Heavy 1911 Main Spring

[AKRuss]

I have a third party mainspring in a 1911 that feels a little heavy and causes an occasional stove pipe. Is clipping a loop or two off the spring a legitmate way to lighten it up?

I may have been using the term main spring incorrectly. I am referring to the large spring below the barrel that you may know better as the recoil spring. Sorry for any misunderstanding.

 

[arjay]

Might work or you can order a set of different weight springs and experiment.

 

[Road Rat]

Take a look at the recoil springs available from Wolff Springs and see what you might be able to use:

Springs for COLT 1911 GOV'T PISTOL Semi-Auto Pistols

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

This site is a good place to start when diagnosing issues.

Troubleshooting

Since you said you replaced the recoil spring, standard weight for a 45 recoil spring is 16 lb. Don't clip the spring, just buy a new one, they're cheap enough. Also if you're shooting most target loads and high power +P SD stuff pick up a 14lb spring too and see if you like the feel.

 

[MichiganScott]

This site is a good place to start when diagnosing issues.

Troubleshooting

Since you said you replaced the recoil spring, standard weight for a 45 recoil spring is 16 lb. Don't clip the spring, just buy a new one, they're cheap enough. Also if you're shooting most target loads and high power +P SD stuff pick up a 14lb spring too and see if you like the feel.

I've tried different weight springs over the years and finally have decide to just leave the 16lb standard in the gun. I don't shoot +P in .45, so it works for me.

 

[yeti]

Buy a new recoil spring or buy a "calibration pack" of recoil springs, if shooting light handloads.

 

[shovelwrench]

16lb spring is the way to go, from target loads to fullpower they do well. If your doing a lot of reloading and want very light loads, or want to run very hot loads, get a spring assortment. I have THIS one, but there are others available as mentioned Wolfe makes one too it just doesn't come with the pouch....

 

[shovelwrench]

On a side note, your hammer spring will also affect slide speed and felt recoil along with the radius on your firing pin stop.

Heavier hammer spring=slower slide speed+heavier trigger pull
Lighter hammer spring= higher slide speed+lighter trigger pull

Smaller radius firing pin stop=slower slide speed
Larger radius firing pin stop= Higher slide speed

The radius also affects felt/perceived recoil.

All these put together with your load can make a well functioning 1911, or a jamomatic.....

Theres a little more to spring tuning a 1911 then most people think.

 

[WR Moore]

There was a big deal many years ago that one could 'improve' the 1911 with heavier recoil springs. As the springs got heavier we started seeing broken slide stops and sheared barrel underlugs, resulting in launched slide assemblies.

The advice you've been given is good. Don't go heavier in a GM than 18.5 lbs. The 16 lb spring worked very well for decades.

 

[shawn mccarver]

I have a third party mainspring in a 1911 that feels a little heavy and causes an occasional stove pipe. Is clipping a loop or two off the spring a legitmate way to lighten it up?

I may have been using the term main spring incorrectly. I am referring to the large spring below the barrel that you may know better as the recoil spring. Sorry for any misunderstanding.

What about the spring that came in the pistol? They have engineers and experts who design these things to run with a certain weight recoil spring. Put the original back in the pistol.

Remember this: Many folks insist that they will "save the frame" if they put in a very heavy recoil spring to avoid "battering." What those same folks seem to never take into account is that the slide slamming forward with all that extra force will destroy the frame in equally short order.

 

[shovelwrench]

What about the spring that came in the pistol? They have engineers and experts who design these things to run with a certain weight recoil spring. Put the original back in the pistol.

Yep, That engineer (John Browning) designed it for 230gr @ 830fps with a 16lb recoil spring.

If you deviate from that combination far enough it wont cycle OR batters the frame then you also need to change the springs....

 

[shawn mccarver]

The 16 lb spring worked very well for decades.

Actually, it still works fine!

 

[Harrison]

Recoil springs are cheap and easy to change. In fact they should be changed out about every 3,000 rounds, at the same time you probably should change the firing pin spring. Wolf gives you one of each in a package. Generally the 16# spring is great for everything except the weakest target loads and the heaviest +P; however, pistols can differ.

 

[AKRuss]

Thanks for all the ideas! The 1911 is an old Springfield Armory Range Officer (?) model that a friend of mine shot IPSC for a while. There aren't very many original parts in the thing. I'm trying to get it shooting for my son who's going to school in the morning and working in the evening. He could use some diversion in what little free time he gets. The gun shoots fairly well with cheap ammo - the only stuff I can find locally - but stove pipes on occasion. I'm certainly no pistol smith but butchered many a 1911 back in my IPSC days when no enhanced 45s or pistol smiths were to be found. To date I replaced the extractor, which seemed about worn out, put in a new hammer as the old one didn't appear very safe, polished the chamber a little with a wire brush and ordered some Wolf recoil and firing pin springs. The recoil spring in the gun feels heavy compared to factory guns in the local gunshop though I have no idea what the poundage really is. The factory 45s I tried were not made by manufacturers I have heard of before. They have no S&Ws or Colts. After reading the posts I'm sorry I didn't order a replacement mainspring. I'll let you know how it turns out. I use to wear an old football helment when I fired the first few arrows from a homemade self bow. Maybe I'll stand behind a tree and fire the first few rounds out of this poor man's 1911.

 

[M29since14]

I don't think it's going to be necessary to stand behind a tree just to fire the gun because you clipped a coil or two from the recoil spring, but I agree with others - for the good of your gun, just replace it with a new 16# or 17# spring.

I stopped using 18.5# springs years ago and would not suggest them, but also wouldn't suggest any ammo hotter than a 230 at 850-875 FPS or so. As a noted 1911 "Guru" once said, "If you need more power than that, change to your 44 Magnum."

The "mainspring" in a 1911 powers the hammer. You'll find it in the "mainspring housing." (Easy way to keep track of which one is which. )