1911 recoil spring weight

[Mike38]

Springs either work or they don't.

But why wait until they don't? Knowing my luck, the spring will stop working at a time I need it most, like when my life depends on it.

What if you change out a working spring for one that has flaws?

Of the dozens upon dozens of gun springs I've changed in my life time, that has happened exactly.....zero times.

Preventative Maintenance. I do it for a living. Works on million dollar equipment, works on a $500 pistol just as well.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

In all my years of gunsmithing and gun ownership, I have never had to replace a recoil spring or magazine spring.
One exception was a gun that was left in an oven, and the oven was turned on.

Sort of like gluten-500 years of eating bread, and all of a sudden everyone thinks they are allergic to gluten!

 

[Josh Smith]

Bill,

That's an interesting take.

Will you maybe do this experiment? Run a 16lb (or whatever weight you prefer) recoil spring for 100 rounds.

Measure its tension and rate.

Fire 5k more rounds through it.

Measure its tension and rate again.

I'd be interested in the results.

Regards,
Josh

 

[Charlie98]

Here we go again with this circular argument.

I pulled apart 3 almost identical Kimber 4" .45's last week... the recoil spring on my oldest one was about 3/4" shorter than the two newer pistol's springs, and you could tell it at the previous days shooting... with some failures of the slide to go into full battery. From a shooter point of view, you could tell the pistol was slower to cycle than the others. That particular spring has about 1000rds on it, shooting full-house ball ammo.

Tell me again how a recoil spring is supposed to last forever?

 

[Jim Watson]

Those four inch guns are not 1911s and are inherently undersprung, there just isn't room for enough conventional coil spring. At one time the recommended replacement interval was 800, so it is no surprise that it doesn't work after 1000.

The flat wire springs seem to be a considerable help.

 

[Charlie98]

Those four inch guns are not 1911s

...as your credibility continues to erode...

As it was, I usually replace my springs at 500rds... and I've been ridiculed for that, too... I just went a little long with this one to see how long it would take to see issues. With modern metallurgy, I find it hard to believe that making springs for a 4" 1911 is any more of an engineering challenge than the same for a 5" 1911, either in material or dimensions.

 

[Jim Watson]

Credibility? Just correct nomenclature which seems to be losing force on the internet.
If you call a gun with a 4" barrel the name of a gun designed with a 5" barrel, does it make it one? (Apologies to A. Lincoln.)

I think you are smart to change springs on that dwarf frequently. I have an OACP (It's not an Officers Model, either.) and it was a pain on springs until I got a Glock spring in it.

 

[Dufus]

I bought my first Colt Series 70 in March 1976. The other three were from 1978-1981.

I have yet to replace any parts on any of them. Recoil spring included.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Josh Smith-
If I run 5000 rounds through the gun, and it still works-what difference does spring length and rate matter? All springs take an initial "set" when compressed.

And, I must revise my previous statements. Today, some guns are designed to use sacrificial springs that are stressed beyond their elastic limit

 

[JDBerg]

The flat wire springs seem to be a considerable help.

I don’t fix something that ain’t broke. My 9mm STI Trojan was very picky about which 9mm ammo it liked & disliked. Lighter weight 9mm ammo was usually a bad idea in this Trojan. I installed a Wilson 13lb flatwire recoil spring, plus the 1/4” full length guiderod & plug. With this Wilson setup, the gun now shoots fine with every type of 9mm ammo I load into it. YMMV, and this setup may or may not work for you, or you may or may not like it. But it’s not a permanent mod, you can always take the parts out & return them to Wilson for a refund.

If I ever need another recoil spring for one of my .45ACP 1911’s I’ll probably do the Wilson 17lb flatwire recoil spring with the 1/4” guiderod & plug. But these run fine so I’ll wait.

 

[Don P]

What is the factory weight for the springs?

Try here at www.wolffsprings.com find your gun and it will supply you with your answer

I will change my recoil (and firing pin) spring about every 3000 rounds. The last thing I would ever want is a cycling problem when I really need to use my gun.

As it was, I usually replace my springs at 500rds..

I'll send you my address so you can send me all your used springs