red dot on .38 wadcutter 1911

So this .38 wadcutter 1911 I bought runs great now. I have a grip mounted red dot on it and am wondering what my options are for something more permanent. Will a slide mounted dot cycle the 2.7 gr WST or will I need to up it?

Shot next to a guy in PA that had a ud-4 mounted on a 6" 38 slide.  And it ran with no refires.

Gus

A frame mount would let you shoot lighter loads, but you would need to be willing to install a frame mount.

orpheoet wrote:So this .38 wadcutter 1911 I bought runs great now. I have a grip mounted red dot on it and am wondering what my options are for something more permanent. Will a slide mounted dot cycle the 2.7 gr WST or will I need to up it?

I checked with Clark about changing out the Bo-Mar rib on my Heavy Slide for a mount for an ultradot.  Using 2.7 BE, they said the slide would be too heavy and I have to agree.
I'm using a 7 pound recoil spring now and it functions all the time with the 2.7 load.
I checked the weight of taking off the Bo-Mar and replacing it with a Marvel mount.  I thought the Marvel mount would make it lighter.  The slide would weigh exactly the same and adding the ultradot would just add to it, so Clark was right on the pistol not functioning.
I thought about a frame mount, but just can't bring myself to having someone drill holes in it.

Nothing wrong with a hotter load to function pistol. Your not giving anything up. The heavier slide/optic combo will need the extra powder but weight will reduce felt recoil. I've shot the .38 everyway imaginable. Not a bunch of difference.
Jon

About how much would my charge need to go up?

orpheoet wrote:About how much would my charge need to go up?

You will just have to experiment.  I've used up to 3.0 grains of Bullseye with the 148 grain HBWC but accuracy went down the tubes with that charge.  With 2.7 of BE, the Clark will shoot and inch and a half at 50 yards out of a Ransom Rest.  The 3.0 load opened up considerably.

cdrt wrote:

orpheoet wrote:About how much would my charge need to go up?

You will just have to experiment.  I've used up to 3.0 grains of Bullseye with the 148 grain HBWC but accuracy went down the tubes with that charge.  With 2.7 of BE, the Clark will shoot and inch and a half at 50 yards out of a Ransom Rest.  The 3.0 load opened up considerably.

Never experienced one that finicky. I've shot BE from 2.7 to 3.2 and all were about the same. My barrel is 1:10 twist Douglas. I shoot a lot of Winchester match that is warm in comparison and it shoots great. Will function any optic on slide pistol. I used it the other day on pistol Im building with excellent results. If your worried about weight have KC do his micro slide cut. That'll trim about 3 oz off and you won't be adding weight with a rib. Just an expensive micro
Jon

Jon Eulette wrote:

cdrt wrote:

orpheoet wrote:About how much would my charge need to go up?

You will just have to experiment.  I've used up to 3.0 grains of Bullseye with the 148 grain HBWC but accuracy went down the tubes with that charge.  With 2.7 of BE, the Clark will shoot and inch and a half at 50 yards out of a Ransom Rest.  The 3.0 load opened up considerably.

Never experienced one that finicky. I've shot BE from 2.7 to 3.2 and all were about the same. My barrel is 1:10 twist Douglas. I shoot a lot of Winchester match that is warm in comparison and it shoots great. Will function any optic on slide pistol. I used it the other day on pistol Im building with excellent results. If your worried about weight have KC do his micro slide cut. That'll trim about 3 oz off and you won't be adding weight with a rib. Just an expensive micro
Jon

I've decided to keep the Clark the way it is.  I still break 830 with it consistently.  I only went to a dot on the .45 as an experiment.

Cdrt....I was mainly responding to Orpheoet. Cdrt is right....just experiment. I recently tightened an old Clark heavy slide .38 spl. Had Aimpoint 9000 on it with full rib. Had super duper light recoil spring. For 25 yds thats fairly forgiving. 50 requires some resistance to stay locked up well. You could tune pistol for 50 and swap springs for shortline and run anything that functions reliably. Every one that I build requires something a little different. Just know that there are tons of .38's out there running slide mounted optics. You can do it!
Jon

Jon,
What is the preferred 1911 .38 special barrel. Ramped or non ramped?
Thanks,
Wes

Really depends on your receiver.  If I was building a new gun I'd go for the ramped (W/N) barrel.  But most of the time it's a re-barrel so you get to let the receiver make that choice for you.

What KC said. They both work fine. Magazines are biggest issue. I've had them fail to feed ramped and non-ramped barrels. Once mags are good barrel type isn't an issue.
Jon

Thank you both.
I once witnessed a non-ramped .38AMU case rupture which left the shooters face full of little blood spots from all of the molten brass that passed thru the slide/frame gaps.
I've never seen a .38spl that was ramped and have wondered if they can be made reliable.
Just ordered a Clark ramped barrel, so thanks,
Wes

I owned three Clark 38s years ago.. non were ramped and never gave me any issues... but I did have the good Colt mags to use

I must have good mags. Both Colts. One I'm told is the original style and one is the second version. With a 7 lb recoil spring the gun runs perfect.