M1911A1 and the installation of a .38 Super barrel?

Just acquired an apparently unused .38 Super barrel manufactured by Les Baer and made for installing in a 1911 type pistol.

I know I will need to get the following parts to replace the existing parts on my cal. .45 ACP 1927 Sistema Colt, which is a 1911A1 clone manufactured in Argentina during the 1940's with machinery and dies supplied by Colt:

1. Magazine 2. Barrel Bushing 3. Extractor 4. Possibly a new recoil spring 5. Possibly a new link assembly

Also I know that I might have to do a little bit of hand fitting for the barrel, but it just might fit up OK as is. I will find out about that when I try to put everything together.

I would welcome recommendations for magazine manufacturers. What brand name should I get?

Also would like recommendations for barrel bushings. What is the range of acceptable clearances between inside diameter of the bushing and outside diameter of the barrel, and also for the outside diameter of the bushing and the inside diameter of the slide for attaining better than combat accuracy but not quite match accuracy? I don't want to trouble myself at fitting the bushing for match accuracy because I don't want to go whole hog at attempting to turn my combat pistol into a target pistol. Making it into a target pistol would require a slide mating job and new sights and perhaps some new trigger parts. I just want to use this pistol as modified for .38 Super into one that is highly functionally reliable and one that I can use for some very accurate plinking fun.

Any recommendations for some particular brand and part number for a replacement extractor?

What about the link assembly and the recoil spring? Link assemlies come in various sizes and recoil springs are available in various weights.

Any recommendations for web pages for me to see before I get started on this conversion project?

I would welcome responses by private email and also responses posted here. I hope there are not too many different and various opinions on what parts I should get and what I should do because that would make things much more difficult for me to decide because I wouldn't know whose advice I should choose as possibly being the best. Of course I know that the best advice would be to take the gun to a gunsmith who is highly specialized in working on 1911's and let him do the work. A problem I would have with that is that going that route would likely be very expensive.

TIA

Sam Heywood

Sam, I think you know better. You also need a different slide. The diameter of the case is different so the position of the extractor should be different too. Likewise the firing pin hole will be smaller.

Try this link. You might like the main site too. http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=& threadid=55246&high...

> ...

>Sam, I think you know better. You also need a different slide. The >diameter of the case is different so the position of the extractor >should >be different too. Likewise the firing pin hole will be smaller.

>Try this link. You might like the main site too. >http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread. >php?s=&threadid=55246&highlight=super

>> ...

Hello Ken:

Somebody else from here in a private email message told me that I would need a different slide. Also the URL you pointed me to says I would need a different slide. The only reason I can figure as to why I would need a new slide is that in using the existing slide the ejector would probably not hit and throw out the smaller diameter case of the .38 super cartridge. I did consider the extraction part of the cycle of operation and I did mention that I knew I would need a different extractor. I forgot to think about the ejection part of the cycle, but that is a problem I would have discovered on my own after assembling the parts with my existing slide. I don't think the large firing pin would be a problem, but the ejector certainly would be a problem. Forgot to think of that. Well, I will have to be looking for a whole new top end. Now I wonder if it will be worth it. If anybody knows of a URL where I can start looking at prices for such, please post.

Sam Heywood

About 40 yrs ago I converted a .38 super to .45 just the reverse of what you're doing. It required a barrel, slide, ejector and some other small parts. The newer austo are simple ie, Glock, Sig, Berretta, just change out barel and mag. Mike e

Kuhnhausen says the extractor is wider. To me, that implies the hole it fits in is wider too.

If no one on the site I posted has it for sale (register, ask then wait two days for replies), I would check out Sarco, Numrich, then Brownell, and Ebay. Colt would be dead last on my list as for what they would charge you could probably buy two originals on Ebay.

> ...

As others have pointed out, you'll need a different slide. You will also need to change out the ejector.

I've converted a couple of guns to different calibers. Your Sistema Colt should work just fine for a caliber changeover.

>need >to change out the ejector.

Yep. Because I have recently found out that I would have to incur the big expense of getting a different slide I have decided that the conversion project I had in mind is not worth it. The dealer from whom I acquired the Les Baer 38 Super barrel says he would take it back with full refund, no problem.

>I've converted a couple of guns to different calibers. Your Sistema Colt >should >work just fine for a caliber changeover.

That is very interesting to know, but I have come to the conclusion that for me the conversion project is not worth the expense. For the same money I would have to spend on a caliber conversion project I could buy another very good pistol instead. I am sure the dealer whom I am going to return the 38 Super barrel to would be most happy to sell me another gun instead.

Thanx.

Sam Heywood