45 ACP vs. 45 MAG

[bh153dc]

I have been told that the 45 WIN MAG cartridge was developed as a semi-auto pistol cartridge and not a revolver cartridge. And that it is a rimless case based on the 45 ACP case, of course beefed up and lengthened to achieve MAG velocities. My question is, is there a pistol manufactured specifically for this round or can I put this round in a pistol made for 45 ACP.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[JT]

I’m not familiar with the cartridge but I’m willing to bet that you cannot use it in a .45 ACP chambered firearm. Maybe with a barrel swap, but I wouldn’t think that would be possible either. I would think a 45 magnum would be too long to fit. But that’s just a guess.

[HotGuns]

My question is, is there a pistol manufactured specifically for this round or can I put this round in a pistol made for 45 ACP.

Yes and no.

There was a pistol called the AMT AUTOMAG that was chambered in .45 Win Mag. It had a longer slide and approached the .44 mag in performance. Like any other mag, the cartride was longer. It could not be chambered in a standard .45.

You'll still see them popup ocasionally on the various auction boards. AMT also produced the same gun in .30 Carbine.

[MattInFla]

The .45 Winchester Magnum is not interchangeable with the .45 ACP. The .45 Win Mag is ~1/3" longer, and operates at well over twice the pressure of the .45 ACP.

Even if you could chamber a .45 Win Mag round in a .45ACP, all you would succeed in doing is damaging or destroying the gun (and possibly the shooter with it).

Matt

[Dave James]

The WIDLEY is still made for the round,and you can still find TC barrels in the chambering,,I have a 10" and hut pigs with it...No it will not fit in the 45acp chambers

[NaturalSelection]

if .45 acp +P isnt enough for you (cant imagine needing more for human targets), consider .45 super. balistically its comparable to a .44 magnum, with identical dimensions to the .45 acp (thicker sidewalls to help contain the added pressures). be aware however, that almost every gun requires barrel/spring changes to handle .45 super. it also beats your gun pretty hard. the single exception is the hk usp. its built so rugged out of the box that it can handle .45 super without any changes (although hk recommends changing the buffer springs after every 3000 rounds of .45 super). not only is it rugged enough to handle the .45 super, but the hk recoil reduction system smooths out the pounding even more. the only downside to .45 super is its availability, but you can still order it online.

[BigEd63]

The only thing close to a 1911 I can think of was the LAR Grizzly, IIRC.

Like a "super sized" gov't model.

[QKShooter]

[RSSZ]

.45 Super ?? Are we talkin' .460 Rowland here ?? Simple bbl and spring swap in most .45 ACP's.(see the Clark Custom site) --------

[bh153dc]

Thanks for all the info. The reason that I started this thread was I might be going to NW Montana to go fly fishing and I want something that can stop a brown/black bear. I already have a Taurus PT 24/7 PRO 45 ACP but with +P loads I still don't think you get the best velocity out of a 45ACP. I hate 44 REM MAG's, I have never been able to fire that cannon. And I didn't buy a 10mm to begin with because of the price of ammo. I like the HK USP idea, Hatural Selection, did you get the info about the 45Super from HK's technical dept.

[NaturalSelection]

.45 Super ?? Are we talkin' .460 Rowland here ??

nope, im referencing 45 super. 808 ft. lbs. in 185 grains. it shouldnt require a barrel swap since the case wall is thicker to contain the additional pressure (YMMV!), but it will definately require a heavier recoil spring.

[NaturalSelection]

I might be going to NW Montana to go fly fishing

where? i live in billings, but spend a lot of time riding in nw montana.

I want something that can stop a brown/black bear

a good idea. depending on where youre heading, its not a question of if youll see a grizzly. in many parts its a sure thing.

And I didn't buy a 10mm to begin with because of the price of ammo.

you may want to rethink the .45 super then too. being special order only, it costs.

I like the HK USP idea, Hatural Selection, did you get the info about the 45Super from HK's technical dept.

my information came from an hk rep at hkpro.com.

speaking as someone who runs into grizzly bear quite often (http://utilityoffroad.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1652 pan down about 1/3 of the way to see a pic of the bear i took), if i were venturing up into nw montana with only a sidearm it would be a glock 20, 10mm. 16 rounds of 10mm in a reliable automatic is a real decent bear defense.

[bh153dc]

Thanks NS, I guess I have a decision to make, 45 Super,10MM or 460Rowland. Trip is still up in the air but around Whitefish I think.

[NaturalSelection]

Thanks NS, I guess I have a decision to make, 45 Super,10MM or 460Rowland.

i want to correct (or at least clarify) something i said earlier. when i said that you would need to swap the buffer spring (for a heavier spring) i was referencing 1911s and other 45s except for the USP which i stated will fire .45 super out of the box according to sources on hkpro.com. also be aware that while a buffer spring swap should be all thats needed for .45 super in most modern 1911s, its still much harder on the weapon. this is just my opinion, but i definately would not shoot it out of an aluminum framed 1911.

my best advice would be to look hard at the glock 20. some may disagree, but id rather have 16 rounds of hot 10mm than 5 rounds of .500. with all the adrenaline and fear a charging bear could be difficult to hit and having 16 rounds sure improves your odds.

Trip is still up in the air but around Whitefish I think.

whitefish is an awesome area. if you want to purposefully see some big grizzlys work your way over to the blackfeet reservation.

[OpFlash]

You might also look into a full sized steel Witness by Tangfolio. Either the 10mm or 45ACP with springs for 45Super. They are solid, overbuilt guns based on the CZ75 that handle large loads well and are extremely affordable. They also offer slide conversion kits for virtually all handgun calibers.

You will need to get into reloading to make 10mm or 45Super affordable.