So, why does the Commander’s spring run a little heavier?
It’s simple physics.
A moving object is subject to outside forces fighting to decelerate it and bring it to a stop the instant that it starts moving. At least here on terra firma. The two main forces are friction and gravity. In the case of the forward moving slide that has to strip a fresh cartridge from the magazine…bounce it off the feed ramp and over the top of the barrel ramp…force the rim under the extractor…and go to battery…we’ll focus mainly on friction, even though the inertial mass of the cartridge itself plays a role.
In short, the slide relies on a certain level of momentum to assist the spring in returning the slide successfully to battery, and even though there’s not a lot of difference in mass between the two slides…everything means something. The shorter slide is demonstably lighter/lower in mass…and momentum is a function of Mass X Velocity.
The 5-inch 1911 is actually over-engineered in this respect. If all is to spec within the gun, it will run with a much lighter spring. But guns vary a little, and guns get dirty, and gun owners often neglect to place a drop of oil in the rails for weeks at a time. The spring compensates for these things.
But all this isn’t the main reason that a Commander uses a heavier spring.
Because the outside forces fighting the slide’s return are equal to those in the 5-inch gun, the goal was to insure equal momentum in the forward direction. Because momentum is a function of mass and velocity…and because the slide is, in fact, lower mass…it has to be moving a little faster when those outside forces start to fight it.
But wait! There’s more!
Because the Commander’s slide distance to the impact abutment is shorter than the 5-inch gun’s…the slide also has less distance…or runup…to the magazine, where it encounters its first significant resistant outside force…the spring has less distance to accelerate the slide to the required velocity to develop the momentum it needs to insure returning to battery.
This need for a heavier spring can be reduced or eliminated by seeing to it that the gun feeds as smoothly as possible, but the main culprit is the extractor. Believe it or not, the extractor can be the single most resistive outside force in the feeding phase if it’s not to spec in both deflection and tension. An extractor can stop a slide in its tracks just as it starts to pick up the case rim.
The problem is that mass produced pistols don’t get the attention to detail…the “fine tuning” if you will…that a gunsmith or a tuner can give it. So, they just stick in a heavier spring to make sure all the bases are covered. Over-engineered to compensate for the small variations.
I haven’t bought a Commander-specific action/recoil spring in over 30 years, and I never use the generally accepted “standard” 18 pounds in any event. For my Commanders…LW and steel-framed…I cut a Wolff 16 pound Government Model spring to 24.5 coils, and I’ve never had a problem.
This comes with a caveat, and this is important…so pay close attention.
The Commander recoil system must be of the original design…essentially a shortened Government Model system…and reverse plug/bushingless systems will not work with this trick. It will work with full-length guide rods as long as it’s not a reverse plug setup. Neither will it work in Officer’s Models, or Springfield’s 4-inch Champion…or in any shortened variant less than 4.25 inches.
by cutting a standard spring, what weight do you think you are getting from the spring, for the commander?
I don’t know, Bruce. I never tested it. Going strictly by feel, I’d estimate that cutting a 16-pound standard spring to the required 24.5 coils would net right around 16-17 pounds at full spring compression, and about 15-16 at full slide travel…which is just about right.
By cutting the spring for the commander, it definitely is an improvement! but then there comes reverse recoil chamber slack. By adding a bull barrel to the tight fit perfection, you will never have to change any major spring or have any whatsoever lock-up or slide/chamber malfunction for as long as That Colt Commander is firing rounds!!! So… full length guide rod, the cut Government 24.5 coil spring, & the perfect grind and fit for mass barrel with no wiggle room, YOU WILL HAVE A RANGE CHAMPION AND PERFECT LINE OF DEFENSE IF NEED TO TAKE ACTION! 🙂
Do you recommend a 14# spring for “duty type use” with a 5″ .45 ? Or should we use the 16# ?
Thanks.
The 14 pound Wolff will be just fine, so many misunderstand the recoil spring believing it delays unlocking. It does not. As the bullet moves down the bore it is trying to pull the barrel off the receiver and it is the momentum generated by the case head pushing back on the breech face that causes the reward slide movement. I have heard several folks say the recoil spring could have been called the action spring as it’s primary job is to return the slide to battery. Yes a very heavy spring may retard reward slide movement a bit but as we know springs work both ways, so a heavy spring is tougher on the slide stop hole. I am confident the 14 pound recoil spring will be just fine and a bit easier on the pistol as the slide returns to battery.