1911's and the .44mag

[model 70]

maybe not specifically 1911 related but why have none of the gun makers chambered the .44rem mag in the semi-auto pistols? yes, i know the dessert eagle is chambered in it but c'mon now.

[TreeDoc]

My guess would be simply because it's a huge round! Not just ballistically but physically as well. It would have to be a giant gun not unlike the Desert Eagle. The Desert Eagle has its following but is by no means a "practical" handgun. I personally see it as a novelty and I doubt any typical manufacturer like S&W, Ruger, etc would want to tool up for such an item. Lots of engineering....likely little selling. I think the 44 Auto Mag built in the early '70s is proof positive that is the case. Heck, even "Dirty Harry's Sudden Impact" movie didn't bring any life to the cartridge!

[300 RUM]

I think about 8 years ago I saw a gun in a shop that was a 44 mag auto. It looked like a modified 1911 with a large break on the end. I think it was called a Grizzly. Maybe I am mistaken but I think the manufacturer was LAR? It seems like the price tag was well over $1,500.00 for a used one.

I just searched and it was made by LAR chambered in 45 win mag 44mag and 357mag. Has been out of production since 1999.

[Jack]

The 1911 design will handle a loaded round of about 1.26 inches- total length. Any longer than that, and you have to build new frames and slides.
The other factor is, if you make a 1911 type for something longer than the 1.26" or so of the 45 ACP, etc., you have to lengthen the grip so the magazine will hold the cartridges. You'll discover very quickly that the grip gets too long, and feels cumbersome in most peoples' hands.
Pick up a Desert Eagle sometime, then pick up a 1911, you'll get the picture.

[model 70]

yes but can you imagine the rapid fire? awsome! hmmm, the thought of a personal protection piece chambered in the .44 would be a hell of a gun.

[Catfish]

Probibly the main reason the the .44 mag. round is not in more semi-aito handgun is the the .45 apc and other round normally chambered in them have a very low chamber presure as compaired to the .44 mag. To put a .44 mag. barrel on a frame designed for a round like the .45 apc. would be building a bomb. To build a .44 mag. semi-auto you would have to start all over with the design to allow for the higher chamber presure, and I guess the the gun makers don`t think that there is enough demand to pay for design and tooling cost for the new gun.

[GoodOlBoy]

Yup what has already been said and let me add yet again.

Load length. The round is just too danged long. You have to have a certain amount of steel in the grip frame, and a certain amount in the magazine wall, and enough gap for the magazine to load, etc etc etc. Pick up a DE 44 mag sometime. It is the gawkiest thing I have ever handled.

I will stick with my 1911A1 in 45 auto thankyouverymuch.

GoodOlBoy

[Rocky Raab]

Rapid fire? The first one would go downrange, the second one straight up and the third would go behind you. Lotta noise, but no hits - at least on the target.

With heavy recoil, a semi-auto is no faster than a revolver in AIMED fire.

One might even argue that a revolver may be faster than a semi-auto anyway. Ed McGivern managed to get six shots of .38 Special off in 2/5 of a second from a S&W revolver, AND he got all of them onto a playing card in a nice group at a defensive shooting range of seven yards. Now that's a world record, and Ed was an astounding shot, but it proves what is possible.

[jmarriott]

Automag Made a 44 mag auto who's likes can be seen in a couple of movies, Deathwish and Dirty Harry. Was long and fat heavy, did not sell alot of copies and demands quite a nice price used in the market.

I remember they were 1000 to 2000 dollars in the 1970's and 1980's I bet you can get about 3000 4000 from one now.

I also think they were recoil operated and did a wildcat called the 44 AMP cartridge so it is not really a 44 rem mag but i think the AMP was about 100 fps faster.

Cost of production must have been high, I remember them well because i like guns that can shoot different shell's in. I think you could get barrels in 357 amp 357 mag 45 acp ect.

[PJgunner]

This is all based on my faulty memory, but in movies, Clint Eastwood used on in Sudden Impact and Antonio Baderas had one along with one of the bad guys in Desperado. In the Death Wish movie however, Charles Bronson used a .475 Wildey, not an Automag. They do look a bit alike so the error is understandable.
From what I've read, the ASutomag was rather unreliable. Many feeding problems, although I think part of that was due to the quality of the ammunition. You either made your own cases from .308 Win., .243, etc which entailed a hell of a lot of work or you bought what scarce commercial ammo was available, most of which I understand was made in Mexico for AMP. I understand that quality range from way too hot to way too underpowered.
I remember the LAR Grizzly. LIke the Desert Eagle, you need a hand like King Kong's to comfortably handle one. I never was fortunate enough to handle an Automag.
On making AMP cases, IIRC, you gad to first run them through a cut and trim dddie, then ream fairly deep into the insides of the case then run through a full length die and finally trim to proper length. Sounds like too much of a PITA to me.
Paul B.

[Lycanthrope]

.460 Rowland kit from Clark Custom. Turn your .45 ACP into a comparative .44 mag for $275.

Rowland

[HPBTMTCH]

Who has a .50 caliber 1911 out now. Read about it a couple months ago, acp length and pressure. Sounded good, but it was a bit expensive if i recall.