The Art and Science of Keeping Your 1911 Running

[SW CQB 45]

A few years back, I was running my MCOP with an 18.5 recoil spring shooting 230 Speer Lawman FMJ.

I developed wrist pain and shooting this combo was not pleasant.

Hilton Yam suggested I switch to a 16 lbs recoil spring and change it more often. He said the 18.5 was snapping the slide back to battery.

I switched back to the 16 and while I still have wrist pain..... no where as bad while shooting the 18.5 combo.

Not sure if this will answer your question but along the same lines. I am not running a squared firing pin stop.

I will be returning this piece to duty carry soon.

[45dotACP]

Funny, my suggestion of the 18lb recoil and 23lb main was based off of Joe Chambers' suggestion. I was getting pretty bad tendonitis with my .45 so I swapped to 9mm but have been working on optimizing my major gun for next USPSA season.

Guess even among high end smiths there is room for personal preference. I don't really notice the sights "dipping" from a heavier RSA unless I shoot a different gun side by side to mine and even then I can accommodate the way the gun tracks within a few rounds fired.

I'm definitely not a GM level shooter though, so perhaps that fruit is too high for me to pluck right now

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[JohnO]

Does a FPS have an effect on the muzzle dipping when the slide closes?

The Firing Pin Stop, its bearing surface profile and the strength of the MainSpring will impede the rearward travel of the Slide. Once the Hammer is cocked there is no further involvement from the FPS.

A few years back, I was running my MCOP with an 18.5 recoil spring shooting 230 Speer Lawman FMJ.

I developed wrist pain and shooting this combo was not pleasant.

Hilton Yam suggested I switch to a 16 lbs recoil spring and change it more often. He said the 18.5 was snapping the slide back to battery.

I switched back to the 16 and while I still have wrist pain..... no where as bad while shooting the 18.5 combo.

Not sure if this will answer your question but along the same lines. I am not running a squared firing pin stop.

Hilton and others typically recommend the following combinations:


17 Lb Recoil Spring with 19 Lb Mainspring (Think Glock to remember the numbers)

18.5 Lb Recoil Spring with 23 Lb MainSpring

Those are the spring combinations known to work well together.

[03RN]

Anyone know what the Colt dual spring combo is equal to?

[theJanitor]

I had tried the 20 lb. spring before and recall I had issues with the muzzle dipping when the slide went forward, but I think that was before I installed the firing pin stop. No muzzle dip now.

Ok. I read this as the FPS having something to do with the elimination of the muzzle dip

[revchuck38]

Ok. I read this as the FPS having something to do with the elimination of the muzzle dip

I see how that could've been read that way, my fault for poor phrasing. The square FPS slows the slide down on the way back, so the slide doesn't have as much velocity on the way back forward.

[MGW]

Quick update. Both my Springfields, a TRP and an Operator, have been tested with Wilson ETM, 47D, and Chip McCormick Powermags over two different range sessions. Not enough rounds to say they’re good for carry yet but no issues with the ETMs or CMs in either gun. The Operator still doesn’t really like the 47Ds. I can here and feel the rounds ca-chunk as they feed into the chamber when manually releasing the slide. I also don’t like the extra effort needed to seat the 47Ds.

At this point I’m going to focus on the ETMs and CMs and see which are more reliable. I think I like the factory baseplates on the Wilson's a little better.

[breakingtime91]

Just hit 3500 with my compact carry 1911 (wilson combat) 9mm. Cleaned it for the first time in 2k today according to the log. Used some basic tool, relubed, and it’s all good. At 5k I’ll replace the firing pin spring and mainspring. Other then that I’ll just keep shooting it. As of right now it’s proven more reliable then any Glock I have owned and matched my p2000.

[JTQ]

Quick update. Both my Springfields, a TRP and an Operator, have been tested with Wilson ETM, 47D, and Chip McCormick Powermags over two different range sessions.

At this point I’m going to focus on the ETMs and CMs and see which are more reliable. I think I like the factory baseplates on the Wilson's a little better.

I'm not trying to convince you to change, just giving you another option, but CMC also offers the RPM which will give you a longer tube and a bumper pad similar to the ETM.

https://www.cmproducts.com/Railed-Po...ess_p_211.html

[Robinson]

Have any of you experience with carrying 8+1 using either ETMs or CM Power Mags? I typically carry 7+1 with WC 47s (not 47Ds). I'm wondering if the ETMs or Power Mags work reliably over long periods loaded +1.