Am i beating my slide on my 1911?

Freedom Ventures said:
STI Factory Spec for 5" 40s is a 14lb recoil spring. http://stiguns.com/resources/faqs/
I know Rodger at RK Custom doesn't recommend 12lbs in major 40s either

That stated, we see lots of guys with 5" 40s running 12lb springs...

So yeah, you're beating up that slide and frame more than the guys who build them would prefer you did.
You're basically sacrificing some longevity for a little extra speed, but that's what all racing is about.

Only you can decide if it's worth it.




PS - at 12lbs, I'd run a shok-buff that got changed out whenever it showed wear.
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Just ordered a bunch of shock buffs from your place.
I will test firearm reliability.
Do you guys change your buffs every fee thousand rounds and/or before a lvl2+ match?
 
MartyK2500 said:
Do you guys change your buffs every fee thousand rounds and/or before a lvl2+ match?
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Different guns (and perhaps especially different calibers) chew through shok-buffs at different rates. I can go thousands of rounds through my STI Spartan 9mm on one shok-buff. I can go nearly a thousand rounds through my Colt 45 before I destroy the shok-buff. But my STI Trojan 40 will chew through those same shok-buffs in less than 50 rounds. Yes, I could put a heavier spring in the 40 to ease the wear-and-tear on both the shok-buff and the slide, but I like the way a 14 pound spring works in the Trojan.... it gives me the recoil feel that works best for me (unfortunately it also means I cannot use shok buffs).

-ivan-
 
Alright, so you are saying i might go thru a shock buff in one practice session, and myself i like the way it feels with a 12# recoil spring, so in theory my slide should be hitting that buff slightly harder.
Will install it before a 300 rounds range session once they get here and report back.
 
On a related note, what # mainspring (hammer spring) are you guys using? A #17 mainspring, #14 recoil spring appears to be a popular combination south of the border. This question is still based on the 5" 40 cal 1911 major load. 9mm & 45 need not apply, lol. Looking for apples to apples comparison here.
 
Interested as well, as in my mind, the hammer must slow down the slide a bit more if its stiffer.
I am running factory at the moment, whatever that is.
 
For all of my 1911's (9, 40, 45) I am using #19 mainspring.

The weight of the mainspring does not have a material effect on the trigger (maybe 2 oz. between the #17 and #19 mainspring). The weight of the mainspring does affect the felt recoil as the slide during recoil is pushing the hammer (and mainspring) into the cocked position. Whether the difference in felt recoil is significant is for you to decide in your situation.

Previously I had been using #17 mainsprings, which generally worked fine. Until the time I was using Official Match Ammo and the #17 mainspring would not reliably ignite the OMA. Switched to #19 mainspring and have not had any problems since.

Ralph
 
This is new to me, i have run over 15k+ rounds in 1911s and never thought of messing with this spring.
Could the fact that i use an light SV hammer and an extended firing pin helped for prime strikes?
Im assuming my hammer spring is 17# but havent researched yet.
 
ralphs said:
Previously I had been using #17 mainsprings, which generally worked fine. Until the time I was using Official Match Ammo and the #17 mainspring would not reliably ignite the OMA. Switched to #19 mainspring and have not had any problems since.
Ralph
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heavenIsAlie said:
I use 19# in everything as well to avoid light stikes
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Interesting. I had contacted RIA (Armscore) & they *suggested* a #18 mainspring. STI tells me I have a #15 mainspring in my Trojan.
 
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Thanks i will have a look at the reverse plugs down the road from EGW.


In the meanwhile, this is the advice that i will use, and that was repeated many times by different people including the retailer (FV)
Just reinstalled my factory 14#, will see how it recoils with it in it. It will probably nosedive but i am sure i could learn to muscle that in too.
ivan said:
Different guns (and perhaps especially different calibers) chew through shok-buffs at different rates. I can go thousands of rounds through my STI Spartan 9mm on one shok-buff. I can go nearly a thousand rounds through my Colt 45 before I destroy the shok-buff. But my STI Trojan 40 will chew through those same shok-buffs in less than 50 rounds. Yes, I could put a heavier spring in the 40 to ease the wear-and-tear on both the shok-buff and the slide, but I like the way a 14 pound spring works in the Trojan.... it gives me the recoil feel that works best for me (unfortunately it also means I cannot use shok buffs).

-ivan-
Click to expand...
 
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