Testing the .45 Super Longslide Prototype
Having been the Testing and Service Manager at AMT (Arcadia Machine & Tool) during their heyday, I had the unique opportunity to test fire over a thousand of their .45 Hardballer Longslide pistols. More importantly, through servicing them, I learned how to make a 7-inch longslide work really well.
Through the ensuing years I have patiently waited for the 1911 makers to resurrect the 7-inch longslide, but to no avail. Yes, there are 6-inchers, but there's just something really special about a full 7-inch longslide. Aside from the longer sight radius, improved performance, and wonderful balance, our .45 Super Longslide just looks awesome! But, it's not just another pretty face.
Designed for the .45 Super cartridge, our .45 Super Longslide is intended to be a no-nonsense, ultra-reliable big game hunting pistol. We adhere to the K.I.S.S. (keep it super simple) principle and our design parameters reflect the essential need of simplicity, accuracy, top-quality construction, and dependability under extreme hunting conditions. We believe that we hit the bullseye on that one.
The .45 Super Longslide is not your typical overbuilt cream puff 1911. It's simply a powerful, accurate, rugged and reliable pistol that shoots exactly where you point it with enough power to meet your challenges of it. While of “retro” design, the .45 Super Longslide is a serious handgun for the serious hunter, explorer, and outdoorsman.
As a handgun hunter, I designed the .45 Super Longslide as a big game hunting pistol around the .45 Super cartridge, but it also must be able to fire both .45 Super and .45 ACP without performing any modifications to the pistol. This allows shooting lower cost .45 ACP ammunition for practice or for small game hunting when magnum power isn't needed.
For those desiring a truly magnificent custom .45 Super Longslide here it is. Casehardening a 1911 slide is not all that difficult, but doing so to the frame is another story. Being so thin all over, it's very easy to warp the 1911 frame. However, we've got the temp and time factors perfectly figured to be able to now provide this extraordinary finish as our standard finish for the .45 Super Longslide.
For those who might prefer a more modern finish, Cerakote is optionally available.
When we say 7 inches of barrel, some assume that the .45 Super Longslide would be too long and too bulky to be very practical as a hunting handgun, but that definitely is not the case. Few would argue that the 4 3/4" Colt SAA is one of the handiest handguns around. But you can clearly see in this side-by-side comparison that the .45 Super Longslide is actually quite compact and handy for a magnum-powered pistol.
We're not in Africa anymore. We're back in the good old U.S.A. where we can own and enjoy my favorite...
.45 Super Longslide
After seeing the slow-motion video of testing our .45 Super Longslide, it was suggested that we share the video with our viewers because it is so interesting to watch the .45 Super Longslide functioning in extremely slow motion.
The video below was shot at an amazing 125 frames per second which allows us to study in detail the functioning of the .45 Super Longslide as well as the ejection pattern of the empties exiting the pistol. Watch it a few times and you will begin to notice all manner of details that one does not see in real-time shooting.
While the action seems painfully slow, this is a Rapid Fire function test. The camera has slowed the action that much, but I am actually shooting the pistol about every 2 seconds.
If you're wondering, yes, there are no sights on the pistol. This was early work and I was most concerned about functioning. We later installed sights for the next phase, accuracy testing. We were pleased to learn that out to about 100 yards, our .45 Super Longslide shoots like a rifle!
Call 775-453-9355 today or email me at:
RJRenner@Protonmail.com
for more information.
Super Longslide and .45 Super Longslide are trademarks of
R.J. Renner
.45 SUPER....? Never heard of it.
Despite the fact that it has been on the scene since 1988, the .45 Super® seems to be one of the best-kept secrets in 1911 land. One would think that a cartridge that delivers such significant performance over the standard .45 ACP would be legend by now. But, it seems not so.
The .45 Super® is the brainchild of Dean Grennell, former gun writer and managing editor of Gun World magazine and was co-developed by Tom Fergerson and Ace Hindman. Garey “Ace” Hindman was probably the foremost authority on the .45 Super® while he was alive and he held the trademark for the cartridge. He was also of great assistance to me in the development of our .45 Super Longslide.
The .45 Super® cartridge is dimensionally identical to the original .45 ACP round. However, that’s where the similarity stops. The Super has a thicker head and web than the ACP and is loaded to higher pressures making it substantially more powerful than the hardball .45 ACP. This requires a substantially modified 1911 to effectively deal with the resulting stresses. It's more than a stronger recoil spring.
Not to become overly sensational, but from our 7-inch .45 Super Longslide, the .45 Super launches the Underwood Ammo .45 Super 255-grain hard cast bullet at nearly 1200 feet per second. For those of you who like ballistic statistics, that translates to 815 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle, 750 ft/lbs at 25 yards, about 700 at 50 yards, and 650 at 75 yards.
That kind of performance transforms the standard 1911 platform into a serious hunting handgun. When combined with our 7-inch Longslide, the results are awesome!
To put it another way, the .45 Super has more remaining energy at 200 yards than the .45 ACP has at the muzzle. While I’m not advocating the .45 Super as a long-range number, the stats just indicate how much more effective the Super is than the standard .45 ACP.
Some consider the 10mm Auto, when loaded with the 200-grain bullet, as an adequate cartridge for taking boar, deer, and bear, and in the right hands it may have that potential. However, the .45 Super with its larger diameter and heavier bullet has more remaining energy at 75 yards than the 10mm has at the muzzle.
Commercial ammunition is available from Underwood Ammo and Buffalo Bore, and Starline makes the brass - and you use standard .45 ACP loading dies to roll your own. What could be easier?
We begin with your 1911 frame. Prices start at $2,750 and Custom Features can be discussed during the Design phase of ordering. Call me at 775-453-9355 and we can discuss your .45 Super Longslide.