45 Super?

[Hulkstr8]

Hey guys,

I got into a discussion with a guy today and he said that the 9mm has basically been suped up since it was originally introduced, but the 45 acp has remained virtually unchanged. He than started mentioning 45 Super and how it can be run in a normal 1911 with no damage to the gun whatsoever. Never heard of this caliber before, have you?

[Arik]

Yep been around for a while. Some 1911 can handle it, some can't. They at the very least need a spring change. Also I believe there are or were spring kits for HK USP 45 to 45 super.

I wouldn't recommend just shooting 45 super in any 1911. Older guns, cheaper cast guns may not hold up long unless you want to shoot just one round

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[gaijin]

A 230 FMJ at 1100 fps isn’t enjoyable out of a 1911.

Your rate of fire, shot to shot, goes out the window with recovery time from recoil.
It’s a better hunting than a defensive handgun in my book.
That said, the sectional density of a 230 gr. FMJ is lousy in comparison to the heavier .45 Colt or .44 Mag bullets available in a revolver.
A steady diet of the cartridge will accelerate wear to pistol, in spite of heavier springs.

There’s a reason it was never a popular cartridge.

[gunnerblue]

There’s also the .460 Rowland which seems to be a little more popular as a hunting cartridge. Brownells sells conversion kits for 1911’s and Glock 20/21’s. I’ve always thought a S&W 625 conversion would be cool, but still not as effective as 44 Magnum or 45 Colt revolver in the end.

[Diamondback]

There's also the .450 SMC, a variation on the Super that uses a rifle primer and thicker brass.
https://www.ammoland.com/2014/11/450-smc-ammo/

I've long wondered what a full-power 10mm-rated (as opposed to the Minus-P of the old FBI load and current industry standard) frame, up-bored to .45 Super/.450 SMC and pushing a 255- to 260-grain .45 Long Colt JHP like a Gold Dot at ~38,000 PSI could do for Terminal Ballistics... especially out of a PCC like a Thompson.

[gaijin]

^ This would be a thumper, like a +P .45 Colt, a fine woods/brush gun.

[Averageman]

Is there any truth in H&K pistols being rated for 45 Super?
I have a USP-C and if it's G2G...?

[GJM]

Is there any truth in H&K pistols being rated for 45 Super?
I have a USP-C and if it's G2G...?

USP full size with its double recoil spring runs Super reliably. So does the HK45C, in modest doses, in multiple pistols. Choked in my HK USP Compact .45, though.

[Uni-Vibe]

Why fart around? If a .45 Super is 230 grains at 1100 fps, then a 10mm is 180 grains at 1250 or 1300. Close enough.

[Det-Sog]

Why fart around? If a .45 Super is 230 grains at 1100 fps, then a 10mm is 180 grains at 1250 or 1300. Close enough.

Yes, that's my philosophy. Add that the 10mm makes a good woods gun. Underwood makes a 200 and 220 gr that flies out at 1200 +/- fps for four legged critters... Having been 1911-less for years I finally jumped back in the pool with both feet and got that 10mm that I've wanted ever since the late 1980's. Now, IT kicks pretty good too. It still makes a good woods gun and a nightstand gun. I use Underwood in the desert/mountains, and normal defense rounds for the night stand. With that said...

<--- My next 1911 will be a top tier 9mm though. I just have to face reality. I'm over 50 and having carried for a living many years and having hundreds of thousands of rounds downrange, my body doesn't like the recoil of large caliber hand guns anymore. Getting old sucks. A whole box of anything .45 or larger now, and I have to go home and ice my wrist. At least I can still shoot 9mm all day though.