.460 Rowland

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Old 454

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I am considering buying the convertion kit for my Colt 45acp. I like the idea i can shoot the 45acp and the .460

I want to here from people that has actuall converted ther 45 acp to the .460 Rowland.

How is the reliability ? Was it everything that they say it is. ?

Thanks for any information given
 
I built one,using the Clark kit for a brother.
Mixed thoughts.
I would not build one for myself.
The gun will run and you can get the impressive ballstics.The comp is a big part of why it works.It delays the slide.
The 460 case is longer.Headspace being on the case mouth,45 ACP is not interchangeable.
While the case is longer,the mag is the same.This means same cartridge LOA,minus longer case length,equals less avaiilble bullet protrusion.
Which means fewer bullets are useable,particularly in heavier weights.

There are other things that I prefer not to deal with.

A different brother built one on a Glock.I do not know anything about it,but he has built both,and prefers the Glock for a 460.

For myself,to satisfy pretty much the same "need" I would go with a double stack hi-cap 10mm set up to shoot the Buffalo Bore hard cast 200 GR + bullets at well over 1200 fps.It might be that the easiest way to do that is a groove rifled Lone Wolf bbl in a Glock.But I'd probably use a STI 2011

I might prefer a Caspian or STI 1911/2011 double stack frame with a cone comp.Like an iron sight race gun,Commander length slide.

At this point,I don't need one enough to build one.Too much $.But,maybe!
 
In May 2000 I worked up 460 Rowland loads and beyond in a 45acp Heritage Arms Patriot. The manual said "no +P" but I could see how the pistol was built [case support and chamber wall thickness]. It was designed by Nehemia Sirkis. The factory was two guys in a biz park in CA. They sent me all kinds of parts for free to support the project. I used mixed once fired 45acp brass. What I really needed to do was build a recoil spring assembly. I made around a nail with 3 springs from the Wolff gunsmithing pak. The outer and inner spring are right hand twist, the one in the middle is left hand twist. I threaded the end of the nail. The nut on the end I cut to be round to clear the hole in the slide for the guide rod. The spring assembly is 38 pounds of force with the slide all the way back.

The pistol only weighs 16 ounces, so it was a real challenge. There are few choices:
1) Beat up the joints and nerves in the hand and shake parts off the pistol and get a flinch
2) Get a slide with a few pounds of mass
3) Get a recoil compensator that sends gas and noise back.
4) Get a recoil spring with so much force that it takes a very strong grip to chamber a round.

I chose the last one, but the slide comes forward so fast that the chamber came up empty. So I doubled the magazine springs in parallel.

Since way back then they sold the biz to Cobra in Montana.
 
Your Colt would be a prime Candidate. As it being all forged carbon steel where it counts, makes for a durable frame and slide. I believe in also adding a qualify flat firing pin stop. I have never owned one but have looked into it. If you are OK with ammo prices I'd say go for it. Will only be fun and cool. Would make an excellent whitetail or elk gun.
 
To take full advantage of the 460 Rowland case capacity a revolver is the best choice.
In a 1911 platform or any semi-auto you are limited in OAL that will fit in the magazine.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
50

I kind of wonder why there is no 50 GI +p. Push it to 18k or even, gasp, 20k psi and you could push a 300 gr pill around 1000 fps. That is a pretty serious round. But, like the 460 it is a round with no real purpose. The 50 special, 44 mag, 10mm, etc etc etc all perform better and there is no real need for that kind of power in a semiauto.

That said, there is no reason to NOT get a 460 or 45 super. It would make a great backup hog hunting or even in bear country... Or just for exploading pumpkins. Fun is where ou find it.
 
I don't know what 460 Roland pressures are,but the loads I was provided to testfire with gave 1300+fps with a 255 gr bullet through my chronograph.
That's 44 magnum level performance.That pretty much requires 44 magnum pressures,well into the 30k's.
We used a ramped.fully supported barrel and the Clark Compensator.
Beyond effectively taming recoil,the comp delays unlocking and slows the slide down.
I suspect the 460 Roland would wreck a 1911 in short order without the comp.
 
I've used a Clark conversion kit in my government 1911 for a number of years. The key to it running it well is finding the right recoil spring for your pistol. Once you have the right weight, it runs fine and is a blast to shoot. Assembly is a PIA until you get the hang of it. You can reload for it using .45 act dies, which is what I do. Even dialed down, it is a hot round, but I found it very manageable and have not seen any excessive wear to my frame or other components.

I wanted to try to the XD45 5" in 460 Rowland, but never had the chance. It has a much easier takedown and reassembly than the 1911 version.

Personally, I love it. What specifically would you like to know? I have answered this topic a couple of times before on this board.
 
I don't know what 460 Roland pressures are,but the loads I was provided to testfire with gave 1300+fps with a 255 gr bullet through my chronograph.
Click to expand...

At the moment I don't recall the exact pressure numbers but I do know they are high, I keep thinking somewhere around 38,000 PSI.
It's always amazed me that the 460 Rowland conversion was OK to do on a S&W 625 N frame but loading 45 Colt cartridge in the N frame S&W it was suggested to not exceed 21,000 PSI.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
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