45 Super

[DonDale]

Can someone tell me how I may convert my 1911A1 Norinco 45 ACP to fire 45 Super. What is required - stronger recoil spring, etc. Further, after conversion to 45 Super what is required, if anything to fire 45 ACP?

[Bud White]

I dont think i would on a Norinco i think i read they wont stand up to the beating .. But someone will correct me on that if im wrong..

[berkbw]

I suggest that you get a NEW barrel like from Fusion, a gunsmith to fit it, and a 24 and 28# recoil spring. Make sure you get an "extra power" firing pin spring, and strong Wolf mag springs.

When you get it all together, strip it and record your headspace.. keep the record, and frequently recheck and compare. Also keep a good lookout for slide cracks. .45 Super is uncharted ground, and you want to stay safe.

b-

[1911Tuner]

Good advice from berk. Norinco slides are as tough as pig iron...though they're not indestructible...and will take more punishment than your average Colt or Springfield barstock slide. Unfortunately, the stock Norinco barrels are not very good. If the gun's specs provide full vertical engagement of the lugs, they're adequate for standard .45 ACP...but not for +P and certainly not for the pounding that the Super would impose. If the lugs only engage for 50% of their depth...which occurs with about one in five Norks...the Super would destroy the barrel lugs within a few magazines, creating a very dangerous situation.

Even with an ideal barrel fit with a high-quality barrel...the small radial lugs of the 1911 was never intended to absorb recoil forces that approach that of the .44 magnum...and even the tough Norinco slide will fail prematurely if subjected to a steady diet of such ammunition.

Here is an illustration of the critical points in the slide. The cracks in the port are due to recoil forces, while the ones at the rear face of the spring tunnel are due to the slide striking the impact abutment in the frame. The hidden areas subject to failure from recoil forces are at the rear faces of the lugs, in the adjacent corners. The barrel lugs are also subject to the same forces, and the liklihood of cracking present.

Illsutration compliments of Dana Kamm.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e243/1911Tuner/StressCracks.jpg