Too heavy recoil spring question?

[rvoutdoorsman]

I just read in Layne Simpson's book, "The Custom Government Model Pistol" a paragraph where he states that a too heavy recoil spring will ruin a custom trigger job in short order. How? What I'm getting from reading about recoil springs is that the lighter the spring the quicker the recoil recovery and quicker times? I read in the new Front Sight magazine about the new single stack champ, David Sevigny was that he used a conventional 14 lb wolf spring in his custom springfield 1911. For years I ran a 20 lb variable wolf recoil spring in my para p14/45 without a bit of problem other than racking the slide. I'm willing to try a lighter spring with a shock buff to see if it speeds things up and doesn't beat my gun up. I may be old school but I'm willing to try something new.

[Mark R]

when you fire two shots (double tap), where does the second shot hit on your target in relation to the first? With a heavy recoil spring, I would bet the second shot is lower than the first. Lighten the recoil spring to bring the second shot up until it's close to the first and the gun is still reliable. I run a 12 lb spring in my Para P16 and Glocks both.

As for your question on the heavy recoil spring affecting the trigger job...a heavy spring will force the slide back into battery harder causing the hammer to bounce on the sear eventually ruining a good trigger job...or so I was told. I have a brother who was an armorer in the US Army back in the Vietnam days and he insists that you should be able to release the slide on a 1911 without fail. Personally, I like to not drop the slide.

[rvoutdoorsman]

Thanks for the information. I Found a new 15# variable spring in one of my gun drawers. Will try it this weekend.

[soaringf22]

my carry 1911 govt i run an 18.5 variable on a short guide rod.

my para 14-45 i have a 12lb spring on a commonoli tungsten guide rod with 3 buffers, one in the back 2 in the front-but this set up is for 173pf ammo not factory ball ammo.

my 2011 .40 edge i use a 12lb recoil spring and one buffer on a steel guide rod.

all my guns run 17lb mainsprings.

now here is one thing i noticed, my para weighs 43oz. my edge weighs 40oz. my 1911 carry gun weighs 33oz. the heavier spring soaks up more recoil that the lack of weight cant. but the main reason for a heavier spring is it was the most reliable weight (i tried from 14-28lb) spring to make factory ammo run. springs are so cheap that i buy almost every weight to try in every 1911 i own. i have 5.

another thing is on my newer guns i will tend to run a little bit heavier of a spring for break in before i go lighter. it makes a difference in my opinion.

[MrFixitman]

I have 9Lbs spring in my Springfield 1911 and reload for lower power rounds and it shoots all day.

Try 3.5Gg N310 with a 185Gr LSWVHP and then join the local Bullseye club.

MrFixitman

[benos]

I just read in Layne Simpson's book, "The Custom Government Model Pistol" a paragraph where he states that a too heavy recoil spring will ruin a custom trigger job in short order. How? What I'm getting from reading about recoil springs is that the lighter the spring the quicker the recoil recovery and quicker times? I read in the new Front Sight magazine about the new single stack champ, David Sevigny was that he used a conventional 14 lb wolf spring in his custom springfield 1911. For years I ran a 20 lb variable wolf recoil spring in my para p14/45 without a bit of problem other than racking the slide. I'm willing to try a lighter spring with a shock buff to see if it speeds things up and doesn't beat my gun up. I may be old school but I'm willing to try something new.

A lighter recoil spring will most definitely make your pistol feel "softer" in recoil. And it won't beat up the rest your pistol's parts, like the sear nose and hammer hooks, because the slide isn't thrashing back and forth on the frame so violently.

Depending on the caliber, the load, and the pistol itself, somewhere betewen a 9 and 14 lb. spring will usually provide the best results.

be

[djeffers]

I had a 16lb recoil spring in my .40 Edge and tried a 14lb and I was running into the slide locking open on the last round in the mag (three or four mags). The round started to feed, but obviously not enough to use the last round. It sounds like a lot of people have even used lighter recoil springs without a problem.

So, would this mean that I need to replace my mag springs? Or, if things were fine should I just put in the old recoil spring. Not sure of the 16lb spring but the 14lb spring was ISMI and not fitted.