Gotta put my 9mm Spartan on a Diet

[dskinsler83]

Ok guys and gals my 9mm Spartan is a tad heavy at 43.42oz. Bobby @ FGW says it can't be TRI-topped so were else can I save weight. Has a two piece FLGR, Dawson Ice Gap magwell, VZ slim Operator 2s, SVI ITS short flat trigger.

[APL-G35]

What's the required weight? Barrel fluting if legal and some internally lightening of the slide then frame would be my suggestions

[twodownzero]

Install an aluminum mainspring housing.

[Carmoney]

G-10 grips are neat-looking, but heavy.

The el cheapo plastic Ergo grips are ugly, but really light and grippy.

[yoshidaex]

Delrin guide rod?

Single sided thumb safety?

Machining the underside of the slide but that costs quite a bit compared to parts substitution.

Is the spartan a bull or regular barrel?

[EkuJustice]

You can use the aluminum MSH that dawson sells for the magwell which cuts the weight from in your hand. You could also add an Aluminum guide rod or GI setup which removes it from the front of the gun.

[mpolans]

Why can't it be tri-topped? I thought tri-topping guns that already had sight cuts was his specialty.

[CMV]

Can (carefully) remove material from the back side of your grips and lose a couple tenths of an ounce.

[ktm300]

First, I hope the 43.42 is with a mag.

From memory, the change from a steel MSH to the aluminum one from Dawson is the better part of an ounce and is probably the simplist change to make. They now sell the magwell with the aluminum MSH already on it.

On the G10 grips, I had Larry Davidson make me a pair and cut out the backs. They now weigh less than a pair of aluminum ones I have. He took 3/4 of an ounce off the pair which was close to a 50% weight reduction. They are a work of art on the backs. He does very nice work.

Now if we could just convence the USPSA board that an extra ounce or two on a 1911 is not a big performance advantage we could quit spending money trying to lighten up our mostly stock guns.

Also be careful of having the weight too close as the scales at matches seem to vary. I have seen them be off more than 1/2 ounce and there is no procedure in place to argue the ruling.

[sperman]

Lightening the slide would make the gun illegal for USPSA SS division.

Appendix D5 -21 Authorized modifications Milling of the slide to insert sights, add or remove serrations, such as cocking or flat topping, tri-topping the slide, lowering ejection ports, cuts that are minor and cosmetic in nature are permitted. Duplicating features that are on a factory, mass produced slide available to the general public is permitted. Cuts that are designed to specifically or significantly lighten the slide, such as holes, or slots, are ruled as competitive advantage and prohibited.

[dskinsler83]

Why can't it be tri-topped? I thought tri-topping guns that already had sight cuts was his specialty.

The newer Spartans have the larger front sight cut already

[sperman]

The sight cut can either be welded up or have a filler piece silver-soldered into place.

[EkuJustice]

Tri-top, flat top etc is not considered slide lightening. The gills etc are considered lightening

[latech15]

Send it to Gans. He does a tri-top cut that stops just prior to the front sight cut. Looks awesome.

His turn around time when he did mine was less than a week.

[steel1212]

aluminum or GI guide rod

Plastic MSH

Lighter weight grips or G10 grips with material removed from the back like the Techwell grips are doing now

Single Sided safety

If you want to get more drastic

Flat top/tri top the slide short of the sights. Several smiths are doing this now.

Make sure metal under the grip panels on the frame is all gone that needs to be gone.

Edited August 15, 2012 by steel1212

[dskinsler83]

Thanks guys ang Corey thanks alot for both replies bro :-)

[Braxton1]

Now if we could just convince the USPSA board that an extra ounce or two on a 1911 is not a big performance advantage we could quit spending money trying to lighten up our mostly stock guns.

Also be careful of having the weight too close as the scales at matches seem to vary. I have seen them be off more than 1/2 ounce and there is no procedure in place to argue the ruling.

I agree with the second point, in that I've been a vocal proponent that a standardization & arbitration procedure be put in place, but adjusting the weight limit would be a temporary fix. Give us six months (at most) and we'd be saying "How do I get my tungsten guide-rodded, VZ gripped, tungsten grip safetied 1911 below 45 ounces?". I think that the BoD learned from their experience with the 140mm/170mm rules. They gave us that 1.25mm leeway and we abused that with SNL 4.2mm basepads, chasing that magical 22+1 2011....

To get back on point, the aluminum MSH is a big weight-saver, but comparatively pricey. I'd hog out the back of the G-10 grips with a Dremel (Please wear a dust mask. Polymer dusts and lungs are an unhealthy combination!)

Edited August 15, 2012 by Braxton1

[amish_rabbi]

Spartans have alot of extra metal under the grips (my iv does anyways) you could have your smith remove some of that

[APL-G35]

I still don't understand how internal lightening is illegal, seems to me it's more about the cosmetics aspect of it looking like a factory 1911. In that the rule states no holes or slots are permissible.

[APL-G35]

I still don't understand how internal lightening is illegal, seems to me it's more about the cosmetics aspect of it looking like a factory 1911. In that the rule states no holes or slots are permissible.

[ktm300]

but adjusting the weight limit would be a temporary fix.

The current limit is low for several nice off the shelf guns. The TRP for one, it would have to lose 1.5 OZ to make weight. Then another .5 to be sure it would weigh at a match. That is going to cost someone quite a bit and for what?

It's the indian not the arrow, what does it matter if somone wants to swing around a 4lb gun? I don't, I just want to take a stock gun, put a magwell, grips and a FLGR and make weight without having to spend a few hundred on makeing it get to 43oz.

I love shooting SS as I think the extra stage planing and reloads make it more fun. I am just about to give up on it as i just don't want to keep spending money to try and get my gun to a point where I know it will make weight every time.

Sorry for the off topic rant.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: You can leave the top round and cut both sides of the tri-topped type slides. You can use a Briley aluminum guide rod and some Ergo grips or factory wood. I have a pic of a slide I am doing right now that looks cool and makes it alot lighter. I'll post it when the battery charges on the camera Thanks, Eric

[wes777]

Dump the guide rod for government recoil system and mill out extra weight from the frame under the grips.

That's how I made weight.