Gold Cup Main Spring

[timkelley]

Who knows what the weight a Colt Gold Cup MKIV Series 70 Main Spring is? I have a 30 year old pistol that has never had a new one.

[Calamity Jake]

I have no idea but if it still goes bang every time the hammer drops on a live round I wouldn't
worry about it.

If you need to change it Brownells, Dillon and Midway amoung others have replacement
springs.

[gray wolf]

I think you are talking about the recoil spring that goes under the barrel.
The main spring or sear spring is in the main spring housing and adds pressure to the sear , trigger and the grip safety. I don't think you need that unless you are having a specific problem related to the main spring.
Gold cups came with 2 recoil springs,
one for target loads--perhaps around 12 to 14 pounds
And one for standard ball ammo, the standard recoil spring is 16 pounds.
If you shoot low Vel. loads like 3.6 or 3.8 of bulls eye ( 675-750 Vel. )
a 14 or 15 pound recoil spring would probly work. If your going to shoot store bought ammo or loads over 800 FPS go with a 16 pound standard recoil spring.
Your pistol and your load will tell you what you need.
I would NOT over spring an old Gold cup.
If it won't work with a 16 pound spring then look for the reason why.


Hope it helped.


GW.

[bobthenailer]

For a 1911 factory stock is 23 lbs . it seemes to me that the gold cup came with a lighter one ?
the reduced power springs are avaliable from 15 to 21 lbs from Wollf gun springs , indvidually or in a calibration pack . in the past i have installed the 19 lb spring in at least 10 different 1911s with no problems . just remember in some instances to use a heaver recoil spring to compensate for the lighter main spring and all should go well .

[Char-Gar]

John Browning designed the 1911 around a 16 lb spring and that is what Colt has placed in their pistols since the mind of man rememberth not.

I have Wolf 18.5 Variable springs in all three of my 1911s (1 Colt and 2 Norincos) and They feed and function 100% with all loads from mild target to full snort loads. That is as heavy as I would go. If you need a heavier spring, you are shooting loads through that pistol it was not designed to handle and that is never (IMHO) a good idea.

When you go above the standard 16 pounds, you need to change the firing pin spring also to prevent the pin from slamming into the primer when the slide cycles. Wolf includes a new firing pin spring of the proper strength with each recoil spring they sell.

I don't buy the stu,ff put out there, that springs need to be changed after so many thousands of rounds of ammo. But, after 30 years, it would be prudent to treat that fine pistol to a new spring or two.

If you want to go whole hog, Wolf has a "Colt 1911/1911A1,GovtM, and Gold Cup Model 45 Caliber" pistol service pack which includes every spring in the pistol. Brownell sells these. These are the same weight springs Colt puts in at the factory.

I have a new recoil sping, firing pin spring and main hammer spring from that pack sitting on my desk. They have never been in a pistol. I will send them to you free of charge if you will PM me your mailing address.

I bought a new Colt Gold Cup in 1965 and had it for almost 20 years. I used a 16 lb factory "hard ball" recoil spring in it with never a problem. It was one of the best handguns I have ever owned.

[gray wolf]

Now hold on men--I think I was wrong and may have misled the OP.
Main spring = hammer spring, controls the pressure or resistance that is put on the hammer. Also can dictate the hammer sear engagement pressure, and influence the trigger pull. Sear spring puts pressure on the sear, trigger bow and grip safety.
recoil spring is under the barrel and dictates energy needed to move the slide to the rear and the force it exhibits in it's forward movement.
WOW I am sorry about that, what as I thinking ? or perhaps I wasn't thinking.
Hope I got it right this time.

[Char-Gar]

You got it right..

The hammer spring is a coil spring that goes in the mainspring housing. The hammer strut bears on it and this is what provides the power for the hammer.

There is another flat three legged spring that fits under the grip safety and powers the grips safety and other good stuff. I forget what the name of this is.

[timkelley]

gray wolf, you are right. I was thinking recoil spring and typing main spring. Sixteen pound is the magic number then.

[Lloyd Smale]

my gold cup trophy came with a 14 lb spring and a 17. the 17 is suppose to be used with ball. I use 14 lb wolf variable rate springs and get reliable operation with loads as light a 3.5 grains of bullseye and a 200 grain bullet. If i drop to 3.0 grains i use a 13.

[MtGun44]

16 lb is the normal 1911 recoil spring. Some of the Gold Cups had lighter springs, but I have
seen a number of them (and bought several new) that seemed to have a normal 16 lb spring
and worked fine.

I think folks replace their recoil springs way too often. I have multiple 1911s in .45 ACP
and .38 Super that go 10,000 rounds or even double that on the same recoil spring. My
current "most used" Kimber has probably ~15-20,000 on the spring and is fine. No intent on
changing it.

Bill