10mm Recoil Spring Issue

[DougM]

I've got a problem with my 10mm Witness Elite that I've not seen referenced anywhere.   I load 180 JHPs to 1250 fps and am using a Wolff 20 lb recoil spring and a 22 lb hammer spring to try to control the slide velocity.  I also welded up a FPS and created a flat bottom FPS but that didn't help much.  Seems the FPS hits too high on the hammer to have much effect by using a flat bottom.

 

So here is my issue.  When I swap out my 40S&W barrel to 10mm, I install the 20 lb recoil spring on a Henning Conefit guide rod.  Except the spring is almost impossible to install.  It doesn't want to clear the edge of the dust cover unless I hold my mouth just right and rotate the spring in incremental steps until it finally just squeezes in.  I'd like to go up to a 22 lb spring but if I have this much trouble with the 20 lb, I don't think I'd be able to get a larger spring in no matter what I do.  I have no trouble with the standard recoil spring for the 40S&W, by the way.

 

Is anyone else having this problem and, if so, what did you do about it?  I'm thinking of taking my Dremel to the dust cover and sanding a slight bevel on the trailing edge where the spring slides under to see if that helps.  Ideas?

[ATLDave]

That's been my experience with the 20lb recoil spring in my 10mm Match Elites, too.  

 

I've never even contemplated going to a 22lb.  Remember that the spring doesn't just soften the blow at the end of the rearward travel... it also imparts a blow as the slide closes. 

 

Note, too, that Tanfo's have very long ejectors because the frame is designed to work with 9mm/40 short cartridges.  They're always going to throw 10mm a long way unless you re-shape/shorten the ejector.  

[DougM]

I've already shortened my ejector from the original length of 0.541" down to 0.355" - about as short as I feel comfortable going.  Nealio is the one who advised me on this.  Can't tell if it helped much at all.  Still a pretty aggressive launch.  I may end up putting the brass recoil buffer in that Henning sells to reduce the chances of any frame battering and just live with chasing brass across the county.

[Nealio]

Yeah the only way I got mine to not toss brass 30 feet is with that Sprinco Recoil Reducer and shortening the ejector. With a super stiff spring, the slide slams back home so hard I worried about breaking the slide stop. 

The problem with that brass buffer is that you are now shock loading the slide and I would worry about the slide cracking.

[DougM]

Nice of you to respond, Nealio. I'm thinking of ordering one of those Sprincos and giving up on the Henning but was wondering if you specify what springs you want in them or they just come one way. If I get to choose springs, what would be a good choice given that I'm loading 10mm up to 650 ft-lbs of energy.

[DougM]

Never mind - I found the Sprinco site and the choice for my 10mm Tanfoglio Witness Elite is obvious. Thanks for the recommendation.