Check it out! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and receive information about the latest Products! pricing but nobody else to compare with, very fine weapon of chioce! Try changing the sear for a standard G.I. After that I had no qualms selling off the Desert Eagle. The above article might have been written by someone who writes about guns for a living, but it was certainly not written by someone who knows guns, and certainly not ballistics. .50 GI for 1911's and Glock Conversions - TNGunOwners.com We applauded the lack of a barrel bushing, and the fine fit evident at the rear of the slide. look no further! Jacketed Flat Point (700fps). Accuracy was generally five shots touching at 15 yards, from both types of ammo. Compared with the .400 Cor-Bon and the .460 Rowland, the .50 GI was far more shooter friendly. An Official Journal Of The NRA | Guncrafter Industries Long Slide 1911s 2022 EpicTactical. The Glock 21 bucks in my hand with a fast, sharp recoil. http://. Then the completely over-hyped, near pointless .50 Guncrafter round has also turned out to be nothing more than a rich-doods plaything. Its a whale covered in Vaseline. One nice touch was that the last few threads of the two-piece spring buffer required the use of an Allen wrench (included), with the idea of keeping all the parts of the gun together under severe and continued recoil. Yeah, thats a tall order. Review, with pictures. Muzzle blast was considerable from all loads. wonder if that compensator can be parkerized.. all i would need is the kit and brass Zimmerman, head of Guncrafter Industries in Huntsville, Arkansas, decided to make his 1911s as carefully and as well as any have been made to date. Use the .50 GI magazine that is included. Several years ago we obtained a Storm Lake drop-in 1911 barrel in .45 ACP from a catalog supplier, but that barrel didnt even come close to dropping into our test gun. (Compatible with Glock 26 Gen3, Gen4 and Polymer 80s PF940SC). Now, I was really skeptical about this round for a number of reasons to include: availability of ammo, cost of ammo, and price of the handgun. Itwill notfit in a std. We got three types of ammo in two bullet weights. .50 GI - Wikipedia Guncrafter has cornered the market in 1911-style .50s. Although the .460 Rowland gave hotter results on paper, were not entirely comfortable with all that blast and kick from the 1911. They gave the poorest feeding of all. Designing a gun around a bullet is sort of like GE building the GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling Gun and then Fairchild Republic building the A-10 Warthog aircraft around it. I stumbled across the Rock Island Armory GI .45 last week and was very impressed with it and the price. Please: No Double-Stacks, Bull Barrels or Fully-Ramped barrels. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I was born and raised in NC and I have grown up around firearms with shooting BB guns at the age of around 3-4. There is an optional .45 conversion for $365 which must be fitted, and fitting costs $115 if done by GI. This includes not only information about their purchase and use, but also the promotion of firearm safety and training. Be aware that continued use cant do your 1911 any good in the long haul. These custom 1911's range from $2600-$3900, depending on what you are wanting. We had massive failures to feed with the blunt, truncated-cone-shaped Nosler. Alex Zimmerman took the custom 1911 world a giant step farther when he came up with the idea of a .50-caliber cartridge that would fit into the footprint of a 1911. We think there are better options, like, say, a .44 Magnum revolver. With the proven stopping power of the massive 275/300-grain projectiles its a fair bet that youd come out on top in a gun fight. JHP at 1400 (actual 1375); G460C = 230-gr. Theyre quite the eye candy but arent practical weapons. While the .45 ACP has a good fight-stopping record, its not perfect. (assuming I can find them) 45acp conversion barrel/spring kit Naked Slide Flush Cut Deep Crown Barrel Flush Cut Slide Stop and Chamfer Frame bright Tritium Sights One or Two .50gi mags Two .45acp mags $3900 ppff, usps mo, check, zelle, ect. The Model 1 Custom 1911 Pistol For Sale | Guncrafter Industries Home Firearms Model 1 50 GI Model 1 50 GI $3,795.00 (1 review) Write a Review Availability: Our current lead time is 14-22 weeks. Both the M1 and the M2 can be fitted with Guncrafter Industries' .45 ACP conversion unit, the .45 ACP magazines hold 8 rounds. At 1,600 fps, even a round nose 185 grain .451 bullet creates an enormous temporary expansion cavity ALL the way through the testing medium! Then the barrel would enter the slide fully, and thats when our real troubles began. I take in a deep breath, steady my sights on the steel silhouette and squeeze off a round. Guncrafter builds some superb .45 ACP 1911 pistols, along with several custom projects; it even makes a 50GI conversion for the Glock 21 pistol that has become quite popular, offering higher capacity over a 1911 at a much smaller price tag. Since the debut in 2004, Im surprised that Ive never heard about this round and this company, but man am I glad that I found it. This is a drop on part, simply remove your existing upper and replace with this complete upper. Because Georgia Arms made our test ammo, here are that companys catalog numbers and claims, with our measured velocity in parentheses: G460A = 185-grain Nosler at 1550 (actual 1440); G460B = 185-gr. The cookie settings on this website are set to 'allow all cookies' to give you the very best experience. Clark still offers their conversion which is what I have, and yes it is unforgiving of certain blunt nose shapes as the cost of having full chamber support, but part of that equation lies in the magazines chosen. Either way stopping power is what youre looking for here, right? We think Guncrafter Industries headman Alex Zimmerman is onto something with his .50 GI. Im not sure when I first noticed the .460 Rowland, but after I put together a Glock longslide version and saw 1,722 fps AVERAGE roll up on the chronograph when firing Underwoods 185 grain load I was hooked! The .50 GC takes all the least desirable aspects of the .45 ACP and magnifies them while giving nothing of practical valueother than rich-dood bragging rights for those stupid enough to by one. Glockstore.com is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Glock, Inc. or Glock Ges.m.b.H. It had significantly more power than the .45 ACP in an easily controlled package that was essentially the same size and weight as the one we thought was the ultimate self-defense handgun for many long years. The Model 2 custom 1911 has all of the same great features of the Model 1, but also includes a full length rail, full length dust cover, and a monolithic slide. have 3 and couldn't be happier! If therefore we yield up our temporal property, we at the same time deliver the conscience into bondage." There was also a bushing, link, heavier slide and firing-pin springs, a two-piece guide rod for the 24-pound spring, and hanging out front, a big muzzle brake (your choice of blued or stainless). Will fit standard holsters for your Glock model. Its a slow little donkey of a round hits like you would not believe. How good are these? The .50GI is loaded to .45 ACP pressure levels, and offers loadings ranging from 185gr @ 1200fps to 300gr @ 700 fps. Because the bullets are moving so much faster than .45 ACP, conventional hollowpoint bullets made for the .45 auto tend to expand dramatically and limit penetration. Is Cor-Bon asking too much from these loads? My wife usually accompanies me to the gun range and she is always there to help female shooters with their techniques and to answer questions. This gun had it all, we thought. We thought this was a good idea. Glock slide - being in 50 GI caliber our barrel is much bigger than a std. MANTIS BLACKBEARD Dry Fire Training System 1 Year 70,000 round, how did it stand up? Copyright 2023 Advantage Arms, Inc.. Powered by Miva, 3926 N. Schreiber Way Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815. I realize this article is now 15 years old, but I think the following is still a fair comment Using a NORINCO 1911 for a drop in barrel conversion would not be my first choice. I have shot a couple friends had and they are not as bad as hot 10mm rounds out of a 1911 platform. I would suspect that even if a home invader were wearing body armor this round would probably split his sternum and disrupt the hearts rhythm enough to possibly cause unconsciousness. The loads didnt offer much but velocity, and some of us are not great fans of velocity at the expense of bullet weight. TARGET MODEL VS. STANDARD/COMMANDER MODEL The question that I really had, though, was recoil. Guncrafter Industries has released a 50 GI conversion for full size Glock 20 & 21. The easily loaded magazine held seven rounds. I prefer the ergonomics of the 1911 an the hammer-fired, crisp trigger with thumb safety to the Glock even though the Glock tips the scales a good 10 ounces lighter! They caliber convert a 1911 and even a Glock. One .50 GI factory load drives a 300-grain bullet at 700 to 725 fps (translating into a 210 power factor), with felt recoil comparable to a 230-grain .45 ACP hardball round. RIA .45ACP to 9mm Conversion After we examined our test gun, we felt that he had indeed done so, and felt the asking price (same for .50 GI or .45 ACP) was well justified, and in line with the best custom 1911s by other makers. The Ultimate Review of Guncrafter Industries .50 GI Glock Conversion Slide! https://www.forgottenweapons.com/a-50-caliber-1911-guncrafter-industries-model-1/http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeaponsCool Forgotten Weapons merch! With the 1911 I found Chip McCormick Powermags to be the ticket for sustained reliable function not that any of my conversions have ever had a problem with reliability. Conversion Kit Magazines by Advantage Arms, Conversion Kit Magazines by Tactical Solutions. We were out of time, or would have sent the barrel for correction. Most custom 1911s are designed with accuracy in mind and this pistol doesnt fall short in that department. bullets at nominal velocities of 1,200 to 700-fps. How DARE anyone suggest another caliber especially one designed for the 1911 is on the same level! I dont think the 400 Cor-Bon really got a fair shake. Our standard power factory round drives a 300gr. Huh the $3000 purpose-built gun was better than a cheap-o gun with an inexpensive drop-in barrel? The .50 was much more pleasant. Comes with aGlock frame, a conversion unit, and one 9 *Stainless Steel Finish Units are IN STOCK and ready to ship* The Worlds #1 source for glock parts & accesories, Just ordered mine should be here in 3 days Ill post another review one I get to but I mean how can you be unhappy with a 50 cal glock ;), SIGN UP FOR EXCLUSIVE SALES AND PRODUCT NEWS. The Ultimate Review of Guncrafter Industries .50 GI Glock Conversion The 275-grain load gave a touch more felt recoil, and did seem to have some muzzle flash, but in no way did we think either was objectionable. On carefully measuring this barrel and half a dozen others, we found we would have to remove 0.030 from the rear of the chamber mouth before we could get it to fit. But, these .50GI rounds can be reloaded and there are dies available to reload. The latter kicked, as Elmer Keith would have put it, like two mules. L-SWC (800fps), 275gr. Guncrafter is the only way to get ammo. The four might go 1.5 to 2 inches, not at all bad. The Blue Glaser Safety Slugs produced a huge fireball, and when we tried em on paper we got a 10-inch pattern at 15 yards. This was most noticeable with the 230-grain load. These arent modified parts, they are hand-built from the ground up with the intention of giving the end user the ability to have 9+1 of .50 caliber rounds in your large frame Glock pistol. Magnum Research made a name for itself with the Desert Eagle. The 50 GI can really put a lot of punch on a subject. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gun Tests has been independently reviewing firearms since 1989. The Model 4 custom 1911 is a Long Slide chambered in the .50GI round, which makes it the perfect candidate for a hunting pistol as well as a target 1911. When you choose .460 Rowland you are choosing the best 1911 Conversions on the market. Celebrating over 13 years as one of the leading news & reviews blogs for the firearms, tactical, prepping & military community. Not resting on their laurels, theyve moved ahead and now have this outstanding Glock conversion kit. (They also make barrels for several Glock models.) (There may be some floating around out there, and if you mill away the extra metal they can be made to work.) Due to the larger caliber, the cartridge operates at a relatively low pressure and has a long reloading life. As a SWAT operator the only reason that you may have to go to your secondary weapon is failure of your carbine, or close in fighting where a long gun isnt a good idea to be poking around corners with. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Order Online or Call Toll-Free: 1-800-601-8273 You may also like Conversion Kit Magazines by Advantage Arms $24.95 Conversion Kit Magazines by Tactical Solutions $42.95 Tactical Solutions .22 Conversion Kit 1911 Conversion Kits: Advantage Arms Secure Online Store This unit comes ready to install with no fitting required. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry the guns prices at the time of the original review. This conversion includes the slide, .50GI barrel, recoil spring, and 9rd magazine. Clearly a muzzle brake looked like a good idea. Thats right, You read correct a 50. Folks, these .50 calibers really do hit that hard. The case is larger in diameter to hold the .500-inch diameter bullet, while the full-up length of the .50 GI cartridge is the same as that of the .45 ACP, so converting Glocks is easy. For shotgun ammunition, see Shotgun Ammunition Types. The finish was well done, and perfect for a fighting handgun. exile, Fox Ridge Outfitters, the access point for the T/C Custom Shop (, Soldier of God, sixgun junky, Retired electrical lineman. . Recoil, I must tell you, was not as expected. Please click Accept Cookies to continue to use the site. The Guncrafter Industries 50 GI Conversion Kit will fitGlock models 20, 21, 40, and 41, Generations 1-4, without any hand fitting. The .50 GI Conversion Unit will fit any Generation 1-4Glock 20/21/40/41 frame. Let's start your build today! 4 is built. The slide seemed to bounce forward so fast the next round could not rise in the magazine before the slide jammed it against the ramp. Our test shooters regularly got such groups, and did so with ease. We did notice a touch more recoil with the .50 GI than from ordinary .45 fodder, though some hot .45 rounds kick as much as the .50 GI. Guncrafter Industries combined its monster .50 GI cartridge with a large-frame Glock pistol and viola, you have the .50 GI Conversion Kit. 185g CHP 8.7g Bullseye 1.220" 1200 fps. In 2019 Vortex Optics released the Razor HD 4000 rangefinder with 4,000-yard reach (below). The installation required more than two hands. 50GI 9 Round Conversion Magazine for Glock Pistols, Guncrafter Industries .50GI Drop-In Conversion for Glock Pistols, Guncrafter Industries .50 GI Complete Pistol, Threaded Barrel 5/8-24 TPI, RH, 5.3" for 50 GI conversion units, 50 GI Complete Pistol w/ Glock Frame, Gen.4, True Blue, Metallic Finish, 50 GI Complete Pistol w/ Glock Frame, Gen.4, Cayman Green Finish, 50 GI Complete Pistol w/ Glock Frame, Gen.4, Sky Blue Metallic Finish. This law also restricts communications that promote an organization such as ours. We were hooked! We had expected a heavy gun, but were happily disappointed. [PDFCAP(2)] told us Guncrafter was honest in its velocity claims. Each pistol is built by hand and backed with our Lifetime Satisfaction Assurance, as well as the best customer service in the industry. Unlike another makers guns that lock so tightly they need hundreds of rounds to break in, the .50 GI was pleasant right from the start. I absolutely love this beast and it shoots amazingly well. One of our empties had a pierced primer (small pistol), and though the gun never gave a stutter, we never like pierced primers. The Model No. Bad luck had given us one of the barrels made by the previous companys management. The brake seemed to grab the gun in mid-recoil and pull it back down. New Shooters Guide: What Is a Pistol Caliber Carbine? We thought the .400 was well worth a look for those who want lighter bullets at otherwise unreachable velocities from the 1911. My office was a 100 feet in the air, closer to God the better, Vintage Boxes - Gear, Shell, Case, Primer, Group Buys Design, Active , Waiting and Archives, Closed Buys/Waiting for delivery/in shipment, If this is your first visit, be sure to 1 in 2010. sear and you may see what I mean. Its the Glock platform that is the standard by which all other pistols are judged. 5 Round 50 GI. Guncrafter has found that balance in the Glock 21. It is a very nice gun, and my understanding that they are just as custom as the Wilson or Nighthawk. In this video we test out the Guncrafter Industries' .50 GI in both their custom 1911 and Glock conversion package. I braced myself expecting a real wrist splitter but instead got a fast impulse just a hairs breathe over that of a 230-grain .45ACP. 4 chambered in .50 GI and the No Name Longslide chambered in 10 mm. In the field my 1911 conversion has a 10 round CM PM in place which is 10 shots versus six in a revolver, and being instantly ready to reload. Another of our factory loads drives a 275gr. Zimmerman engineered a 1911-style pistol and .50 GI cartridge combination to achieve highly controllable knock-down power for self-defense and IPSC shooting. The .50 GI Glock Conversion Unit will fit any Generation 1-4 Glock 20/21/40/41 frame. It come in three basic models, all of which are handcrafted. Wouldnt it be cool to have a weapon with high round count, capable of enough energy to punch into an assailant with the same force as a .41 Mag but in the controllable envelope of a polymer-framed Glock? The Guncrafter Industries custom 1911s are actually inline with other custom 1911 manufacturers to include Nighthawk and Wilson Combat. My enthusiasm is geared towards the medical side, yet I am always there to help out new shooters find that perfect gun and work on their technique. To me, they look like .45s that rode the short bus to school. We found the extra length made presenting the gun harder and slower. The trigger was excellent, no surprise once we realized what a fine piece of work we had in our hands. We heard about the .50 GI two years ago from a friend of Gun Tests. There were no sharp edges anywhere to cut the hands of shooters practicing clearing drills, or to gouge your holster. Loads are listed Bullet weight & style, Powder weight & type, OAL length and velocity. Muzzle climb with the hottest .460 Rowland ammo was thus much less than with the .400 Cor-Bon, though the .460 stung our hands, especially the 230-grain load. For the record, Linebaughs .50s use 0.510-inch bullets. Solid Copper Hollow Point (1200fps), 230gr CHP Solid Copper Hollow Point (1000fps), 255gr. As we prepared to press the trigger of the .50 GI on a live round for the first time, we didnt realize we were in for one of our finest surprises in many years of testing guns. .45ACP hardball factory round. While low-cost surplus ammo doesnt exist, Guncrafter helps the shooter by offering reloading dies, brass, bullets, and reloading data from the company website (www.guncrafterindustries.com). It would be nice, but it can't be done. Dont Buy. Alright, that is how I liken the experience of handling a fully loaded Desert Eagle. When talking muzzle brakes, everyone who has ever lined up behind a Barret .50 BMG rifle understands fully how absolutely vital and effective is that thing hanging off the barrel. One can perhaps get used to that, but we all felt the .50 GI was much easier to shoot, slow or fast, than the .400 Cor-Bon. Unless you are rich or reload I would forget it. Im shocked. I was impressed that someone could actually take a weapon that I find to be perfect and actually improve upon it. The Videki-pattern trigger broke cleanly at 4.8 pounds, was well fitted in its slot, and was perfectly adjusted for overtravel. Our 1911 Target Conversion Kit is our most accurate conversion kit. The end result on the target is something to behold, however. There are differences, the Chinese NORINCO is not identical to the Colt or G.I. They are available in stainless, melonite, and cerakote. .50 GI Conversion Slide - fits 20/21-STAINLESS STEEL We declared them to be useless in this setup. We wanted to see if the new management had corrected that flaw. After shooting the rompin, stompin Rowland, our opinion is that the brake is mandatory. The brainchild of Johnny Rowland, TV outdoors personality (The Shooting Show, cable TV), the .460 Rowland was intended to make the absolute most of the .45-auto concept while staying within the basic 1911 size. The .50GI was intended primarily as a self-defense round but is still very versatile and can be loaded to higher or lower levels if desired. The 165-grain loads fed and ejected well with only one failure to feed. We stripped the gun and attempted to insert the Storm Lake .400 CB barrel. All Rights Reserved. It never happened. Mine currently has a 20/40 pound dual, flat-wound coil that wasnt available in 2005. Also, there is at least one complete gun that offers a purported step up in ballistics, the Guncrafter Industries .50 GI ($2895) Model No. Guncrafter Industries currently makes a wide variety of hand-built, custom 1911. Here are our findings. We didnt know, so we acquired some drop-in barrels from Storm Lake in .400 Cor-Bon ($130) and from Clark Custom Guns in .460 Rowland ($275). As far as magazines go, I know the JHP can be relatively easily converted to work with standard 1911 magazines, so perhaps just widening the mag well and doing a similar modification to the magazine catch could be enough make it work with the .50GI 1911 style mags.