Problem with new 1911 recoil spring.
I've been shooting my Colt M1991A1 .45ACP
I noticed that after many many boxes of ammo, my recoil spring had gotten a little soft. I decided to replace it. I figured a heavier spring would last longer so the new one is a little heavier than the original stock. Problem is, now I can't hit the broad side of a barn. I was never a crack shot, but I was never this bad either. My accuracy is down significantly.
Is the heavier spring the problem, or do I just need more pratice? Should I get one that is the same as the stock part, or just break in this new heavier one?
Original was stock Colt M1991A1.
Replacement was Nowlin 18.5#
I noticed that after many many boxes of ammo, my recoil spring had gotten a little soft. I decided to replace it. I figured a heavier spring would last longer so the new one is a little heavier than the original stock. Problem is, now I can't hit the broad side of a barn. I was never a crack shot, but I was never this bad either. My accuracy is down significantly.
Is the heavier spring the problem, or do I just need more pratice? Should I get one that is the same as the stock part, or just break in this new heavier one?
Original was stock Colt M1991A1.
Replacement was Nowlin 18.5#
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I can not imagine that the recoil spring would affect the accuracy of your Colt unless you are shooting light loads. I have used several of the Nowlin 18.5# springs with good results. I do use these with hotter loads. The standard Colt recoil spring is about 16#. I generally go to a 17# spring for standard loads. I normally keep an assortment of recoil springs and change them for what ever load I happen to be using at the time. 0 -
Are you doing light target reloads or standard/combat ammo? I replaced my recoil spring with a slightly heavier one from Les Baer. Seems to work just fine with all my loads. Would suggest you go get a fresh standard tension spring and see how that works if most of your shooting is on the moderate power side.
Three Precious Metals: Gold, silver and lead0 -
Rule of thumb is to replace the recoil spring after about every 2000 rounds. The cases should fall about 6-8 feet from the pistol after being fired. If they are further away, then the recoil spring is probably too light. Closer than that and you can probably use a slightly lighter spring.
One affect of a heavier recoil spring is that it slows the cycle rate a little which would affect follow-up shots. If you are shooting fast, this could effect your accuracy.0 -
The recoil spring has NOTHING to do with accuracy. The recoil spring is made in different pounds, to handle the recoil, and cycle the slide, depending on what you are shooting. That's it.
Rameleni10 -
Different weight recoil springs will affect accuracy in regard to follow-up shots. It is not the spring that changes the accuracy, but rather the difference in feel that it causes in regard to the slide action.
If you shot ten rounds as fast as you could with a 18# recoil spring in a 1911, then shot another ten rounds from the same pistol with a 20# recoil spring, the results would be different. Not because the springs change the accuracy, but rather the feel of the slide cycling. A heavier recoil spring causes the slide to have a little more felt action than a lighter one. It forces the slide into battery with a little more force causing the muzzle to have a little more movement between shots. This can be overcome by having a very firm grip on the pistol when you shoot it.
This only comes into play when firing the pistol rapidly such as in IDPA or IPSC style competition. Bullseye shooting or slow fire you probably wouldn't see any difference.0
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