1911 recoil spring

yes. A heavy spring can beat your pistol up due to the extra force going into battery.
A heavy spring may cause feeding issues and short stroking.

The standard spring for government sized 1911's is 16 pounds. If you are going to shoot +p you could just change to a 20 pound spring and then switch back for regular ammo.

It's been my experience that it really depends on the individual pistol.

I usually end up with a 13 or 14 lbs spring with my full size 1911s, but I also use a small radius Firing Pin Stop.

For the more common large radius FPS that most pistols seem to come with, I *think* that 16 lb is standard.

I buy the multiple spring packs from Wolff, and it's easy enough to change them out at the range till I find the sweet spot, which for me is when they hit the floor about 6 feet away, at around 4-5 o'clock. further back, farther away, I go to the next heavier spring, closer, and more forward, I go with a lighter spring.

Wolff Gunsprings makes excellent springs and probably made the springs that came,with your gun. They sell a calibration pack with different power springs so you can put the in perfect recoil spring for the ammo you are shooting.

https://www.gunsprings.com/index.php

https://www.midwayusa.com/s?targetL...elocity%7C1&Ntpc=1&Ntpr=1&userItemsPerPage=48

I would suggest you put a flat-bottom FP stop on your 1911. That will do more to manage recoil and ejection than spring weight. 1911tuner recommends a 16lb recoil spring, 23lb hammer spring and the flat-bottom FPS as a "system." EGW makes a great FPS. Wilson Combat also makes a good one with a small radius already done. I have used both.

While this may be more than you asked for or wanted, consider that the cost to try out this combination is negligible. FPS is under $20, and springs are cheap!

The flat-bottom FPS will allow you to shoot +p with the suggested springs and will keep the slide from battering the frame on return to battery. Target loads will feel soft.

I hope you find a combo you like!

Heavier recoil springs cause battering as the slide is driven forward. I have seen a heavy recoil spring break the "legs" off a bushing and launch itself into space.

+1 on what drband said.

I used the EGW FPS along with a 25 pound hammer spring to tame an Officers. The effect is magic and my Officers is utterly reliable.

earplug said:

yes. A heavy spring can beat your pistol up due to the extra force going into battery.
A heavy spring may cause feeding issues and short stroking.

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Vern Humphrey said:

Heavier recoil springs cause battering as the slide is driven forward. I have seen a heavy recoil spring break the "legs" off a bushing and launch itself into space.

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See the above quotes. You will beat up your 1911 with heavier recoil springs. I think John Browning knew more about what weight spring should go in a 1911 than most people on this forum. He didn't specify a weight. He specified a wire diameter, number of coils and free length. That worked out to be about a 15-16 lb spring.

I never saw much sense in most +P ammo. +P in a 45 ACP will give you "maybe" 100 fps more. If I need more velocity I get more gun. You may pick up that extra 100 fps or close to it just by switching to a properly sized lead bullet.

Vern, earplug and GRIZ22 have pretty much covered all the bases. Extra heavy springs sound like a good idea....they aren't. Stick to your standard weight springs and you will do less damage to you gun than you will by going to a heavy spring. 1911s are a rugged design, unless you shoot nothing but +P ammo you wont hurt the gun. If it really bothers you, put in a buffer, just make sure you change it every few hundred rounds.

Now, it is accepted practice to put in a lighter spring when shooting light target loads. This practice won't hurt anything and may be necessary to get the gun to function at all. Remember to go back to the standard spring when going back to full power loads. But even if you don't remember it isn't the end of the world.......We had a Wad Gun in the shop once that we had sold to a guy for bullseye competition It went out the door with an eleven or twelve pound spring, I forget which. It came back for a re-blue a couple of years later and we found out the guy had been shooting hardball GI surplus ammo in it. We found no unusual wear to the gun. We put a proper spring in it and sent it on its way.

Like I said, 1911s are rugged......

I don't want to hijack thread but I'm having an issue also. Colt new/1978 mod. series 70 dropping horn. 230.gr. rnds. w/ a 850 fps load w/T.Group according to manual. On top of my head pretty much. 16# spring. sorry again dot mean to be rude by no means wolf spring multiple spring pack sound good?

lauderdale said:

I don't want to hijack thread but I'm having an issue also. Colt new/1978 mod. series 70 dropping horn. 230.gr. rnds. w/ a 850 fps load w/T.Group according to manual. On top of my head pretty much. 16# spring. sorry again dot mean to be rude by no means wolf spring multiple spring pack sound good?

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Well, it sure won't hurt.

If that doesn't do it, I'd look at the extractor ( just because it's easy) and the ejector.

I use a 14 in many of my 5" and a few have the EGW flat bottom w/ a tiny radius.

Keep it stock and use the ammunition it was designed for.

A 20 lb. spring is not needed for "+P" ammo. The original spring designated by Browning was specified by the wire gauge and number of coils and it worked out to around 14 lbs. 16 or 17 lbs. is plenty in a 5 in. 1911 (.45 ACP). More than that and you are just slamming the slide closed harder and gaining nothing.

Spring kit worked well w/11# spring. Big thanks John.