Your experience with .400 Corbon handgun

[greyofk]

I studied the geometry and loading data for .400 Corbon. I also read a lot of reviews and range reports about this cartridge. I've got impression that reliability issues prevented widespread of this (excellent in theory) round.
In theory a bottleneck case should feed better than a straight case. In real life it mostly depends on the magazine. Most of .400 Corbon handguns were converted from .45 ACP. I had not heard about any special mags.

My questions are:

1. Who ever had .400 gun or converted other calibre to .400?
2. How reliable was the action?
3. Did you use factory loads or handloads?
4. Did you make .400 brass from .45 ACP brass?
5. How did the gun function with your handloads?

[nightrunner]

I never saw a need for it when there is the 10mm

[greyofk]

It is not so obvious.
.400 Corbon to 10mm relation is similar to .357 SIG to 9x23 Winchester relation. 9x23 is undeniably great cartridge. However .357 SIG is more common.
The key of .357 SIG success was great pistols from ZIG and easy conversion
I would like to try .400 Corbon, but I can not find a range that rents such a gun

[Dolomite_supafly]

[quote name='greyofk' timestamp='1354411199' post='853580']
I studied the geometry and loading data for .400 Corbon. I also read a lot of reviews and range reports about this cartridge. I've got impression that reliability issues prevented widespread of this (excellent in theory) round.
In theory a bottleneck case should feed better than a straight case. In real life it mostly depends on the magazine. Most of .400 Corbon handguns were converted from .45 ACP. I had not heard about any special mags.

My questions are:

1. Who ever had .400 gun or converted other calibre to .400?
[color=#0000FF]Yes, I fired 5 rounds and converted it back to 45 ACP[/color]
2. How reliable was the action?
[color=#0000FF]100% reliable. Bottleneck calibers tend to be more reliable than straight walled calibers. Like 357 sig or 7.62x25 Tokarev[/color]
3. Did you use factory loads or handloads?
[color=#0000FF]I used Factory Corbon ammo. 135 grain stuff at 1,450 fps[/color]
4. Did you make .400 brass from .45 ACP brass?
[color=#0000FF]You can but it is recommended to use 45 Super because it has a thicker web to guard against the extra pressures. I have heard of people using .308 brass and cutting it down[/color]
5. How did the gun function with your handloads?
[color=#0000FF]Never used handloads but if I had kept the caliber I would have loaded my own ammo[/color]
[/quote]

Do you own a 400 Corbon?

Dolomite

[1gewehr]

[quote name='greyofk' timestamp='1354411199' post='853580']
I studied the geometry and loading data for .400 Corbon. I also read a lot of reviews and range reports about this cartridge. I've got impression that reliability issues prevented widespread of this (excellent in theory) round.
In theory a bottleneck case should feed better than a straight case. In real life it mostly depends on the magazine. Most of .400 Corbon handguns were converted from .45 ACP. I had not heard about any special mags.

My questions are:

1. Who ever had .400 gun or converted other calibre to .400?
[i][b]Both 1911 and Glock 21.[/b][/i]
2. How reliable was the action?
[i][b]Very reliable.[/b][/i]
3. Did you use factory loads or handloads?
[i][b]Both. I liked the Berry's 155gr bullets as they are easy to load and feed reliably.[/b][/i]
4. Did you make .400 brass from .45 ACP brass?
[i][b]As suggested above, I used .308 brass with split necks that I cut down and re-sized.[/b][/i]
5. How did the gun function with your handloads?
[i][b]Perfectly. The .400 Corbon is an excellent caliber, but in the 1911 it really should be kept just a hair less powerful than the 10mm. I found that 10.2gr of Winchester Action Pistol reliably gives right at 1275fps with 155gr bullets.[/b][/i]
[/quote]

The pressures for .400 are lower than for 10mm. So it will NOT reach 10mm power levels (1350fps with 155gr). But it will reach a lot higher than the .40S&W's 1150fps with the same bullets.

Factory ammo is getting hard to find. But if you reload, you will never have a problem finding cases!

[greyofk]

Thanks for the info. I do not have .400 Corbon. I will first try to cut .308 with my lathe. Then I'll look for bargain priced G-21