1911 SPRINGS - what do you need

[WARD O]

Educate me a bit on the right spring to use in the 1911 system. How do you determine what is best for your load/gun?

Thanks
ward

[BCgunworks]

16.5 will handle your standard 45 acp
In the 10mm I use 18 with flat bottom fps and a 25 hammer spring
9mm 14
40 14
I almost always use wolf variable power springs.

With the long slides I make my own recoil spring plug so I can use 5" springshttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/05/supe4a6y.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/05/ubusygyh.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/05/uzuba9ub.jpg

[nickE10mm]

I like a 20lb spring with a flat bottomed FPS in 10mm from mild to wild. 16.5-18.0 in .45

[Sax.45]

I use 16# recoil spring, 23# main.

[bhn22]

http://blog.wilsoncombat.com/1911/a-guide-to-1911-recoil-springs-by-wilson-combat/

I only use Wolff or ISMI springs. I run 18 lbs in my 5 inch because I tend to run hotter 230 gr. My Commander gets 22 lb.

[Char-Gar]

The handgun was designed to use a 16 lb recoil spring and works best with that weight. You can go as high as 18 lb, but don't go higher.

[WARD O]

Is it possible to interchange from 5" to 4.25" in any degree?

[BCgunworks]

Hammer spring yes recoil spring no

[DRNurse1]

Good information here.

One point, the recoil spring lessens the 'felt'recoil (sorry to restate the obvious) but the mass of the slide is the part over which you have little control. Steel slides versus lighter metals, optics mounted (Red Dot sight), and shorter or longer slides all change the weight of the slide. For me, my .45ACP ball spring is "22 1/2 #" ( a 23# spring with two turns cut off) on a steel slide with open sights and a lowered ejection port.

But I have 10# to 18 1/2# springs available for different applications.