Help with 1911 springs
- Thread starter waco
- Start date
Ian
Notorious member
I think we need to preserve Bill's post, or perhaps this whole thread, for future reference. The 1911 is a little out of vogue compared to 30 years ago and much of the basic user's education regarding the platform is being lost. Excellent books abound on the subject, but the basics are easily communicated as they have been here. Mods please consider this as a candidate for Threads of Note.
Wasalmonslayer
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info Bill 
Anything to help my guns run smoother and operate better is always greatly appreciated!!
Anything to help my guns run smoother and operate better is always greatly appreciated!!
Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Very welcome, all. I have shot the platform for about 40 yeas now, and smithed on them almost that
long, doing things like checkering the front of the grip frame, and fitting new barrels, installing new
front sights to get either a better sight picture or taller or shorter sight to get the POI to match the POA.
I have been doing highest grade trigger jobs since the 80s, when I found a book by a former USAF armorer,
self published, out of print for decades. I met him at gun shows and over the years we spent some time
discussing finer points of the design, it was neat tapping into that military target pistol mentality and
skill set a little bit.
There are other things to learn about the gun. I will think about what else might be interesting.
Bill
long, doing things like checkering the front of the grip frame, and fitting new barrels, installing new
front sights to get either a better sight picture or taller or shorter sight to get the POI to match the POA.
I have been doing highest grade trigger jobs since the 80s, when I found a book by a former USAF armorer,
self published, out of print for decades. I met him at gun shows and over the years we spent some time
discussing finer points of the design, it was neat tapping into that military target pistol mentality and
skill set a little bit.
There are other things to learn about the gun. I will think about what else might be interesting.
Bill
Longone
Active Member
Nice write up Bill thanks for taking the time to share.
One little thing that I always do is to put a kink in the plunger tube spring, that little bugger will sail a good distance if your not careful while removing the thumb safety.
IMO while the 1911 is well seasoned it is really a fascination firearm the way it all works together. We as a country are very fortunate to have had people like Mr Browning and Mr Garand develope such amazing firearms for us to enjoy.
One little thing that I always do is to put a kink in the plunger tube spring, that little bugger will sail a good distance if your not careful while removing the thumb safety.
IMO while the 1911 is well seasoned it is really a fascination firearm the way it all works together. We as a country are very fortunate to have had people like Mr Browning and Mr Garand develope such amazing firearms for us to enjoy.
Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Yes, another design feature lost in the pickup of the 1911 by dozens of new manufacturers.
All the original Colt plunger springs have a factory kink in the middle to keep the spring from
flying out, and the plunger has a snout that retains it to the spring, so that pulling out the
safety won't easily lose the plunger or spring.
There is no question in my mind that JMB was a true genius. Without our modern computer
drafting tools, and mostly in his mind he was able to imagine extremely complex designs and
make them work. So many of his designs have been in production for many decades, because
they are the best solutions. One interesting thing is that I have been told that the current production
FN medium machine gun, called the M240 by US forces, used since the late 70s is basically a
Browning Automatic Rifle flipped upside down with a belt feed top cover in place of the 20
round magazine of the BAR. Of course the BAR was the first successful light, single operator
machine gun which used full power battle rifle ammunition.
Many other JMB designs still in production and in use in militaries around the world, and
by civilians, too.
Bill
All the original Colt plunger springs have a factory kink in the middle to keep the spring from
flying out, and the plunger has a snout that retains it to the spring, so that pulling out the
safety won't easily lose the plunger or spring.
There is no question in my mind that JMB was a true genius. Without our modern computer
drafting tools, and mostly in his mind he was able to imagine extremely complex designs and
make them work. So many of his designs have been in production for many decades, because
they are the best solutions. One interesting thing is that I have been told that the current production
FN medium machine gun, called the M240 by US forces, used since the late 70s is basically a
Browning Automatic Rifle flipped upside down with a belt feed top cover in place of the 20
round magazine of the BAR. Of course the BAR was the first successful light, single operator
machine gun which used full power battle rifle ammunition.
Many other JMB designs still in production and in use in militaries around the world, and
by civilians, too.
Bill
Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Uh, no , Brad. Some do a great job, others, not so much.
The only legitimate improvements have been minor ergonomic things like the beavertail grip
safety and commander hammer, better front and rear sights. Frankly, the original milspec
safety works perfectly for me, and the Colt Mark IV is also perfect for most of us. A long
trigger with a stop suits me slightly better than the standard short trigger, but not a huge
deal.
Magazine 'improvements are questionable whether they are better, a wash or harmful
for most ammo. For H&G 130 loads, I can see needing the early release, but for almost
everything else, not so much, and the parallel lips are proof that the design is a lot more
forgiving of out of spec mags than we have any right to expect.
I have a box stock Ithaca milsurp 1911 that had a slight pitted original bbl, so I
dropped a Colt commercial MK IV bbl into it, zero fitting, just swapped parts. Later I
added a front night sight. Frankly, if that was the only 1911 I could ever have, I'd
be happy with it as a self defense tool. When I first got it, NO changes and with
Evensville WW2 surplus ball I put the first 5 rounds into about 3" at 15 yds. I don't know what
else you might need from an actual military fighting handgun.
Bill
The only legitimate improvements have been minor ergonomic things like the beavertail grip
safety and commander hammer, better front and rear sights. Frankly, the original milspec
safety works perfectly for me, and the Colt Mark IV is also perfect for most of us. A long
trigger with a stop suits me slightly better than the standard short trigger, but not a huge
deal.
Magazine 'improvements are questionable whether they are better, a wash or harmful
for most ammo. For H&G 130 loads, I can see needing the early release, but for almost
everything else, not so much, and the parallel lips are proof that the design is a lot more
forgiving of out of spec mags than we have any right to expect.
I have a box stock Ithaca milsurp 1911 that had a slight pitted original bbl, so I
dropped a Colt commercial MK IV bbl into it, zero fitting, just swapped parts. Later I
added a front night sight. Frankly, if that was the only 1911 I could ever have, I'd
be happy with it as a self defense tool. When I first got it, NO changes and with
Evensville WW2 surplus ball I put the first 5 rounds into about 3" at 15 yds. I don't know what
else you might need from an actual military fighting handgun.
Bill
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