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Effect of Weak Recoil Spring?


RickT

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My wife and I shoot SC with our 9mm 1911 Springers.  Normal springs 9 lb. recoil, 19 lb. main.  This has always worked with our very light loads for at least 75K rounds through each gun, not that the recoil springs are original, but they have seen a very high round count.   After a 6 month hiatus due to relocation to Idaho I've had a heck of a time recovering the sight picture for follow-up or next target shots, and I tried everything.  I've always thought to change the recoil spring based on the gun not cycling (failure to feed).  Out of frustration with my sight management I brought our two backup guns to the range, same springs and trigger, but very low mileage.

 

These two unused guns shoot like 22s.  I can only imagine that the weak recoil springs  in the high mileage guns really alter the recoil impulse dramatically.  I'll go on a regular spring change schedule, probably every 2 months would should be about 5K rounds.

 

I assume most who run a 1911 do periodic spring replacement.  I just feel incredibly dumb for having followed the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy.

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My wife and I shoot SC with our 9mm 1911 Springers.  Normal springs 9 lb. recoil, 19 lb. main.  This has always worked with our very light loads for at least 75K rounds through each gun, not that the recoil springs are original, but they have seen a very high round count.   After a 6 month hiatus due to relocation to Idaho I've had a heck of a time recovering the sight picture for follow-up or next target shots, and I tried everything.  I've always thought to change the recoil spring based on the gun not cycling (failure to feed).  Out of frustration with my sight management I brought our two backup guns to the range, same springs and trigger, but very low mileage.
 
These two unused guns shoot like 22s.  I can only imagine that the weak recoil springs  in the high mileage guns really alter the recoil impulse dramatically.  I'll go on a regular spring change schedule, probably every 2 months would should be about 5K rounds.
 
I assume most who run a 1911 do periodic spring replacement.  I just feel incredibly dumb for having followed the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy.
I change springs every 6 months. Also got a 1911 spring tester from Brownells to see if the manufacturers have good quality control. Buy a 10 pack of variable springs from Wolff and that should last you a few years

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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I keep a strict regiment of how many rounds I shoot in each of my competition 1911/2011 guns. I never go more than 3K rounds before changing springs. And on my 9mm 1911 with the 10lb spring, I find the lighter springs wear out faster than a heavier spring. So I change them around 1500-2,000 round count.

And if you're feeling the recoil that much, your springs are really worn out. Springs are a cheap enough to replace on a regular basis. Usually, if you shoot a lot, you'll notice you double taps will begin to spread out, before you really start feeling the increased recoil.

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6 hours ago, tdp88 said:

I like the 10lb for 9mm and I change it out 10,000 rounds unless I have a problem. 

There's the rub with my approach.  The "problem" I was looking for was function, primarily failure to feed and the gradual increase in felt recoil attribute to bad habits (support hand) and, alas, age.

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Change your springs like you’d change the oil in a car. I usually feel comfortable changing em after about 15k rounds. With springs being as cheap as they are, it’s worth it to prevent any issues you might have. 

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