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Cartridge History: The .451 Detonics Magnum is a Supercharged .45 ACP (Ad-free)
🕑 Added 2024-05-24 12:00:05 +0000 UTCDetonics was founded as a company in the 1970s, making high-end 1911 pistols. Their first product that really put them on the map was their 3" micro-compact 1911; something that just wasn't available on a production basis at the time. After the .45 Winchester Magnum cartridge was introduced in 1979, Detonics jumped at the chance to now make a higher-power .45 cartridge that would fit the 1911 magazine. Since the .45 WinMag brass was much thicker at the base than .45 ACP, Detonics was able to cut it down to ACP length (actually one millimeter longer, to prevent it from being chambered in a standard .45 ACP chamber). They then cranked up the pressure and were able to increase velocity by 30% over the original .45 - and they called the new round .451 Detonics Magnum.
Detonics made several different models of pistol in their new cartridge, both standalone guns, replacement slides for other frames, and package sets with both .45 and .451 barrels. They were never able to get an ammunition manufacturer on board though, and the .451 remained a hand loading proposition throughout its entire life. This crippled its chances at becoming mainstream, and it remains a very niche cartridge to this day. Its successors included the .45 Super and the .460 Rowland, which survive today but are definitely special-interest offerings.
Comments
WayneWiiki
Flor...April didn't match up.
Christian D. Orr
Anyway, it was Able Team #8: “Army of Devils,” wherein I first read about the Detonics pistol; it was wielded by the ill-fated heroine Flor Trujillo.
Christian D. Orr
Aahh, the good ol’ LAR Grizzly .45 Win Mag, brings back such fond memories from my teenage years: https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/08/l-a-r-grizzly-45-win-mag-m1911-45-acp-on-steroids/
Christian D. Orr
Phoenix Force was my favorite series of the three, and David McCarter was my favorite character. One of the Phoenix ghost authors, Paul Glen Neuman, is a personal friend of mine.
Hozi
NATO should move to a magnum 9mm for just testing purposes.
WayneWiiki
I collected the first 125 Executioner, probably 50 or 60 each of the Able Team and Phoenix Force. They still stick with me.
Christian D. Orr
Detonics, gone but not forgotten.
Christian D. Orr
And the Able Team spinoff novel series.
WayneWiiki
Mack Bolan #50 was where I saw the name Detonics for the first time. Guess I'm dating myself...
Paul Ingraham
I have a 460 Rowland conversion done on a Springfield 5" pistol and have shot it a bunch as well as reloaded for it. My converson was created by Clark Custom Guns and comes with a muzzle brake and very heavy springs which are a real bear to get assembled into the pistol. Johnny Rowland, who created this cartridge also sells a conversion but his doesn't include a brake and his conversion also includes more brands of pistols (Springfield XD & XDM and others). Johnny created a multiple spring arrangement that works progressively so it isn't as hard to get a suitably more powerful spring system in the pistol so it doesn't get battered. I haven't shot Johnny's spring setup yet but plan to build a suitably forged frame 1911 so I can. I will be using a Norinco base gun for that as it's slide and frame are made of very strong steel. The Clark company does have a list of acceptably strong pistols their kit is able to be installed in and the Norinco is one of them.
Terry
Great information. Will you ever get back to Q&As?
Guido Schriewer
whst's that on the left side with this odd aug like trigger guard on the wall?
Guido Schriewer
oh those 80s with their one hit wonders. 451, 41AE, 400corbon, 300whisper (was that 90s allready?), ...
Guido Schriewer
I don't get it. why would one carry a 9 (but cost). aside power, the LAR grizzly feels just great!
Daniel Standridge
Maybe one day: a full documentary on the Detonics pistol history ?
Sonny Hughes
I shoot some 460 Rowland. Only done it with Starline Brass and handloads though. I can attest that is is *hot* when using the recommended load data. Definitely a reason the conversion kits include a proper brake.
Will Sanders
Now we have the .50 GI for not quite the same market but in the same line. Still looks like you can buy that stuff as well.
