How often to detail strip 1911 and replace parts?

[Hueco]

Two questions in this one.

I shoot ~300 - 400 rounds / week and field strip and clean following every session. How often would you detail strip and clean a 1911? The Google has found me forums stating "every 5000 rounds" to "once a year" so...what say you in this forum?

Additionally, at what point do you begin to replace parts? Again, another forum had a guy stating he replaced his recoil spring every 3000 rounds. That's every two months or less for me and it seems...excessive; Mostly because I've got about that many rounds through my gun and it's going strong as the first shot.

My assumption is that I'll look at replacing the recoil spring when I start to get jams that I'm not getting now. But, what other signs/symptoms do you look out for in replacing other parts?

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[zenbreath]

If you have an identical carry weapon, shoot it till something breaks.

 

[DLS]

Part of the reason for replacing the recoil spring is to reduce slide battering, not just to avoid jams.

The replacement cycle needs to consider the type of rounds fired. If you are shooting a lot of "soft ball" target loads you can go a very long time on the spring. I'd say probably the life of the barrel, but in reality I would swap it out sooner.. If you are shooting "hard ball" then every 3-5,000 may make sense.

Do you use a shock buffer? If so you can go much longer.

When you change out your hard ball spring, save it for your softball loads and get double duty. That way you can shoot the low recoil impulse target loads and still get full functionality.

 

[Hueco]

If you have an identical carry weapon, shoot it till something breaks.

I'm too poor to have an identical weapon. I blew it all on the first (DW Guardian). I like the advice though!

 

[Cerberus Group]

Detail strip and clean...depending on the cleanliness of your rounds. I usually run mine well over 1,000 rounds before it comes apart in little pieces.

The most trouble in a 1911 are the 2 weak points...extractor and magazines.

Most extractors these days are not made of the proper steel as originally designed. Always check the hook and proper tension.

Treat the magazine as part of the firing control group. The magazine hits the ground more than the pistol does, so clean them more often than any other part.

The action spring, also known as the recoil spring should be replaced when you notice a distinct ejection pattern change...distance mostly, followed by direction.

Several places to watch for wear...lower barrel lugs, link, and slide stop pin for uneven wear.

Just because the 1911 is running, doesn't mean its running correctly. They can chew on themselves for many rounds before they implode.

 

[zenbreath]

You can get a Rock Island Armory Commander for about $450. Use it for most of your practice. Do the last drill with your Guardian.

 

[Hueco]

Part of the reason for replacing the recoil spring is to reduce slide battering, not just to avoid jams.

The replacement cycle needs to consider the type of rounds fired. If you are shooting a lot of "soft ball" target loads you can go a very long time on the spring. I'd say probably the life of the barrel, but in reality I would swap it out sooner.. If you are shooting "hard ball" then every 3-5,000 may make sense.

Do you use a shock buffer? If so you can go much longer.

When you change out your hard ball spring, save it for your softball loads and get double duty. That way you can shoot the low recoil impulse target loads and still get full functionality.

What do you consider hard vs soft?

I shoot 9mm (I know, 9mm 1911. I'm a sacrileges heathen).

I use target ammo of whatever is cheapest. Most of the time it's 115gr (~70%). The rest is 124gr and 147gr split about equally.

I carry Hornady Critical Defense at 115gr and cycle the box ~monthly. I add in a box of some other hollow point for grins and giggles, usually something in the 124/147gr. I don't do much +P rounds.

 

[Cerberus Group]

+P batters the gun, not necessary.

 

[zenbreath]

Shoot what you like!!!

The most critical element in stopping power is getting MANY heart lung area hits.

Lots of practice is the best way to make sure you can get those hits.

 

[DLS]

...What do you consider hard vs soft?...

This terminology stemmed from the term "ball" used to describe military service ammo. When folks started using the 1911 (in .45ACP mind you) in Bullseye target competition they started down loading the round. Typical target fodder was a 200 gr. semi-wadcutter at around 675 - 750 FPS. This type of load provided high levels of accuracy and very low levels of gentle recoil.

These rounds shot "softer" so these loads picked up the nickname "soft ball" and the term "hard ball" began to be used to differentiate the service level 230 gr. loads. Softball loads required a lighter recoil spring to function, or a service weight spring with a few coils clipped off (a distance second choice due to reliability issues of the now shorter spring).

I don't know that there is really any parallels in 9mm factory loadings, but I've never really looked. I have a light cast bullet load for my Glock that requires a lighter spring for function, so that in essence would be a softball load.

The 115gr. "target loads" you are shooting are really pretty stout loadings for the most part, just loaded with a non-anti-personnel type of bullet, typically FMJ round nose. They may have a slightly lighter charge but you don't have to change to a lighter spring to allow these types of loads to fully cycle the slide. In my sense of the word I would not call these softball, nor really would I call them target loads … but that's another issue!

I hope this helps.

 

[Hueco]

This terminology stemmed from the term "ball" used to describe military service ammo. When folks started using the 1911 (in .45ACP mind you) in Bullseye target competition they started down loading the round. Typical target fodder was a 200 gr. semi-wadcutter at around 675 - 750 FPS. This type of load provided high levels of accuracy and very low levels of gentle recoil.

These rounds shot "softer" so these loads picked up the nickname "soft ball" and the term "hard ball" began to be used to differentiate the service level 230 gr. loads. Softball loads required a lighter recoil spring to function, or a service weight spring with a few coils clipped off (a distance second choice due to reliability issues of the now shorter spring).

I don't know that there is really any parallels in 9mm factory loadings, but I've never really looked. I have a light cast bullet load for my Glock that requires a lighter spring for function, so that in essence would be a softball load.

The 115gr. "target loads" you are shooting are really pretty stout loadings for the most part, just loaded with a non-anti-personnel type of bullet, typically FMJ round nose. They may have a slightly lighter charge but you don't have to change to a lighter spring to allow these types of loads to fully cycle the slide. In my sense of the word I would not call these softball, nor really would I call them target loads … but that's another issue!

I hope this helps.

Ah, that makes sense. I guess the only thing, then, that I've tried that would qualify as soft is Hornady Critical Defense Lights (-P I guess). Consistent stove pipes with that round and I've no want to change the spring to accommodate it.