What is the lightest recoil spring that can be used for a 1911 using over the counter 230 grain ammo and still have the gun function properly?
I'm looking to ease the effort in pulling back the slide for a woman with small hands.
The spring I have is 18-1/2 pounds and it's a Wilson Combat
Isn't the most common spring used 19-20 lb?
For use with ball ammo I would not want to go much lower than 18 maybe 16# if you used a buffer to keep keep the rest of the gun from chewing it's self up. Some people like even lighter springs because of the felt recoil but they really bang the guns up.
Also the main spring and recoil spring are not the same spring.
The best way would be to use lighter loads then you could get away with a really light spring
This helps protect against slide slamming:
http://www.sprinco.com/recoil.html
I'll run 12 to 14 lb recoil springs, but will frequently swap for new ones.
Lighten the hammer spring as well to reduce force required to pullback the slide... Although you can just cock back the hammer before pulling the slide removes all that hammer spring resistance entirely.
Alphawolf45 your right on the money since i made the earlier post I realized that I also need to find a different hammer spring as well.
The recoil (slide) spring I have is the 18 1/2 pound Wilson Combat spring.
The hammer spring that I have is also Wilson Combat but I have NO idea what the rating is for the spring.
So what I need to know is what is the lightest recoil (slide) spring and hammer (main) spring that can be used safely for over the counter 230 grain ammo.
My wife can pull back the slide and cock the trigger but i can tell by her actions that it wont be safe.
She has a tough time putting the Hammer in the half-cocked position.
The hammer is a Wilson Combat value line Commander style hammer.
This has to be a common problem for women or the elderly do any of you have experience with this type of concerns?
So did you get the other problems sorted out with this build brokengun?
Wilson has a spring pack with a variety of spring weights in it for not a lot of money if you wanted to try a few different ones.
I think the general consensus is to get the empty cases ejecting about 4 to 6 feet away when firing.
Any further away is an indication that the slide is traveling back faster than it "needs" to and the spring weight is lower than optimum.
Alternatively, finding a different technique for racking the slide can be useful.
By using both arms, one to push foward the other to pull back she may find that a bit easier.
As long as there is nothing sharp to catch her hands on like the rear site then that might be a little easier.
1216hrl; Yes i have worked out the other problems.
I still have little more to do, like making sure the timing is right.
Right now the slide rubs the top of the barrel. i think my problem is in the barrel lug is not milled correctly and not allowing the barrel to move fully to the rear and allowing enough clearance.
This Essex frame needs a lot more stoning and fitting than I ever thought a new frame would need.
The area where the barrel links rides was .005 under-size.
The grip safety area needed stoning.
The slide rails looked really good until i started fitting them to the slide. I had to clean them up with a stone, hell the mill marks looked worse than a casting.
I have tried to get my wife to use different methods to cock the gun the problem is when she was little she broke her right thumb and has never had strength in that thumb since.
I have finally got her to hold the 1911 out in front of her pulling with 1 hand and pushing with the other.
She holds the slide forward of the grip serrations on the slide but she says its easier that way.
So hopefully I can get this thing finished without having to buy anymore parts.
I would still like suggestions on Hammer springs and recoil springs.
Good to hear that it is getting there brokengun. If you use a permanent marker pen to color in the barrel all the way around the chamber end you might find that the frame in front of the feed ramp needs to be stoned down a little to allow the barrel room to drop down some more.
Another option could be a shorter barrel link as long as you have plenty of lug engagement in the slide already.
[Just throwing out ideas here]
Is she holding the slide with a slingshot or a over hand grip?
I find a over hand grip with the left thumb pointing to the chest [if she is right handed] to be easiest even though I am no petite thing.
That way the thumb is not used so much, it is the palm of the hand and all 4 other fingers gripping the slide.
I think the lightest you should try with the recoils springs when using 230 grain loads is a 15lb and see where the empty cases are are ejected from there.
Go with one of the reduced power hammer springs [ i dont think there are many options in weights there] as long as the ammos primer is not to hard and ignition is reliable then the you could go as light as you like there.
I am a private builder of IPSC Full House Limited, Open, and Single Stack pistols. Can I throw my 2 cents in?
Buy a set of main springs in 15#, 17#, 19#. (Regarding Primer hits. There are xlong firingpins for these kinds of setups). A properly set up gun will feel less recoil and lite the primers reliably. Start will the 15#. Bad primer hits? Go up to the 17 or 19. (no more)! Now recoil function.
Buy a ten# 12# 14# recoilsprings and a full length guide rod with buffs. Thin and Thick. Try the gun on the 10 with a buff. 8 to 16 feet of ejection is great. Maybe the gun can't chamber properly... not enough push back to battery. Go to the 12#er. The lighter the recoil spring, the less the gun will dump down when the slide hits forward. IF that part is solved try double buff to shorten the stroke. Maybe that recoil impulse makes you like the gun better. Maybe not!
A person with weaker smaller hands will benefit from all this lower engery stuff. Have her reach over the top of the slide with her week hand and grab the slide in a fist with her thumb pointing at the chest. Push Pull in a safe direction, downrange, and fingers never sweeping the muzzle or ejection port.
The gun is going to recoil no matter what, let it, The gun should go back to the place where the sight lifted off the target, not all over the place with those heavy springs.
Keep her hand away from the ejection port, funny things can happen with a long ejector.