1911 barrel bushing question

[Rittmeister]

I have an admittedly silly hankering to put together a Nash Bridges knockoff 1911. His was a fancy two-tone Commander base gun with a nice compensator and a few other things.

I'm not planning an exact replica. I'm thinking a railed Commander in 9mm (possibly a Rock Island Ultra MS base gun) with a simple bushing compensator. Hence my question - are .45 and 9mm bushings interchangeable? I know the Commander bushing and the 5-inch bushing aren't the same, but are the outer diameters of the two barrels the same - i.e. being able to use the same bushing? Or do I need to find a 9mm, Commander bushing compensator?

Thanks!

 

[Drail]

My advice would be to just skip the 9mm idea and get a steel frame .45 Commander (an actual Colt). Bushing comps don't work well in short .45 barrels.

 

[Cannibul]

My advice would be to just skip the 9mm idea and get a steel frame .45 Commander (an actual Colt). Bushing comps don't work

FIFY.

The .45 doesn't produce enough gas volume to make a comp work.

 

[Drail]

Well, actually it can but only if you really push the pressures and generally not with a bushing comp. In a real comp with expansion chambers it does help some but with the .45 ACP it's really not needed.

 

[Kp321]

Over the years, Colt has used two different barrel diameters on their 9mm pistols. I don't know the dates but the older ones have a "pencil" barrel while later guns have the same size barrel as the 45. A few years ago, I needed a bushing for a pencil barrel and could not find one. Ended up silver soldering a bushing in a standard bushing to accommodate the skinny barrel. I have since picked up two pencil barrel bushings at gun shows so odds are I will never need another.

 

[Drail]

I thought I remembered that (but I forgot). That's why you really should carefully measure before you order a bushing. Compensators are for girls (and professional shooters)