The most effective thing you can do to reduce recoil is shoot light bullets at low velocity out of a heavy gun. With factory ammunition, that means 115 grain 9 mm bullets out of a full size steel 1911. You can go even farther by reloading for yourself. I'm trying out 185 grain plated bullets in my Gold Cup. With a 16 pound recoil spring, I get reliable cycling with 5.0 grains of W231 powder. 4.8 grains is mostly reliable. I could drop the powder charge even more if I switched to a lighter spring.
1911 Recoil Reduction Project
- Thread starter CommanderCrusty
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1KPerDay
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185 Berry's Hollow Base Round Nose plated over 5.2 grains WST is the lightest recoiling .45 ACP ammo I've shot and it functions in a standard 1911 with standard springs. You could probably go lighter if you changed the springs.
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CommanderCrusty
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Okay y’all, here is my RANGE REPORT.
1) I stayed with the stock 16# recoil spring, but went up to a 25# main spring. Stock may be 23#, but my Para single stack seemed much lighter than that—maybe 19#. The slide was then much harder to hand cycle with the hammer down. Note, with that stiff hammer spring, it was a bear to get the back strap cross pin back in place. It took four hands and two rubber bands to put the darned thing back together.
2) I removed the bulky rubber finger groove grips, reinstalled the stock plastic grips, and added some scate board tape to the front strap.
3) I removed the pretty, lowered-and-extended thumb safety, and reinstalled the old half moon style safety.
4) I added a Wilson Shok-Buf.
5) I changed my grip from a high Thumb-on-Thumb-Safety grip to a thumbs down Crush Grip, or a high thumb “Sig Grip”—that’s with the right hand thumb near the thumb safety, but safely off to the side, resting on the base of my left thumb.
RESULTS
Success! No more thumb pain! Even with hot 230 grain handloads, and full power defensive hollow points, this pistol is now a sweet heart! I shot a 50/50 Dot Torture drill at 3 yards with no pain while shooting or afterward. I am pleased.
1) I stayed with the stock 16# recoil spring, but went up to a 25# main spring. Stock may be 23#, but my Para single stack seemed much lighter than that—maybe 19#. The slide was then much harder to hand cycle with the hammer down. Note, with that stiff hammer spring, it was a bear to get the back strap cross pin back in place. It took four hands and two rubber bands to put the darned thing back together.
2) I removed the bulky rubber finger groove grips, reinstalled the stock plastic grips, and added some scate board tape to the front strap.
3) I removed the pretty, lowered-and-extended thumb safety, and reinstalled the old half moon style safety.
4) I added a Wilson Shok-Buf.
5) I changed my grip from a high Thumb-on-Thumb-Safety grip to a thumbs down Crush Grip, or a high thumb “Sig Grip”—that’s with the right hand thumb near the thumb safety, but safely off to the side, resting on the base of my left thumb.
RESULTS
Success! No more thumb pain! Even with hot 230 grain handloads, and full power defensive hollow points, this pistol is now a sweet heart! I shot a 50/50 Dot Torture drill at 3 yards with no pain while shooting or afterward. I am pleased.
graying wolf
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- Feb 10, 2018
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As done today flat bottom with slight radius
More to it than just a picture
look it up and follow tuner1911 specs
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CommanderCrusty
Member
I still want to try that. I started with a firmer main spring because I knew how to swap out a spring, but not how to "fit" a firing pin stop.
Jim Watson
Member
Wow, more comfort and done cheaply.
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