How do you keep your various weight recoil (slide) springs separate? There is a variety of springs in different weights available, but no good visual method to determine which is which. And they do get mixed up over time. Right now I have five different weight springs in my pistol case, but no idea which is which. A related question is if you personally want to measure the spring weights, is there a simple way to do that?

I always believed that there should have been some color coding method used.

Quart sized ziplock freezer bag with spring ID written in sharpie on the bag.

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Ban lunatics and criminals

keep a 16 or 18 pound spring and throw the rest of them away. I think that the 16 pound spring is the standard

Well, the problem is I don't know which spring is 16 pound. That's why I asked my original question - How do you measure the spring weight? When I put the 9mm slide and barrel on the same frame, I use a Beretta M9 spring with it. It's easy to tell, because it is nickel plated (or maybe stainless), so I never have a problem with recognizing it. And I have no idea of the Beretta spring's weight either, but it works fine for 9mm.

If you're really concerned about it, buy new springs in your preferred weight and chuck the unknowns. Then keep track of the new ones with the previously mentioned baggie/sharpie method, or dip one end in a paint color of your choice to id them.

They are cheap, think of them as consumables. Recoil springs are really the only thing on my 1911 I change somewhat frequently.

As for how to measure the ones you have, I'm no help there.

Just my opinion....

Wilson Combat use to sell (and may still) a cloth "bag" index of 8 or so spring weights. It was set up like the "bag" a wrench set comes in and each compartment was labeled which weight it was, room for a second spring also.

I only keep GI springs around (I buy them by the dozen). When I need a spring, it is because the old one was weak, but if you are loading light loads you will need a lighter spring.

If you are upgrading to higher poundage spring , don't forget the main spring needs upped also! (that is the one the hammer strut pushes)

Ivan

Secure Firearms Products 1911 Recoil Spring Tester (15305): Other ...
Dillon Precision: Reloaders, Reloading Equipment, Bullet Reloading, Bullet Reloaders...

I bought this to check all of my original and aftermarket springs. A key tag lists the # rating and original 1911, if it is a factory spring.

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S&WHF 366

This site provides better information about the use of the spring tester: recoil spring tester
I think I can make up my own, as all I want to do is to test only the recoil spring, not every other spring used in the M1911. I have a similar scale which will probably work just as well, even though it is not digital. Exactly what I needed to know. I wasn't aware that such a spring tester was available.

I run a 18.5 pound recoil spring recoil spring in a 1911A1 and my Springfield armory and usually load the 239 grain hard cast 452 diameter bullet and chronograph shows 850 feet per second velocity. Gave up mixing and matching recoil springs of different poundage weights.
Frank

I made up a very simple setup to measure my recoil spring weights after seeing what the device looked like. Anyone can do it, you just need a 5/16 rod threaded on one end, a nut, a couple of washers and some weights. Plus a yardstick. No need to buy anything, I had everything needed in my garage. I could have made a more sophisticated design, but it really isn't necessary as I won't be using it much from now on.

I found that four of my springs were approximately 10, 15, 19, and 21 pounds, the latter being an unused brand new spring. The 21 pound spring will be for use with 9x23mm Winchester, which has fairly stout recoil. The 10 pound spring is the one I use for 9mm Para in my 1911. I put each spring in a separate snack-sized ziplok baggie, marked with the weight in Magic Marker. I still have several more recoil springs to test, will get to that later.

I'd sure like to see a picture of that gadget. I just may have to build myself one of them.

There's very little to it, probably not worthy of calling it a gadget. Maybe I can post a few pictures shortly.

You asked for it. A little explanation first. The spring weight, at least in this application, is the force required to compress the spring fully. In the case of the .45 Automatic GM (5"), the fully-compressed recoil spring length is 1.625" (1-5/8") with the slide positioned fully to the rear. It is relatively easy to measure the spring weight as shown in the pictures below. I simply used a 5/16" rod threaded on one end with a hook on the other (I had this piece in one of my screw and bolt boxes - no idea what it was originally used for). The spring which is to be measured is slid onto the rod with a washer on each end, confined by a nut on the top. I set it into a bench vise with the jaws supporting the lower washer, and the jaws opened enough to allow free movement of the rod (see first picture). I then hang a bucket from the hook to hold weights. In my case, I had some cast lead ingots, but anything which fits into the bucket will work, even sand, gravel, water, or a combination of weights and water. The second picture shows the bucket partially loaded and the spring about half compressed. The third picture shows the bucket having more weight, just enough to fully compress the spring as it would be in the .45 (that is, the measured distance between washers is 1-5/8"). Then, simply weigh the bucket and contents. I have a 25 pound package scale which is perfect for that purpose. Even a bathroom scale would work. The bucket's weight is the spring weight. That's all there is to it. Using a smaller diameter rod would allow determination of smaller diameter recoil spring weights for other automatic pistols of similar slide design.

I like your improvised spring scale. I bought a spring guide off eBay a short while ago, that I mated with a fishing scale. The device is marked to measure government models, commanders, and officer models. Once I weigh the spring, I attached a key tag to the spring identifying the spring weight, and which 1911 it came off of.

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Judge control not gun control!

I like it! That's a foundation bolt.The j end is pushed into the concrete and 2-2 1/2" of the threaded end is left exposed to fasten the sill plate to.

You could use a fishing scale with my design, and I have one also. I just thought using the bucket might be a bit more precise as my package scale is graduated in half-ounce increments. I also calculated spring constants for all my springs, they ran from 2.4 to 4.1 lb/inch