Titanium or Aluminum 1911 Grip Screws and Bushings?

[jkrispies]

I’d like to shave a smidge of weight off my 9mm Single Stack to be safe at a major match.  I’m thinking I might get a (very) little out of switching to titanium grip bushings and screws.   Wondering if anybody knew of a manufacturer I could contact, particularly with regards to bushings?  

 

Would like to start by asking about weights to see if it’s even measurable enough to bother.   Tandemkross does sell titanium screws, and they were kind enough to weigh them at .018oz individually and .072oz total, but I’m thinking they should be comboed with bushings (which TK doesnt sell) to really matter in the overall, and I haven’t located  bushings yet.  My guess is that the bushings would be the heavier of the two items.  FYI Titanium generally weighs in at 45% less than steel according to the Inter-webs, so I might get a few tenths of an ounce out of it.  

 

Aluminum might be another option but I don’t know how wise it would be due to possible stripping risk, or if it’s even an option. Nonetheless, Input for aluminum would be appreciated as well. 

 

Thanks,

J

[Will_M]

Titanium is roughly half the density of steel. So that means at most you'll save less than a 1/10th of an ounce.

 

Most scales at match may not even be precise enough to detect the difference.

[gino_aki]

No.  Both the allen head and torx head ones strip out the holes under any normal type torque when tightening.  Aluminum will fail at the threads, either welding themselves to the bushings, or worse bushings to frame.  Get quality steel ones and save yourself the headaches.