Is the lightest spring best for accuracy with the 45 ACP? Light spring, light load, less recoil? Or is there more involved? Was planning on using a 5 pound recoil spring.

Thanks,

Dan

I'm assuming you're using a 1911 with a 5" barrel. You'll need a very light load with a 5 lb. spring to avoid frame battering. A load that light won't necessarily be more accurate, but it is easier to shoot. The old bullseye load of a 200 gr. SWC at 700 fps works for me with a 12 or 14 lb. spring.

Bye
Jack

Think Jack ahs the right answer...no reason to ever go below a 12pound spring in .45acp. Spring's main jobs are to slow the slide down AFTER it has unlocked (not delay unlocking) to avoid the slide battering the frame and to strip a round out of the magazine and stuff it in the chamber. Too light, and you may have problems in both areas.

OF course, you'd better change the spring when you go back to normal loads. The liter target loadings may be a bit more accurate, but more inportantly they recoil less...and top level competion needs even that little edge.

I use a 12 lb. Wolf variable in my 1911 target gun with 185 gr. SWCs at about 700 fps. Anything much less will require such a light load that accuracy will suffer not to mention reliability. Bullseye competitors want their .45s to recoil like .22s when they come to the sustained fire portion of the match. If this is your only .45, be sure to change back to the full power spring before shooting hardball!