[Taurus_9mm]

Has anyone else considered purchasing a PT1911 in .38 Super and having it converted to shoot 9mm? Rock Island Armory makes a 9mm 1911 and my thoughts were to acquire the needed parts from RIA or to purchase & scavenge a stock RIA 1911. Since Taurus has yet to release a PT1911 in 9mm I thought why not take proactive steps on my end to have one converted. I'll mull it over some more but was curious if anyone else had the same idea?

 

[CUForester]

I think that it could be done, but I just don't see the point. You would have to do a lot of tuning to get it to extract properly, so why ruin a perfectly good Super?

 

[Smokewagon]

That is a thought. Considering it worked well, look at the inexpensive ammo you could use in a 1911 platform. Maybe one day, the 9mm PT1911 will appear. I wonder if it isn't already available in other markets, and just not the US, yet?

 

[Taurus_9mm]

I think that it could be done, but I just don't see the point. You would have to do a lot of tuning to get it to extract properly, so why ruin a perfectly good Super?

My primary reason is just because I want a PT1911 in the 9mm parabellum chambering although the less expensive 9mm ammo is also a big plus. As far as the extractor issue I've been reading about other .38 Super to 9mm conversions and it seems that it wouldn't be an insurmountable obstacle. Ultimately if I had to pay a 'smith to do the work I would.

 

[Taurus_9mm]

That is a thought. Considering it worked well, look at the inexpensive ammo you could use in a 1911 platform. Maybe one day, the 9mm PT1911 will appear. I wonder if it isn't already available in other markets, and just not the US, yet?

Definitely a possibility Smoke. If there is a genuine PT1911 9mm out there somewhere, I want it.

 

[sandman228]

why not just buy the ria and be done with it ?

 

[Smokewagon]

why not just buy the ria and be done with it ?

Because he wants a Taurus.

 

[Seth247]

You don't need any RIA parts just purchase a 9mm 1911 barrel from one of the dozens of 1911 parts manufacturers and drop it in. I don't know what ejector problems there would be...I suppose it may eject a little late since it's traveling further back than it would have to since it was designed to clear a .38s case instead of the shorter 9mmL case(about 3 1/2mm shorter) but that won't hurt anybody.

Everything else save for the recoil spring should be the same.

I don't see what extractor issue your referring too. The extractor will be the same either way.

In fact I just checked midway and all the 38super/9mm ejectors there were labeled ".38super/9mm" so I can only assume that both calibers use the same spec ejector.

ALSO in fact I just checked midway again and all the .38super-9mm extractors are labeled the same way so apperantly all that's different in the two caliber setups is the barrel and recoil spring.

 

[Taurus_9mm]

Seth, thank you very much for the information. When it comes to the 1911 I'm little more than a novice and have only ever owned one. I was reading a few comments online from people who have stated they've done conversions before and a couple mentioned a possible extractor issue, though it may have been more purely speculation on their parts.

I hadn't checked the Taurus website recently but went to it last night and now it lists the PT1911 9mm as available. If that's indeed the case it will save me from having to go the route of acquiring a .38 Super to convert. I think I may still have some parts swapped however, likely the hammer, trigger and perhaps even the barrel and maybe a little engraving on the slide to boot.

 

[Mdbullet]

I have had my PT1911 in .38 super for about 5 months or so and I only have about 200 rounds thru it so far but I do know I really like this round. I dont think I will ever try to convert this to a 9MM. Dave

 

[Seth247]

The Taurus website has said that for a while and still no dice unfortunately. I would rather have one gun that can do both anyway. Alot cheaper than another gun. Unless you just want another gun! Who doesn't?

I like the .38 super caliber. 357 sig velocities in 9mm capacity. Think it would be a great defensive caliber but not cheap to practice with.

 

[Gray_Wolf]

it'd still say 38 super on the slide. :-\ That would bug me personally.

 

[Seth247]

Well yeah but if it's just for training...

 

[sandman228]

ive thought a time or 2 about converting a 1911 myself ive got a ria 9mm on layaway real close to picking it up but i also want a 38 super . there isnt a 38 super in a 1911 in this town to be had some shops are willing to order some are not . i ran across a used star 1911 in 9mm a few weeks ago in the low 200$ price range the thought ran through my mind of buying and trying to convert it to 38 super but i wasent farmiliar with that brand of gun and figured it wouldnt be worth the hastle .

 

[Gray_Wolf]

low $200's? Norinco?

 

[sandman228]

all i know is the tag said star 9mm and it was a 1911 if i remember right the tag said 230 $ it was a little rough around the edges . i was out there paying on my ria i have on lay away it was there 1 week and gone when i went back the next week to pay again

 

[Cherokee]

I have separate 9mm barrels for my 38 Super guns (not Taurus). Did this 15-20 years ago. The only other difference is the magazine. Ejection, extraction, etc. all works fine with either barrel.

 

[SMPARKINSON]

OK, I'm no gunsmith. But I have a pretty good workbench and tools, and even some machine tools, and no aversion to trying anything new as long as I know I can avoid damaging my projects in the process of working on them. I too have the PT1911 in .38 Super and will probably end up getting a set of reloading dies for it. But for ease of availability and cost there is just no beating the 9mm, so like a lot of other people I have been thinking about trying to do a 9mm conversion. I read where one man who is obviously more skilled and knowledgable about 1911's than myself was able to do the conversion with a $50. Sarco barrel that he fit to his gun, and it worked like a charm with only the modified 9mm barrel change. And while it may have been fairly streight forward for him, I could see myself ruining at least a couple of those barrels before getting it right. So I'm wondering if the easier way would be to try to obtain an actual 9mm PT1911 barrel from Taurus themselves with the hope that it might be a little closer to a "drop in" solution. Am I dreaming, or would an actual OEM Taurus 9mm barrel for their PT1911 maybe a little closer to a drop in fit than the after market barrel from Sarco? I mean, if the install and fitting was fairly minor I would probably be able to pull it off and feel confident about the outcome. Now I have heard that Taurus won't sell components like barrels, but it can't hurt to call and ask. My guess is also that it would be more expensive than the Sarco barrel, but if it was close to already fitting correctly with minimal adjustment required, I would think I would be able to do the job as long as I took my time. Now this is the one approach I haven't read about on the subject of this conversion, and I would like to know what people more experienced than myself think about it. Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

 

[olfarhors]

Somewhere around here this has been discussed quite throughly??
the problem with a 38 Super Pt1911 and fitting a Taurus barrel 9 MM in it is that Taurus makes thier 9MM barrels as ramped barrels, the 38 Super frame is not cut (relieved for this )as it does not have a ramped barrel.
Now i have not made such a swap but would think that this would be required for the 9MM barrel to fit properly.
additionally i personally do not think that the fitting of a 1911 barrel is something that should be done in the hands of a novice?
as to the reloading aprt , well once you obtain the cases , the cost of reloading the 38 Super is the same cost as the 9 MM, so actually the 38 Super is a reloaders dream cartridge!
hope this helps.

 

[cuban]

Oldfarhors, is correct, you might be able to fit an aftermarket unramped 9 mm barrel unto your Taurus 38 super, but you wouldn't be able to fit a 9 mm Taurus barrel to your Taurus 38 super 1911 because the 9mm Taurus barrel has a ramp attached it, in this conversion you would also have to add some 9mm magazines to accommodate the shorter 9mm rounds, but besides the barrel and magazine everything else is compatible. :guns:

shoot safe, shoot straight, and have fun