1911 MSH material question

[Chuck Whitlock]

I'm wanting to replace the flat plastic MSH on my pistol with a checkered arched part. A perusal of Brownells, MidwayUSA, and the various 1911 parts places list either blued or stainless, and my pistol is nitrided stainless. Not wanting shiny or rust-prone, I came across these from Hogue:

https://www.hogueinc.com/accessories/mainspring-housings/1911gov/g10/govt-g10-mainspring-housing-checkered-arched-black

https://www.hogueinc.com/accessories/mainspring-housings/1911gov/aluminum/1911-govt-aluminum-mainspring-housing-checkered-arched-matte-black

I don't know what I don't know. Is there a preference between G10 and aluminum in this application? Pros/cons to consider?

I appreciate any thoughts on the matter.

[JAD]

It’s very odd to consider that all my MSH are steel, and most of my frames aren’t.

It’s almost a cosmetic piece, so something that will look like the rest of the frame for a long time is good. G10 takes paint really well, so it seems like a better choice in that sense.

[farscott]

G10 (1.8 g/cc) is two-thirds as dense as aluminum (2.7 g/cc), so the resulting G10 part should be considerably lighter than the aluminum part. Polymer MSH have been proven in the 1911-pattern and the application is fundamentally not stressed, so I would have no issues with the G10 part from a material standpoint. G10 can be polished with sandpaper without fear of damaging an applied finish, so it has some advantages over the anodized finish of an aluminum alloy in terms of ability to control the bite and fit the part to the frame. Aluminum also works in the application; the issues are only cosmetic. Scratches through the anodized layer are no big deal for the part's structure as the oxygen would form an aluminum oxide on the part; the color would be silver. The G10 should be one color throughout the material, so scratches would be less visible.

If saving a bit of money is of interest and a silver finish (probably an issue as "shiny" was listed as a negative) and flames on the MSH are not issues, this part is available for $35. https://www.hogueinc.com/sec0143

In all seriousness, the G10 part should do just fine.

[awp_101]

If saving a bit of money is of interest and a silver finish (probably an issue as "shiny" was listed as a negative) and flames on the MSH are not issues, this part is available for $35. https://www.hogueinc.com/sec0143
Those are hot! If i can find a smoking deal on one I might put it on my Ruger Commander...

[Chuck Whitlock]

Thanks, JAD and farscott. I was leaning toward the G10 for the reasons y'all listed, but wanted to be sure if there was something I wasn't aware of.
I would've gone with one of the old Pachmayr rubber overmolded ones if they were still available.

[JAD]

Thanks, JAD and farscott. I was leaning toward the G10 for the reasons y'all listed, but wanted to be sure if there was something I wasn't aware of.
I would've gone with one of the old Pachmayr rubber overmolded ones if they were still available.
Had one. They hung up on clothes. Most of my MSH are stippled, matte, or golf ball for that reason.

[Chuck Whitlock]

^^^^^
Good to know.

[farscott]

When I had a SA Mil-Spec done by John Harrison, I requested the Bobtail mainspring housing be serrated on the flat at 20 lpi to avoid snagging cover garments. The portion cut was left smooth as there is no need for any traction treatment on a surface that hands do not grip. This was before the advent of the round butt treatment, and my hands are small enough to get great purchase on the flat. The gun carries very well without snagging any cover garment but is demanding to reload as a magwell is not compatible with the Bobtail. Every choice has a trade off to be considered.

[Chuck Whitlock]

Aftermath. Hogue G10 unit installed.

59462

59463

The flat MSH removed was far too heavy to be plastic...so it must be (nitrited stainless) steel.

[19852+]

My Colt .38 super auto came with a flat composite/plastic MSH that I replaced with a Colt arched composite MSH. It worked just fine with the added bonus of corrosion proof. But I wanted something with a little more bite so I went with one of the Hogue aluminum checked units and it's awesome. But nothing wrong with the Colt composite MSH, it works well too.