TexasCHLforum.com

ditto what others said about bull barrels. In a bull-barreled 1911, the outside diameter of the muzzle end of the barrel actually serves as the bushing.

I've actually never seen pictures of a 1911 kaboom or heard of one before involving the type of failure you experienced. The .45 ACP cartridge is a relatively low-pressure design compared to other semi-auto cartridges, so I think that as a rule 1911 pistols are not nearly as stressed as say 9mm or .40 cal pistols. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the 1911 part that is most subject to failure is the barrel link.....although my son's Taurus PT1911's slide stop lever pin broke in half once right were it passes through the barrel link. 1911 barrels leave the case head unsupported on the underside, so if the cartridge is loaded too hot or if the brass of the case is weakened in that spot, there is some risk of a kaboom due to case failure. But this is the first time I've seen a kaboom like yours where a gun blew itself apart like that.