Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .460 Rowland Test Install

Okay, I've owned a .460R Glock conversion with 6.61" barrel and long slide for several years now. The gun is truly SAWHEET to shoot because to me it really feels like it has less recoil than the Glock 20 10mm.

Having said that, over the years I keep looking at the 1911 conversions so I finally decided to take the plunge....except, I'm NOTgoing to install it on my Colt Delta Elite fitted with .45 slide, instead I've installed it on my Rock Island Armory chrome plated "tacticool" model with the wide beavertail grip safety and ambidextrous thumb safety, and all sorts of other features. I've got a "raft full" of RIA 1911 pattern pistols sitting out there in the safe doing nothing so why not throw one into the mix. I got the idea after reading about another intrepid experimenter who built HIS Rowland conversion on an RIA with NO compensator! His reports of how the pistol held up were complimentary to say the least.

If it explodes upon first firing or "last" firing, I'm gonna find out. If the frame and or slide become instantly tweaked into inoperability I'm gonna find out.

My thinking? When I see a list of guns as long as my wife's shopping list stating all the guns too "inferior" to handle the mighty Rowland I get a bit skeptical...I HIGHLY doubt any company has actually taken every single example of every single brand out, fitted them with the Rowland conversion, and shot them to destruction...so I will.

"If it breaks, it breaks...."

However I doubt it will just up and "break," and this is the rationale behind installing the conversion on an RIA. IF and when the RIA is toast I'll simply move on to the next "suspect" frame to see what it will take to kill it!

Now, I'm not planning to deliberately destroy the gun...so in addition to the starting recommendations I intend to add a flat bottom firing pin retainer and stiffer hammer spring. I'll start out with everything heavy, then reduce spring weights as shooting indicates is appropriate.

Interesting experiment.

Sounds like you're doing it right. I'd expect it to work just fine.

Sounds interesting. the flat bottom firing pin retainer will slow the pistols unlocking. You could throw a shock buff in for grins and giggles.

Cool experiment, I will go out on a limb and predict it will hold up just fine! looking forward to future reports