. Very hot stuff.

When I carry the Tactical (which is not often), I use .45 Super for defense ammo. I would not recommend a steady diet of it, unless a gun was specifically designed for it.

 

[Walkalong]

Too much boom for most folks and it is rough on guns. Manufacturers know this as well.