Dear s&w I have a semi-automatic pistol question. Do gun companies intentional make the recoil spring very tight on semi-automatic pistols? The reason that i am asking is because i was at my local Gander Mountain recently and i was checking out a very nice 1911a1 .45 pistol, an i had a very hard time pulling the slide back to check the chamber to be honest i darn near broke my hand. sincerely and respectfully mg357 a proud member of the s&w forum. p.s. after quite a bit of struggle i was able to get the slide back.

No; they do not arbitrarily pick a heavy spring just to confound people. The rating of the spring is specifically chosen to match the platform with which it is being used.

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Stu

The spring must match the barrel length and ammo to be used. Heavy ammo and short barrels = stiff springs.
Springs are slightly stiffer until they break in to their designed stiffness.
There is also some technique to learn in handling a 1911 that makes it easier. I have taught petite people with small hands the techniques successfully; any competent 1911 instructor can show you.

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Science plus Art

The pistol is manufactured with the slide having a certain amount of mass/weight, along with the recoil spring to resist the recoil impulses. The recoil spring is used to tune the velocity of the slide's movement in relation to the ammunitions' impulse...The more powerful the ammo the stronger spring is needed. The design of some guns also handle the slide travel better than others by design. In some guns they add buffers to absorb impacts during the the event of over travel. It requires a delicate balance to maintain a smooth running gun matched to the ammunition.

Springs which are too strong can make it difficult to rack the slide, this can be detrimental to defensive shooting situations.

The overall fit and finish of the gun can have a effect on the ease of the slide cycle. On hammered guns like the 1911 it helps to thumb cock the hammer back first be retracting the slide.

Just place the front sight on the counter edge and push down. Guaranteed to get some assistance from the person behind the counter. Or if you believe everything you see on TV, rack the slide off of your belt using the rear sight.