[Steve Page]

I'm not new to 1911s but I am new to working on them.

I recently became the proud owner of a Kimber 10mm 1911. I've shot 1911's for years but have never modified one at all so I don't know a lot about that aspect of 1911's.

Because of ammo costs and other reasons I'm interested in setting it up for.40 Cal ammo. I've read it's an easy thing to do because depending on what you read it's either just a barrel or a barrel and a spring.

That's a long way of getting to my questions.

Is there such a thing as a good drop in barrel? If there is what brands should I look at?
Is fitting a barrel as difficult as some people say?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Greg45acp]

How well a drop-in barrel will work depends just as much on how "in spec" the gun is.

I have no idea how closely a Kimber sticks to the blueprints. You should probably order it from Brownells since they are so easy to deal with in regards to returns.

 

[Steve Page]

How well a drop-in barrel will work depends just as much on how "in spec" the gun is.

I have no idea how closely a Kimber sticks to the blueprints. You should probably order it from Brownells since they are so easy to deal with in regards to returns.

That makes sense. I was surprised to read that a barrel even needs to be fitted if the gun is made to spec.

 

[Greg45acp]

Each one is a different beast. Even the same brand can vary quite a bit.

 

[hks1911]

You do need to re-spring the gun as well. I think the last one I saw used a 14lb recoil.

 

[Slapshot]

I once asked the same question about 38 super and 9mm and was told NO and not to try it because it could be bad by a very well respected smith on the forum. I would think the same would apply here.

 

[wrmiller]

My 2011 has both a 40 and a 10 barrel because the only difference is the length of the case. I use a different (lighter) spring with the 40 barrel, but everything else is the same.

The 38 super and 9mm have different case dimensions other than just the length.

 

[Steve Page]

I've read that if you are going from .40 to 10mm there could be an issue, but not the other way around. I'll check that though

 

[Steve Page]

My 2011 has both a 40 and a 10 barrel because the only difference is the length of the case. I use a different (lighter) spring with the 40 barrel, but everything else is the same.

The 38 super and 9mm have different case dimensions other than just the length.

I read in another forum that it's possible to put a 9mm barrel and spring in and fire 9 mm from a 10mm 1911. Sounded a little far fetched to me, but have you ever heard that?

Did you fit your barrel or did a drop in work for you!

 

[wrmiller]

I've read that if you are going from .40 to 10mm there could be an issue, but not the other way around. I'll check that though

I'd be interested in this 'what you read' information.

I bought a bare STI frame and slide (STI sells it as a 40/10mm slide) and fit both barrels to the same frame and slide. Barrels are ramped and gunsmith fit by me.

My pistol is set up with a heavy hammer spring and square bottom FPS so I don't have to use quite as much recoil spring when throwing the 40 barrel in.

 

[wrmiller]

I read in another forum that it's possible to put a 9mm barrel and spring in and fire 9 mm from a 10mm 1911. Sounded a little far fetched to me, but have you ever heard that?

Did you fit your barrel or did a drop in work for you!

A 9mm cartridge will not properly register on the breach face of a 40/10mm slide. You might get away with it for a while, but I'd never do it.

 

[Steve Page]

I'll try to find it when I get home and I'm in my computer. Working off this phone makes it to difficult to look up. But if I remember it was on a post about RIA 1911s and the resident "experts" recommended the guy contact RIA before he converted it to 10 mm.

 

[Steve Page]

A 9mm cartridge will not properly register on the breach face of a 40/10mm slide. You might get away with it for a while, but I'd never do it.

I think I understand what you are saying and that's similar to what I thought as well.

 

[Greg45acp]

Back 20+ years ago, Colt sold a 10/40 version of the Combat Elite that came with both barrels.

You can look those up on gunbroker.

 

[Jim w.]

I once asked the same question about 38 super and 9mm and was told NO and not to try it because it could be bad by a very well respected smith on the forum. I would think the same would apply here.

That's strange, there are untold numbers of 9mm/.38 combos out there, some by prominent gunsmiths and factories. I have read that there are 9mm slides with breech faces too narrow for .38 Super semirim but a lot of places use the same dimension.
Some places use the same for .40, Kimber, maybe. Not that that is a good referral.

As to .40/10mm, 10mm max chamber pressure is 37,500 psi vs 35,000 in .40; a 7% increase.

 

[Mike0251]

Send it to Kimbers custom shop and have them fit a barrel and supply the spring. Then you will have no worries or issues.

 

[Slapshot]

That's strange, there are untold numbers of 9mm/.38 combos out there, some by prominent gunsmiths and factories. I have read that there are 9mm slides with breech faces too narrow for .38 Super semirim but a lot of places use the same dimension.
Some places use the same for .40, Kimber, maybe. Not that that is a good referral.

As to .40/10mm, 10mm max chamber pressure is 37,500 psi vs 35,000 in .40; a 7% increase.

My original question was if you could take a 9mm gun and drop in a 38 Super barrel from the same Mfg. There's a difference from between a gunsmith fit barrel and dropping in a barrel blindly. I'm sure a qualified smith could fit both combinations successfully. Drop in maybe / maybe not.

 

[Steve Page]

Send it to Kimbers custom shop and have them fit a barrel and supply the spring. Then you will have no worries or issues.

I wish I could, I'm on a budget and nothing I've seen on Kimber's site fits my budget. I got the gun on a trade.

 

[Steve Page]

I'd be interested in this 'what you read' information.

I bought a bare STI frame and slide (STI sells it as a 40/10mm slide) and fit both barrels to the same frame and slide. Barrels are ramped and gunsmith fit by me.

My pistol is set up with a heavy hammer spring and square bottom FPS so I don't have to use quite as much recoil spring when throwing the 40 barrel in.

I looked through my history and couldn't find that again. Sorry.

 

[Jim w.]

My original question was if you could take a 9mm gun and drop in a 38 Super barrel from the same Mfg. There's a difference from between a gunsmith fit barrel and dropping in a barrel blindly. I'm sure a qualified smith could fit both combinations successfully. Drop in maybe / maybe not.

Of my two such, only one was a gunsmith project.
The other was a 1950s Colt Super with a 1970s Colt .38 Super barrel and a Springfield 9mm barrel. No "fitting" involved except extractor tension. Not a centerfold model or a bughole shooter, but it did as well as the typical factory gun.