Diet for my Rock River...

OK, well...

The new service pistol rules indicate a 42oz. weight limit. My Rock River with the combo rail was about 1.25oz overweight. Swapped out the full length guide rod for a GI unit. Now I'm over by 13 measly grams. Removed the skateboard tape, down to 9 grams, but I dont really want to lose that. It wears sharkskin grips, so not much to lose there. 

Where else can I buy 13 grams? Found a couple aluminum and even G10 mainspring housings online (Hogue). Any one have experience with these? It's getting wrapped in skateboard tape anyway, so not worried about external wear or grip. Other ideas? Not a fan of altering the frame or rail.

Thanks!

Dave

Weigh some different magazines?

I highly doubt anyone will weigh your pistol to that level of precision. Worst case, the rail can have some material removed from underneath. Slide can also be cut in some places to make it a little bit lighter. But again, I really wouldn't bother, unless this year at Perry they will weigh the whole gun in addition to checking the trigger weight.

Weight reduction on the rib is the best option short of more standard sights.

I would 100% plan on them weighing service pistols at Perry, also probably best to be under 42oz with some room for differences in scale calibration.

Dcforman wrote:OK, well...

The new service pistol rules indicate a 42oz. weight limit. My Rock River with the combo rail was about 1.25oz overweight. Swapped out the full length guide rod for a GI unit. Now I'm over by 13 measly grams. Removed the skateboard tape, down to 9 grams, but I dont really want to lose that. It wears sharkskin grips, so not much to lose there. 

Where else can I buy 13 grams? Found a couple aluminum and even G10 mainspring housings online (Hogue). Any one have experience with these? It's getting wrapped in skateboard tape anyway, so not worried about external wear or grip. Other ideas? Not a fan of altering the frame or rail.

Thanks!

Dave

I weighed 2 steel and 1 alum. mainspring housings, all flat. #1 steel 1.6 oz. or 45 gr , #2 steel 1.7 oz. or 49 gr. , alum. .6 oz. or 16 gr. . I had the alum. in a gun I bought used , didn't know it was alum. for over a year. Probably has a 19# main spring , shows no sign of wear. Hope that helps.

Last I checked, the combo rail was not allowed for service pistol. Did that rule changes?

mspingeld wrote:Last I checked, the combo trail was not allowed for service pistol. Did that rule changes?

Rules were updated this year. 

Link to summary 
https://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PistolRuleChanges.pdf

Richard Benoit wrote:

Dcforman wrote:OK, well...

The new service pistol rules indicate a 42oz. weight limit. My Rock River with the combo rail was about 1.25oz overweight. Swapped out the full length guide rod for a GI unit. Now I'm over by 13 measly grams. Removed the skateboard tape, down to 9 grams, but I dont really want to lose that. It wears sharkskin grips, so not much to lose there. 

Where else can I buy 13 grams? Found a couple aluminum and even G10 mainspring housings online (Hogue). Any one have experience with these? It's getting wrapped in skateboard tape anyway, so not worried about external wear or grip. Other ideas? Not a fan of altering the frame or rail.

Thanks!

Dave

I weighed 2 steel and 1 alum. mainspring housings, all flat. #1 steel 1.6 oz. or 45 gr , #2 steel 1.7 oz. or 49 gr. , alum. .6 oz. or 16 gr. . I had the alum. in a gun I bought used , didn't know it was alum. for over a year. Probably has a 19# main spring , shows no sign of wear. Hope that helps.

Thank you. Quite helpful. They're cheap enough that I'll give one a shot.

Dave

Just confirmed with Jim Henderson that the combo rail is permitted.

I think there is such a thing as plastic mainspring housings, and plastic triggers.

Other ideas are thin grips & escutions, and non bevertail grip saftey.

Aluminum mainspring housing will get you there

How about a plastic mainspring housing?

The colt plastic seem ok...

If I can make a suggestion...email Jim and explain the situation. There is still lotsa time to iron this out. I don't think he would want to see previously qualifying 1911 pistols butchered up to save an ounce or two. I would also assume that he would not want Rock River to lose business because these combo rails cause a good pistol to be disqualified, or to know that their combo rail in itself disqualifies a pistol. I think a basic poll here with a bunch of 1911 weights would start the ball rolling, accounting for things like guide rod differences and stainless vs. carbon steel, etc. With a known combo rail weight, and let's say, 1 oz of fudge factor thrown in, one could make a reasonable suggestion to the CMP to change that 42 ounce limit to XX oz. So I'll start (no magazine inserted):

Pre-70s Colt 1911 .45ACP:  35.85 oz (it came with the lightened slide)
SA RO 1911 9mm:   39.60 oz

Both installed with a FL guide rod.

Plenty of viable options under 42oz, I can guarantee Jim did his homework within the 1911 platform and outside it (eg m9s, p320 variants, ect.). My colt kit gun is 38oz with a bomar rib (without magazine). If you want to shoot a rib, plenty of options outside of rock river.

I thought the idea was to be able to shoot irons or optic on the same gun, leaving the rail installed. Permanent installation.

Combo rib is easily removable, but the slide doesn't have sight cuts. So off to the smith, or perhaps a Bomar rail. At any rate, I have a wilson combat aluminum MSH on the way. Should take care of the problem, and I might even be able to reinstall the FLGR.

Dave

Would there be any problem with drilling some 1/4" holes in the frame under the grips as was done to lighten bicycle and car racing components back in the day?

I was told by Rock River they are making lightening cuts on the combo rail so the gun will be below the CMP weight limit. I have one on the way expecting it will be CMP legal. They do not list weights on their website. 
Rush

This is also an option now. 

https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t24419-new-combo-rail 

Aluminum so you can be within weight spec and more easily run a Aimpoint 9000.

This is also an option now. 

https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t24419-new-combo-rail 



Thanks, that’s good information. I shoot iron sights but wanted the option of adding a dot for training with the same gun. And also be ready when service pistol allows optics. 
Rush

Rush223 wrote:This is also an option now. 

https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t24419-new-combo-rail 



Thanks, that’s good information. I shoot iron sights but wanted the option of adding a dot for training with the same gun. And also be ready when service pistol allows optics. 
Rush

I think it will be a long time before Service Pistol allows optics.

Yeah, considering we will not go to electronic targets it may be a while. But I used to be a service rifle shooter and the change was done there. It helps us old guys who can’t see.
Rush

chiz1180 wrote:

Rush223 wrote:This is also an option now. 

https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t24419-new-combo-rail 



Thanks, that’s good information. I shoot iron sights but wanted the option of adding a dot for training with the same gun. And also be ready when service pistol allows optics. 
Rush

I think it will be a long time before Service Pistol allows optics.

M17s and M18 are being issued with red dot sights to the combat arms as we speak. They’re now competing in Army and Marine Corps shooting programs with optics now. Optics will come in my lifetime and I’m over 70.

You kids get all the new toys. 

I am desperately trying to earn my Distinguished badge before the switch to optics. I only need one more good performance at an EIC match. I earned my rifle badge a year or so before the switch in rifle.  
Rush