If you read the original post, while it's not worded very well, it does suggest what I'm trying to learn.
Sometimes we don't know exactly what question we want to ask or how to formulate it, so we approach it sideways. That's what you did in post #1. You asked the question in a "what should
I do form". So you received those answers which in general were good ones.
The
questions you wanted to ask are:
1.) What does the recoil spring do? How does it work?
2.) How does the weight of the recoil spring effect the shooting of the gun with different weight bullets?
3.) Does the weight of the recoil spring need to change with bullets of different weights and velocities and if so why and how?
These questions are standard and good ones for all semi-auto pistols.
Tuner explained the central function of the recoil spring; to strip a round from the mag and return the slide to full battery reliably even under adverse conditions.
Kuhnhausen says (pg. 90 Vol. 1) that the original recoil spring weight was 16 pds, but certainly varied some on earlier guns. The standard for Colt has been 16 pounds since then for a GM. This was with 230 gr. ball service ammo at standard velocities under adverse conditions and even where the springs may not be changed on a regular maintenance schedule.
This spring weight, 16 pds is also good for general usage of other weights and velocities on a limited basis.
The Colt Gold Cup was introduced as an entry level bullseye gun with the intent of a steady diet of 200 gr. bullets at about 700-800 fps. The gun was built with this usage in mind. It comes with a 14 pd. recoil spring as standard.
Calibration packs are available for any 1911 in one or two pound increments to adjust the gun to specific loads
and to the shooters taste. Which is the other factor in recoil spring weights.
Too light a spring for a heavy load and the gun will not reliably strip a round from the mag and return it to battery fast enough for the gun to function properly in time with the cycling of the gun. Conversely too heavy a spring for a lighter load can retard the timing of the action in another direction.
Rounding of the locking lugs can result from a spring weight not properly mated to the loads being fired as well as other problems.
The 1911 in particular is it's own animal and a particular gun can feel differently in the hand in how it shoots and feels. Changes in recoil spring weight can adjust for this to a shooters taste. Particularly in the "ker-chunk" when they return to battery.
Because their are a variety of makers of 1911s and those guns are often built to particular purposes (bullsye, 3 gun competition, IPSC, duty sidearm, self defense piece, bowling pin gun, etc.) recoil spring weights, along with mainspring weights, can play an important role in how a gun handles and thus the shooters accuracy with the piece and speed in getting back on target.
Here are some recommendations made by Layne Simpson in his book "The Custom Government Model Pistol" in appendix three of his work. I mention only those for the GM in a non compensated barrel.
For Pin guns where heavier bullets are often used at high velocities for the weight: 22+ pds.
For a regular diet of +P 230 gr. loads: 20 pds
For standard 230 gr. bullet weights at 800-900 fps or "hardball" rounds: 16 pds
IPSC competition: 18-19 pds
For general purpose target work with 200-230 gr. loads: 12 pds
For bullesye competition 185-200 gr. wadcutter or semiwadcutter at 700-750 fps: 8 pds-10 pds.
tipoc