1911 recoil spring weights between calibers?

[marklbucla]

My research shows that standard recoil spring weights for a .45ACP are as follows:

16# = Government
20# = Commander
22# = Officer

Does this stay the same when using 9mm rounds?

 

[Walkalong]

No, but I don't remember what the spring weights are for 9MM. It is 14 Lbs for a 5" .38 Super. (I had to ask here for that one. I did not know. )

 

[wally]

www.gunsprings.com lists standard weights for all the guns they have replacement springs for so you know what to buy to go heavier or lighter.

--wally.

 

[marklbucla]

Wolff lists them for .45ACP only, not 9mm.

So if the Government is 2# lighter, what about 18# for the Commander and 20# for the Officer?

 

[1911Tuner]

20 pounds for a Commander is way YONDER too much spring. 16-16.5 is a gracious plenty.

The spring in the original prints never specified 16 pounds for the 5-inch guns...ever. It was closer to 14.

22 pounds for an OM is about right, but still a bit oversprung, IMHO.

 

[marklbucla]

So my ultimate question is whether or not an 18.5# reduced power spring for an Officer's .45ACP would be fine for a 9mm ultra compact that has been giving me stovepipes. I honestly have no idea what the current recoil spring weight is.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=321943&highlight=1911+stovepipe

The upper went back to Springfield and they claim that the extractor is set properly.

 

[1911Tuner]

Empty failure to eject type stovepipes or live-round failure to feed type stovepipes?

Failure to eject can be due to several factors, including short cycle from an oversprung slide or light recoil impulse from underpowdered ammo....which is one of the more common reasons. The extractor can also be a player.

18 pound springs in an OM would be more likely to produce sluggish or failed return to battery than short cycle failures to eject.

 

[marklbucla]

Failure to eject stovepipes.

I guess I'll just try getting one of those recoil spring calibration packs and see what will work.

Thanks for the help.

 

[1911Tuner]

So my ultimate question is whether or not an 18.5# reduced power spring for an Officer's .45ACP would be fine for a 9mm ultra compact that has been giving me stovepipes.

I just recalled that you've got a 9mm pistol. Sorry. In that case, start with a 16-pound spring and drop if you need to.

Be absolutely ssure that the spring is designed and intended for the OM-length slide, and that it doesn't go into solid coil bind when the slide is fully rearward. Some of these springs with specific labels aren;t exactly correct for the intended application.

Quick-check...Yank the slide hard rearward until it hits the frame's impact abutment. You should hear and feel clean, sharp metal-to-metal contact. If it's more of a dull thud or feels crunchy...you've got coil bind that can do expensive damage. Clip a quarter-coil at a time until you've got the slide hitting the impact abutment.

 

[Jim Watson]

I don't recall what spring load the 9mm UC is set up for, just that Wolff did not make one that length light enough. I got an extra from SA with my Loaded coupon.

One of a different "weight" than stock would call for some wire measuring and clipping.

 

[BlindJustice]

SWIW

I've heard on the 1911 Forum a Colt Officer's Model
has a dual spring setup rated at a nominal 24 lbs - which
imo makes a certain amount of sense with the light mass
of the shorter slide and travel

I've racked the slide of SA and COlt 1911s and I am
convinced my S&W 1911 has an 18 lb recoil spring and I
don't have problems with FTE but I don't shoot any target
loads at all....

 

[1911Tuner]

I've heard on the 1911 Forum a Colt Officer's Model
has a dual spring setup rated at a nominal 24 lbs

That's for a .45 caliber OM. He's got a 9. Completely different animal.