recoil spring length ms

[bergoff]

How many coils are there supposed to be on a ms? I'm trying to stop brass hitting me in the face and I have an extra recoil spring but I want to make sure the new one is cut to the proper length.

[ggun]

bergoff,

I think you don't mean ms; ms = main spring or hammer spring.

Springs, in general, are not characterized by how many turns they have but rather how much force required for normal operating compression. They can be longer or shorter with more or less turns depending on the manufacturer and how the spring is designed. The stiffness of the spring has to do with the material type, thickness and design, not just the length.

Many standard 1911 recoil springs are 16# but you should check what your stock spring spec is. You can get replacements of many different weights at gunsprings.com.

If you have the spec but you're unsure of what spring you have in your gun, you probably ought to buy a stock spring for your gun and start from there. RSs only last a couple thousand rounds anyway so it can't hurt to have more on hand.

As far as getting hit in the face, that may be more of an issue with the gun design than the spring. The spring should just make it go faster/farther/more forcefully, or vice versa, pretty much in the same direction it was already going due to the design. I'm not the best person for this information but as you read you'll find there is a flaring and/or lowering mods that can be done for the ejection port that can help you accomplish what you're looking for. The 1911 is a "project gun" in my opinion and it's often not so much as there's something wrong with it as it is simply that you would like it to do or be something different, and for that we get to tinker. Good luck!

[bergoff]

After reading my post it's very vague. That's what happens when its late and I'm tired. I'm not sure the round count in the mid size Charles Daly. It came with an extra recoil spring so I'm wanting to replace it and just cut it to length. Some rds were ejected perfectly to my right and some straight back. Its a project gun for sure and its fun to tinker with and learn as I'm going. I want to get a better 1911 someday but this one will serve its purpose for now.

[Al Booth]

I don't think your recoil spring has anything to do with you getting hit in the face by empty cases. It is much more a matter of any and/or all of the following: your extractor, your ejector, and possibly the shape of the ejection port. Just changing springs will not change that by themselves.

[BBBBill]

Cutting springs is usually the wrong move. 1911 springs are designed for specific operating space requirements, relaxed/in battery and compressed/in recoil. The weight is, as ggun noted, a product of material, wire diameter, number of coils, and other considerations. Buy the correct spring for your gun (in a variety of weights if you so desire), but avoid clipping coils. And Al Booth pointed you in the right direction. Look to proper fit of the ejector and extractor (with correct tension).

[bergoff]

Thanks guys. I will order a few different springs and see what happens.

[bergoff]

I've took your guys advice and the checked the extractor and its junk. It was in very rough shape so I'm ordering a new Wilson combat bulletproof extractor and see what happens. This forum has been great and there's so much great info.

[forrest mc]

I am a novice on the 1911. I had ejected brass going everywhere, if it didn't jam. After replacing the Firing Pin Stop with an oversized fps from EGW the problem seems to be gone. I've put 150 rounds through the gun without a single problem. Earlier my gunsmith, Steve, also adjusted the extractor tension that improved things.
Hope this helps and good luck troubleshooting your problem.

Forrest

[bergoff]

The extractor was hard as hell to push out. It shouldn't take that much force to remove I would think. It looks like it has been through a war. I'm guessing that its original.