So I had great success with my Springfield 1911A1 mil-spec. Harrison retro TR ignition kit and XD hammer strut, XD thumb safety, and a colt sear spring. Shot 200 malfunction free rounds today but just wanted to ask, I have already adjusted the colt sear spring quite a bit forward and I am just not getting a stronger pull that i am after but I am just doing it by hand for the first time. Can I just use my factory Springfield sear spring, that gives me the pull i am after but with either sear spring the weapon passes all safety function tests, i am probably just not used to such a nice crisp pull. I fit the thumb safety and Xtreme duty trigger set screw no problem.
And the Springfield is reborn!
- Thread starter Gunslick
- Start date
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Have you checked the trigger pull with a scale?
Next up, new slide stop from Wilson Combat?
So I understand dwell time and I believe it would do my pistol good to have a little more. So just by fitting a flat bases slide stop will help with this? It makes sense to me, there being more mass on the slide stop on the bottom to cock the hammer would slow it down maybe a tenth of a second or more. Would I run into any other issues with just swapping out the factory Springfield slide stop which is curved at the bottom to a higher quality flat based one? Would I or should I change from the 23lb mainspring to a different weight if I do this mod.
So I understand dwell time and I believe it would do my pistol good to have a little more. So just by fitting a flat bases slide stop will help with this? It makes sense to me, there being more mass on the slide stop on the bottom to cock the hammer would slow it down maybe a tenth of a second or more. Would I run into any other issues with just swapping out the factory Springfield slide stop which is curved at the bottom to a higher quality flat based one? Would I or should I change from the 23lb mainspring to a different weight if I do this mod.
Hmm.Well,first,when we use the wrong terminology,its quite confusing for those trying to help.
The slide stop is the doohickey that holds the slide open and has the pin that goes through the link.
I think you mean the firing pin stop.
It is true a square bottom firing pin stop offers some more resistance to the slide.The earliest Browning design did it that way.The Army preferred the easier racking of the slide with the radius.
Consider the hammer pin takes more load.I think you can go either way.
How will you use your pistol?If you are not pursuing hot rod loads,or specific competition goals,especially as a relative beginner,I would respect all the work John Moses Browning put into getting it right.
So,what loads are you shooting?Pretty standard,or +P or crazy hotrod?
Unless you have good reason to go with a different mainspring(that is the one that drives the hammer) the book says 27 lb.I'm sure 24 would be fine.I have gone lighter.Same with the firing pin stop.If you are hotrodding,you can find some slide delay,at the price of racking the slide easily.Reducing the mainspring reduces the effect of the square corner,reduces your trigger pull,and slows lock time.
Or by "mainspring" do you mean recoil spring?I personally would not consider a 24 lb spring.The reason,what will tear up your gun is NOT the slide flying back.Its the slide flying forward.Too much violence with the barrel feet striking the slide stop pin,then transferring to the holes in the frame.Bad.
Think this way.Either use the factory recommended spring (16lb for a Wolff 5 in 45),OR,if you must,get a stock spring plus 2 lb,(Wolff makes an 18.5).In my Commander clone,I usea touch lighter than stock spring.With the loads I'm using,the slide stop was "iffy"last round.Lighter spring cured it.
Using your ammo,with the stock spring,load 1 round in the mag.Fire it.Does the slide lock back? If not,you need to order a couple of lighter springs.But if it does,great. For fun,go to the plus 2 spring.Does it lock back? Maybe?
OK,instead of typing it all out,I want my slide stop reliable.
Now,back to looking up your recommended spring,stock,for your 1911.(16 lb for a 5 in 45)To use hotter ammo,if I wanted to,I would go up 2 lbs,max. Like to an 18,maybe.
If I thought I needed more,I'd back off on my ammo.
Now you have solved your "dwell time" issue.If your mag springs are tired,or if you still need "dwell time" get wolff +10% mag springs.
But I stress,try to stay with the JMB design
Try not to vary more than one step.(Of couse,for light target loads,a lighter spring may be necessary) And no 24 lb recoil springs!
The slide stop is the doohickey that holds the slide open and has the pin that goes through the link.
I think you mean the firing pin stop.
It is true a square bottom firing pin stop offers some more resistance to the slide.The earliest Browning design did it that way.The Army preferred the easier racking of the slide with the radius.
Consider the hammer pin takes more load.I think you can go either way.
How will you use your pistol?If you are not pursuing hot rod loads,or specific competition goals,especially as a relative beginner,I would respect all the work John Moses Browning put into getting it right.
So,what loads are you shooting?Pretty standard,or +P or crazy hotrod?
Unless you have good reason to go with a different mainspring(that is the one that drives the hammer) the book says 27 lb.I'm sure 24 would be fine.I have gone lighter.Same with the firing pin stop.If you are hotrodding,you can find some slide delay,at the price of racking the slide easily.Reducing the mainspring reduces the effect of the square corner,reduces your trigger pull,and slows lock time.
Or by "mainspring" do you mean recoil spring?I personally would not consider a 24 lb spring.The reason,what will tear up your gun is NOT the slide flying back.Its the slide flying forward.Too much violence with the barrel feet striking the slide stop pin,then transferring to the holes in the frame.Bad.
Think this way.Either use the factory recommended spring (16lb for a Wolff 5 in 45),OR,if you must,get a stock spring plus 2 lb,(Wolff makes an 18.5).In my Commander clone,I usea touch lighter than stock spring.With the loads I'm using,the slide stop was "iffy"last round.Lighter spring cured it.
Using your ammo,with the stock spring,load 1 round in the mag.Fire it.Does the slide lock back? If not,you need to order a couple of lighter springs.But if it does,great. For fun,go to the plus 2 spring.Does it lock back? Maybe?
OK,instead of typing it all out,I want my slide stop reliable.
Now,back to looking up your recommended spring,stock,for your 1911.(16 lb for a 5 in 45)To use hotter ammo,if I wanted to,I would go up 2 lbs,max. Like to an 18,maybe.
If I thought I needed more,I'd back off on my ammo.
Now you have solved your "dwell time" issue.If your mag springs are tired,or if you still need "dwell time" get wolff +10% mag springs.
But I stress,try to stay with the JMB design
Try not to vary more than one step.(Of couse,for light target loads,a lighter spring may be necessary) And no 24 lb recoil springs!
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On some guns, the hammer leans forward of vertical, and the contour of the heel of the FPS will have little (less) effect if the contact point is above the firing pin.
For a 5" gun with a small-radius stop that is contacting the hammer low on its face, I like a 23# main and 14# recoil spring. The gun shoots nice and flat.
For a 5" gun with a small-radius stop that is contacting the hammer low on its face, I like a 23# main and 14# recoil spring. The gun shoots nice and flat.
I'm running a 23lb wolff main and 16lb wolff recoil spring. The hammer rests on the stop maybe at a very slight angle but hits on the firing pin perfectly square. Would it be a good addition to add a Harrison firing pin stop? Man with the TR retro ignition set and thumb safety and Harrison medium trigger, its like a completely different gun. Now it feels and has the quality I am after in a 1911 pistol. Imho if you spend almost 1000 on a pistol it should already have these parts but I like the experience of fitting everything.
Do not believe ANYTHING can be counted on as drop-in with a 1911.Maybe! Sometimes,yes. 
But to answer your question,yes,these work.Not quite as hi-ride as altering the frame.You will likely have to do some filing on the "hand" that actually engages the rear of the trigger bow.You may have to tweak a leaf of the sear spring.
http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Drop-In-Grip-Safeties/products/38/
However!!! by a "retro" Harrison kit,is it a spur hammer vs a Commander type? It might work.....but sometimes the spur and a beavertail don't get along.
I just looked at an assembled frame I have It has a spur hammer and a Wilson drop in beavertail.On this one,it works.
But to answer your question,yes,these work.Not quite as hi-ride as altering the frame.You will likely have to do some filing on the "hand" that actually engages the rear of the trigger bow.You may have to tweak a leaf of the sear spring.
http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Drop-In-Grip-Safeties/products/38/
However!!! by a "retro" Harrison kit,is it a spur hammer vs a Commander type? It might work.....but sometimes the spur and a beavertail don't get along.
I just looked at an assembled frame I have It has a spur hammer and a Wilson drop in beavertail.On this one,it works.
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The Wilson "drop-in" grip safeties are dimensioned to fit Colt frames, and Springfields are enough different that the Wilson "gov't" safety will leave a huge gap between the frame and the safety, and the "commander" part will likely be too tight to fit.
I had a Wilson "fitted" beavertail installed on my G.I. hi-cap, and it turned out very nicely. Springfields that come from the factory with beavertails use the same "compound radius" frame contours as Wilson, while almost every other 1911 maker is using a .250"-radius cut on the frame.
Due, again, to Springfield's non-Colt frame contours, a .250" grip safety will have some ugly gaps, and that's why a couple of makers have a .220" grip safety especially for Springfields.
If you are going to file on the frame, for a gap-free fit you want a Wilson, or a .220" from S&A or EGW.