Single Stack Set-up

[Get'em Duck]

Ok, I've read a lot of the old post on recoil springs. lord knows i didn't read them all as the list goes on and on and on and well you get the idea. So after hours of reading I've decide to start tinkering with my gun and seeing what happens. my current set-up is a Kimber custom II target, that has been sent to Wilson and had a little work down to it it shoots better then I do. but it has a 17 pound spring in it. Now I'm wondering what I'll gain from a lighter spring and how light should it be with a 200grnswc with a 172 power factor?

So for you single stack .45acp guys what spring are you running and what is your power factor?

I know that with factory 230grn ammo a 16-17 pound spring is norm, but what about a toned down 200grn?

Thanks guys

Brad

[chbrow10]

PF=171 with a 230 g RN bullet

16# recoil spring.

Tried different loads and springs and couldn't get the gun to run properly. So I'm back to the JMB "old faithful" setup

[bkeeler]

PF=172

12# Recoil spring

17# Hammer spring

BK

Edited September 22, 2009 by bkeeler

[Get'em Duck]

I'm going to pick up a few springs and try them I was going to order a 12# and a 14# and see what happened. anyone hear any pro's and con's to progressive springs? I run just wolf straight 17# but when looking at Brownell's I noticed some progressive springs?????

[kevinj308]

PF=172

12# Recoil spring

17# Hammer spring

BK

shock buff in that?

ETA I run a 16lb with 175pf

Edited September 22, 2009 by kevinj308

[RickB]

170 power factor, 23# main, 14# recoil. I could use a lighter spring or springs with my competition load, but still consider the gun a weapon, and don't want it configured in a way that precludes extensive use of full-power ammo.

[Jaxshooter]

I run 14 lb springs in my guns with a 230 gr bullet at 171 PF.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I use a 14lb ISMI spring for major loads and a 12.5lb ISMI spring for minor loads using 200 grain or 230 grain bullets. I also have a 17lb ISMI mainspring in them as well. I like the ISMI springs Thanks, Eric

[BMartens]

I run a 15# ISMI recoil and 17# main spring.

PF is 168-172 for both 200 LSWC and 130 LRN.

[TISCHLJ]

14# Wolff VAR recoil spring. 17#MS

works well for MG 200gr JFP at major 171pf

same for Zero 230 gr FMJ

[CocoBolo]

200gr RN Precision with 4.2gr Clays 1.225 OAL @170pf. 12lb Wolf Variable Power Recoil Spring. 17lb main spring with 2 coils cut off. Sets off all primers CCI, WLP, Fed, etc. I do not use Wolf so can't comment.

Shoots softer than my limited gun and has less flip.

[Gregory_k]

230 fmj 173pf

16 recoil

23 hammer? (or what ever kimber installed when I bought the gun).

[steel1212]

Anything at major PF in my Single Stacks be it .40 or .45 gets a 14# recoil and a 17# main spring. To heavy and the gun dips down, to light and your beating up the gun. I run a lighter spring in my limited gun but it has less mass in the slide also.

[bkeeler]

PF=172

12# Recoil spring

17# Hammer spring

BK

shock buff in that?

ETA I run a 16lb with 175pf

No buff not needed! It is not beating up the gun. I also run a 12lb spring in my 40. @ 173-174 PF. I like the feel of the 12lb spring.

All this stuff has been talked to death here on the forum. Use what works for you. If your worried about beating the gun up us a heavier recoil spring. I have run the 12lb spring for a long time no damage to the gun at all.

BK

Edited September 23, 2009 by bkeeler

[Brian Gonsalves]

Hello: I use a 14lb ISMI spring for major loads and a 12.5lb ISMI spring for minor loads using 200 grain or 230 grain bullets. I also have a 17lb ISMI mainspring in them as well. I like the ISMI springs Thanks, Eric

I like ISMI springs too. Almost the same as above except 12.5lb for major or minor.

[kevinj308]

PF=172

12# Recoil spring

17# Hammer spring

BK

shock buff in that?

ETA I run a 16lb with 175pf

No buff not needed! It is not beating up the gun. I also run a 12lb spring in my 40. @ 173-174 PF. I like the feel of the 12lb spring.

All this stuff has been talked to death here on the forum. Use what works for you. If your worried about beating the gun up us a heavier recoil spring. I have run the 12lb spring for a long time no damage to the gun at all.

BK

Thanks, I'm gonna give that a try

[2MoreChains]

When I was using my Kimber, I settled on a 12.5 lb ISMI recoil and 18 lb mainspring. But when I switched to a Trojan I tried the same combo and it didn't feel right and I was all over the place. Upped the recoil spring to 14 lbs, and that was the ticket. .45 acp, 169-172 PF.

[soundwave]

14 lb recoil spring w/ 170 PF load. Feels and handles very good.

[chrisjohn]

14 lbs ISMI spring.

12lbs may work if you gauge check each round. I'm lazy and the 14 lbs was more reliable for me. 200/230 gr minor/major load

[Aristotle]

177 PF 230gn bullet

12lb Recoil w/ 1 shockbuff

17lb Mainspring

wolf springs

I am absolutely synced with the recoil characteristics of this load in my gun and don't anticipate anything changing anything, any time soon. Accurate, clean load with a mild snap and sights track wonderfully.

Edited September 23, 2009 by Aristotle

[Duane Thomas]

I use a Wolff 14-pound variable power recoil spring. I'm a big fan of the variable power springs. Try running them side-by-side with a conventional spring of the same weight and you'll see MUCH less recoil and muzzle flip with the variable power unit. I also run a 17-pound Wolff mainspring which does its bit not only to help lighten trigger pulls but also to lessen perceived recoil and muzzle flip - less energy required to recock the hammer translates into less rearward push getting passed on to you.

[Duane Thomas]

Oops, forgot to add: I have a bit over 30k through my Wilson .45, and well over half of those have been 200-gr. LSWCs right at 170 pf.

[bkeeler]

Here is what I dug up by searching. It is funny that before all the slides started getting milled to lighten them up a lot of people where running lighter springs on the heavy slides now it comes up that if you have a regular slide that has not been lightened and you use a light spring your beating the gun up. I have been running light springs for awhile now with no effects to beating the gun up. I run a 12lb spring at major PF because it works 100% and I like the feel I have tried lighter but settled on a 12lb.

Bottom line use what works or feels good for you and that your gun feeds the next round 100%.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3953

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3932

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...rvations&s=

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3951

BK

[Get'em Duck]

Thanks guys you've given me a place to start with my tinkering. I'm gonna go order some springs and see what happens.

~brad

[RickB]

I also run a 17-pound Wolff mainspring which does its bit not only to help lighten trigger pulls but also to lessen perceived recoil and muzzle flip - less energy required to recock the hammer translates into less rearward push getting passed on to you.

So, where does the engergy go? That is, if the hammer is more easily recocked, isn't the energy that could have been absorbed by the mainspring instead transferred to the shooter through the slide? I use a "heavy" (stock) mainspring for the same reason you use a light one. The energy is the same either way, but how the energy is "absorbed" or "transferred" is certainly different.