Yes, that is exactly what I was referring to about the spring moving. The grip safety does cover it up and make it difficult to see when assembling. You have to do all that and get the hammer strut to sit on the mainspring cap properly.
R,
Bullseye
Colt 1911, Maybe
Moderators: Bullseye, Moderators
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greener
This was my first 4-finger spring and it administered a whuppin'. The 3-finger spring is slap it on, slap the grip safety on and run the msh up. Easy. When the 4-finger spring was off, nothing, including the thumb safety worked.
Now all I need to do is try some bending to reduce trigger weight. JUST as soon as I get up the nerve.
Now all I need to do is try some bending to reduce trigger weight. JUST as soon as I get up the nerve.
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bigfatdave
- Master contributor
- Posts: 705
- Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:22 am
- Location: near Camp Perry
The four fingered Clark leaf spring was designed to give a lighter trigger break without having the pistol double due to trigger bounce. The third spring leaf is only for tension on the trigger bow. While it can lead to slightly more take-up tension, it can prevent the trigger from bouncing due to inertia. However, a well tuned trigger and a normal 3 leaf spring is all I use on my custom pistols.
R,
Bullseye
R,
Bullseye
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greener
My first 2 springs on my wad gun were clark 4 leaf's. They would never hold a set. We would start out at a nice 3 3/4# trigger and within 6-9 months I would be under 3#. It was always gradual and not real noticeable. I went to a standard 3 leaf last time and haven't had the problem resurface in over 5 years.
FWIW
FWIW
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” – George Washington
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bigfatdave
- Master contributor
- Posts: 705
- Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:22 am
- Location: near Camp Perry
In my opinion, its like the FLGR (full length guide rod), and Remingtons electronic primer, a brilliant solution in search of a problem.
FWIW
FWIW
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” – George Washington
Oh, how I hate to see an old war horse mutilated like that 
. I know it's the owners choice to do that, but to me it's a unforgivable sin. Who knows the history behind that gun? It's like sporterizing a Garand or Springfield '03 when you can easily buy something already made that way. I'd get a competent gunsmith to return it to it's glorious original configuration and be proud to own it. At $300, you could afford to do that. TJ
. I know it's the owners choice to do that, but to me it's a unforgivable sin. Who knows the history behind that gun? It's like sporterizing a Garand or Springfield '03 when you can easily buy something already made that way. I'd get a competent gunsmith to return it to it's glorious original configuration and be proud to own it. At $300, you could afford to do that. TJ-
greener
it may be hearasy, but, I personally don't buy the "if it is not the way JMB designed it it ain't right" school of thought. 
I personally think that any mod that directly improves the operation of the pistol would be "JMB approved".....flat or arched MSH, 1 or 2 poiece guide rods, better sights, extended or ambi safeties, bull bbl or standard bushing, beveked mag well's, flared ejection ports, external extractors.....etc. these are all 100 years of r&d, and the basic operation has stayed the same. JMB was a tinkerer, inventor, and a genius of gun design. I think if he was around today he'd be thinking of a way to make his gun better.
somethimes all you need it to think you'll get better accuracy from an "upgrade" and you will, it's like a placebo. you think you are getting the good stuff so you get better.
so I say make your gun Burger king style and have it your way.
I personally think that any mod that directly improves the operation of the pistol would be "JMB approved".....flat or arched MSH, 1 or 2 poiece guide rods, better sights, extended or ambi safeties, bull bbl or standard bushing, beveked mag well's, flared ejection ports, external extractors.....etc. these are all 100 years of r&d, and the basic operation has stayed the same. JMB was a tinkerer, inventor, and a genius of gun design. I think if he was around today he'd be thinking of a way to make his gun better.
somethimes all you need it to think you'll get better accuracy from an "upgrade" and you will, it's like a placebo. you think you are getting the good stuff so you get better.
so I say make your gun Burger king style and have it your way.
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greener
I can't tell which mods are hype and which actually do something. The extended beaver tails and some of the hammer mods are supposed to prevent hammer bite on the hand. I fired real GI models and never had a problem with that. I'm sure it is a problem, i just have no experience with it.
I've never been quite certain what the full length guide rod actually does. I'm not sure I understand how it would make the barrel more stable. I know, as you have experienced, a full length guide rod makes field stripping and reassembly slightly more difficult. From the Kimber website, it seems that all their models have full length guide rods. Les Baer doesn't look like they have them and/or they don't seem to mention it.
I've never been quite certain what the full length guide rod actually does. I'm not sure I understand how it would make the barrel more stable. I know, as you have experienced, a full length guide rod makes field stripping and reassembly slightly more difficult. From the Kimber website, it seems that all their models have full length guide rods. Les Baer doesn't look like they have them and/or they don't seem to mention it.
There really isn't anywhere for the recoil spring to go or kink inside a normal 1911 with the standard recoil guide rod. The best way I can show this is with this x-ray photo of a 1911.
In the picture one can see it has a normal GI length guide rod. You can also see the recoil spring and the recoil spring plug. Between the guide rod and the spring plug is only about 3/4" of uncovered recoil spring and it is contained underneath the barrel within the frame cavity. There's no place for the spring to kink or twist. You can also notice that this particular picture has a bullet almost exiting the barrel and see that this barrel is still in lock-up. The recoil spring coils are evenly distributed, no bunching or kinking is evident with the normal length guide rod. There are signs that the barrel is about to unlock with the slide stop pin just slightly off of the back of the barrel hooks and the small gaps forming on the back sides of the barrel's locking lugs.
Hope this helps.
R,
Bullseye
In the picture one can see it has a normal GI length guide rod. You can also see the recoil spring and the recoil spring plug. Between the guide rod and the spring plug is only about 3/4" of uncovered recoil spring and it is contained underneath the barrel within the frame cavity. There's no place for the spring to kink or twist. You can also notice that this particular picture has a bullet almost exiting the barrel and see that this barrel is still in lock-up. The recoil spring coils are evenly distributed, no bunching or kinking is evident with the normal length guide rod. There are signs that the barrel is about to unlock with the slide stop pin just slightly off of the back of the barrel hooks and the small gaps forming on the back sides of the barrel's locking lugs.
Hope this helps.
R,
Bullseye
If you have both you can shoot a group with one, switch guide rods and shoot another, see if it makes a difference.... besides it gives you a real reason to go shootin', for science!greener wrote:I can't tell which mods are hype and which actually do something. The extended beaver tails and some of the hammer mods are supposed to prevent hammer bite on the hand. I fired real GI models and never had a problem with that. I'm sure it is a problem, i just have no experience with it.
I've never been quite certain what the full length guide rod actually does. I'm not sure I understand how it would make the barrel more stable. I know, as you have experienced, a full length guide rod makes field stripping and reassembly slightly more difficult. From the Kimber website, it seems that all their models have full length guide rods. Les Baer doesn't look like they have them and/or they don't seem to mention it.
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bigfatdave
- Master contributor
- Posts: 705
- Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:22 am
- Location: near Camp Perry
No doubt there, I think JMB would have a good laugh at the concept that he had created the "perfect handgun for all time".bgreenea3 wrote:it may be hearasy, but, I personally don't buy the "if it is not the way JMB designed it it ain't right" school of thought.
<snip>
JMB was a tinkerer, inventor, and a genius of gun design. I think if he was around today he'd be thinking of a way to make his gun better.
Awesome photo!Bullseye wrote:x-ray photo of a 1911
1- Is it part of a series?
2- Do you have it higher resolution? I already made it my background.