great idea or not?: 9mm to .40 breech face conversion bit

[obsessiveshooter]

With inexpensive 9mm 2011s coming to market, I like the idea of being able to convert one to .40 for Limited.    

The amount of material to remove from the breech face from a 9mm slide is very slight.  It seems like someone or some company with a lathe could easily make an end mill bit that could be chucked into a cordless drill, where the cutting end has a pilot that self centers on the striker hole, the cutters are flush with the end of the bit so it can't cut any deeper than the existing breech face, and the shaft has the outside diameter of a bull barrel so that alignment can be achieved with the way the bit and the slide interface.  After 60 seconds with the drill, and you'd have a .40 slide ready for a new barrel and extractor.  

Dumb? Already Exist? Brilliant?  

Edited October 14, 2022 by obsessiveshooter
spelling

[RIIID]

I've done it several times over the years, some slides require more to be removed than others. I've done it with files, scrapers, and extra-long end mills. Another factor is the hardness of the slide, an extra hard slide requires the end mill method. Don't forget about the extractor side of the breech face will require some adjustment.

Rich

[MikeBurgess]

the problem I see is that a tool as described would likely cost more to manufacture and sell than a the cost of a new slide.  

[texasdawg]

 Easiest way would be as RIIID suggested to, get a two sided file that fits the 9mm breach face and start filing while holding the slide minus the extractor in something steady such as a vice. Slow and steady with plenty of measurements. If you aren't doing 5 or more, the tooling isn't worth it unless you have access to it.

[zzt]

Why not fit a 40 slide?  Then you have two calibers to choose from.  Or, just buy another gun and mags.

Edited October 15, 2022 by zzt

[obsessiveshooter]

It sounds like my idea would work and could be sold as a gunsmithing tool, but that it would be too expensive and there is not much demand.  I'm betting there are existing end mill bits that could be modified, and that a collet could be made for the shaft of the existing bit, instead of turning down bar stock to the diameter of a bull barrel.  I think someone with a plan could turn out a dozen of these in a day.  But there's still that pesky need for demand.  So, maybe a retired machinist here on Enos will make a one-off for fun, and rent it out to members for some fun money or primers.  I'm just planting the seed...