1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Specifically...Commander springs as designed and installed in Colt Commanders and Combat Commanders. For some reason, I seem to draw a lot of flak over my 30-year practice of cutting Government Model springs to length...even though it works perfectly. Much ado over nothing. Really.
It's been said that cutting a 16-pound 32-coil spring to 24.5 coils and installing it in a Commander will result in a spring that's far too light...but it's not. Compared to a stock/OEM Colt Commander spring, it's difficult to feel any difference, if not impossible. In some comparisons, the cut spring is actually a bit stronger, and testing bears it out. It's not 18 pounds, but it's heavier than 16 in any event. Due to variations from lot to lot, and even minor variations within the same lot...they average about 16.5 pounds at full slide travel installed in the gun.
Another favorite target/point of contention is made over changing the in-battery preload. Far too much is made of that point. In the first place, there will be little difference, if any...and even if there is...what does it mean? What possible difference could a pound...plus or minus...make in a gun that can be fired successfully and without issue...without a spring? As long as the slide goes to battery reliably and is positively held in battery by spring tension...what does it mean? It means exactly zip.
Why does the cut Government Model spring result in more loading at full slide travel in a Commander? Very simple for those understand the difference in the guns and have thought it through.
The space available in the Commander's spring tunnel is a good bit less than that in the Government Model...both in static preload and at full slide travel. The spring's coils are simply packed more tightly...closer together at any given point. As a coil spring compresses, its loading increases as it gets shorter, and if pushed past the point of its
intended distance for the gun that it was designed to work in...it continues to increase its loading until the coils touch. It doesn't stop adding load when it hits the limit.
When a 24.5 coil cut GM spring is installed in a Commander, the spring is compressed more tightly than the stock Commander 22.5 coils spring is in static preload...and at full slide travel, the coils are nearly touching...so the load goes up in both conditions. Preload and at full compression...at the limit of slide travel...as installed in the gun.
So, the points of reduced preload...if there is any...are really pointless contention for the sake of argument, apparently. After all...When some of the nation's top competitors use 10 or 12 pound springs with major power factor ammunition...isn't that essentially what they do? Decrease preload? When variable rate springs are installed in pistols...isn't that essentially what happens? Preload is decreased and full travel load increased? And the guns seem to do just fine, no? Then, what exactly is the point of all the drama?
This works very well. I've used it for something over 30 years in my Commanders and Combat Commanders...and I've had many over the years...and save for a couple of guns slated strictly for carry... shot most of'em pretty hard.
My springs live long and function fine. My guns aren't damaged. Felt Recoil is indistinguishable from my 5-inch guns. Neither accuracy nor reliability is compromised...and Government Model springs are about half the cost of Commander specific springs, even though they're essentially the same springs. Same wire diameter. Same material...music wire...and the only difference is in how they're wound.
Finally...If 18 pounds for a Commander is truly the standard, Colt must have missed the memorandum. Or...maybe it's another one of those "Dog in the Fight" things.
As a disclaimer, please note that this works only on Commanders and their faithful clones with standard recoil systems, and that all installations should be checked for coil bind before the gun is fired. Aside from that...Gentlemen...shoot'em if ya got'em.
It's been said that cutting a 16-pound 32-coil spring to 24.5 coils and installing it in a Commander will result in a spring that's far too light...but it's not. Compared to a stock/OEM Colt Commander spring, it's difficult to feel any difference, if not impossible. In some comparisons, the cut spring is actually a bit stronger, and testing bears it out. It's not 18 pounds, but it's heavier than 16 in any event. Due to variations from lot to lot, and even minor variations within the same lot...they average about 16.5 pounds at full slide travel installed in the gun.
Another favorite target/point of contention is made over changing the in-battery preload. Far too much is made of that point. In the first place, there will be little difference, if any...and even if there is...what does it mean? What possible difference could a pound...plus or minus...make in a gun that can be fired successfully and without issue...without a spring? As long as the slide goes to battery reliably and is positively held in battery by spring tension...what does it mean? It means exactly zip.
Why does the cut Government Model spring result in more loading at full slide travel in a Commander? Very simple for those understand the difference in the guns and have thought it through.
The space available in the Commander's spring tunnel is a good bit less than that in the Government Model...both in static preload and at full slide travel. The spring's coils are simply packed more tightly...closer together at any given point. As a coil spring compresses, its loading increases as it gets shorter, and if pushed past the point of its
intended distance for the gun that it was designed to work in...it continues to increase its loading until the coils touch. It doesn't stop adding load when it hits the limit.
When a 24.5 coil cut GM spring is installed in a Commander, the spring is compressed more tightly than the stock Commander 22.5 coils spring is in static preload...and at full slide travel, the coils are nearly touching...so the load goes up in both conditions. Preload and at full compression...at the limit of slide travel...as installed in the gun.
So, the points of reduced preload...if there is any...are really pointless contention for the sake of argument, apparently. After all...When some of the nation's top competitors use 10 or 12 pound springs with major power factor ammunition...isn't that essentially what they do? Decrease preload? When variable rate springs are installed in pistols...isn't that essentially what happens? Preload is decreased and full travel load increased? And the guns seem to do just fine, no? Then, what exactly is the point of all the drama?
This works very well. I've used it for something over 30 years in my Commanders and Combat Commanders...and I've had many over the years...and save for a couple of guns slated strictly for carry... shot most of'em pretty hard.
My springs live long and function fine. My guns aren't damaged. Felt Recoil is indistinguishable from my 5-inch guns. Neither accuracy nor reliability is compromised...and Government Model springs are about half the cost of Commander specific springs, even though they're essentially the same springs. Same wire diameter. Same material...music wire...and the only difference is in how they're wound.
Finally...If 18 pounds for a Commander is truly the standard, Colt must have missed the memorandum. Or...maybe it's another one of those "Dog in the Fight" things.
As a disclaimer, please note that this works only on Commanders and their faithful clones with standard recoil systems, and that all installations should be checked for coil bind before the gun is fired. Aside from that...Gentlemen...shoot'em if ya got'em.
