9 mm Range Officer 'Tuning'...

87iroc · Oct 22, 2017

I have a new Range Officer that I was trying to run my 4 gr TiteGroup(124 gr Xtreme Bullets) through and had a couple of FTF's.

Suggestion was to put a lower recoil spring in it to allow it to use the same loads as my CORE.

Is this a good thing to do? I am seeing this gun uses a 10 lb recoil spring...but also am reading about a main spring. I think both need to add to 38ish lbs together? So lighter recoil spring, I'd have to up the main spring weight?

Or should I just amp up my load a 0.1 or 0.2 gr to get it to feed reliably?

Wanting to get it ready for USPSA next year.

Thanks,

Dean C. · Oct 23, 2017

87iroc said:
I have a new Range Officer that I was trying to run my 4 gr TiteGroup(124 gr Xtreme Bullets) through and had a couple of FTF's.

Suggestion was to put a lower recoil spring in it to allow it to use the same loads as my CORE.

Is this a good thing to do? I am seeing this gun uses a 10 lb recoil spring...but also am reading about a main spring. I think both need to add to 38ish lbs together? So lighter recoil spring, I'd have to up the main spring weight?

Or should I just amp up my load a 0.1 or 0.2 gr to get it to feed reliably?

Wanting to get it ready for USPSA next year.

Thanks,

You are loading towards the higher end for titegroup I am really surprised you are having issues as my Springfield Operator runs 200gr 45ACP with 4.2gr TiteGroup (yes this loading produces basically no recoil and it ejects into a nice little pile a foot from my feet) running a 23# mainspring and 18# recoil spring just fine.

I cannot find Colt supplied numbers for the spring weights but if you are using the stock Colt spring I would not be surprised if it is around 14# or so. If I were you I would not mess with the mainspring. With 9mm 1911's they are finicky how they like to be lubricated. Have you tried using say Wilson Combat Lite Oil on your gun I have found it really slicks up the slide nicely making them more reliable than a heavier oil or grease.

Egldriver · Oct 23, 2017

I have run a lot of rounds of that exact load through my RO with zero problems. It is possible that some more break in is required. Also, it seems 9mm needs lighter viscosity lubes (see Bill Wilsons article on 9mm 1911's). I run an 11 pound spring in mine with no problem but it probably has about 10000 rounds though it. Isn't 4 grains was the max load for that bullet according to the Hodgeon website?

Tp222 · Oct 24, 2017

When my SA 1911 9mm was new I had multiple issues with it and sent it back in and they discovered a problem form production but cured it with a slide and action job, now it feels like the slide is ridding on warn butter. Since this was done I have had zero issues with any load even with grease lube. Have approximately 6k rounds through it now.

VERT · Oct 24, 2017

Bring it down to Seymour sometime and I will take a look at it my friend. Most factory guns are oversprung. Go ahead and plan on a 19 lb main spring for the gun. I probably have an assortment of new recoil springs in the drawer for both 4' and 5" guns. But for a 5" gun I am guessing a 10-12 lb spring would be about right. We need to look at the extractor tension as well. While we are at it I have a magwell and grips that I am thinking of taking off a gun. I have not decided on that yet. But could probably be talked into a modest trade while you are ordering any parts since I am thinking of going another direction.

I am running a 19 lb hammer spring and an 11 lb traditional or 13 lb flat wire spring in my 1911 with 130 power factor loads.

9 mm Range Officer 'Tuning'...

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