Hi novice shooter here. I have a 1911 pd .45acp. I am trying to find our what is the weight and length of a replacement recoil spring for my gun. Info hard to get from customer service. Also any sites for info on regular/recommended maintenance? Thank you

Use the standard weight for the Colt Commander if you have a 4 1/4 inch and the standard weight for the Colt Government Model if you have a 5 inch.

What would that be? For a 4.5"

16lb for a standard 5" 1911.

Buy a couple new ones, they're cheap. Lay the old one next to a new one and if it's stretched 4 coils or more....replace it.

OP: Your S&W 1911 PD is a "Commander" sized 1911, traditionally measured at a 4.25" barrel.

Wolff springs are superb replacements. Check their website for proper poundage, but as a rule 18lbs is standard for a Commander, though your chosen load affects what poundage is likely to function best.

Most Wolff recoil springs ship with a high power firing pin spring; use it -- they're a wear item just like the recoil spring, and a quality replacement makes for a safer weapon.

Suggest you give 1911forum.com a look for a dedicated 1911 site; check out their S&W subforum for answers to all your questions.

I'm not sure if the standard 1911 parts fit your 1911 but here's what I did to all my 1911's.

I added a FLGR KIT with the 18# recoil spring. I just built my first 1911 myself doing all the fitting with a new surplus USGI $59 barrel and a national match barrel bushing. Even with the normal standard rattle slide to frame fit she shoots one clover leaf per 8rd mag. That's with Russian wolf ammo. I noticed without the FLGR KIT I heard the 18# recoil spring binding as it coiled when I pulled back the slide slowly by hand. When I installed the FLGR KIT this noise was gone. I notice the 1911 cycles faster and smoother with less recoil with the added weight of the FLGR. It's actually handling better.

Now after years of asking on the forums why do we see more Frame rail and slide wear at the front section over the rear section?

I believe it's the recoil spring putting this horizontal side pressure on the slide that's causing this front section of the frame rails to wear more than the rear section. If you check and well used 1911 in the used gun case at your LGS you will see what I'm talking about.

I went up two sizes stronger with my recoil spring in my 1911. And seeing the improvement in less recoil I tried going up two sizes stronger in the recoil spring in my cz 83 & cz 85 and the less recoil and better performance increased too. I'm thinking the rule of thumb with autos is to go up two sizes stronger in the recoil spring.

If anyone can tell me why I see more wear on the front frame rails over the rear on the other brands of the 1911's please do so. In my brand new AO army ww2 copy 1911 I installed the FLGR W/18# spring before I shot it. I have 500rds thru it now with no frame rail wear in the front to this day
I also lube the rails with moly too.

To me seeing any wear in any gun is unacceptable. I
My fight is seeing our guns wear out before there time. They should never wear out in our lifetime. I expect my guns to be handed down to the future generations in my family. Plus we get the enjoyment of shooting them too.

Hope your powder is dry and your barrels are warm, God bless bigbill

I spent 20+ years working for one of the top engineering groups in the country as a lead tech in the test lab. I never look at things the same way since. I look at things from both sides of the fence as a mechanic/consumer and from the engineering stand point. We would do tests on "why" things wore out or broke then fixed it before the public used it in the field. (Elevators) you got the best quality product we could deliver. Now I ask "why" with guns now being retired.