Well, I got a 16-inch 1911 barrel for my Springfield just form yucks. It was just one more thing for my 1911 that does nine different things. That, and it's a Hand Rifle, by definition.
I didn't get a stock-iron, or fancy mainspring housing, however. Mine was supposed to stay a handgun.
I got it for $55 from a magazine supply place called Forrest Mfg. in the Shotgun News. That's about the going rate for most 1911 barrels. The cheap ones, anyway.
It works. It dropped right in, it's reliable with hardball and RNL's. I haven't tried it with anything else. Function and cycling are just fine. There's just one little problem.
It shoots three FEET to the left of the factory fixed sights at forty yards. Nice groups, mind you,. No trouble to harrass a soda can at that range, but I aim it by lining one vertical edge of the front sight with the OPPOSITE vertical edge of the rear sight, and looking OVER the sights, trying to line the left-side corners up. It works, but it's a bit disappointing.
Note: It shoots self-consistent, adequate groups. Just way over THERE. Yours might not have this "looks here, shoots there" issue. Adjustable sights might be another simple solution, but I would have to crank the sight over pretty far, like an eighth of an inch or more, to get them to work. I don't want to work that hard for what is just a fun thing for me to play with, so I just wing it.
If you get one, be sure to tell the forum about it. I'm curious to see if other guns have this problem. I asked about it here, but no suggestions of why it was doing that or how to fix it were forthcoming, and I decided I was going to build a jig and bend the barrel a hair, as they're pretty thin. I haven't done it yet, but I will report on it whenever I get around to it. It's not that high of a priority, really.
At $150 for their set-up, they're charging about a hundred bucks for a special mainspring housing , a stock iron, and a board. I remember seeing stock irons and housings for sale through Gun Parts, aka Numrich, but I don't remember the prices. I'm pretty sure it was a lot less, though, and anyone can cut out a board stock. (Well, not ANYone, but if you're at all handy you might could save 60-70 bucks.) Poke around in the Shotgun News, you might find an ad for the parts, and I know you can get barrels for very reasonable prices. Just don't expect 'em to be match accurate.
I wonder if that set-up's legal here in the PRK? Do you suppose it fits the description of "Thumbhole, or consicuously protruding pistol grip"? You can't run Mech-Tech coversion units, because the grip sticks out the bottom. This one's not that different from a regular rifle, just a little more abruptly angled...
