1911 Recoil/mainsprings

[steel1212]

Ok, I'm a little confused and I need to pick your brain. Is it correct in my assumption that you want to run as high a recoil spring as you can and still feed reliably to reduce felt recoil? Also on the other hand you want to run as small a MS as possible to reduce trigger pull but big enough to light the primer?

The reason I ask this is that I'm wanting to replace the springs in my 9mm SA 1911 as I have no idea what they are. I shoot mainly 130 PF reloads but would like to buy some WWB and still have it function ok. I'm looking at a 17-19 wolff mainspring and, according to midway factory 9mm spring is 14#, so I was looking at around a 12# recoil spring? I know the 9mm isn't much on recoil but the more I can reduce flip the quicker I can get aimed back on the A/-0 right!

Also, I'm getting ready to pick up a used SA loaded .45 that will serve duel roles as house gun and competiton gun. Should I just leave the springs stock for reliability or can I lower the mainspring to around a 19 as well and leave the recoil spring at 16#?

Also being that these are SA with ILS do I need to replace any of the pins in the mainspring houseing? The 9mm has a SA magwell/MSH and the .45 will have a light weight one with a slip on magwell. Basically I'll be removing the ILS houseings and I was told that I needed to replace the Mainspring cap, cap pin, and MSH pin retainer? If I do, do I basically get the same pins and just get a diffrent sized spring for my compacts?

Edited August 23, 2006 by steel1212

[LPatterson]

Well it has almost been a day & no one else has answered so I will try to answer some of your questions since I just added an S&A magwell to a SA ILS gun. Start with a 17# mainspring, mainspring cap (I used TI), mainspring cap pin & mainspring housing pin retainer that way you don't have to take the ILS system apart & can put it back on later.

Going to a 12# spring probably won't reduce the flip since the slide will move back faster but it will reduce the amount the gun nose dives when the slide closes which is what most shooters are concerned with. I am running a 12.5# IMSI in my .45. Your 130PF are already less than WWB which I chronoed at 133 in an XD Tactical.

I would leave the .45 stock until you know that the home defense ammo goes bang every time. Wolff says Springfield uses a 22# recoil spring & 22# mainspring so after trial you might be able to reduce them to fit your shooting style. If you make a mainspring change, shoot at least 100 rounds with a dirty gun to make sure it works every time.

[steel1212]

Well it has almost been a day & no one else has answered so I will try to answer some of your questions since I just added an S&A magwell to a SA ILS gun. Start with a 17# mainspring, mainspring cap (I used TI), mainspring cap pin & mainspring housing pin retainer that way you don't have to take the ILS system apart & can put it back on later.

Going to a 12# spring probably won't reduce the flip since the slide will move back faster but it will reduce the amount the gun nose dives when the slide closes which is what most shooters are concerned with. I am running a 12.5# IMSI in my .45. Your 130PF are already less than WWB which I chronoed at 133 in an XD Tactical.

I would leave the .45 stock until you know that the home defense ammo goes bang every time. Wolff says Springfield uses a 22# recoil spring & 22# mainspring so after trial you might be able to reduce them to fit your shooting style. If you make a mainspring change, shoot at least 100 rounds with a dirty gun to make sure it works every time.

Your running a 12.5# recoil spring in your .45 and that should be ok for my 9mm? So I need to get the new pins before I can get a new mainspring? Right now I'm running the parts that came out of the ILS in my SA mainspring housing/magwell. Is there a benifit of TI over steel? What about the compact question? Also variable or standard? Would running shock buffers have anything to do with the pound of spring I'm running? Sorry for all the questions lol.

Edited August 24, 2006 by steel1212

[Mapzter]

Your running a 12.5# recoil spring in your .45 and that should be ok for my 9mm? So I need to get the new pins before I can get a new mainspring? Right now I'm running the parts that came out of the ILS in my SA mainspring housing/magwell. Is there a benifit of TI over steel? What about the compact question? Also variable or standard? Would running shock buffers have anything to do with the pound of spring I'm running? Sorry for all the questions lol.

Steel,

I run a 12# recoil spring with two frame saver cushions in my 9mm 1911. Works great for me.

DVC,

/Mapzter

[steel1212]

You running a 17 or 19 main spring?

[mscott]

I run a 17# mainspring and 12# recoil in my SA 1911 in .40 if that helps at all. I use the same springs for minor and major.

[Run n Gun]

This whole spring business is just a way to tailor the "feel" of the recoil and people like different things. On my 5" 45 I run a 14# recoil and a 17# mainspring and that combination feels great to ME.

Go to Wolf and buy one of their "Recoil Calibration Paks", try the different ones until you fond the weight you like. As long as the gun functions there's no WRONG weight.

Ed

[Mapzter]

You running a 17 or 19 main spring?

I think it's a 17# - don't think I've ever had to change it.

[steel1212]

This whole spring business is just a way to tailor the "feel" of the recoil and people like different things. On my 5" 45 I run a 14# recoil and a 17# mainspring and that combination feels great to ME.

Go to Wolf and buy one of their "Recoil Calibration Paks", try the different ones until you fond the weight you like. As long as the gun functions there's no WRONG weight.

Ed

Yeah, I've got the light pack on order now. So do you basically go down until it doesn't feed and then back up or just until you like the way it feels?

[mike cyrwus]

I shoot a 11# wolff with one shock buff and a 15# mainspring.

I just had a thread on 9mm springs. you should be able to find it a page back or so.

[hitman]

short answer on recoil springs.

The recoil spring should be balanced so the slide dose not hit the frame and dose not drop the muzzel when the slide goes forward.

Load and gun combined determine best spring wt.

I have installed recoil springs from 7 to 20 pounds on peoples 1911s.

Most want a spring that will work across a wide range of loads, in your case for the 9mm I would run something in the 12 to 14 pound range, 12 with 1 shock buff, 14 with nothing.

Mainspring

15 or 17, either will work on most guns and loads, you can get a crisp 2 pound pull with either one.

I think most people run 17 for the extra ignition insurance.

+1 on the Wolf calibration pack.

[steel1212]

The spring that is in my 9mm 1911 now has 36 coils and the wire is 0.040 thick? It is longer and thinner than the wilson 10# that was in a unopened pack from a Recoil kit I got in trade and in turn that wilson is longer and thinner than a stock .45 spring I had.

Any idea on what size the one in my 9mm is?

[hitman]

What make of 1911 Springfield?

[steel1212]

What make of 1911 Springfield?

9mm 1911 loaded full size

Just got done talking to springfield and they said they put 9# 9mm springs in their loaded 9mm 1911s 5"ers

Edited August 26, 2006 by steel1212

[steel1212]

I just shot a match with at 12# variable wolff spring in and a 17# Hammer spring in my 9mm springfield 1911. Man that is sweet with 3.3 titegroup and 147 zeros!