What recoil spring to use?

[Eric F]

My RIA 1911 which was built by me is a 38 super.(was stolen then recently recovered, I should get it back in 6 weeks). Any way I hve a 19lb main spring and about a 2 pound trigger. The feet on the barrel(I think that is the correct term) are making heavy contact with the slide stop but nothing to be overly concerned about according to a very good local gunsmith. He said just drop in a lighter recoil spring.

I forgot to ask how light. The gun feeds well but I do agree that the slide slamming back forward as hard as it does is costing me time on follow up shots and beating my gun up. So how light can I really go?

 

[Noveldoc]

Check out the Wolff's website. They will give you specs on factory rating and usually sell spirngs above aan below that.

They also have a kit for not too much money where you can get three springs to play with until you find the right one.

Tom

 

[evert]

i belive 13pounds is the factory spring for 38super and 9x19. ive used 10, 12, and 13 for both calibers, and they all work. my main/hammer spring is 17pounds.

 

[Eric F]

I shoot some really strong factory stuff but relaod weaker to sub 9mm strength ammo. What is the impact of using a weaker spring with the really strong ammo?

 

[Old Fuff]

Oh boy!!! I hardly know where to start. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Anyway, the 1911 pistol is a short-recoil/locked breech design, not a straight-blowback where the only thing keeping the slide closed is the slide's weight and the strength of the recoil spring.

While the recoil spring does keep the breech closed up to a point, its principal function is to return the slide back into battery. Do notice that when the pressures are highest, the recoil spring is not compressed, and therefore at it’s weakest. So the slide starts backward and picks up speed before the recoil spring is compressed enough to do much.

The other important factor is the hammer spring, because to retract, the slide has to first push the hammer back and cock it. Thus the hammer works as sort of a brake.

Since you have a 2-pound trigger pull I presume you also have a reduced tension main spring, if so it will help with the trigger, but reduce the hammer as a factor to control the slide. You can compensate to a point by going to a much stronger recoil spring, but then you’ll batter the link, link pin and slide stop – along with the barrel’s lower lug – when the heavy spring drives the slide into battery. If the pistol has a conventional barrel bushing and recoil spring plug those will get battered too.

Or you can go to a lighter recoil spring and let the slide batter the spring guide and the frame’s shoulder behind it.

Poor John Browning is spinning in his grave.

 

[evert]

when the radius of the firingpin-stopplate was changed(1911-1911a1), did they also change the strength of the mainspring?
seems logical to me to do so since the change in radius changes the geometry between the slide and the hammer.

 

[Eric F]

I seem to have enough main spring to slow down the slide enough to prevent damage from the slide coming back, its the forward motoion is the problem. The factory main was a 23 lb I think. I replaced it witha a 19. Just that alone droped the trigger pull to 4 which was better than 9 that it was. I picked up a 11 pound spring and am waiting the return of my gun to try it.

 

[Old Fuff]

The main (hammer) spring, working through the hammer, acts as a brake on the slide during its rearward movement. If you reduce the mainspring's tension to reduce the trigger pull's weight you also reduce its affect as a brake. After the hammer is rotated to the cocked position it has no noticeable affect on the slide's movement in either direction.

The recoil spring has relatively little affect on the slide's rearward movement, but is the only thing that causes the slide to return to battery.

Browning carefully balanced these two springs to control the slide's movement going both ways. Changing either one will affect the slide's movement in some way.

The worst possible combination is an extra-heavy recoil spring, matched to an extra-light main spring.