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Ruger 1911 spring weights?

3K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  J Travis 
#1 ·
Anyone know the weight of the slide spring weight/weights Ruger is using in its 1911 .45s?

In particular, I have a TALO 5-inch GM and I have had a bear of a time
racking the slide. I finally switched out to a 16-pound Wolff spring. But
it still seems awfully hard to rack the slide.

Another TALO, the Commander is also very, very stiff to pull back the slide
but not so much as the full sized model. But still heavy!

I have a Springfield Loaded and a Colt Elite and have no such problems with them.
 
#2 ·
If nothing is dragging, how tight is the slide/frame fit?

How heavy is the hammer spring?

Look at the bottom rear edge of the firing pin stop/retainer. Is it rounded or square? Some stops are made square so there is less leverage which delays unlocking slightly for reduced felt recoil with heavier loads. I.e., that bottom edge contacts the hammer at a lower initial point which reduces mechanical advantage.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the advice.

Checked the firing pin stops of the TALO Ruger, the Springfield and the Colt and all appear to have the same level of bevel.

Usually, a 16-pound recoil spring is standard. I'm thinking the Ruger TALO
has a much heavier spring. And yes, the hammer spring seems heavier than
the Springfield or Colt.

Silly me, I just remembered to check my SR1911 non-TALO and it seems to have a 'normal' or Colt-like characteristic.

Think I'll just try a 16-pound spring and see what happens. I'm not planning to use anything but regular ball ammo on the TALO.
 
#4 ·
Think I'll just try a 16-pound spring and see what happens. I'm not planning to use anything but regular ball ammo on the TALO.
You can drop to a 14-pound spring if you want to. As long as the gun goes to battery reliably...and if it doesn't, it needs tweakin'...without a problem.

The "recoil" spring's function is sending the slide to battery. Whatever else it happens to do is incidental.
 
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