ipsc recoil spring to ammo ratio...???

[wct77]

Yesterday i went to the region six shoot in fl...i stopped by the pro shopand checked out recoil springs..i know most people use 1911 clones.My confusion is most of the springs i saw were low they went all the way down to9 lbs. Are these typically for 38 super?? Since i know standard for 45 are 15 lbs...I shoot 230 fmj and run 15 to 18 lbs.....dont know what load you could use a 9 lbs and not have timing issues ??

[Alland]

The open division pistols for steel matches would normally have recoil springs in the 9 to 10 pound range. These would be 9mm or 38 super.

Years ago when my daughter was young I had very reduced 45 loads for her than used an 8 pound spring. She started shooting a 1911 when she was 11 or 12.

[Nick A]

wct77, the standard spring in most 5" 45acp 1911 pistols is 16 pounds.

Unless you shoot super duper ammo, you really don't need 18# spring.
But that's your choice, no harm to it.

When changing from 16 to 18 to 14 pound recoil spring,
'timing' really isn't a function you affect.
Go to Gunsmithing section and do more research on timing.
It has more to do with barrel lugs, disconnector and such.



Competition, target, and plinking:
Many 1911 shooters prefer a 14 pound spring rather than the stock 16 pound.
It won't hurt the gun to go down to a 14# spring,
no you don't need shock buffs or anything with a 14#.

Many of those competition guns shoot handloaded ammo,
that may shoot better with lighter springs. Mine sure does.

Many of those competition guns have compensators
(not fake comps like those dumb bushing compensators,
but real ones that really use hot gas to do kinetic work)
and that changes the recoil, so different springs are needed.

Many of those competition guns change the firing pin stop and mainspring.
That certainly changes the recoil spring requirement.
Go to Gunsmithing section and learn more about that also.

[Nick A]

And one more thing...
The weight of the slide makes a difference.
Lighter slide requires less spring.


Most of those using 9# recoil springs are probably
compensated 38S/9mm open guns
with square-bottom firing pin stops
and 18# mainsprings and lightened slides.

[mikeg1005]

I have seen open guns with 7-9lb springs.

"open" guns use light recoil springs becuase the compensator on the pistol decreases the amount of energy the slide sees... So much that a "normal" spring would cause reliability with feeding/cycling of the pistol.

It does not affect timing(as that has to do with firing pin stop and barrel lock up).

I run 14lb springs in my 45acp and 12.5lbs in my 40 guns.

Mike.