10mm 1911 Question

vershady · February 11 2015 10:32:28 PM MST

Hello all,

New to the site, but not new to the 10mm. I own a G20 with a .40 conversion barrel. My question is: I am looking at buying a Kimber TRE/L II (I may be butchering the model) in 10mm, but with the price of 10mm, I want the option to shoot .40. Can I buy a .40 1911 barrel and drop it in like I did with the Glock? If so, who makes a drop in .40 for the 1911 10mm?

Intercooler · February 12 2015 05:16:52 AM MST

How much more is 10mm? I see 10mm in sub $20 range. The .40 must be real cheap. Sell your 10mm brass to reloaders and you might be cheaper.

sqlbullet · February 12 2015 06:34:39 AM MST

A drop in 1911 barrel is way less drop-in than a drop-in Glock barrel. There will be some fitting with a 1911 barrel, even a drop-in.

Best option for a novice to fit a barrel is probably a Kart EZ-fit from Brownells.

http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/barrel-parts/barrels/1911-auto-easy-fit-barrel-kit-prod7611.aspx

They are about $250.

Personally, I would skip the Kimber, get a RIA for $300 less and use the difference to get started in reloading, or pay a smith in install a 40 barrel.

Buddy10mm · February 12 2015 08:36:43 AM MST

Quote from: sqlbullet on February 12 2015 06:34:39 AM MST
A drop in 1911 barrel is way less drop-in than a drop-in Glock barrel. There will be some fitting with a 1911 barrel, even a drop-in.

Best option for a novice to fit a barrel is probably a Kart EZ-fit from Brownells.

http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/barrel-parts/barrels/1911-auto-easy-fit-barrel-kit-prod7611.aspx

They are about $250.

Personally, I would skip the Kimber, get a RIA for $300 less and use the difference to get started in reloading, or pay a smith in install a 40 barrel.

+1

Buddy10mm · February 12 2015 08:39:40 AM MST

AIM Surplus has the Prvi Partisan 10mm for $19.00 a box - that's not bad at all.

The only reason I'd like a .40 barrel is for ammo when I travel. Tough to find 10mm in some towns, and, with 4 kids and a mini-van, sometimes there's not enough room to bring enough ammo. Happened once - visiting my brother in Idaho. No one had 10mm. Had a whole day of shooting my Razorback, and I burned up all my practice ammo in 2 hours. ${$default_evil_smiley}$

vershady · February 12 2015 12:26:43 PM MST

I've gone away from the Kimber idea after reviewing many different reviews. I live in AK and finding 10mm for less than $32 a box is difficult. Unfortunately we cannot have ammo shipped up here due to UPS ground and carriers refusing to ship. How are the Rock Island guns. I've heard good things, but they look cheap. Can you swap out parts for premium 1911 parts?

Wolfie · February 12 2015 03:59:27 PM MST

Buy a Glock 10 mm and get a .40 conversion.

This way you can shoot cheap .40's. Yet still have 10 mm capability.

Lone Wolfs are drop ins and need no fittings, they also make a .357 Sig conversion.

Colt and Dan Wesson also do factory conversions.

Zephyr · February 12 2015 06:06:43 PM MST

Rock Island's are great value for the money. If you buy a slightly more expensive model, like their TAC Ultra MS, you won't need that many parts upgrades.

vershady · February 13 2015 01:21:12 AM MST

Wolfie: I have a G20 with .40 conversion already. I am just looking to buy a 1911 and was wondering if I could do the same thing to a 1911.

sqlbullet · February 16 2015 11:55:14 AM MST

Rock Island is a solid gun. It will accept 1911 parts as well as any other 1911 gun.

But, again, the 1911 is NOT a Glock. No part is ever going to "drop in" to a 1911 without fitting.

sstewart · February 16 2015 02:06:50 PM MST

Quote from: sqlbullet on February 16 2015 11:55:14 AM MST
Rock Island is a solid gun. It will accept 1911 parts as well as any other 1911 gun.

But, again, the 1911 is NOT a Glock. No part is ever going to "drop in" to a 1911 without fitting.

This is not true of their 10 mm barrel however. (The type of ramp). They do make a 40 barrel and it is a drop-in. Since it's new I'm not sure how easy it is to order from their parts website

sqlbullet · February 16 2015 04:41:27 PM MST

In my experience with 1911 guns, when you get a part that drops in and works, that is luck, or, as Sheldon Cooper would say, the coincidence of very large numbers.

Maybe the RIA barrels do drop in with a high success rate. But, any part dropping into a 1911 like a Glock is a rarity that approaches non-existent. No purchase of a 1911 should be made with such an expectation. And when you get one, feel very fortunate.

elmo123 · February 16 2015 04:54:14 PM MST

I just purchased a RIA in 40 and installed one of their 10mm barrels and it was truly a drop in. The dimensions were exactly the same as the 40 barrel the pistol came with.
The barrel from RIA was right at $100 and with the recoil springs and new magazines I have about $200 in the whole project.

Thedavel · February 18 2015 08:17:23 PM MST

I had a 5" RI in 10mm a couple years ago. For the money, it was slick. Killed some stuff with it. I can't remember for the life of me what barrel they put in them. Ramped? Supported? I'm picking up another Friday so I guess I'll know soon enough

sstewart · February 19 2015 06:14:02 AM MST

Ramped, cone barrel. Ramp is std. But unusual one. Only source is RIA.