TargetTalk

I just picked up a Clark Long Heavy Slide .45 to go with my Clark Hardball and Heavy slide wad pistols from the 50s. Made 10/1981 by slide rail markings, it is a series 70 blue, with the Aristocrat rib and what I assume is one of Jim's in-house barrels, since it is not a Douglas-marked barrel.
Can you tell me how to properly set this gun up? I assume it was meant for wad loads? What recoil spring # is correct, and do you use a Wolffe spring or some other style?
Like my other Clark pistols, this one shoots wad loads extremely well. I do not wish to use hardball if it isn't set up for the recoil impulse.
Thanks!
Amanda

I have a 45ACP Clark Long Heavy Slide from 1983. I use a Wolff 6" spring. I purchased a spring calibration pack consisting of 5 springs numbered from 1 to 5. There are no poundage markings for the springs. I think Wolff still makes this calibration pack. 3.8 gr of Bullseye was about as light as I could go with a 200 gr bullet, and have 100% reliability using the lightest spring. The extra slide length and the weight of the Bo-Mar rib need a little more oomph in recoil to get things moving. This is the spring I have in my longslide. Ironicly, Clark supplied a 5" spring with my conversion. The gun worked, but I felt better using a spring with more travel, aiding feeding and lockup, so I went to the 6". I believe the gun is intended mainly for mid range loads, but I imagine you could shoot hardball out of the gun if you install the proper weight spring, at the expense of increased wear. Clark did use his in house barrels on his conversions, although I don't know who actually made them for him.

If you shoot hardball in that pistol, it is likely that eventually the screws holding the rib in place will shear. The gun will shoot loose quicker as well. That gun was built to shoot light target loads.

Misny,
I checked the recoil spring today when I tore the pistol down for a good bath. It is maybe 1/2" or so longer than my Hardball Clark's spring. Since this will allow me to red-dot my Heavy Slide wad gun, and shoot this as an iron-sight wad gun, that is what I will feed it. I prefer the 185gr Noslers, but I will try the 200 gr LSWC that I use in my other Clark, just in case it likes those. Might save me some $$. I already have a Clark Hardball pistol, so no need to beat this to death, or shear any screws.
Thanks!
Amanda

Amanda,
I have a 6" Clark longslide with a dot sight mounted on the slide. My gun was made in the 60's with separate front and rear irons melted into the slide so that they sit low. My loads for the 185's (I use remingtons) is 4.6gr of Bullseye for my 50yd load. And 4.1gr of Bullseye with a 200gr 68 hard cast bullet. My is spring if I remember correctly is 16lbs. Both 50 and 25yd loads shoot to same point of impact so no sight fiddling. .45's have to be pushed in order to shoot accurately. I never had success with any loads in the 3's, at least with bullseye powder. Good luck
Vito