testtest

lighter 1911 main/hammer spring?

Old_Me

Old_Me

SAINT
hey guys, for those of you that have 1911's, ( i suspect maybe at least 3 of you??) did you ever change out the main/hammer spring for a lighter one than the factory installed one?

factory MS's are about 20-23 lbs, as i have been reading.??

to say maybe a replacement to about a 19 lb?

been reading some articles that the trigger pull is lighter, and shoots just as well as the OEM spring.

i checked Wilson, they are out of stock, but Ed Brown (whom i have bought all my metal MSH's from, have them, 5 to a pack.

so i certainly have experience with the removal of a MS, and the housing. got like 12, 1911's, and replaced maybe 7 which were plastic.

thanks in advance for reading and answering.
 
I have never put a lighter mainspring in any of my 1911’s, I pretty much keep my stuff stock, unless I was setting one up for bullseye or other competition, now years ago I changed springs, hammer and sear on a Colt Gold Cup series 70 due to the factory 2-piece sear broke, that’s the only 1911 I ever did that to
 
I’ve also heard something - long time back - about a lighter MS giving a lighter trigger pull.
But I’m not sure thats all there is to it, or that it’s the best way.

From one source:
“ As noted, the 1911 main spring is akin to a hammer spring. It is the spring that keeps the hammer under tension and forces the hammer forward after a trigger pull. In the 1911, the main spring is located inside the main spring housing…” etc.

I too need to replace a plastic MSH ( my Tisas Carry .45 ) and replace the ambi safety with a single that just arrived from WC ( if it’ll fit ).
Maybe I’ll look at that myself.
 
TidalWave said:
I’ve also heard something - long time back - about a lighter MS giving a lighter trigger pull.
But I’m not sure thats all there is to it, or that it’s the best way.

From one source:
“ As noted, the 1911 main spring is akin to a hammer spring. It is the spring that keeps the hammer under tension and forces the hammer forward after a trigger pull. In the 1911, the main spring is located inside the main spring housing…” etc.

I too need to replace a plastic MSH ( my Tisas Carry .45 ) and replace the ambi safety with a single that just arrived from WC ( if it’ll fit ).
Maybe I’ll look at that myself.
Click to expand...
yeah i myself have only changed out the MSH's, which there is a quick neat tip to do that, and not disturb the sear spring.

you may have already seen this neat trick, if not, here it is again

(i never remove the grips like in this video)

but start at the 2:40 point, for the neat tip.


i still need to experiment on my less expensive Tisas for full strip/disassembly...(someday)
 
Annihilator said:
I have never put a lighter mainspring in any of my 1911’s, I pretty much keep my stuff stock, unless I was setting one up for bullseye or other competition, now years ago I changed springs, hammer and sear on a Colt Gold Cup series 70 due to the factory 2-piece sear broke, that’s the only 1911 I ever did that to
Click to expand...
Annihilator said:
My Kimber’s have the plastic MSH, honestly, they don’t bother me, but I do wish they would put metal ones on instead, my Colts and Sig are metal.
Click to expand...
yes, as for "competition" i do not do that, but i do want "bullseye" each and every time. to (to me) at least sharpen my self defense skills.

what annoyed me the most with the majority of my 1911's.??

some of the cheaper ones,,,the RIA/Tisas have an all metal MSH. some of my "higher" priced 1911's, like the Ruger, had a plastic one, as well as my Kimber.

i cannot fathom the rhyme nor reason for a "cheaper" gun, to have metal, and the higher priced, to have plastic.

although my 2 D/W's have metal
 
O_M :
Please read thru this other site’s thread. You might get some answers out of it - it explained a few gaps in my knowledge ( and raised a few questions, lol ).

1911 Stock Mainspring

What weight is the standard mainspring for a 9mm 1911 Government Model. What is the advantage of a lighter or heavier mainspring than the standard one.
www.thehighroad.org
 
TidalWave said:
O_M :
Please read thru this other site’s thread. You might get some answers out of it - it explained a few gaps in my knowledge ( and raised a few questions, lol ).

1911 Stock Mainspring

What weight is the standard mainspring for a 9mm 1911 Government Model. What is the advantage of a lighter or heavier mainspring than the standard one.
www.thehighroad.org
Click to expand...
yeah thanks. i am a "member" there as well, but just don't go there all that often.

as for what i shoot, many times it is reloaded ammo, that i buy. i cannot say they are "hot loads". i can say that they are VERY DIRTY loads

when i want to cut down on my stock of factory ammo, then i shoot that, the typical 230 gr (same as the reloaded).

all brass (and once in a blue moon aluminum), never steel.

i have the A-typical onl man hands, meaning "some" stiffness in my fingers, on both hands.

so a lighter trigger pull would be great.

as i mentioned in an early posting, i do have the Lyman trigger pull gauge, which is digital.

all my tools, and guns, and ammo, are in my cellar (or basement) and there is NO heat, but i will try to test each and every of my 12, 1911's today, if i can.

i am also doing a whole lot of googling searching on this, and it's like a near 50/50 consensus on replacing only the hammer/main spring.

naturally, if i read the sales pitches (ans many reviews) of the makers of the springs, they talk up a storm of how great the product is for your shooting pleasure
 
Just to answer your question....

At one time I had lighter mainsprings in most of my 1911s and yes they definitely affect the trigger pull weight. I never had any problems at all with ignition in thousands of rounds, including .22 conversions, and as we all know, .22LR is harder to light off than centerfire ammo.

When I got back from LFI-I in 1988, I replaced the light mainspring in my "house" 1911 with a stock USGI unit, which brought the trigger pull back up from about 4 to about 5 pounds, which I thought would be better court-wise for a defensive weapon.
 
Snake45 said:
Just to answer your question....

At one time I had lighter mainsprings in most of my 1911s and yes they definitely affect the trigger pull weight. I never had any problems at all with ignition in thousands of rounds, including .22 conversions, and as we all know, .22LR is harder to light off than centerfire ammo.

When I got back from LFI-I in 1988, I replaced the light mainspring in my "house" 1911 with a stock USGI unit, which brought the trigger pull back up from about 4 to about 5 pounds, which I thought would be better court-wise for a defensive weapon.
Click to expand...
ok thanks. all my 1911's are pretty range bound.

i have like 3 other guns for home defense/self defense which are not "modified".
 
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