FAQ

The .460 Rowland® Conversion is a barrel conversion for your lightweight, easy-to-carry, high-capacity semiautomatic .45 ACP Pistol which enables you to shoot the Mighty .460 Rowland® round. You’ll get half the recoil and muzzle flip you might expect from a .44 Magnum revolver.

• In a word: Everything you need to Convert your .45 ACP Pistol to fire the .460 Rowland® cartridge is included.
• The parts will vary depending upon the gun, but include:
  • A Match Grade + 416R Heat-Treated Stainless Steel barrel rated for the high pressures of the .460 Rowland® round.
  • A specially designed, set-screw secured Compensator matched to that barrel OR a Ported Barrel utilizing our unique 360-degree porting system.
  • Recoil Springs or Assemblies as required
  • Extra Power Magazine springs as required
  • Other parts and accessories as needed: In other words, everything necessary to convert your gun.

• The .460 Rowland® cartridge is a .45 caliber round delivering TRUE .44 MAGNUM POWER from your Converted .45 ACP pistol.
• We send a 185gr JHP bullet downrange at 1575 fps with over 1,000 lbs of muzzle energy!
• We have as well a 230gr JHP, a 255gr Hard Cast Lead FP round, a beastly 240gr Magnum and the All-Copper and truly devastating 200gr Extreme Penetrator….which does exactly that. Even in lead-free California.

• YES….our Match Grade + Stainless Steel barrels are custom-manufactured, chambered in .460 Rowland®, and rated for the higher pressures necessary to safely manage the powerful .460 Rowland® round.

• Match Grade: YES
• Material: 416R Stainless Steel, Heat-Treated
• Pressure Rating: 60,000 PSI (min)

• NO… Our .460 Rowland® is a true .45 caliber cartridge. It will feed reliably from any .45 ACP magazine.
• The purpose of the extra 1/16″ casing length is to prevent the round from chambering in a gun that has not been converted. Were it to do so, it would damage or, in the worst case, “grenade” the barrel.
• But while the casing is longer, the bullet is seated a corresponding amount deeper, so in the end it is the same overall length as a.45 ACP cartridge.

• Our Black Dura-Match Compensators have been metilurgically case-hardened and has our .460 Rowland® logo engraved and filled on the end in Deep Night Red.
• Our Stainless Steel Compensators also have the logo engraved and filled in Red.
• The logo is important so you may know you have an Authentic .460 Rowland® product. We also feel the bear should know clearly what is coming before it is actually delivered, so he can tell the other bears……Oh wait: he won’t be able to do that…..

• Featured now on all Compensated .460 Rowland® Conversions is our new Double Set-Screw System. The Compensator is drilled and tapped for allen-style set-screws and the barrel is machined on the threaded portion to accept them. This set-up facilitates reliable installation of the all-important Compensator using Blue (easy to remove) thread locker instead of the Red (permanent) thread locker previously required to ensure reliable positioning.
• Especially desirable on our Glock, Springfield XD and new Smith & Wesson M&P conversions, this allows the shooter to remove the barrel completely from the gun for a more conventional and thorough cleaning or barrel replacement. And it is an added convenience on the 1911 Conversion where, of course, the barrel is readily removable even with the Compensator secured.

• Apply gentle heat with a small propane torch, just until you see a little smoke as the Loctite/thread-locker melts to enable the removal of the Compensator.
• Carefully clean the old thread locker from all parts using clear alcohol (rubbing alcohol) or lacquer thinner and a wire brush or steel wool.
• Acetone may also be used, but you must rinse the parts afterward with plain water (and allow them to dry completely) to remove any acetone residue.
• Use a bit of Blue thread locker to securely re-attach the Compensator.
• A small space between the Compensator and the slide is normal and necessary.
• Ensure mainly that the Compensator is correctly aligned.

We recommend many high-quality, modern 1911-style pistols and have a few guidelines to help ensure you have a successful Conversion. We always suggest, if you are unsure, that you contact your gun’s manufacturer to confirm it meets our requirements, as below:

• Modern, High-Quality, i.e. fully heat-treated slide {to Rockwell-C hardness > 36}
• Standard 5″, Normally Ramped, i.e. not fully ramped,
• Standard Barrel Bushing Configuration, i.e. no bull barrels
• Not a “double-stack”….we have had very little success converting guns with DS magazines (see our FAQ “1911’s: Double Stack Magazines”).
• For a list of some (definitely not ALL) potential models for an excellent Conversion click on this link: https://460rowland.com/potential-1911-conversions

• No. Though the .460 Rowland® cartridge is a true .45 ACP round, the casing is 1/16” longer than standard .45 ACP brass so that it will not chamber in a gun that has not been converted.
• This safety factor was designed-in because firing the very powerful .460 Rowland® from a gun that has not been properly fitted with a complete .460 Rowland® Conversion, including a Compensator or Ported Barrel, would be dangerous.

With one in the chamber and thirteen in the magazine, your Glock 30 in 460 Rowland® is arguably the most powerful handgun on the planet, packing over 14000 lbs of muzzle energy in a compact, high-capacity and easy to shoot semi-automatic pistol.

• Shooting .45 ACP from our barrels in most cases is standard practice. The Conversions were developed to balance forces to enable you to do that. Some exceptions can be 1911 Commander Conversions, the XDm 4.5″, the SW M&P and some 1911 Stainless Steel guns. In those instances, it is sometimes necessary to change recoil spring tensions depending upon which round you have in the magazine. SEE the FAQ “1911’s: Stainless Steel Slides
• When you purchase Conversion from us we are supplying a match grade barrel rated for our pressures and chambered for the powerful .460 Rowland® along with the correct balance of spring tension and Compensation (varying by gun) to be effective with both rounds in a broad range of guns.
• We developed our integrated Conversions for the explicit purposes of 1) handling the power of the 460 round and 2) allowing you to continue to fire .45 ACP from the same basic set-up.
• FROM JOHNNY ROWLAND (the creator of the .460 Rowland Cartridge and Conversion): “I would think that after 18 or so years of experience in using the .45 ACP in my .460 Rowland® barrel and even mixing .45 ACP shells with my .460 Rowland® shells in the same magazine for practical and demo purposes, I should know by now whether or not it would be functional or rational to do so.  It is. And this is certainly a useful feature of the .460 Rowland® barrel-shell-gun concept: for Converted guns to also be able to shoot the common .45 ACP ammo in addition to our Magnum Power .460 Rowland® ammunition.”

• No: Your .45 ACP dies are fine for reloading 460 Rowland® since it is a true .45 caliber round.
• The 460 Rowland® casing is 1/16″ longer to prevent it from chambering in a gun that has not been converted. You will need to seat the bullet 1/16″ deeper.
• For some good, conservative Load Data, click on this link: https://460rowland.com/load-data
• ​For Authentic .460 Rowland® brass, follow this link: https://460rowland.com/shop/ammo/460-rowland-brass/

• We spoke recently with our partner Johnny Rowland about the idea of using a suppressor on our barrel instead of the Compensator. The added weight would probably “compensate” for the absence of the actual Compensator, and the gun would likely function fine. You would have to test and confirm this yourself, as we have not yet done so.
• The problem you might encounter is this: our 185gr round travels at 1575 feet per sec. The speed of sound is 1100 fps. When your bullet exceeds the speed of sound you get a “sonic boom”. The suppressor still deadens the sound, but only to the point where it would sound like a .22 or similar.
• To eliminate the “boom” you would need to slow the bullet down to about 900 fps, as there are some funny wave irregularities that occur when you are even close to the speed of sound, irregularities that would cause some buffeting of the bullet and a probable disruption of accuracy. You need to get a step or two away from that speed threshold.
• Our three principal rounds start at about 1300 fps, and run up to about 1575 fps. Our newest round, the 240 gr Magnum FMJ HP goes out at about 1350 fps. But we are working on a sub-sonic, “suppressor compatible” round we are tentatively calling the Rowland Whisperer.

Unfortunately, we have not had any success Converting any double-stack 1911’s. We have tried a number of times in the past and for reasons that are not entirely clear, they will not feed properly. It appears to have to do with the interior structure of the magazine, at the point where the cartridge feeds to the chamber.

For information, visit this page: https://460rowland.com/potential-1911-conversions

• We use a patented gun drilling and ultra-sensitive honing method to create barrels that are as perfectly round, straight and uniform as possible. They have a near-perfect straightness and centricity between the bore and profile.
• Our Patented Single Edge Polygonal Rifling is manufactured using a lapping and honing process that delivers a very smooth surface to reduce bullet deformation and fouling, and which increases accuracy.
• Superior .460 Rowland® strength and durability to let you shoot harder, longer and with more accuracy!

Why buy OUR 1911 Conversion??

Go to the the link below…

https://d3biuiy8w6qhuk.cloudfront.net/2015/09/05-Why-Buy-The-Authentic-1911-Conversion.pdf

• The .460 Rowland® Tougher Buffer Recoil System was originally designed as an integral part of our .460 Rowland® Cobra Conversion.  Now included on all .460 Rowland® 1911 Conversions, it is also available as a stand-alone assembly to enhance the performance of your existing 1911 Conversion or your stock 1911 .45 ACP (or 10mm) handgun. 
• This Dual-Action innovation effectively reduces felt recoil while saving your frame from undue punishment in a smooth and sustainable way. 
• To begin, this Dual-Action, Flat-Wound Recoil Spring System stacks in a smaller space, lasts longer and runs smoother than assemblies with conventionally-wound springs.  
• By nesting a short section of flat-wound spring inside the base of the main spring, we permit the gun to unlock and begin its cycle under normal spring tension.
• As the slide accelerates and approaches the end of its cycle that inertia is resisted gradually by the second spring until, finally, twice the starting spring tension is being exerted against that moving hunk of steel.  
• This Dual-Action innovation effectively reduces felt recoil while saving your frame from undue punishment in a smooth and sustainable way. 

I have fired many thousands of .460 Rowland® rounds through my Springfield Armory A1 and she is holding up just fine. 

The barrel compensator and recoil springs effectively mitigate stress on the gun.

• If you are experiencing primer blow-by it may be because you have an old-style .45 ACP firing pin assembly. Upgrade to our .460 Rowland® Extended Firing Pin to remedy these issues.
• Some 1911’s (even some very expensive models) have stubbornly adhered to John Browning’s original design and not gone to the more desirable firing pin assembly.
• The Extended Firing Pin solves the blow-by problem and has proven to be preferable when shooting some of the more modern high pressure cartridges like the 10 mm, .45 Super and the Mighty .460 Rowland®.
• Longer, Thinner, and Stronger to resolve primer blow-by problems in your:
  • 1911 5″ “Gov’t”
  • 1911 Cobra
  • 1911 4.25″ “Commander”
• It includes an Extra Power Firing Pin Spring. Compatible with your large or small diameter .45 ACP firing pin assembly.
• Firing Pin Diameter: .067″

• Stainless Steel has a higher coefficient of friction than carbon steel and can occasionally cause feeding and ejection or extraction problems.
• The .460 Rowland® Conversion, when fitted to a Stainless Steel 1911 with a 20# recoil spring, may not reliably eject low-powered .45 ACP ammunition.  Though in most cases your 20# spring will permit firing both .45 ACP and .460 Rowland® from the same set-up, in some rare instances the higher friction of the Stainless Steel will prevent this.
• The remedy? Both rounds can be shot by alternating springs, if necessary. Use your 20# spring for .460 Rowland® and your stock spring for .45 ACP

There is typically no fitting needed with the firing pin.  It should fix any primer blow-by problems.

• The .460 Rowland® is a true .45 caliber round.
• The overall length of your .460 Rowland® cartridge is the same overall length as your standard .45 ACP cartridge. You set up your die just as you would for loading .45 ACP. Seat the bullet
• 1/16th of an inch deeper than normal to compensate for the 1/16# longer .460 Rowland® casing.
• For some good, conservative Load Data, click on this link: https://460rowland.com/load-data
• ​For Authentic .460 Rowland® brass, follow this link: ​https://460rowland.com/product/460-rowland-brass-250-count

We find a good rule of thumb is this: If you start with 100 rounds expect to lose about 10% of them; re-load the 90 left and lose another 10%, and so on. The attrition will be the result of splitting and cracking as the rim gets harder and harder from repeated heating and “work hardening”, as well as just general “wear and tear”. We haven’t experienced (ourselves) a great deal of primer pocket issues.

• Smith Wesson is not the same…it is built off the .454 Casul.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.460_S%26W_Magnum
• The only ammo you can you use is .460 Rowland®…..it is a true .45 caliber round with the casing 1/16 longer than regular .45 ACP so it will not chamber in a gun that has not been converted.
• The bullet is seated 1/16″ deeper.
• Other companies are loading.460 Rowland®, but we are the Authentic .460 Rowland®…..We are partners with Johnny Rowland, the man who developed the round and the Conversion. The others are “bootleggers”, violating our federal trademark and cutting him out of the proceeds from his creation.
• In the big picture: While we would love for you to buy all your ammo from us, that may not always be realistic for you. We want you to be happy with your Conversion and tell all our friends. But our prices are competitive, and we are as hot as anyone, hotter than most. We would appreciate your thinking of us when you need ammunition.

• You would need a Glock 21 slide on your frame. You can fire .45 ACP from your Glock 20 lower with the G21 slide, so it will work with 460 Rowland® as well. 

Here is some excellent explanatory information courtesy of one of our awesome customers:

• “It is not possible to easily convert a G21 sized barrel to fit a G20 slide because the breech face on a 10mm slide is .433″ wide and a .45 ACP slide is .483″ wide.  The barrel hood is cut to fit the slide breech face so the 10mm hood is .425″ wide and the 45 ACP is .475″ wide.  The result is that you can convert a G21 to 10mm but it is not possible to convert a G20 to 45 ACP or 460 Rowland®.”
• Thus the need for the G21 slide…

The Glock 30 Conversion WILL work with your Glock 30 Short Frame.

The Glock 30 Conversion WILL NOT work with your Glock 30 SLIM FRAME. Unfortunately, the slide is too light to reliably cycle and too narrow to fit our barrel.

A caution regarding using unauthorized .460 Rowland® barrels and parts: These are made by companies we regard as bootleggers violating our federal trademark. They lack the depth of knowledge and experience with .460 Rowland® that we have acquired over years of specializing in it with its creator, Johnny Rowland. That is a business concern to us, but our concern for your safety far outweighs even that. We have ourselves experienced dangerous mishaps shooting .460 Rowland® through unauthorized barrels and poorly-designed Compensators and cannot recommend them for the round.

Yes, the Rowlanator is necessary with our Glock 30 and XDm 3.8” Conversions to control the speed of their lightweight slides.

Four main things work to influence slide velocity and acceleration: 

1. cartridge you fire
2. recoil spring tension
3. barrel compensation
4. slide weight.

(1). The Mighty 460 Rowland® is three to four times more powerful than the round your stock gun is set up to fire. (2). Recoil spring tension works directly against the slide to slow it’s velocity and acceleration. As this tension is increased, the range of force that it can handle while still permitting a full and smooth slide cycle decreases, until increasing it further becomes impractical. Moderate recoil spring tensions are best. (3). Our trademark Compensators and Ported Barrels are sized to match powerful 460 Rowland® and provide maximum downward force. This force momentarily locks up the chamber and reduces gas pressure before the slide is free to move. There is nothing more we can do at this end. (4). Lastly: how can we increase slide weight? ….by designing and providing a weighted replacement for your stock rear sight … that’s how! And it has worked extremely well.

• The Rowlanator rear-sight replacement was originally developed for compact guns with lightweight slides.
• By replacing your stock rear sight with our Rowlanator you will resist slide acceleration precisely and evenly throughout it’s entire cycle.
• It is a necessary component of Conversions for guns like the XD 3.8″ Compact and the Glock 30, but will tame slide action and reduce felt recoil for many of our larger Conversions as well.
• With its integral sight groove and glow-in-the-dark owl-eye rear sights, you can find and line up your front sight faster than ever before for rapid target re-acquisition.
• We especially like it on the Glock 21 and the XD 4″ as well as several other guns.

• The purpose of the Pin and Weld option is to permanently secure the Compensator to the barrel to make it legal in California and other restrictive states.
• With the exception of the 1911, the customer must send their slide to 460 Rowland for pinning.
• For the 1911, the barrel is removable/replaceable even after the Compensator is attached, so only the barrel need be sent. In the case of a new Conversion sale, we can pin the Compensator before shipping the order.

• While all 1911’s are built to the classic original design of John Browning, many manufacturers like to put their own unique “stamp” on their guns. In the case of the Colt, the barrel hood is just a little bit different from a standard 1911. Our machinists polish the left side (facing) of the hood just a little bit to make it conform to your gun.
• You do NOT have to send your gun to us. With the Colt hood adjustment made, your Conversion is ready for you to install yourself.

• The recoil spring assembly for the Glock 21 and Glock 19 are a bit different than the RSA’s for the earlier generations. The Gen 4 Option is an adapter to enable you to use the .460 Rowland®  Flat Wound recoil spring assembly that is a part of the Conversions for those guns

• A “stovepipe” is an empty case being caught between the slide and barrel with the empty end of the case straight up, as a stove pipe would be from a wood stove.
• This is caused by a failure to properly extract and eject and can be caused by a “limp” or loose wrist while shooting, a faulty extractor , ejector, faulty magazine or a too-strong recoil spring.
• To correct the problem start by addressing the grip and wrist first, then change magazines; then, if that doesn’t help, take a look at the recoil spring, extractor and ejector (in that order).

• It should work just fine but your “Custom Shop” creation did not come off the line with standard, interchangeable parts. They likely had to fit some parts and so you may have to fit this part also.
• These are small adjustments that any good 1911 pistol-smith can handle.
• Or you can ship your gun and Conversion to .460 Rowland® for our $100.00 Custom Fitting. We would install and fit your Conversion and range-test to ensure it is running smoothly.

How to Ship Us Your Gun

There are three good ways to deliver your firearm to .460 Rowland LLC for Conversion…

• ONE: Hand Deliver Your Gun to Us
• We will convert it and let you know when you may pick up your Authentic or .960 Rowland® Hand Cannon.
• TWO: Ship Your Gun via the USPS and Local Gun Shop or FFL
• 1. Please insure your gun for it’s full replacement cost.
• 2. A Side-Loading USPS Medium Flat Rate Box (available at any post office free of charge) works well for most guns in their cases; a Top loading Medium Flat Rate Box will work for a gun not in a case.
• 3. Your dealer will need the very simple US Postal Form 1508 (go to “Useful Links” at the bottom any page on our Website), a copy of our Federal Firearms License (also on our website) and a copy of your dealer’s FFL (which they will supply).
• 4. Your dealer will present both FFL’s to the postal agent and attach them to your package in a clear packing slip holder on the outside of the box (like the kind FedEx uses). Fold the FFL’s so that the blank side shows through the clear packing envelope on your package to avoid suggesting the contents.
• 5. The postal agent will stamp and sign US Postal Form 1508 and give your dealer a copy for their records.
• THREE: Ship Your Gun Directly to Us via FedEx Express or UPS Express.
• 1. These carriers require handguns to be shipped 2nd Day air, so your cost for this option will be $75 to $125 depending upon where you are. Alaska and Hawaii will generally be at the high end. With this Direct Shipping you do not need to go through your local dealer and you will not use the postal form.
• 2. Pack up your gun securely and present a copy of the .460 Rowland® FFL (see “Useful Links” below) to your shipper. There should be no markings on the box to indicate it is a gun. The FFL can be placed inside the box.
• 3. Again: Please insure your gun for its full replacement cost And that’s about it!
• We will return your finished Conversion to your designated FFL for $35 or, if you have shipped your gun directly to us using Option 3 above, then your return shipping cost will be at our FedEx cost with no additional charge. In either case Return Shipping charges will be added to your invoice when it is determined.
• When Shipping a Gun always ensure that: 1. The chamber is empty.
• 2. You ship at least one magazine.
• 3. That there is no magazine in the gun itself.
• 4. The chamber is empty.
• 5. The magazine (s) you ship are empty.
• 6. There is no ammunition in the box.
• 7. The outside of the package is securely taped.

• Ship to:
  .460 Rowland® LLC
  420 S Main St, Suite 204 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103
  (918) 928-7460

• Primer Blow-By can be caused by a firing-pin hole that’s too large. The primer cup flows around the firing pin and into the aperture. The cup thins and lets the firing pin or the hot gases on the other side of the primer punch through.
• If you are experiencing primer blow-by it may be because you have an old-style .45 ACP firing pin assembly. Upgrade to our .460 Rowland® Extended Firing Pin to remedy these issues.

This sort of damage is not uncommon and is caused by the brass hitting the edge of the ejection port.  It is not unsafe. However, each piece of brass must be evaluated for reuse after re-sizing.

• The .460 Rowland® will have similar recoil but much less muzzle flip. The recoil feels more like a “push” than a “crack”….it doesn’t twist your wrist in the same way as the hot 10mm will.
• It just feels better to shoot.

Open-ended holsters work with no problem.

If, when holstered, you can still see the smallest part of the barrel through the ejection port, then it should fit.

How to Polish Your Rails:

• Remove your magazine and check that there is no round in the chamber. Then check again.
• Remove your slide lock pin, remove the slide from your lower receiver, and remove your recoil spring and barrel from your slide.
• Start with a heavy grit grade silicon carbide valve grinding compound.

(We have used VersaChem from an auto parts store. Package typically includes both Heavy and Fine Compounds)

• Apply a small amount of heavy grit valve grinding compound to both sets of rails and put your lower receiver and slide back together without any other parts.
• With both sets of rails engaged normally, move your slide over your lower one or two times per second for about 20 mins, applying more compound as you feel may be necessary.
• Clean, oil, clean, oil and clean your gun until it is reasonably clean of heavy grit compound.
• Apply fine grit valve grinding compound and repeat the procedure. Then clean and oil over and over until your gun is clean once more.
• Frequent cleaning may be needed for some time, until all the compound has worked it’s way out of your newly smooth running gun.

We recommend that you contact the manufacturer (as necessary) to confirm your gun meets our requirements:
• Modern, High-Quality, i.e. fully heat-treated slide {to Rockwell-C hardness > 36}
• Standard 5″, Normally Ramped, i.e. not fully ramped, 
• Standard Barrel Bushing Configuration, i.e. no bull barrels
• Not a “double-stack”….we have had very little success converting guns with DS magazines

If in doubt, many gunsmiths can do the relatively simple Rockwell Hardness test on your slide.

In some cases, less-expensive 1911’s may present a problem as their slides are sometimes “spot-treated”. We require that the slide be fully heat-treated, to ensure it will not deform under the pressures of the Mighty .460 Rowland®.