On a brand new .45 full size do I have to break in the barrel similar to a rifle barrel?

How many rounds can I shoot in one sesion before I'll blow the barrel?

No break in
No blow ups
cpermd

Is a Bull barrel better than a regular(factory) one?

How does the recoil of a .45 compare to the recoil on a .357 mag?  I own a .357 and want to get an autoloader soon.

The recoil of a full size 45 shooting 230 grain ball ammo is softer, in my opinion, than shooting a 4 inch, medium frame, 357 mag revolver with full power 158 grain loads.

Quiter and less muzzle flash also....

Not really.  A bull barrel is a little easier to fit to the slide for a match-grade fit, but the same can be accomplished with a bushing and standard-weight barrel.  

The slide and frame fit will be shot long before you could shoot out a barrel.  The service life of a .45 in the military was 5-6,000 rounds, during that period the barrel would never be replaced unless there was some kind of damage or flaw.  Shooting the pistol would not damage the barrel however.  Modern 1911s from reputable manufacturers would last many more rounds than that.  My Kimber had about 9,000 rounds through it before it was stolen, nothing but holster wear on the finish and polishing (and I do mean polishing) to the moving parts of the pistol.  Was more accurate than when I got it.





"Do what you will,
just don't think the tank of handguns can be destroyed through usage."

1911 barrels require no break-in. And you'd have to be a SERIOUS competition shooter to ever wear a quality barrel out.  If the barrel wasn't properly fitted, you may eventually shear a lug, but that's rare.  Shoot the crap out of it and enjoy!

And a full-size 1911 with standard-pressure 230-grain ammo kicks a LOT less than a full-power .357!

.45 recoil is not bad at all. I shot off 100 rounds last weekend and could have easily fire 100 more with no problem.

The "felt" recoil is different on a semi than a revolver. I find the felt recoil on a .357 to not only be stronger, but also more of a snap then the push of a semi. Remember, some of the recoil in a semi is taken up by the cycling action, while all of it in a revolver is torqued into your hand.