Passion for the 1911

[breakingtime91]

Hoping to start a new thread on the 1911 in general. I recently graduated college and decided that a gift for this achievement should be some type of 1911. I debated pretty heavily between 45 acp and 9mm but eventually practicality won out and I chose a 9mm. This is because I have a lot of 9mm but also the fact of my risk factors for arthritis are quite high because an auto immune disease so I try to limit the impact I have on my joints. I slowly saw that this was going to be an expensive venture as I gravitated towards higher end guns that were most likely to run. The gun I chose was a 4inch Wilson Combat (Compact Carry Model) that I won on Gun broker for a steal.


Now I am a thousand rounds on the gun with the first break down, clean, and 13lb recoil spring. Goal is to run a 2000 round challenge which I don't believe this gun will have an issue with. I have been blown away with how this gun shoots and how it inspires me to dry fire, get to the range, and just enjoy taking care of it.

Now I am looking for information on recoil, hammer, and firing pin spring life and how I can keep this gun running as my primary as I look at how I can fund a second example.

[JSGlock34]

I’d be very attentive to any reduction in slide velocity as you approach 2000 rounds. In my experience the 9mm 1911 is very lubrication sensitive.

[breakingtime91]

Ya i have already ran into some stuff where I had to reach out for help. Like I picked up a 13lb flat wire spring and reached out to WilsonCombatRep because it was three coils longer then what was in the gun. Not a huge fan of how that recoil spring wants to bow out on you, currently looking at possibly getting a flat-wire kit later on with the longer recoil spring.

[David S.]

Primary and Secondary recently ran a 1911 specific podcast that you might find interesting. The first half seemed pretty densely packed with info (by P&S standards), the last half, not so much.

[FNFAN]

I totally get how you feel. A quality 1911 is a joy to shoot and they carry so nice and flat! I think the 9mm is a great choice. I suspect I will have one at some point, though I do enjoy stuffing mags with those June-bug-like .45's.

[M2CattleCo]

Some people report good spring life with the flatwire, some don't.

After it takes it's initial set, I'd occasionally measure it against a new spring and see how it looks. When it's starts to shorten more, think about changing it.

I generally do firing pin springs every other recoil spring.

I would imagine Wilson's chrome-silicon mainsprings will easily go 10K.

Hell I have almost 8K on one of their CS recoil springs in a 5" 9mm and it's still good to go.


Good choice on the 9mm Wilson!

[Bucky]

Good choice on the 9mm Wilson!

Agree. Way to jump in with both feet.

[Hambo]

There is some great info about what affects feeding in a 1911 in this video. Just watch all of them regarding 1911s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjOPiZhEwA8

[03RN]

I'd avoid the flat wire recoil spring in 1911s. Wilson blamed me for this
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https://www.ar15.com/forums/handguns/Broken_recoil_spring/49-177328/

[Matt O]

Hoping to start a new thread on the 1911 in general. I recently graduated college and decided that a gift for this achievement should be some type of 1911. I debated pretty heavily between 45 acp and 9mm but eventually practicality won out and I chose a 9mm. This is because I have a lot of 9mm but also the fact of my risk factors for arthritis are quite high because an auto immune disease so I try to limit the impact I have on my joints. I slowly saw that this was going to be an expensive venture as I gravitated towards higher end guns that were most likely to run. The gun I chose was a 4inch Wilson Combat (Compact Carry Model) that I won on Gun broker for a steal.


Now I am a thousand rounds on the gun with the first break down, clean, and 13lb recoil spring. Goal is to run a 2000 round challenge which I don't believe this gun will have an issue with. I have been blown away with how this gun shoots and how it inspires me to dry fire, get to the range, and just enjoy taking care of it.

Now I am looking for information on recoil, hammer, and firing pin spring life and how I can keep this gun running as my primary as I look at how I can fund a second example.

I'm of like mind. I started shooting in a glock world and spent the last several years slinging lead with pizza blasters. I've always had an interest in 1911's and have accumulated several, but only shoot them occasionally. I'm trying to re-kickstart my shooting interest after quite a few months off and decided to focus on shooting God's gun (in God's caliber).

I've got a TRP set up as practice gun and a GI No Name for carry (both set up pretty much identically). May the spirit of JMB, praise be his name, watch over my wrist and elbow joints.

[MGW]

I forget who brought it up but one of the smiths on the P&S podcast really likes springs from Sprinco (http://www.sprinco.com/springs.html). I’m going to try one of their recoil springs in my 45 next time.

My dad’s 5” Nighthawk 9mm chugs along just fine with Wilson magazines. He’s pushing 10k and has replaced the recoil spring once. Will replace the mainspring and FP spring at 10k. It is mostly fed 147 reduced power reloads so it doesn’t have a lot of stress on it. I think he settled on a standard 13# spring. That’s where it felt the best with his reloads.

There’s a lot that goes into getting a 1911 to run reliably with the ammo you use. It can also be tuned to feel “right” by adjusting mainsprings and recoil springs. My smith favors a moderately heavy mainspring and slightly lighter recoil spring. He started talking about dwell time and I didn’t hear much after that. Above my head at the moment.

[OnionsAndDragons]

Joe Chambers had a buttload of really great info on that P&S show, Two World Wars.

His discussion of spring rates and also the Marvel cut were enlightening among other things.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Robinson]

The P&S podcast was interesting and there was some good info but I wasn't exactly blown away by it to be honest.

Anyway, I experimented a little with flat wire recoil springs but ended up deciding against them. I do like Wilson Combat's chrome silicon recoil springs. The dual recoil spring setup Colt uses on several of their models works well, especially in 45s. For 9mm I think it is overkill, but they probably last a long time.

It's probably a good idea to replace the firing pin spring with every other recoil spring change, or about every 5-6000 rounds or so. Some recoil springs are lasting longer than the standard 2-3000 rounds these days.

Main springs last a long time generally. Change the main spring and sear spring if you reach 25,000 rounds. They will probably last even longer.

Learn as much as you can about extractors and ejectors. It shouldn't be this way, but some guns ship without proper extractor tension and ejectors with less than optimal shape. I don't own a Wilson Combat gun but their stuff is probably done properly.

Learn how to mate a thumb safety sear engagement surface to the sear, and a grip safety with the trigger bow. This will serve you well should you end up with a gun that needs to have these tuned a bit. It's not real difficult, but you can easily ruin a safety if you make a mistake.

The 1911 will run dirty, but keep it properly lubricated. I like Slip 2000 EWL better than just about anything else I've used, but just use a good lube in the right places. Lubing a 1911 isn't just like lubing a Glock, and that's not a criticism of the Glock.

[Bigghoss]

There is some great info about what affects feeding in a 1911 in this video. Just watch all of them regarding 1911s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjOPiZhEwA8

There's some good info about 1911's sprinkled in a few of those episodes. Well worth a re-watch.

[M2CattleCo]

I'd avoid the flat wire recoil spring in 1911s. Wilson blamed me for this
34964
34965
https://www.ar15.com/forums/handguns/Broken_recoil_spring/49-177328/


Ha! What happened there??

I've never seen any benefit to the flatwire, I think it's a serious downgrade in a 5" 45, but they seem to work better in the shorter guns.

[Croesus]

No claims to expertise here, but I've been a dedicated 1911 user for the last 30 years.

Carry-- I find a full size 1911 to be a very comfortable carry gun. Holster selection is important. I've always been very pleased with Milt Spark's offerings. I still find the Summer Special to be a very concealable and workable option. Sparks will still make you a 1AT -- great holster for the range or concealment under a coat. I always have my holsters sized to a 1 3/4 inch belt and use a 1 3/4 belt for daily carry. I have dress pants modified as necessary to accommodate the wider belt. My opinion only -- I find the 1911 to be easier to carry than any double stack auto. It's something about the weight distribution and thinness of the gun. Yes, it is heavier than a Glock or any number of other polymer/aluminum framed full-size pistols, but I find it easier to carry than any of the above.

Spring replacement -- I've tried CS springs and flat wire (Wilson). In the end, I just order 10 packs of recoil springs from Wolff (via Brownells). I replace the firing pin spring every time I replace the recoil spring (Wolff includes a FP spring for each recoil spring). Recoil springs are cheap and I change them often. At about 1k - 1.5k rds of 230 ball (factory), I replace the springs - RS & FP. The sear springs last almost indefinitely. Of the 30 1911s I own, I've only needed to replace 1 sear spring on a 1944 Remington Rand -- the leg that acts upon the disconnector chipped at the top. I've replaced sear springs as preventative maintenance on two of my carry guns -- somewhere around the 30-40k rd mark. Sear springs are not just a drop-in part. They do require knowledge of how to adjust and fit them to each gun. Main springs similarly seem to last a very long time. I have replaced them on my carry guns, but not due to any failure or problem. I have 1943-45 production Colts and Remington Rands that still have the USGI main springs in them. More often than a main spring or sear spring, I have replaced the plunger tube spring to ensure the correct operation of the thumb safety plunger and slide stop plunger.

Useful skills/tools -- to echo what others have said. It is a great help to be able to perform basic maintenance on your own. Get good set of screwdrivers for the 1911 and a Glock armorer tool (best I've found for removing a mainspring housing, depressing the firing pin to remove the firing pin stop, remove the extractor etc etc.) Be able to perform a detailed disassembly of the gun. Get a plunger tube staking tool and know how to replace a plunger tube -- although I've never had one come loose on a Wilson Combat. Know how to fit an extractor.

Lube/maintenance -- I think whole lubrication thing has gotten out of hand. Keep the gun lubed and it will run. I've tried the whole range, from the latest wonder lubes to old fashioned ballistol -- they all work. I now just use CLP -- have a couple of gallons of the old Royco CLP, it works fine. Steer clear of very light oils (Rem oil) and you'll be fine. I tend to grease my carry guns, just to save on re-lubing every few days. I use the small pots of USGI rifle grease, works great. I clean the gun(s) after every range session. I've never been one to see how long I can go between cleanings. I appreciate that the 2k Challenge is valid to a lot of folks, but I have never been in a situation (27 yrs combined military and federal LE experience) where I had to go that long before cleaning. I've had the guns gummed up with dust, sweat and broken brush. They still worked. I blow them out with a compressed air, re-lube and go.

That's it, went on longer than I should have. Best of luck with your new Wilson. Enjoy it. 1911s are still a valid and effective fighting tool. Get to know your gun and how to maintain it -- it will serve you well.

[breakingtime91]

Another 200 rounds down the pipe.

Shot some standard things for me for standards:

B8 slow fire at 25 yards: 89-1x (indoor range is taking time to get used to with my fiber front)

The test:
first run 98-5x
second run 96-4x

Both pass with time to spare.

[03RN]

Ha! What happened there??

I've never seen any benefit to the flatwire, I think it's a serious downgrade in a 5" 45, but they seem to work better in the shorter guns.

The link has the run down, including Wilsons response.

[M2CattleCo]

The link has the run down, including Wilsons response.


The beoken spring is weird but I'm curious why you're running a 30lb main and 20-24lb recoil with 45??

[03RN]

The beoken spring is weird but I'm curious why you're running a 30lb main and 20-24lb recoil with 45??

I was expirimenting with .45 supers and seeing if the gun would still work with ball.

Quite honestly I had a hard time telling any differences.

I don't carry with those springs.

[breakingtime91]

I tend to run Wilson springs and mags in my wilson gun.. if flatwire gives me 40,000 rounds of life I’ll gladly take that.