TargetTalk

I recently installed a RRA slide mount rail and an Ultradot on my 1911.

Previously, I had the factory recoil spring in it.

I worked up a load for 200 grain SWC that grouped nice and still cycled the factory spring reliably and locked back on the last round.

I wanted to be able to shoot factory 230 grain hardball and my target loads with the same spring so I would not mess up and damage the gun with factory loads on a light spring.

Now that I have the extra mass on the slide, I had to drop down to a 10# recoil spring to get the same reliability. An 11# spring would not cycle or lock back reliably with the old target loads I used before.

Is there any reason that I would have to swap up to a heavier spring if I wanted to shoot any of the factory hardball I still have lying about?

Since the 10# is the heaviest spring that will allow the gun work the same as before with the old target loads and factory recoil spring, I could not see an obvious reason to put a heavier spring back in for hardball, but figured I would ask more experienced folks in case I was overlooking something.

Why do you want to shoot hardball with a slide mounted ultradot?

Shooting factory ball with a slide mounted scope probably isn't a good idea. It'll probably end up shearing the screws that hold the scope mount and may reduce the life of the scope. It'll surely wear your pistol more quickly and may beat it up.

you could add a recoil buffer, at least that would cushion the recoil impact with factory 230,

I don't plan on buying much factory hardball, but would like to shoot what I have on hand which is probably 1000 rounds left. I've just got the one 1911, which I use in Bullseye matches with my target loads, and also practice with, but also like to occasionally just shoot for fun or bring a friend to the range to introduce them to shooting and if they do OK with .22 I have them try the .45.

I want them to feel what factory loads feel like so they know what they are getting into if they want to get a 1911 of their own.

I would shoot a few rounds and see if it functions and then you have your answer.

As for damage to dot and rings, well the Ultradot can take it but make sure you have descent rings.(I have witnessed a couple shooters with less than appropriate rings and had the dot sight come off and hit them in the face/head).

I may raise some eyebrows on this statement, but here goes...
What we call a recoil spring in the 1911 really has nothing to do with recoil to an extent.
The purpose of the spring is to force the slide forward, stripping a round from the magazine and into full battery.

If you are concerned with battering using the hardball loads just put in a recoil buffer.
Many do not like the idea of buffers but I have always used them as long as you get full rearward slide movement without the recoil spring stacking.
The buffers I have used are pretty solid and not made from marsh mellows and will hold up.

If interested, just PM me your mailing address and I will throw one in an envelope and send it to you.

Clarence

Something to think about when tuning your 1911 slide gun for any loads:

The Recoil spring is not the only thing that effects reliability. I feel that the recoil springs job is mainly to aid in stripping/feeding and chambering. (that's why my slide guns have Variable Recoil Springs, easy to compress initially, then, when fully compressed, provide ample force to strip and chamber.) Now... Could you prevent extraction by putting in a 26# recoil spring and shooting 3.8 BE with a 185SWC? sure you can! But what other forces are involved in the cycling of the slide? Remember that the hammer is down, resting on the Firing Pin Stop during ignition and unlocking. The slide and barrel begin to move rearward during the unlocking phase. The Firing Pin Stop starts to push the hammer backwards, camming on the rounded surface of the Firing Pin Stop. This starts to compress (and involve) the mainspring. So therefore, there are 3 (main) elements that influence rearward slide movement: 1. Mainspring weight. 2. Recoil Spring Weight. 3. The fulcrum from the firing pin stop acting on the hammer.

SO, you COULD play with leaving in your 10# recoil spring...then... 1. Buying a "Square Back" FP stop from brownells (this increases the force required to cock the hammer by reducing leverage (moving the fulcrum closer to the pivot) 2. buying another mainspring housing. Make it your "hardball" mainspring housing, and putting in a 32# mainspring. Swap out your FP stop and Mainspring to shoot hard ball.

* some drawbacks to Square FP stops: If you have a lightend hammer, it could break your hammer. 2. it delays unlocking quite a bit, and i have never tried it with a slide gun.

hmmm OR maybe you could go the other way (just brain storming here)

tune the gun for Hard ball, i dunno try a 16# Recoil spring and maybe a 28# MS. Normal FP stop.

Then Take a spare FP stop and angle the lower half to a wedge shape. taking the angle steep and to just below the FP hole. That will raise the fulcrum, making it easier to cock the hammer. And then i would see how low i could get the Main Spring before i got light strikes. And... i might even buy an extended Firing pin to make sure i get good ignition.

I dunno, just something to think about... i am NO gunsmith... but I have a pair of tatterd kuhnhausen books on my night stand that make wonderful bed time stories and get me thinking like that.

hope i helped some,

-Charlie

Just toss the 16# spring back in when you want to finish off your hardball rounds.

- Dave