Lighter Recoil Spring In .45

[southpaw dan]

First a comment then a question. My whole understanding on recoil springs has been transformed due to this forum & some fellow competitors. I was stuck in the dark ages( & some gun rags) on this whole heavy/light spring thing. After reading the "FAQ's" I put a 8lb Wolff spring in my 5906( factory is 14lb ). Yikes! What a difference! Granted a 40oz 9mm doesn't exactly punish you, but the sight tracking was dramatically better. My question is, will I see that same kind of difference with my Kimber 5-inch or less so. Judging by most posts a 12lb spring with 200gr major loads seem to be the ticket. Thanks.

Daniel

[warpspeed]

If you mean by changing a factory 18# or stronger spring in your 45 ACP 1911 to a 12#, the answer is yes. You may even try an 11#. Some people like it. Just make sure you use a shock buff to avoid any frame damage.

[Duane Thomas]

Honestly, I've become not much of a fan of Shok Buffs. I ran one in my .45 for about 15K, then decided to try it without one. Wow! What a difference. Dramatically less muzzle flip and perceived recoil. I realize now that the slide was hitting the Shok Buff at the end of its stroke.

[TriggerT]

Wow, I thought the 14# I had in my .45 was light. I shoot 230gr, so maybe a heavier spring is needed?

[oddjob]

what makes the buffs increase recoil??

[southpaw dan]

Wow! Sight tracking is 100% better. Even more notciable than with the 9mm. Tried with & without the buff. Really couldn't tell much of a difference. 12lb recoil spr with 19lb main spr was the ticket. Thanks to BE, the moderators & all contributors for the FAQ.

Daniel

[warpspeed]

Dan,

You might try going to a 17# mainspring. It will give less resistence to the slide cocking teh hammer and still provide plenty of ignition.

[southpaw dan]

warpspeed,

Went with the 19# just for reliability sake but will probably try the 17# in the near future. Also going to try going lighter on the recoil spr as well.

Thanks again,

Daniel

[MoNsTeR]

I use a 14# with a 17# mainspring. Tried a 12.5# variable, but it felt really harsh so I switched back. 16# gives too much muzzle flip, and 18.5# gives WAY too much.

I like the feel of a buffer, but my gun won't work with 'em.

[Bill Schwab]

I screwed around with springs a lot in my SS 45 days. Ended up with a 15 lb mainspring and a 14 lb recoil spring. I liked the feel of the 12.5 lb recoil spring a little better, but reliability went to hell when the gun got dirty. Was using a single Wilson Shok-Buff.

[Duane Thomas]

what makes the buffs increase recoil??

I realize now that the slide was hitting the Shok Buff at the end of its stroke.

[Duane Thomas]

I've been running a 17-pound hammer spring for the vast majority of the 28K through my .45. No problems. As for the recoil spring, I recently switched to a heavy bullet/low velocity load, and dropped recoil spring weight down to 10 pounds. I may post more on this in the future. What can I say? It works for me.