Sure we did!
We just called it something ELSE.
As it happens, it was
post #2 for me when I signed onto this forum for the very first time.
Some others in the same vein:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...ad.php?t=89799
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...ad.php?t=54133
And we really hammered it out over on THR:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthrea...threadid=59742
Now for here-and-now, we have the source, which is
Guncrafter Industries, Who are a pair of talented gunsmiths who deciphered this thing from the beginning.
They use a bull-barreled bushingless stock size 1911, with an ACP-length .50 caliber round shoving a 300-grain bullet out at 700-725 fps which they claim has a recoil profile very similar to .45 ACP hardball. Their site also states that this can be pushed up to as fast as 900 fps without undo strain on the shooter. They use a match-grade barrel with 1 in 18" twist.
They sell loaded ammo for $14.95/20, and also offer dies ($75.00) and brass ($.33/proprietary case) for the reloader. As the round operates at low pressure, brass life is long and prosper.
This is just the round I wanted to create. (Me and a bunch of other folks. Great minds think alike.
) A .50-caliber bullet at low speeds, and low pressure, but a nice heavy bullet. They build the guns the same way I figured would be the easyiest way to do it, also. There's plenty of room in a 1911 slide when you take the bushing out and run a bull-barrel, which is a well-developed set-up in the 1911.
They won't sell a conversion kit, as they say there's some major re-engineering going on in the frame, but they DO sell a conversion kit to run their gun on .45 ACP, which strikes me as good planning. (My take on their engineering is to start with a widebody frame and make a custom mag for it, and probably tweak the ejector. But I dunno, and they're not forthcoming.)
Their set-up requires a proprietary slide, barrel, and magazine, and some rework on the frame. Magazines hold 7 rounds, and are available for $44.95. The .45 conversion kit runs in at $365.00 with an 8-round magazine.
The label reads:
".50GI
(tm) Ammunition 300 grain TMJ 700 fps
Guncrafter Industries, LLC. 171 Madison 1157, Huntsville, AR 72740
479-665-2466 www.Guncrafterindustries.com"
The
Model No.1 itself retails for a cool $2895 with 2 mags. Not bad, I suppose, in the context of all match-grade parts. A premium Wilson Combat or Caspian gun is comparably priced. I just wish they had an economy version in there somewhere for us poor folks. 3 grand is a big chunka change, but if ya gotta, ya gotta. No-one ELSE seems to running out with a .50 conversion, so I say kudos to these guys, and I wish I was rich. I wonder how many they've sold so far.
I wonder if you could send in your frame and have 'em set it up for you so as to save a bit of cash if you've allready got a widebody frame you'd be willing to convert. That'd help offset the cost of the .45 conversion kit.
Well, what we need NOW is some TFL'er with more money that I've got (And a state without a drop-test extortion racket.) to get one of these cool-concept-realized guns and show us what they're really all about. American Handgunner is writing an article about 'em in their next issue, so that'll just have to to do until then.
I want one of these so much I actually (Horror of horrors!) consider the idea of liquidating some of the existing collection to buy it. However, that's just a pipe dream in this state, so I just get to say "Sour grapes!"
Stupid state. Ahnuld! Fix this crap!