Recoil spring for 1911 with red dot sight?

[refuse2bafool]

Anybody have an idea of what lb recoil spring for a slide mount red dot?

I am having an Aimpoint red dot mounted on my milspec. The gunsmith said I will likely need to use a lighter spring than the stock 16lb one. He said to have a couple of wolf springs on hand but I thought somebody here might have some experience to share.

Thanks

 

[GRIZ22]

Try it with the stock spring and see what happens. The recoil spring ' s only job is to return the slide to battery.

 

[ljnowell]

My experience is that it doesn't make much of a difference. I run a 12lb in one and a 14 in the other.

 

[243winxb]

The powder charge may need to be increased, if using a lite target loading??

 

[Laphroaig]

The way my smith explained it to me, you should use the lightest spring possible. The reason being the increased inertia with the dot and mount on the slide will cause the mount to shake loose with time with heavier springs. He started me out with an 11# which I had problems with. It took me a while experimenting with both loads and different springs until I settled on 14# using my original target loads.

Nothings shaken loose yet.

Laphroaig

 

[koz4guns]

What size Aimpoint are you putting on it and are you going to shoot target loads or full power stuff?

I have an Ultra Dot installed on the slide of my bullseye gun and with light target loads I run either a 11 lb.or 12 lb. recoil spring.

Koz

 

[GRIZ22]

Run a lighter spring and that may cause failure to return to battery. A lighter spring may help the Aim point from loosening. It may also batter the slide/frame.

A lot of 1911 fans think changing springs is the best way to do things. It's not.

 

[wally]

I've lots of pistols with J-Point, Fastfire, and RMR dot sights mounted and I've never used anything but the stock recoil springs -- 1911s, M&Ps, Glocks.

 

[tuj]

I run an ultra dot tube sight on my 1911's and they both work just fine with 16# springs.

 

[refuse2bafool]

Thanks. My gs indicated the added inertia could cause jams and thought I might need to buy a few different wolfs springs and I was just trying narrow down my options. Thanks again....

 

[Delmar]

Does your pistol eject to the right or more up and right? I am assuming your GS addressed this possible issue.

 

[refuse2bafool]

Delmar...

Generally ejects to the right. Can vary with load. Are you concerned about the mount or sight impairing ejection? The mount has a cutout and the GS did not seem to think this would be a problem.

Or is there something else I should be considering?

 

[Delmar]

If it clears the mount and port, nothing to be worried about. If it doesn't with the load you like best, the ejector can be reshaped to cure that problem. If its shaped to strike the case higher, it will make the cases eject more to the horizontal. I probably wouldn't fool with it unless it becomes an issue.