Recoil Springs

If a 1911 recoil spring is just right to eject and lock back with a particular load, does it cause any damage to the gun if a spring that is 2-4 lbs lower weight is used?

You will have more felt recoil and be harder on parts.

SonOfSwede wrote:If a 1911 recoil spring is just right to eject and lock back with a particular load, does it cause any damage to the gun if a spring that is 2-4 lbs lower weight is used?

The lighter the recoil spring, the less muzzle dip when the pistol returns to battery, the less wear and tear on the lower barrel lugs as they slam into the slide stop, the less impact force on the slide stop frame holes . . .

To lower the rearward slide velocity when using a light recoil spring you can fit a small radius oversize firing pin stop and/or drop in a heavier than standard mainspring.

The lighter your handloads, the less wear and tear overall.

It's all a balancing act.

Greetings,

If the recoil spring is too light, the slide comes back and compresses the spring fully then strikes the receiver.

The recoil spring guide will start to batter and deform the lower barrel lugs.

Worse case, the barrel locking link will fracture and fail.

Springs are relatively cheap. Buy the correct one for the job.

Choose the spring that just allows the slide lock to hold the slide back on the last shot.

Cheers,

Dave

fc60 wrote:If the recoil spring is too light, the slide comes back and compresses the spring fully then strikes the receiver.

The recoil spring guide will start to batter and deform the lower barrel lugs.

Worse case, the barrel locking link will fracture and fail.

I agree but understand that normal operation of the pistol will always result in the slide impacting the recoil spring guide and that force being transmitted to the frame.  Also the lower barrel lugs must impact the frame's vertical impact surface (VIS) for correct operation.  The recoil spring guide will not impact the lower lugs.  The only question in all of this is how much force is in play.

Failure of a barrel link is the result of incorrect fitting of the barrel and/or selecting the wrong link length.

A minimally radiused firing pin stop and a mainspring appropriate to the ammo and recoil spring weight will have much more effect on reducing the rearward slide velocity than the recoil spring.