.45ACP to .400 Corbon Conversions

[TODD3465]

Who has done this to a .45auto? I'm thinking about getting a barrel for my Sig 220.
But I'd be interested in feedback no matter what type of pistol was converted.
Thanks.

 

[lee n. field]

http://www.rugerforum.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/002470.html

 

[Cableman]

I have a 400 corbon barrel for my HK USP Compact 45.

It works great, and is threaded for a supressor.

I haven't shot a lot of 400 corbon through it, but it does work as advertised.

 

[PCRCCW]

Actually, the 400 Corbon is an enigma. Corbon made the chambering and then came out with 45 ACP Ammo that was exactly the same for FPE....
NOW ITS FASTER for the 400 Corbon.

If you check out their website, the Powerball for the 400 Corbon in 165 gr
is 1300 FPS, close to the specs of the 165gr Powerball in 45 ACP @ 1225 FPS

Ammolab has the actual chrono specs from ammo and the Powerball clocked faster than the 400 did. So something doesnt pan out in this comparison. The Corbon is advertised at alot faster than it is.

So U pays your muny and U takes your chances.......

For the added $ of the barrel...Ill stick with my little 45.....to each their own.

Shoot well

 

[Sean Smith]

Can't say I think much of .400 Cor-Bon. It duplicates moderately hot factory 10mm ballistics, but only with the lighter bullets... .400 Cor-Bon factory loads (and even load data!) don't exist for the heavy .400" bullets out there (180-220gr). In the bargain, you get fewer rounds in your gun than 10mm, and for those with double-stack magazines it does not feed well. Aside from their 2 hunting loads, Cor-Bon's 10mm ballistics are intentionally watered down (and chronoed from shorter barrels, BTW) compared to their .400 Cor-Bon counterparts.

If you have a .45 ACP, it is simpler to use .45 Super instead of .400 Cor-Bon to get more power. For the same amount of work & expense it takes to convert to .400 Cor-Bon, you could convert to .40 Super and get much hotter ballistics, or even go all the way to .460 Rowland. If you don't have a .45 ACP to convert, 10mm gives you better ballistics with heavier bullets, is cheaper to reload (think brass availability), has WAY more published load data to work with, and factory ammo is vastly more abundant than it is for .400 Cor-Bon.

 

[wheezengeezer]

the attractive part of a 400 corbon conversion is its cost and simplicity.i have a 1911a1 ,only the barrel and recoil spring need be changed.my barrel has a link and pin to make changes easier.it also has its own bushing,however with my barrel the 45 bushing fits close to the same.true that a 45 will push a 185 gr as fast as the corbon,but the corbon will shoot flatter and penetrate more because of a better bc.yes the super will chamber in a 45 and the rowland looks really great.all i wanted was a smaller caliber with more snap and the ability to change back.and with a bottleneck round i can roll crimp cast bullets if i can find one that needs it. i have taken it on a coyote hunt but have not had a shot yet.i am shooting factory corbon loads at this time but i just got my dies in the mail as well as some 150 gr nosler jhp's.i hope to duplicate the factory stuff using the corbon/starr cases.they weigh about 10 gr more than 45 brass at least partially because they use a small primer.i also have some 160 gr cast bullets coming and plan to come up with a load using necked 45 brass because i am a tight wad and dont want to loose the expensive cases in the woods.i hope to get close to the same velocity as factory jacketed but expect to stop at a bit less velocity because of the cases.also cast loads can be used on a bobcat if the need arises and they wont tear up the hide like the jhp's might.have an extra slide that will get some hunting sights to be used with this caliber.but when the day is over i can change back in less than a minute and my concealed carry gun is back in the holster.with lots of use i may carry it with confidence. i bought a new conversion off ebay and have $85 in it including dies. just another toy

 

[azredhawk44]

I have a Glock 21 that I converted to .400 Corbon. I rarely put the barrel in.

Doublestack mags have a terrible time with the cartridge. They stovepipe with frequency and reliability. In a G21, you pretty much have to use the 10rd Klinton mags to get any reliability out of the gun.

In a single stack like a 1911 or your Sig 220 you mentioned, it should do pretty well. It's a lot cheaper than going out and buying a new 10mm pistol, even when you add in the fact that you pretty much HAVE to go out and buy .400 dies to handload since you'll never find retail ammo locally.

I have shot 180gr hard-cast lead out of mine with no ill effects. In a single-stack 10rd mag it is a very reliable round from my G21-400c configuration. My initial purpose in getting the .400 was to have a more effective black bear and mountain lion defense gun than .45acp would provide.

The whole conversion cost me $100 for a used barrel off ebay (which shoots fantastically, I might add), $50 for 500 pieces of starline brass and $40 for RCBS dies.

 

[azredhawk44]

Actually, the 400 Corbon is an enigma. Corbon made the chambering and then came out with 45 ACP Ammo that was exactly the same for FPE....

PCRCCW:

The 400 gives much better sectional density and more reliable feeding with hard-cast flat-meplat bullets than 45acp can provide, and arguably better feeding than 10mm can provide, due to the bottleneck design.

That 165gr .40 diameter bullet @1300fps will stomp all over a mountain lion and penetrate clean through, but a 165gr .45 bullet @1300fps will flatten too early and probably fragment in a tough critter.

Decreasing the diameter, lengthening the bullet, and maintaining speed always gives better penetration.

 

[Walkalong]

Just for Fun

I have a .400 Corbon barrel for a 5" .45. It is an easy and fun conversion. I don't have it for any serious reason, just for fun, and it is.

 

[Reed1911]

.400 Corbon is a great little cartridge, I've been playing with it since it first hit the market and think it is an excellent choice for the guy that wants a little something different but cannot afford a whole new pistol. While the 10mm will certainly outshine the 400 all day and night, that is not, nor was it ever the point of the cartridge. Yes it will meet the lower weight common 10mm ammo (federal, rem, win etc..) but any handloader or custom shop 10mm will leave it in the dust.

Get the barrel, have fun, if you decide you don't like it send it to me I can alwyas find a buyer for you.

 

[wheezengeezer]

one of the bad things about the 400 is corbon ammo costs $26 for a box of 20 at the local shop.only bought 1 box to baseline my loads .wanted to check velocity and headspace of factory ammo.havent seen it listed in the usual mail order sources.bottom line,if you are gonna have fun with it and shoot a lot get cozy with the reloadin equipment.i plan on losing a lot of cases so i am necking 45 brass down.