[JeffC]

Do I need a steel firing pin instead of the factory titanium firing pin (Springfield Loaded model) if I drop to a 17lb mainspring?

 

[1saxman]

I guess you mean the hammer spring. The purpose of the Ti firing pin is it has less weight, so a strong spring holds it back and prevents a drop-fire. So, if you lighten the hammer spring, you may have to lighten the firing pin spring to get reliable firing. Personally, if the gun works now I wouldn't mess with it.

 

[woodlands747]

I had light strikes on my Range Officer after I exchanged the ILS mainspring housing to a non ILS mainspring housing and a Wolff 19# mainspring.
Per recommendation from Rob at Alchemy Custom I changed the firing pin spring from a XX Power which Springfield uses with the titanium firing pin, to a X Power firing pin spring.
To take it a step further I installed an Ed Brown #826 steel firing pin. (Designed to fit Springfield)
Would ignite anything I put through it. Should be OK for a 17# mainspring as well.

 

[Rwehavinfunyet]

1911 slides and titanium firing pins.....

The amount of "lock time" saved by using a lighter titanium firing pin is really negligible and not worth the risk of a light firing pin hit.....

I had tried a titanium firing pin quite a few years ago when they first came out on the market, but I realized it was just not worth the risk of a light firing pin hit. I have used steel firing pins in my guns for many years, and have never had an issue...… If a gun is properly built, with the right combination of the weight of the recoil spring and the weight of the hammer spring for the power of the load, a titanium firing pin is not needed.....

 

[M-Peltier]

In my experience it depends on the Hammer. If your using a heavy hammer you may get light strikes. If you use an ultra light hammer, you will not have a problem with lite strikes.

 

[jjfitch]

What is your intended purpose for going to a 17# main/hammer spring?

There is enough information covering light strikes to make it ill-advised.

If this is a range gun for plinking go for it. For anything else think it through carefully.

If you are looking for a reduced slide force your upsetting the balance of other springs and induced jams.

Reducing the M/S or return to battery spring by more than a pound may induce other undesirable issues, muzzle flip frame battering FTF's to name a few.

Smiles,

 

[JeffC]

What is your intended purpose for going to a 17# main/hammer spring?

There is enough information covering light strikes to make it ill-advised.

If this is a range gun for plinking go for it. For anything else think it through carefully.

If you are looking for a reduced slide force your upsetting the balance of other springs and induced jams.

Reducing the M/S or return to battery spring by more than a pound may induce other undesirable issues, muzzle flip frame battering FTF's to name a few.

Smiles,

Mainly wondering if having the titanium firing pin/ XX power FP spring combo is going to give me a failure to fire should I use a weakened hammer spring. I've ran 19# hammer springs before with no problem. I wouldn't actually buy a 17# hammer spring but felt this was the right forum to ask. I think the last hammer spring I bought was an Ed Brown and I think his are advertised as 18lb?

 

[log man]

Mainly wondering if having the titanium firing pin/ XX power FP spring combo is going to give me a failure to fire should I use a weakened hammer spring. I've ran 19# hammer springs before with no problem. I wouldn't actually buy a 17# hammer spring but felt this was the right forum to ask. I think the last hammer spring I bought was an Ed Brown and I think his are advertised as 18lb?

The correct term is mainspring, and yes the use of a Ti firing pin and a light mainspring is an invitation for a light strike.

LOG

 

[pat_jones]

I use lightened springs in my USPSA gun. My main spring is 18 lbs, my recoil spring is 14 lbs. This is with 45 caliber handloads that make 175 power factor (230 gr @ 760 fps). Factory guns are oversprung for loads that are just over major power factor.

As noted above, the titanium firing pin can give troubles if you change the mainspring. The Springfield specific during pin from Ed Brown works well. I use whatever firing pin spring Wolff ships with their recoil springs.


Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Rwehavinfunyet]

mainspring or hammer spring.....

The correct term is mainspring,

I say it makes no difference, since Wolff Gun Springs uses the term "hammer spring" for a 1911, and Brownell's uses the term "hammer spring" and "mainspring" as well in different areas of their catalog...…

 

[log man]

I say it makes no difference, since Wolff Gun Springs uses the term "hammer spring" for a 1911, and Brownell's uses the term "hammer spring" and "mainspring" as well in different areas of their catalog...…

So you prefer to place the "hammer spring", in the "main spring" housing, or do you call it the "hammer spring" housing, fine with me, but not what the correct terminology is, and the OP started out correct, and got incorrectly, corrected. Just letting him know, he was right.

Some may prefer that springy thing in the back of the grip thing with those thingys that look kind of like a cut 16 penny nail, sort of like.

LOG

 

[jjfitch]

Words do mean things!

So you prefer to place the "hammer spring", in the "main spring" housing, or do you call it the "hammer spring" housing, fine with me, but not what the correct terminology is, and the OP started out correct, and got incorrectly, corrected. Just letting him know, he was right.

Some may prefer that springy thing in the back of the grip thing with those thingys that look kind of like a cut 16 penny nail, sort of like.

LOG

There is always less confusion when using the correct terminology especially as shown in the original spec.

Now is it a "slide release" or "slide lock"?

Smiles,

 

[markm]

I've replaced a lot of my mainsprings with 19lb ones and it worked fine until I got to a Springfield and immediately had light strikes.

 

[JeffC]

I've replaced a lot of my mainsprings with 19lb ones and it worked fine until I got to a Springfield and immediately had light strikes.

This was my main concern. I've used 19lb mainsprings in many 1911s and since my only ones as of now have titanium firing pins I didn't want to risk a light strike when I need it.

Thanks guys

 

[log man]

For a steel firing pin replacement know SA uses a size in between std. EGW has a selection, or the Ed Brown #826. Measure what you have.

LOG

 

[Plaidad]

I had a Range Officer Compact that had light strikes with the factory mainspring. It went back to Springfield and came back with the same problem. I replaced it with an Ed Brown steel pin and never had any more problems.

 

[waktasz]

Light strikes with a 19# spring? Sounds like wonky ammo to me. A 19 should smash everything

 

[supercomp]

I’ve run guns in the past with ti everything hammer, strut, ms cap, sear spring and firing pin with a 15lbs Main spring and a colt firing pin spring and it lit off every primer I tried. The colt firing pin spring made all the difference as it wasn’t extra powered like the Wolff spring.
Personally I’d ditch the ti firing pin for a extra long steel pin

 

[brickeyee]

Now is it a "slide release" or "slide lock"?

Smiles,

The actual patent points out it is both.
How 'fundamental' do you want to get?