Delta Elite help

[Logan5]

I stumbled into a deal on a Delta Elite first edition stainless the other day, and took it home for $600 plus tax, with the box, extra magazine, etc. (because the previous owner dropped it onto pavement, violently, and it's not so pretty anymore.)

Now, I need a shopping list, basically. It's bone stock, with the doubled recoil spring and plastic guide, and I'm pretty sure that's not the way to travel. I think I need about a 20# Wolff recoil spring, a non plastic guide, the more squared off firing pin stop, and possibly a heavier mainspring?
I'm kind of at sea as to exactly what parts I need to get this sucker up and running, but I'm not comfy with the plastic guide and pogo stick springs in there. What bits have you THR 10mm guys had the best experiences with in the Delta Elite?

 

[the pistolero]

No experience with the Delta Elite here, but I do have a Kimber 10mm 1911. I don't know what you're going to put through your Delta Elite, but on a recent thread, Bob R recommended to me a 22-lb. recoil spring over a 25-lb. mainspring, as well as a flat-bottom firing pin stop, for Buffalo Bore and Double Tap-level 10mm loads. As of yet the hottest loads I've put through my stock Kimber are the Winchester Silvertips and my own handloads, 155-grain Hornady XTPs at about 1350-1400 fps. They handled them all just fine, although I honestly do wonder about the effects of a long-term diet of them for the gun. Which is, of course, why I asked for input.

 

[SilverState]

I had the following done at Wilson Combat to my Delta Elite:

Snag-free 3-dot white sights
30lpi checkered frontstrap
Extended narrow blue combat safety
Drop-in high ride blue grip safety
Trigger job w/competition match 3-hole trigger & A-2 deluxe sear
Commander hammer (on 9mm only)
Target fitted barrel bushing (on 10mm only)
Polished & adjusted bulletproof extractor
Checkered black flat mainspring housing
Full-length guide rod 22# recoil spring



A friend of mine did the Duracoating on the frame (Craig http://[email protected])

 

[mavracer]

first welcome to 10mm land your gonna love it here. 20 lbs will be ok for midrange loads and a few full house loads with shokbuff,if your gonna give a steady diet of the hot stuf 22-24 lbs will be better.here are a couple web sights for ya www.doubletapammo.com and www.10mmtalk.com

 

[GaryP]

The original Colt dual recoil spring and guide rod assembly has to go!

(1) Replace the original with a full length one piece guide rod - Stainless Steel or a Tungsten 3.25 oz.

(2) 23 lb Wolff recoil spring is a good all around choice but 24 lb or higher for the super heavy loads.

(3) You can go with a heavier main spring - the Colt standard spring is 23 lb - but if you do it will be necessary to adjust the recoil spring accordingly.

The original Colt DE dual recoil spring & guide rod assembly will self destruct very quickly with full house 10mm rounds and will not last much longer with the mild 10mm rounds!


There are many other mods, of course, but replacing the factory recoil system is a must!

My DE is a 1994 vintage Blue model that I purchased NIB in 1994.

 

[BigG]

Wow - I've several Delta Elites and it surprises me somebody with no experience knows better than Colt, who built the gun. The doubled recoil spring is the way to go. If you put heavier springs in you pay the price by battering the barrel feet when it springs closed. I would learn a little bit about the gun before I took anonymous advice from some Internet entity. YMMV

 

[Colt]

I also have an unaltered DE that I've been shooting for years without incident. (Winchester Silvertips and Blazer loads)

The only alterations I've considered were night sights and 30 LPI front strap checkering. Still debating....

I've also considered getting rid of the ambi safety, but decided I don't want to mess around with a gun that's been 100%.

 

[Sundles]

I have one very early Delta ELite. I've tried a number of recoil springs and keep going back to the facotry double spring. It gives me the most reliable function. I'm not an expert on Deltas, but this has been my experience.

 

[ccmdfd]

Is there someplace that stocks the original double recoil spring? (other than Colt I mean).

Thanks
cc

 

[BigG]

You mean you want other than a Colt part?

 

[ccmdfd]

No, just wondering if:

1. Colt still makes and stocks these.

and

2. Is there any other place that sells original Colt parts (perhaps cheaper and/or easier to deal with)

cc

 

[paul45]

but 24 lb or higher for the super heavy loads.

Good gracious, man!! how the blazes can you even rack the slide?

 

[Logan5]

Ok, so maybe heavier springs aren't the way to go, but what about that plastic recoil spring plug? From what I've read, it's plastic so that it can function as a kind of buffer, but it's fifteen year old plastic in terms of technology and actual age.
Do I want to go G.I. and maybe add a shock buff or something?

 

[Sundles]

I use shock buffs in mine, but everything else is standard.

 

[BigG]

No, just wondering if:

1. Colt still makes and stocks these.

and

2. Is there any other place that sells original Colt parts (perhaps cheaper and/or easier to deal with)

Colt does not sell direct, to my knowledge. You need to go to a distributor like Brownells or there is a guy who goes to our local gun shows who has bins of Colt parts, yes, DE recoil assemblies are available. If you call the Colt # they will direct you to a parts distributor. HTH

 

[ccmdfd]

Thanks.

FYI, Brownells does not sell the originial recoil assebly for DE's. I tried many months ago, and just looked again.

cc

 

[BigG]

You can get a standard GI spring guide and use a straight 20 lb spring if you can't find the dual spring set up. I get my springs from Accur-Tune. He says he has a website but I've never seen it up.

You might also look at Wolf Springs.

 

[ccmdfd]

You can get a standard GI spring guide and use a straight 20 lb spring if you can't find the dual spring set up.

That's exactly what I did.


cc

 

[[email protected]]

20# recoil spring, 25# mainspring, squre-bottomed firing-pin stop, and straight GI spring guide. And if you have an early Delta, the part of the left-hand slide rail directly above the slide stop might still be there. This area had a tendency to crack in the early guns, so in later Deltas it was simply removed, and the frame cracking problems went away. If you still have a full-length slide rail, you may want to consider having it cut. (I've done this on some 1911 10mm conversions).
And as for the "Colt knows best" crowd... I'm sure that Colt went to plastic triggers because they work so much better too, right?

DanO

 

[BigG]

And as for the "Colt knows best" crowd... I'm sure that Colt went to plastic triggers because they work so much better too, right?

No, they work just as well. They are hardly a stressed part. Aesthetically, you may like other types but the plastic triggers work and I haven't seen them fail. They make guns with plastic frames now, too, did you know? They are called Glocks.