40 Caliber Commander

A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
I don't think you can convert a .38 Super to .40. 1911s use three different breech face cuts, one for .45 ACP, one for .40 and 10mm, and one for 9mm and .38 Super.
 
4

44 AMP

Staff
From what I hear (and in my local area) .40s are a drag on the market.

The blush is off the rose, and ".40 fever" has chilled. According to my local shop, they sell five .45s and ten 9mms for every .40 that goes out the door.

Good luck with your search, if you do find one, you might get it cheap, unless, of course the seller thinks it's a collector's item.

Odd what kind of ideas some folks have...:rolleyes:
 
R

rc

New member
Is there any reason you would not consider an older LE trade in Smith and Wesson 4006 in 40 caliber? You can probably get one for $400 or less and then bead blast it and change out the grips to get it looking like new. Would probably run a lot more reliable than a 40 from a 1911.
 
T

TRX

New member
RIA brings some in every now and then.

Do you particularly want a new gun? You should be able to pick up used .40s at a discount now that the cartridge is less popular.

> Super to .40

Some manufacturers used the same breechface for .38/9mm and .40. Later Para Ordnance slides were that way. You had to have the extractor and slide release to match the caliber.
 
R

rc

New member
Case head diameter for 9mm is .394, 38 super .406 and 10mm/40 is .425. So the breech face of a 38super is at most about 2 hundredths smaller than 40 Smith and Wesson and a 9mm is about 1 hundredth smaller than 38 super.
 
R

rc

New member
One other thought about this. The Browning Hi Power in 40 caliber is a very good 40 if you can find one used.
 
R

RickB

New member
I don't think you can convert a .38 Super to .40. 1911s use three different breech face cuts, one for .45 ACP, one for .40 and 10mm, and one for 9mm and .38 Super.
Click to expand...
Most manufacturers use(d) the same breechface for Super and .40.
I've thought it a bridge too far to use a .40 breechface for 9mm, but don't know that it hasn't been done.
I don't know that it was ever a regularly cataloged model, but Colt must have made .40 Commanders, as the Double Eagle Commander was available in .40.
 
R

rc

New member
Rick, you can make switch barrel 1911s with 38 super, 9mm luger, 9x23 Winchester, 9x23 largo and 22 TCM with barrel and magazine swaps and at most an extractor adjustment. If you are certain makers use 38 super slides to also make 40/10mm guns then 9mm slides will also work. There is no way to fit a 9mm barrel in a 45 slide and make a working gun. 40 super and I think 9x25 Dillon are necked down 45s to use the same slide.
 
A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
TRX said:
Some manufacturers used the same breechface for .38/9mm and .40. Later Para Ordnance slides were that way. You had to have the extractor and slide release to match the caliber.
Click to expand...
Thanks for refreshing my memory.

Caspian uses (or used to, I haven't checked recently) three different breechface cuts. However, now that you mention it I remember that a friend once told me that Para-Ordnance used the same breechface cut for 9mm, .38 Super, and .40 S&W. He has a P18.9, so I asked him to verify by seeing if he could fit a .40 S&W case into his slide, and he said he was able to do so.

Based on that, when Sarco was selling off ParaUSA frames, slides, and barrels I bought an Officers-size frame, 3-1/2" 9mm barrel, and an Officers-size .40 slide and I built a 9mm Officers-size pistol. I've only put a couple of hundred rounds through it but it has been reliable in testing so far.

So I think the ability to do a barrel swap depends on who made the slide. I can't fit a .40 S&W case into my Colt 9mm Combat Commander slide.
 
R

rc

New member
Kimber Pro Carry Option??

While this one didn't run right, the Kimber Pro Carry might be a commander sized option for 40 cal in the 1911. My 38 super Pro Carry HD with steel frame is a nice gun that runs much more reliably than this guys jamomatic in 40. I think he needed a chamber polish and not just a feed ramp polish to get it running right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8BwIP5JkRY
 
R

Ruger45LC

New member
I can't think of one, you'd probably have to try and find a 10mm and they get a .40 barrel for it. I just bought a .40 Dan Wesson SSC, it's a full size tho.
 
R

rc

New member
Oh, that would work! Now to figure out if it's a ramped barrel gun and if it's a Nowlan/Wilson (square ramp tip) or Para (round ramp tip) cut frame???
 
R

rock185

New member
THK, FWIW, I have owned Kimbers in 9mm, 10mm and 38 Super. All used the same .40/10MM breech face. I haven't looked into breech face dimensions from other manufacturers..
 
L

Lurch37

New member
Oh, that would work! Now to figure out if it's a ramped barrel gun and if it's a Nowlan/Wilson (square ramp tip) or Para (round ramp tip) cut frame???
Click to expand...

I dug around a little more on that link and under additional info found this:

Frame: Forged Carbon Steel, Full-Size w/ Ed Brown Bobtail 25LPI Checkering
Slide: Forged Carbon Steel, Commander Length
Caliber: 10MM Auto
Barrel: 4.25" Forged & Machined Barrel w/ Button Rifling, Clark/Para Ramp
Internals: Colt® 70 Series
Sights: U-Notch Rear, Fiber Optic Front
Grips: Black/Grey G10 Sunburst Texture
Finish: Black Slide/Grey Frame Cerakote
Weight: 2lb 4oz
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top