Does anyone shoot it still? Does it have a fan base or is it an obsolete cartridge?

Dead, but fascinating I have been slowly planning a 1911 conversion. I have all the reloading gear, just need a conversion barrel. Reloading data is pretty scarce, I sent an email to Corbon about obtaining any they might have but received no response.

I have a Colt Combat Elite that a prior owner had all slicked up and converted to 400 corbon. I’ve only shot it once but it’s a hoot. Think 357 Sig’s big brother.

From what I’ve read the concept is achieving 10mm performance with lower pressure.

Hard to argue bottleneck feeding reliability.

The one magazine it came with is clearly different than regular 45 ACP mags and has a channel running the length of it. ACP will not fit in it. If anybody knows of a source for 1911 mags for 400 corbon please share.

Reason I ask is because I’m sorting through my reloading supplies and organizing after our move last year. I found some 400 corbon brass (looks to be about 75 count) that I inherited many years ago. So I am wondering if it’s worth the giggles to buy a barrel and some dies to use the brass or would it be disappointing? Should I just find a new owner for the brass?

Sounds like a lot of trouble to use 75 empty cases. But I guess that depends on how big of a giggle you would get out of it.

Agreed. I’m just checking before I choose. Right now it looks like I’m not investing further. Unless someone pipes up and tells me it’s an experience I don’t want to miss….

Haven't tried 400 Cor-Bon, but I've seen my share of 440 Cor-Bon

It seems like it could be a lot of fun, but make sure you can find all of the dies first.

I have all of the 440 dies, but it took 2 1/2 years to get a full set.

last I checked, starline still makes .400 Corbon.

Darth- you can borrow my Hornady dies if you decide to proceed.

^^^^generous of you to offer. If I don’t proceed, you are welcome to my brass

Part of the allure is the ability to use regular 45 ACP brass. Run 45's thru the 400 Corbon sizer die and, bam, 400 Corbon brass.
Various sources do recommend the use of small primer 45 brass. Corbon made that change on their ammo, and that is what Starline offers on theirs. Starline's 400 brass is also made similar to their 45 +P for added strength. A nice plus but I don't think it's necessary if you stay within the recommended pressure limits for the cartidge.
400 Corbon is at it's best with bullet weights from 135 to 165. 180's can be made to work but allegedly there are issues with OAL. The Corbon uses a roll crimp and headspaces off the shoulder, so in theory it should have less bullet setback issues than 357 SIG, even though both have super short case necks.
Performance falls somewhere between 40S&W and full throttle 10mm loads. The 10mm is going to win, unless you make loads that exceed the recommended pressure limits.

If you have the barrel,brass,and dies i'd say its a novelty to play with, if someone were to go out and buy everything to try to resurrect it i'd say obselete, but then again i still have .45 super brass and a S&W 645 set up for it

quote:

Originally posted by m.p.driver:
If you have the barrel,brass,and dies i'd say its a novelty to play with, if someone were to go out and buy everything to try to resurrect it i'd say obselete, but then again i still have .45 super brass and a S&W 645 set up for it

Did Ace Custom do your 645?

Buffalo bore level .40 S&W is about the same. Upside would be improved feeding due to bottleneck cases

If one handloads properly you'll have no issues with the 400 CB. I do have a Corbin hand cannelure tool but have found my Redding dies taper crimp sufficiently tight to obviate any bullet setbacks. Overall one can simplify by saying that the 10mm has about a 100fps advantage for 165gr and less. Not enough to matter in my book. BTW WAP and now Ramshot Silhouette is my preferred powder.

I have two 1911 45ACP guns set up for dual caliber. One sports a compensated 5" Accu-Systems barrel, the other a straight 5" tube from Storm Lake. I've been shooting 400CB since the caliber was introduced in 1997. I live within easy reach of Cor-Bon in Sturgis who helped me out (the late Terry Murbach specifically) with the first Accu-Systems barrel (that came from that same '97 SHOT show) which had defective headspace machining. I use Starline brass having never reformed any 45ACP brass.

Some data I found back in 2009 so things may have changed somewhat:

45ACP
165gr @ 1080fps
185gr @ 1000fps
200gr @ 975fps
230gr @ 900fps

45ACP +P
165gr @ 1250fps
185gr @ 1150fps
200gr @ 1050fps
230gr @ 950fps

400 CB
135gr @ 1450fps
155gr @ 1350fps
165gr @ 1300fps

10mm
135 grain @ 1600fps
155 grain @ 1475fps
165 grain @ 1425fps
180 grain @ 1350fps
200 grain @ 1300fps

Keep in mind that the 400 CB has less pressure and recoil than a 45ACP +P too.

Bald1- tell me about magazines?

In helping a friend inventory and dispose of an estate, I came across .400 Corbon. First, I found a Remington Rand 1911A1 with a conversion barrel and recoil spring setup with modern sights put on it, then I found another .400 Corbon brand new barrel in the package, then a file box of factory ammo for it. I plan to pull the Remington Rand's barrels and accompanying parts and return it to original configuration. It's an interesting caliber, but looks like it falls behind the 10mm in versatility unless you just need to convert something with a .45 breech face.

I like the idea of multiple calibers out of one firearm. That was part of the attraction to my LAR Grizzly. Over the years I collected all available conversion kits and one experimental unreleased kit. Those are 45 win mag, 357/45 Grizzly win mag, 357 mag, 9mm win mag, 10mm, 45acp and .40 s&w. So if I do proceed with 400 corbon, it would be just a curiosity. That would get set up tested and only come out every couple of years.

quote:

Originally posted by US_P225:
In helping a friend inventory and dispose of an estate, I came across .400 Corbon. First, I found a Remington Rand 1911A1 with a conversion barrel and recoil spring setup with modern sights put on it, then I found another .400 Corbon brand new barrel in the package, then a file box of factory ammo for it. I plan to pull the Remington Rand's barrels and accompanying parts and return it to original configuration. It's an interesting caliber, but looks like it falls behind the 10mm in versatility unless you just need to convert something with a .45 breech face.

US P225, can you send me an email, I'd like to discuss those conversion barrels. My email is in my user profile. Thanks!

Yep, back in maybe 1994, bought up a bunch of Starline when they brought it out

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Perry:

quote:

Originally posted by m.p.driver:
If you have the barrel,brass,and dies I'd say its a novelty to play with, if someone were to go out and buy everything to try to resurrect it I'd say obsolete, but then again i still have .45 super brass and a S&W 645 set up for it

Did Ace Custom do your 645?

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Perry:

quote:

Originally posted by US_P225:
In helping a friend inventory and dispose of an estate, I came across .400 Corbon. First, I found a Remington Rand 1911A1 with a conversion barrel and recoil spring setup with modern sights put on it, then I found another .400 Corbon brand new barrel in the package, then a file box of factory ammo for it. I plan to pull the Remington Rand's barrels and accompanying parts and return it to original configuration. It's an interesting caliber, but looks like it falls behind the 10mm in versatility unless you just need to convert something with a .45 breech face.

US P225, can you send me an email, I'd like to discuss those conversion barrels. My email is in my user profile. Thanks!

I'll take a closer look at the one I have here and follow up. The new in wrapper barrel is out of state, still.