bossk95 Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 I've got a Springfield loaded target in 9mm and every load I've ran through it seems fairly slow and sluggish on the lock up. I've tried 115s, 124s, and 147s with various powders and none have really ran as quick as i feel like it should be, 115s with CFE pistol give the best results but it's pretty snappy. Anyone have any suggestions to help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpl Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 How heavy is the recoil spring?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2000red Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 In addition to jpl's question, if it has the locking mainspring housing (ILS I think they call it), they have a very heavy mainspring. Many folks swap those for standard mainspring housings and springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBurgess Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 if by "sluggish" you mean it doesn't cycle as quickly as a some other 9mm pistols then it is likely nothing. Full profile 1911 slides are heavy by comparison to most 9mm pistols and as a result have a more sluggish feel, you can play with main and recoil springs to change that a little but in the end a heavy slide will never feel as snappy as a lighter one. That said a heavy 1911 slide that feels sluggish is still done cycling and ready to fire way before you are, think in the .06 seconds neighborhood so snappy may be .05 you may feel like its slow but it actually isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossk95 Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 9 hours ago, jpl said: How heavy is the recoil spring?? I'm not sure it's the factory spring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossk95 Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 40 minutes ago, MikeBurgess said: if by "sluggish" you mean it doesn't cycle as quickly as a some other 9mm pistols then it is likely nothing. Full profile 1911 slides are heavy by comparison to most 9mm pistols and as a result have a more sluggish feel, you can play with main and recoil springs to change that a little but in the end a heavy slide will never feel as snappy as a lighter one. That said a heavy 1911 slide that feels sluggish is still done cycling and ready to fire way before you are, think in the .06 seconds neighborhood so snappy may be .05 you may feel like its slow but it actually isn't. What should I be looking for if I play around with the springs? Lighter or heavier? Or just what ever ends up feeling better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootin-blanks Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 I run #10 up front and 17# down below. 135g SNS @ 130+pf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBurgess Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 2 minutes ago, bossk95 said: What should I be looking for if I play around with the springs? Lighter or heavier? Or just what ever ends up feeling better? If ILS I would put in a regular main spring cap and spring I run a 19 lb main spring recoil on mine are 9 or 10 pounds. in the end its all what you like and what works with your grip to have the gun return to point of aim, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postal Bob Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 New recoil spring needed. Factory weight springs are too heavy for the target loads we shoot. They will work, but cycle slowly. Get a 10lb spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken6PPC Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 4 hours ago, shootin-blanks said: I run #10 up front and 17# down below. 135g SNS @ 130+pf +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnmyster Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 (edited) On 2/17/2021 at 11:11 AM, shootin-blanks said: I run #10 up front and 17# down below. 135g SNS @ 130+pf Ditto on ammo and mainsprings. One of my guns is fine on 10# recoil springs and one has a little more headroom on an 11#. Make sure the extractor geometry, tension, and deflection aren't goofy, and that it isn't rotating and flopping around. An extractor that's bumping all over the rim during feeding will slow down the feed cycle too. If you're going to do 9mm 1911s seriously (or 1911s in general) then order a bunch of three packs or ten packs of springs that work from wolff and put them in your new gun acquisitions so you know what's in there. And buy or make a spring tester for recoil springs. I see 20% variance from brand to brand and sometimes almost as much within a brand. Edited February 19, 2021 by johnmyster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echotango Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 42 minutes ago, johnmyster said: And buy or make a spring tester for recoil springs. I see 20% variance from brand to brand and sometimes almost as much within a brand. That is why I only use ISMI or Sprinco. Wolff is all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrel45 Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 I had this same issue with my Range Officer in 9, changed both springs got it down pat fairly well. However I will say I prefer the impulse of a CZ75 much better then the 9 in a full size. I know this is not about that but I would just note that since that was 'huh' moment I had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnmyster Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 5 hours ago, echotango said: That is why I only use ISMI or Sprinco. Wolff is all over the place. I strangely had eactly the opposite experience. Wilsons (ISMI?) were consistent, but low. Springco were 10% to 20% low. Wolf was within 5%. With a tester...at least you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echotango Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 6 hours ago, johnmyster said: I strangely had eactly the opposite experience. Wilsons (ISMI?) were consistent, but low. Springco were 10% to 20% low. Wolf was within 5%. With a tester...at least you know. I guess they all make springs on a Friday afternoon..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossk95 Posted February 20, 2021 Author Share Posted February 20, 2021 Ordered a 9# and 10# recoil spring and a 17# main spring, see what happens when they get here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WFargo Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 I actually ordered Wolf springs because Adam from Atlas says they're the most consistent and often don't need to be cut to prevent coil bind. The 9 lbs springs I ordered were both 8 lbs on the spring tester, by the way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossk95 Posted February 20, 2021 Author Share Posted February 20, 2021 What do you guys mean by making a spring tester? Are rigging up one of those cheap trigger gauges to test a spring? That's what my mind went to at least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnmyster Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 (edited) Trigger guage range is too low. You want to test to a repeatable length of 1.625". $12 scale from amazon. Verify it on occasion using some water jugs. Guiderod is 1/4" because it matches the ID of the spring almost perfectly. Threaded enough to hold a washer and nut on the end. There's another washer in the end of the PVC (held there by the cap) to give the spring something flat/square/even to sit on at both ends. I have marks on the side of the board to quickly measure the relaxed length of the spring...should be 6.5". Slots in the lower stop allow adjustement of compressed length for the jig. Short piece of pipe is cut to exactly 1.625" and is used to set compressed length of the jig. Crude but took the guesswork out of dealing with my 9mm guns (not feeding if springs get too weak) and 45 guns (fail to lockback if spring to stiff for whatever ammo.) Edited February 21, 2021 by johnmyster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossk95 Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 12 hours ago, johnmyster said: Trigger guage range is too low. You want to test to a repeatable length of 1.625". $12 scale from amazon. Verify it on occasion using some water jugs. Guiderod is 1/4" because it matches the ID of the spring almost perfectly. Threaded enough to hold a washer and nut on the end. There's another washer in the end of the PVC (held there by the cap) to give the spring something flat/square/even to sit on at both ends. I have marks on the side of the board to quickly measure the relaxed length of the spring...should be 6.5". Slots in the lower stop allow adjustement of compressed length for the jig. Short piece of pipe is cut to exactly 1.625" and is used to set compressed length of the jig. Crude but took the guesswork out of dealing with my 9mm guns (not feeding if springs get too weak) and 45 guns (fail to lockback if spring to stiff for whatever ammo.) Awesome thanks for the guide, getting the scale ordered now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doge Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Try a lighter recoil spring. I like 10# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakerjd Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 I only run IMSI springs. One day if they get inconsistent I'll go to sprinco. Wolff has never been less then %20 off when I've tested, with the same gauge adam uses. He also yells you in the video he buys them by the hundreds.... there is a reason for that. I had Ryan Spemcer build me a 1911 using a Springfield Loaded 9mm. Swapped out the ILS MSH for a dawson one with magwell. Tuned it up, ran very very well. In face it's one of two guns I regret selling. Recoil spring was 9lb. Ammo was right at 131PF 147gn blue bullets. I tried from 7lb to 11lb. Tried 15lb, 17lb and 19lb main springs. Ended up with 17lb. Tried a rounded bottom firing pin stop and angled one. Liked the round one better. Ended up putting an Aftec extractor in it as well. I had around 3500 rounds through it when sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1986s4 Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 My Colt runs great on a #9-10 recoil and standard main. My understanding is that SA uses a heavier than standard main spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodownzero Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 I think you will find that the lighter mainspring makes more of a difference. I run ISMI, 17 pound main and 9 or 10 pound recoil. I can definitely tell the gun is flippier when the recoil spring is new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickT Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 On 2/20/2021 at 8:16 AM, bossk95 said: Ordered a 9# and 10# recoil spring and a 17# main spring, see what happens when they get here That's in the ballpark if you've already replaced the ILS Mainspring housing. The mainspring selection is also influenced by the radius on the firing pin stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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