Neutral grip all the things! Making 1911s point like CZs…

[JCN]

So I succeeded in making Glocks point like CZs by mini humpectomies.

Then I got to thinking… what if I added material to the butt of a 1911…

Then I got to Googling and came across “mainspring housing” replacements that have curves on them…

Does anyone here use them? Like them?

Seems like a great “solution” to me to keep my similar grip across all platforms.

EDIT: this is the one I ordered:

96756

Not my picture:

96757

[Steven T]

I prefer the arched mainspring housing to the flat. The arched was the standard since with the adoption of the 1911A1 in 1926.
The flat mainspring housing was used on the 1911. The flat has become the more popular option in the last probably 30 years.
I have run the arched since I got into 1911 in the late 80’s.. I always assumed using the arched made the Glock grip seem fine to
Me when others complained about it.

[camel]

I dislike the arched mainspring housing on a 1911. I haven’t shot one with a dot. For my hands of course.

The grip safety and placement might have something to do with it

[revchuck38]

My 1911s are set up with arched mainspring housings and long triggers. I'm 6'1" with average size hands for my height, and the flat MSHs just don't work for me.

[Wondering Beard]

The arched MSHs just dig in the wrong part of my palm when shooting, it's not painful but uncomfortable and disconcerting.

Flat MSHs for me.

[JAD]

Very much a matter of taste. The G10 ones are easy to shape.

[YVK]

I've just replaced the arched msh with flat on my 1911 because it didn't do anything to make it point like a CZ.

[BillSWPA]

My 1911 came with a flat mainspring housing. While it worked OK, I replaced it with arched, and have preferred arched ever since. The palm of my hand is not flat.

I have medium sized hands.


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[JCN]

I've just replaced the arched msh with flat on my 1911 because it didn't do anything to make it point like a CZ.

Interesting! Hand shapes and grips are funny like that.

People’s grip methods and hand camming are also different.

But that raises the possibility of needing to tailor it to my hands and grips (which is why I bought G10 instead of metal).

[CraigS]

If I had a 1911 it would probably get the arched version. I say that because I don't like the straight backstrap on Berettas. This is my M9A3 w/ half of the conversion grip on it to show the difference.96781
I could get used to the flat back but since my other pistols are 92s, or have a similar arched shape, I don't want to change for just one gun. A couple months ago I got an all steel 92 w/ the flat back. This is my 2nd stage prototype of making a filler piece so I can run the arched grip panels. I warmed up a piece of .100 kydex and molded it over the frame of hump back 92.
96782
None of this is a huge deal but I found that when I do a quick presentation w/ the flat back, the gun is aiming a little low. With the arched back the sights are right on.

[JCN]

If I had a 1911 it would probably get the arched version. I say that because I don't like the straight backstrap on Berettas. This is my M9A3 w/ half of the conversion grip on it to show the difference.96781
I could get used to the flat back but since my other pistols are 92s, or have a similar arched shape, I don't want to change for just one gun. A couple months ago I got an all steel 92 w/ the flat back. This is my 2nd stage prototype of making a filler piece so I can run the arched grip panels. I warmed up a piece of .100 kydex and molded it over the frame of hump back 92.
96782
None of this is a huge deal but I found that when I do a quick presentation w/ the flat back, the gun is aiming a little low. With the arched back the sights are right on.

Nice work!

I thought about overlaying Kydex to a Prodigy rear to change the point.

If the arched strap doesn’t work I might add polymer to the existing MSH on my Ruger 1911.

[Bucky]

I’ve been all about the arched mainspring housing since day 1 (circa 1992).

When the Vertec came out and was all the rage, I was still much preferring the standard 92 (well, more so the Elite).

[fatdog]

I am and have been 100% arched mainsprings housings since a GM, Jeff Cramblitt, that I took a couple of pistol classes from in the late 90's helped me understand I simply got my index faster with one in place and it always helped me put my finger in the right place.

Only exception for me was for 2011's which are a different animal of course. The Rock River Poly's girth is similar to the 2011 and I left those flat.

[vcdgrips]

My brief musings in 2008-2010 re running an arched MSH for 1911 to make them point more glock like. My username at 1911forums is Dojpros


https://www.1911forum.com/threads/fmsh-vs-arched-msh.222243/page-2#post-2061259

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/that-arched-msh-makes-a-noticeable-difference-for-me-at-least.293531/#post-2949409



Almost everything “hardware” is on a wheel and comes back around. I.E. Appendix Carry captured in pirate images in the 18th century.

[JCN]

My brief musings in 2008-2010 re running an arched MSH for 1911 to make them point more glock like. My username at 1911forums is Dojpros

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/fmsh-vs-arched-msh.222243/page-2#post-2061259

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/that-arched-msh-makes-a-noticeable-difference-for-me-at-least.293531/#post-2949409

Almost everything “hardware” is on a wheel and comes back around. I.E. Appendix Carry captured in pirate images in the 18th century.

This is exactly where I’m at now.

96787

Mini humpectomy Glock, neutral CZ and will experiment with built up 1911s.

Nothing wrong with any of those guns stock. I just have particular preferences of cross platform index similarity when it’s easy to do.

[gato naranja]

I thought I might have to put an arched mainspring housing on the Springfield RO that was bought on a whim after many years of not having a 1911 on the property. I mean, really... a 1911 with a straight MSH? That's for collectors of Alvin York-era stuff and contrarian cranks... or so I thought, This range toy ended up working out so well for me that I have left it alone save for some less aesthetically-challenged grips, and haven't yet changed that MSH out for an arched one.

Flash forward a few years to my bringing home a new Beretta 92X...

Based on how much I like shooting that RO, I automatically ASSUMED that the wraparound grip that came in the box with the 92X would be in long-term storage until someone else owned the gun. Wrong. Color me mildly surprised.

Like so much else in life, there are subtleties that can throw one way off when making what seem to be slam-dunk comparisons. Okay, the grip "angle" is the same... but what about the width? How high can I get my hand up on the backstrap? Where is the trigger face? Hinged trigger or straight-back pull... and if the former, where is the hinge at in relation to where my finger hits it? Chasing the holy grails of handgun "feel" and "pointability" can be a Sisyphean task.... and to make the quest seem more dismal, I now realize that - like my elders* - if I put in the effort, I can make almost any handgun work for me at least passably in spite of it not fitting me "right."

*One of the elders once said to me about a certain firearm, "I HAD to learn to use it whether it fit me or not."

[YVK]

Interesting! Hand shapes and grips are funny like that.

People’s grip methods and hand camming are also different.



I barely find the difference in how arched vs flat msh 1911s point. I put arched to play well with cz, found no difference, went back to flat because my custom 1911 has flat too.

[JCN]

I barely find the difference in how arched vs flat msh 1911s point. I put arched to play well with cz, found no difference, went back to flat because my custom 1911 has flat too.

I believe that you didn’t find a difference.

Doesn’t mean there isn’t a difference.

And doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t notice a difference.

Like I said, it’ll only come out under certain conditions and perhaps only with straight draws.

People with wave draws and other muzzle angle draws likely won’t find a difference.

Think of slashing with a sword versus poking with one.

If people only slash, they’ll never noticing a difference in grip angles.

[Chuck Whitlock]

I prefer arched mainspring housings and short triggers, coupled with thin grip panels and Pearce finger grooves. This combination works with me small hands (glove size 6C).

[CraigS]

...
If the arched strap doesn’t work I might add polymer to the existing MSH on my Ruger 1911.
What do you use for polymer? Is there a 'release agent' so I could make a female mold where the polymer would flow into it but not become part of it?

[JCN]

Put the arched mainspring housing on and it makes a TON of difference in how the gun points for me.

Now it indexes like a CZ and I’m super happy with it.

98054

[JCN]

Put a G10 one in a 1911.

99022

Pointed a whiff too high compared to my CZ.

So Dremeled it down to perfect. I wore a respirator.

99023

99024

[ECK]

I have arched MSHs installed in all of my 1911’s and 2011’s. Guns that came with the flat MSH promptly got an arched one installed. It just pointed more naturally for me. The only downside to running an arched MSH was it may create a gap in your grip so the grip safety is not fully depressed. But having a grip safety with the hump helps, as does filling down the little leg on the grip safety so all it takes is a slight movement of the grip safety for it to clear the trigger bow (still works as designed, but doesn’t need the grip safety to be fully depressed to work).

[Robinson]

This is something I've gone back and forth on over the years, but currently all of my 1911s are equipped with arched main spring housings.

I prefer how the gun points with the arched MSH and also I find that it helps me get a consistently high grip on the gun right away without having to shift my grip on the gun at all.

99039

[JCN]

This is something I've gone back and forth on over the years, but currently all of my 1911s are equipped with arched main spring housings.

I prefer how the gun points with the arched MSH and also I find that it helps me get a consistently high grip on the gun right away without having to shift my grip on the gun at all.


I really dig the way that gun looks!

[glazer1972]

I like the flat.

[45dotACP]

For me, the arched MSH puts my hand just a touch too high to reliably deactivate an unmodified grip safety.

For my old single stack gun (which has an arched MSH+magwell from Dawson) , I just set it up to basically deactivate in the first 1/3rd of travel.

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