1911 spring rates........

[Otony]

I have recently picked up an ever so loverly Springfield Armory MilSpec .38 Super, the parkerized version, NOT the "Pimp Special"

Anyway, it is a loverly thing as I wrote, and slowly has been built up the way I like a 1911. Added a tighter Nowlin bushing, some Navridex grips, a McCormick trigger and flat mainspring housing, and soon an ambi safety (I'm left handed).

Down the road is a better sear and disconnector, but for the moment, I need a new recoil spring. Actually, more than one, and that brings up springs in general.

Besides being a .38 Super, I also installed a 6" Nowlin barrel chambered to 9mm for shooting of Wally World white box. This was within the last few days, and frankly, I haven't a clue how to spring either barrel. It was easy with a .45, you opened up the Brownells catalog and more or less ordered whatever you wanted. But they don't seem to have any tables for .38/9m, so I am clueless. Yes, as usual

Anyway, what should I be looking for, weight wise? Will the same spring weight work for both the 5" .38 Super barrel shooting slightly warm loads AND the 6" 9mm barrel shooting mostly Winchester white box? Also, I am going to install a new mainspring and trigger spring at the same time. Any suggestions there? Hep me, hep me!

Thanks all!

PS: I just checked Wolff (duh), and find that the factory Colt .38/9mm spring is 14 lbs, while factory .45 is 16, so I at least have a starting point. Still wouldn't mind suggestions though, hint, hint, 1911tuner!

 

[stans]

By saying you have a six inch barrel, I presume it is still in a Government model five inch slide. 14 pounds is a good starting place for 9mm.

 

[1911Tuner]

Spring Rates

Ahhhh...One of my favorite tunin' subjects.

Howdy Otony,

"Standard" for the .38 Super is 14 pounds...but I've got a suspicion that Colt cuts that down a little as a matter of course. No clue as to what Springfield does on the OEM spring.

Here's a mystery to contemplate. Brownells Colt factory parts section
lists the recoil spring for the .45 and the .38 Super under the
same part number...in the same block. Standard for the
.45 Governemnt Model is 16 pounds. Soooo...Does Colt install a 14
pound spring in the .45...or a 16 pound spring in the Super?

Over 25 years of checking recoil springs in factory Colts suggests that
they use a 14 pound spring. I've never found a new Colt GM with an OEM 16 pound spring...ever. Soooo...Are they going with the "standard"
14 pound spring in the Super...or are they cutting that one down too?

Springs are pretty cheap. I'd order a 14 AND a 16-pound spring and test
the gun to see how it acts. Lighter recoil springs make the magazine
spring rate less critical. Heavier springs reduce frame to slide impact,
but INCREASE lower lug and slidestop impact on the return to battery.
Decisions, decisions. Since the impact area of the frame and slide are
better able to withstand the stress than the lower lug feet, I tend to
underspring. The Super operates at much higher pressures than the
45, so I'd suggest starting with the 14-pound spring and see what happens. If it does well with that, the 12-pounder will be useful for
reduced practice loads...if you handload...or for a replacement spring
in a 5-inch 1911 chambered for the 9mm Parabellum.

Luck!

Tuner