The effect of lighter springs on reloading data.

[nagantino]

I can't quiet find the answer to this problem. I have the CZ Shadow for Production class. At the last level 3 I had a new Recoil Spring and Main Spring fitted....13 and 11. The gun feels great, lighter double action and generally a better feel to the trigger. My question is this: Can I reload lighter loads now, so that muzzle flip can be reduced further and felt recoil reduced also?

I am loading 124 Lee Lead TL cast bullet over 5.8 grs of Power Pistol, OAL 1.10

I find this load to be snappy. Will the lighter springs allow for lighter powder loads?

[razorfish]

In general a lighter spring will allow the use of lighter loads. As a production class shooting (assuming USPSA) you need to load to 125 power factor. With a 124 grain bullet you want to load to 1009 FPS or faster. Generally I load 5 or 10 power factor higher just to be safely above minimum power factor.

Also you'll want to tune your load to be accurate. Slow may not be accurate given a particular gun, bullet, powder combination.

Another thing that factors in is "perceived" or felt recoil. Some powder/bullet combinations simply feel better.

Otherwise yes, your gun should function well with lighter loads but make sure these new loads meet minimum power factor while remaining reliable and accurate.

FYI, I'm shooting a CZ Shadow in USPSA Production Division with the same spring setup. I also prefer 124 grain bullets. Many shooters prefer a little heavier bullet as it tends to reduce felt recoil. Chrono your loads and be safe. YMMV

Edited July 18, 2014 by razorfish

[smoothdraw]

11lbs CZ recoil spring is soft. If you load from 133pf-125pf your recoil spring will just be right.