If the gun is a .45 ACP then there isn't going to be a lot of "compensation" going on. You don't need a different spring but if you find a good deal on springs - buy them.

 

Bushing style comp.....

The gun should probably work fine as is, since the bushing comp is not attached to the barrel. However, the positive affect of reducing muzzle lift will be negligible at best.

The best method to reduce muzzle lift and felt recoil is to use a high pressure cartridge such as a 9mm, .40, .38 super, etc. with a multi ported expansion chamber compensator that is attached to a threaded barrel.

 

Correct.

 

Bushing compensators can work well depending on their design, how many ports and whether they have baffle plates. The Wilson Multi-Comp, with 3 ports works pretty well.

http://www.shootingtimes.com/gunsmithing/reducing-recoil-traditional-vs-bushing-compensators/

The difference between the effectiveness of a comp on a 45 and those on the so-called high-pressure cartridges is due to bullet weight, not chamber pressure. The 45 shoots heavy bullets, the others shoot light bullets.

 

Bushing compensators....?

Thanks for posting the article Superdude......I did not realize that some compensators that attach to the barrel may be called bushing compensators, even though they are technically traditional compensators.

Traditional compensators attach to the barrel, while bushing compensators replace the barrel bushing and attach to the slide. Some compensators are called bushing compensators even though they attach to the barrel via threads. They get that name because they include a traditional bushing behind the compensator, but they fall under the definition of a traditional compensator.

I know my first compensator on my .38 super for USPSA was a Wilson comp. that still had a bushing.....so according to the above article, it could still be called a "bushing compensator" even though it had a longer threaded barrel with a compensator attached by the threads with a bushing behind the comp that allowed the gun to function like a normal barrel.

Nowadays, when I hear a reference to a bushing compensator, I think of a compensator that replaces the slide bushing and attaches to the slide..... The Wilson Multi-Comp, with 3 ports is referred as a bushing compensator, but as the article suggests, it actually falls under the definition of a traditional compensator.

 

Thanks for posting the article Superdude......I did not realize that some compensators that attach to the barrel may be called bushing compensators, even though they are technically traditional compensators.


I know my first compensator on my .38 super for USPSA was a Wilson comp. that still had a bushing.....so according to the above article, it could still be called a "bushing compensator" even though it had a longer threaded barrel with a compensator attached by the threads with a bushing behind the comp that allowed the gun to function like a normal barrel.

Nowadays, when I hear a reference to a bushing compensator, I think of a compensator that replaces the slide bushing and attaches to the slide..... The Wilson Multi-Comp, with 3 ports is referred as a bushing compensator, but as the article suggests, it actually falls under the definition of a traditional compensator.

I think that the definition that is given in the article to distinguish their design is pretty clear.

Traditional compensators attach to the barrel, while bushing compensators replace the barrel bushing and attach to the slide.

A compensator that attaches to the barrel via threads should be considered a 'traditional' compensator. While some companies have been known to call these bushing compensators, it only means that a regular bushing can still be used. But that bushing is not integral with the compensator and the barrel does not pass through the compensator when fired. Therefore, they fit the definition of a traditional compensator.

A compensator that includes an integral bushing and attaches to the slide, requires that the barrel pass through it with every shot and should be considered a bushing compensator. The Wilson Multi-Comp is a bushing compensator, not a traditional compensator, as defined/described in the article. It is not a traditional compensator because it does not attach to the barrel. It replaces the bushing and attaches to the slide and the barrel passes through it with every shot. Its distinction is that it has baffle plates like a traditional compensator. It's not just a tube with slots for ports.

 

I just put a bushing style comp and a 2 pc guide rod on my fs rock 1911.and reused the stock spring. have not a chance to shoot it yet. anybody know of any issues with this set up do I need to get a different spring?

The answer to your spring question as to whether you will need a lighter spring is MAYBE. Bushing compensators seem to be despised around here but they can (and do) work for a lot of folks. If your stock spring is already pretty heavy, you might get a 15 lb. (and a 16 lb. if your gun is set up heavier than that now) and try them and see which ones give you the best control and function. A decent bushing compensator will retard the unlocking some (just like a barrel mounted compensator just not as much) so a somewhat lighter spring may give you better results. If it is sluggish with any of the above springs, try a 14 lb. spring.

 

For a bushing style comp, do you mean ports in an extended barrel bushing, or a compensator using a standard bushing instead of a cone? If you have the extended barrel bushing, they are very inefficient, as the opening is the same ID as the barrel OD. You will lose lots of gas, and will notice little difference.

Here is a link to an article on bushing compensators. http://38super.net/Pages/Bushing Compensators.html

 

I do have a one piece KING'S bushing/compensator on my personally built 1911. To those that say comps don't work, I DISAGREE. We measured the rise several times with FMJ and SWC reloads. We measured against the same pistol without the compensator. Our estimate of reduced rise is between 20 & 30 percent. Which means in affect a reduction of target acquisition. Off hand shooting not two hand holds.
Mine works, TIFWIW.

 

Wilson Multi comp 3-port

Superdude: Thanks for the clarification. I have never owned a Wilson Multi-Comp and thought the comp still attached to the barrel.......

I built a .38 super Carry Comp gun about 20 years ago.....it is a traditional compensator set up with a single port and expansion chamber. I used a Commander length slide, so the overall length of the gun is slightly shorter than a standard 5" 1911. When I first tested the gun, I was pleasantly surprised how effective it was at reducing muzzle flip and felt recoil with hot .38 super loads. I use Wilson Nite Eyes tritium sighs, and used this as my main EDC gun for many years with a leather pancake style holster. The tritium vial dimmed after roughly 10 years, so I turned the front sight into a F/O. It is still one of my favorite carry guns, but I since have built a Commander length .38 super single stack with F/O sights which I use more often for EDC...pic attached.

 

If I can ever figure out to post pictures, I'd show my work, they are shooters not SAFE Queens. Starting my third project since January, 9mm on a 1911 frame. Just finished a all steel Combat Commander 45 in April.

 

popcorn: scratch: