i have a springfiels gi 45, have made few modifications and us it in uspsa competition. now i would like to build a compensator for it. i have been gunsmithing for 6 years but this is a first for me. any recomendations or info, articals or print of any type i would be grateful for.
compensators for 1911A1
- Thread starter a1doc1911
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pinshooter
New member
Compensator
As it is a 45ACP I would not bother to make a comp with more than 3 ports as there is not enought gas pressure produced by that cartridge to warrant more. Make the first port, at the muzzle, with the largest area that you can. By this I mean the area that the gas strikes. The gas exists the barrel and strikes this first plate pushing the gun forward and then vents up. Hope this helps.
As it is a 45ACP I would not bother to make a comp with more than 3 ports as there is not enought gas pressure produced by that cartridge to warrant more. Make the first port, at the muzzle, with the largest area that you can. By this I mean the area that the gas strikes. The gas exists the barrel and strikes this first plate pushing the gun forward and then vents up. Hope this helps.
Most of the compensators I have seen (excluding ported barrels) are either vented barrel weights attached to the slide or are part of the barrel bushing and not attached to the barrel. I would recommend the latter type. I have made barrel bushings starting with bar stock, so it would be no big deal to machine a ported extension onto the front of the bushing. I have never seen plans for this type of bushing, but it would be simple to make. If you look around, someone may already be making something like it for sale commercially.
Harry Bonar
New member
compensator
Dear Shooter:
the 45ACP is not a high pressure cartridge and does not benefit from compensation.
Harry B.
Dear Shooter:
the 45ACP is not a high pressure cartridge and does not benefit from compensation.
Harry B.
.45 ACP Comensator Barrel Bushing
The Sportsman's Guide offers a "drop in" 1911 .45 Compensator Barrel Bushing for $17.95 plus shipping. It's part # AX6A2-90425. Look it up on the web at www.sportsmansguide.com. I believe that Midway also carries some but haven't looked them up for you. Look under 1911 Gun Parts.
Having said that, I don't know why you think that you need one. Unless you are weak wristing, the muzzle climb isn't that much on a 1911, even with full-load ball ammo. With any reduced load, it is significantly less.
On top of that, the .45 ACP is a relatively low-pressure load so I'm not sure how much good a compensator will do anyway.
For $20, give it a try. How far wrong can you go? Good luck!
The Sportsman's Guide offers a "drop in" 1911 .45 Compensator Barrel Bushing for $17.95 plus shipping. It's part # AX6A2-90425. Look it up on the web at www.sportsmansguide.com. I believe that Midway also carries some but haven't looked them up for you. Look under 1911 Gun Parts.
Having said that, I don't know why you think that you need one. Unless you are weak wristing, the muzzle climb isn't that much on a 1911, even with full-load ball ammo. With any reduced load, it is significantly less.
On top of that, the .45 ACP is a relatively low-pressure load so I'm not sure how much good a compensator will do anyway.
For $20, give it a try. How far wrong can you go? Good luck!
Hunter Customs
New member
I will have to respectfully disagree on the comment that a 45 will not benifit from a compensator. A 45 will benifit from a good designed compensator but the compensator must be attached to the barrel and the loads that work best will be maximum or hot loads, no powder puff loads.
The comp works best by venting gas and the more gas it vents the better it works. Also all the gas needs to be vented through the comp and the bore in the comp needs to be very close to the bullet diameter.
That being said it pretty well explains why the the comps that replace the barrel bushing do not work. As a matter of fact all that type of comp does is add more reciprocating weight to slide which in turn gives more felt recoil.
Make sure the comp is aligned with the bore or the bullets will be striking the comp.
I've used all kinds of comps on 45's; if you are going to make your own, angle your baffle plates around 15 degrees slanted toward the muzzle of the comp that should give you very good results.
Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
The comp works best by venting gas and the more gas it vents the better it works. Also all the gas needs to be vented through the comp and the bore in the comp needs to be very close to the bullet diameter.
That being said it pretty well explains why the the comps that replace the barrel bushing do not work. As a matter of fact all that type of comp does is add more reciprocating weight to slide which in turn gives more felt recoil.
Make sure the comp is aligned with the bore or the bullets will be striking the comp.
I've used all kinds of comps on 45's; if you are going to make your own, angle your baffle plates around 15 degrees slanted toward the muzzle of the comp that should give you very good results.
Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
Bob,
I have to dispute your statement that the bushing-type compensator does nothing more. It does one additional thing: being a very loosely made drop-in part, it adds lousy bushing fit into your accuracy equation. With the inner journal recessed both from the front and from behind, even if it were made tight enough for reaming there would be no easy way to cut the lock-up relief angle into it. All-in-all, an unacceptable compromise.
So, of course, I was dumb enough to buy one of these things 20-odd years ago. Probably paid $5 for it at a gun show. I am torn between puting it in the trophy case of stupid purchases, or offering it to someone at the world's most popular price, plus shipping. If there are any takers, PM me, but I warn you it is a waste of postage. Unit comes complete with accumulated dust.
Nick
I have to dispute your statement that the bushing-type compensator does nothing more. It does one additional thing: being a very loosely made drop-in part, it adds lousy bushing fit into your accuracy equation. With the inner journal recessed both from the front and from behind, even if it were made tight enough for reaming there would be no easy way to cut the lock-up relief angle into it. All-in-all, an unacceptable compromise.
So, of course, I was dumb enough to buy one of these things 20-odd years ago. Probably paid $5 for it at a gun show. I am torn between puting it in the trophy case of stupid purchases, or offering it to someone at the world's most popular price, plus shipping. If there are any takers, PM me, but I warn you it is a waste of postage. Unit comes complete with accumulated dust.
Nick
pinshooter
New member
Compensator
Hunter Customs is absolutely correct. Compensators on 45ACP do work, you will notice the difference. Have had a few comped 45 over the years. Bushing comps do make a slight difference but not as much as a true comp attached to the barrel. Give it a try you will notice the difference.
Hunter Customs is absolutely correct. Compensators on 45ACP do work, you will notice the difference. Have had a few comped 45 over the years. Bushing comps do make a slight difference but not as much as a true comp attached to the barrel. Give it a try you will notice the difference.
I have owned a couple comped 45's. The best was a comp built by Bob Cogan (Accurate Plating and Weaponry/Cogan Custom) but that was over 10 years ago. It plain worked, no doubt about it. The downside was when loaded for best results the loads were very hot, about 200 power factor, and the gun beat me up. It was FLAT shooting and fast, but it would wear you out in a hurry. It was also hard on brass, I could only get 20 loads on them instead of loading them forever LOL. There are a bunch of new powders out since I played with a comped 45, with some experimentation I would think a guy could get a load that would work well in the comp and stay at 185ish power factor.......
Harry Bonar
New member
Comp on 45
Dear Smithys:
The 45ACP does not produce enough gas to do a good job of reducing "muzzle-flip" (I hate that term!).
Yes, it may help slightly but hardly at all - most of it is psychological (I'll get in the soup for that) and looks sporty.
Even on the calibers with 33,000 to 35,000 cup pressures it is hardly worth the effort if you learn, "to stay on the trigger" as you should. Recovery time is minimal. Now, if you're a "race gun shooter" maybe, but generally, for combat work (for which the 45ACP is suited or punching holes in paper) it isn't worth the time - besides, I don't like them!
Harry B.
Dear Smithys:
The 45ACP does not produce enough gas to do a good job of reducing "muzzle-flip" (I hate that term!).
Yes, it may help slightly but hardly at all - most of it is psychological (I'll get in the soup for that) and looks sporty.
Even on the calibers with 33,000 to 35,000 cup pressures it is hardly worth the effort if you learn, "to stay on the trigger" as you should. Recovery time is minimal. Now, if you're a "race gun shooter" maybe, but generally, for combat work (for which the 45ACP is suited or punching holes in paper) it isn't worth the time - besides, I don't like them!
Harry B.
Hunter Customs
New member
a1doc1911,
There's two styles of comps that you can choose to use for a standard size barrel. They are the cone style comp or the comp that still requires a barrel bushing, both comps will be threaded to the barrel.
If you are wanting to use the existing barrel that's in the gun you should use the cone style comp.
If you are wanting to use the style comp that requires a barrel bushing you will need a barrel that's at least .500 longer than the existing barrel.
Most cone style comps use a .575x40 thread the comp that requires a barrel bushing in most cases will use a .580x40.
Check your barrel diameter to make sure you have enough diameter for your threads.
If I was making a comp for a 45 I would have three vertical chambers & ports along with a couple of side ports to help control the torque. The side ports can be cut into the last chamber or ahead of the the last chamber.
Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
There's two styles of comps that you can choose to use for a standard size barrel. They are the cone style comp or the comp that still requires a barrel bushing, both comps will be threaded to the barrel.
If you are wanting to use the existing barrel that's in the gun you should use the cone style comp.
If you are wanting to use the style comp that requires a barrel bushing you will need a barrel that's at least .500 longer than the existing barrel.
Most cone style comps use a .575x40 thread the comp that requires a barrel bushing in most cases will use a .580x40.
Check your barrel diameter to make sure you have enough diameter for your threads.
If I was making a comp for a 45 I would have three vertical chambers & ports along with a couple of side ports to help control the torque. The side ports can be cut into the last chamber or ahead of the the last chamber.
Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com